Monday, October 08, 2012

A Day in the Life of a Field Organizer


UPS

I knocked a lot of doors today, and got a lot of undecideds or traditional dems who didn't want to request their ballots by mail. I was bumming hard-core, but when I got back to the office I found a completed walk packet from a volunteer who just recently came out of the woodwork. 9 VBMs! 2 voter regs! Suddenly everything was okay. This is hard work out here in rural SW Iowa, but it's worth it. We're covering a lot of ground, and hopefully won't hit any deer with our cars in the process. We're having real conversations with real voters and hopefully our dedication shines through. Whenever I'm feeling tired or down, I get re-inspired by the people I'm working for and with: women who want the freedom to make their own choices about their own bodies, (1 woman filled out a VBM today for that reason alone), seniors who rely on their social security to live (1 woman I met today makes it work with $700 a month...$700 a month!!! That's probably the cost of Mitt Romney's right shoe!), the gays and lesbians whose committed relationships deserve the same honor and respect as heterosexual marriage, anyone who believes in a free and open and loving society.

CHALLENGES

I need to make sure my volunteers feel appreciated. I need to get better at managing what little time I have. I need to find/make energy to be harder, faster, better, stronger. I'm here for all the Peace Corps Volunteers and employed people who don't have the time to give to the campaign but whose hearts are behind me and who are counting on people like me to pull it out and make it work. Let's win Iowa!!!

SOLUTIONS

The new schedule Megan just sent out! A possible DFO coming later this week! Faith, trust and pixie dust!

OTHER WORK

I voted! I cast my absentee ballot in the state of Iowa for Barack Obama and Joe Biden today! So excited and proud to vote for such great guys and to be a part of such a great team to get them re-elected! Let's win this thing!