General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow to go door-to-door
I am not claiming to be an expert in these matters, but I can share my experiences going door-to-door for Obama and Clinton. I welcome your input here.
1) Google your local Democratic headquarters, contact them, and ask where you are needed most. They will assign you to a town or neighborhood and provide specific addresses to visit.
2) Bring a friend or two for company and confidence. You are saying with your presence "I can't wait to vote." That's infectious.
3) You will probably be asked to emphasize certain points while speaking to people, but you'll quickly get the hang of it and can speak in your own words. Always be polite and let the person feel heard. Just standing calm and convinced is a better argument than getting into a huff. Let your warmth and calm be a model for the better party. Inspire people to vote, don't tell them to.
4) Do mark down on the clipboard whether each home you visit is answered by the resident and where they are leaning. The sheets provided to you should be self-explanatory. (And if any Dem committee folks are listening, PLEASE make your clipboard materials graphically clear, simple and user-friendly. Don't skimp on giving a serious text/graphic designer a job.)
5) Tell your social networks when you are planning to go door-to-door. Start a fever in your network.
6) Have fun saving your country! Tell your social network the election night party is at your place and anyone who goes door-to-door gets a kiss (or whatever your scene would find charming).
I welcome corrections and further suggestions below.
eleny
(46,166 posts)Your asking us to inspire people to vote is some of the best advice I've seen. Thanks so much.
sinkingfeeling
(51,457 posts)a phone bank unless it's to other Democrats. My temper would flare and I'd get into an argument. I have no self control anymore.
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)For instance, one lady in 2008 informed me that she would not be voting for the n****.
Oh, sorry. Which one is the n*** again? I forget.
Obama! That commie N!
Oh? If you dont mind me asking, why not?
He says hes gonna paint the White House black! Its the goddamned White House, not the Black House! At this point spittle was coming out.
So I can mark you down as undecided then?
No!!! Im not undecided. Im not voting for that fucking Obama, Im voting for McCain!
So, undecided then?
Cue a good thirty seconds of that day exact same back and forth no! to undecided? and back again before the door was slammed in my face.
(Full disclosure: I totally stole the undecided line from my great aunt, who was asked by HW Bush who she was voting for on live CNN. When she said Itll be a cold day in Hell before I vote Republican he came back with the undecided bit, which is a lot funnier than his groping strangers)
(Further full disclosure: she wasnt so much a good Democrat as she was still pissed about having lost The War. Her father had been a veteran on the traitor side. Sometimes families branch strangely)
backtoblue
(11,343 posts)underpants
(182,829 posts)1,400 doors for Tim Kaine in 2012
3a. You won't get much of a haste in fact I had people thank me for doing what I was doing - from both sides. I had 2 people give me a hard time out of those 1,400 doors.
7. Have a Sharpie type pen with you. You probably will have some sort of flier to leave at the door for non-answers. If there is any kind of school flags or anything add a note to the flier like "Go Hokies!" "Go Hoos!" If you don't know the mascot have your phone and google it. Or you can just add a "Tim says Hi!" type thing.
marked50
(1,366 posts)DemocracyMouse
(2,275 posts)Isn't GOTV the most important part of the DU universe? Should I repost this (and include that excellent suggestion about bringing a Sharpie)?
oasis
(49,389 posts)We did our bit for democracy in America at a critical period in history.
DemocracyMouse
(2,275 posts)And to get out the vote we need to encourage our networks to go door to door, throw vote-motivating parties....
... Anybody here know how to encourage the DU editors to promote more GOTV messages like this one?