Just got back from registering voters at our local grocery store, and here's who I met

[Emit]

In the two hours I was there, we had:

One loud mouth guy who just stopped by to ask how the women at the table liked McCain's pick for VP, Palin. "You women are just never satisfied ... whadda' ya mean? She's great! What more could you ask for? Great looking and intelligent, more experienced than Obama..." He said he had voted for Bill Clinton. He really was intent on picking a fight with us.

One guy who wanted to change his voter registration from Green Party to ... wait for it ... Republican. He "can't stand Obama" because "He's too liberal." "Huh," I asked? Leaves one speechless, really.

Two young women who wanted to make sure to change their address; both were supporting Obama.

Two middle-aged men who asked if they could volunteer for Obama. Both described themselves as Recovering Republicans. They were really motivated and excited to participate.

Two folks from California who made a point to stop by to tell us they were not from the area and "...do not belong to your party." Don't know why they felt compelled to do that. Rare breeds - California Republicans.

One large man with a huge bottle of cheap Vodka who said the only thing he wants 'to register' is the alcohol he was holding in his hand.

One older gentleman, a bit disheveled, who came over to inform us that he had just arrived to the area after a 3,000 mile car trip from Alaska. He had no clue who Palin was, though. :shrug:

Many folks walked by quickly, not wanting to meet our eyes, and acting as if it was totally none of our business to ask whether they needed to register to vote.

A fair amount gave us the thumbs up, smiled our direction, and/or said "Already with you!"

[pnwmom]

1. What area are you living in, Emit?

Your day sounded a bit discouraging. Thank you for all your effort, though!

[Emit]

6. I live in Reno, NV and yes, it is discouraging at times

I tell you, sometimes I am left speechless and other times I'm like drawn into these strange, at times heated, discussions about politics with total strangers. Either way, I'm often left scratching my head and wondering how people end up believing the things they do. I guess that's the wanna be 'philosopher/sociologist/psychologist' in me - always left wondering why people do some of the things they do or say what they say.

[kestrel91316]

13. I have cousins in Reno who are RW global warming denial freaks. Sad.

[Emit]

15. We have quite a few of those

probably live right next door here ;)

[pnwmom]

17. For what it's worth, I had a discussion today

with a middle aged woman who is a strong evangelical Christian who was very uncomfortable with Palin's lack of experience -- even before I told her about troopergate, the size of the town where she was mayor (and what happened to the budget while she was there), etc.

And my 90+ years M.I.L., a life-long Republican, was very impressed by Obama's speech and NOT impressed by the choice of Palin. I don't know that that means she'll make the right decision when it comes down to it, but I think this is indicative of how strong a candidate Obama/Biden is -- as opposed to McCain/Palin.

[AlCzervik]

2. California Republicans are not a rare breed, we've got plenty of them.

[Emit]

8. Yes, I know, but, we've had so many Californians out here helping

us get out the vote since '04 that most I meet are liberal Democrats -- and most I've know who live there now or who moved here are Dems, or maybe Inds.

[AlCzervik]

9. my district has changed mostly because we are close to ground 0 in foreclosures.

i am going to be really interested in the actual hard vote counts for my city, i saved them from last time and i cannot wait to compare them.

Keep your fingers crossed because we might be able to unseat out asshat Republican rep in District 3.

[Emit]

14. Dist. 3 -- Is that Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Sac area?

Is that where you're at? We've got some family near you there, if so, and lots further down in Laguna Hills and La Jolla.

I'll send you good thoughts on unseating your Repug rep -- and I just want to go on record, since you're there in CA, to publicly thank all good Californians who've come over to NV to try help us turn our state blue. It happened in the last two election cycles ('04 was absolutely incredible and touching), in our recent caucuses, and it will happen again this year, as they are already starting to pour in to walk neighborhoods. :hi:

edited to add 'try', because we didn't turn blue in '04 but came close in lots of areas.

[AlCzervik]

16. yup, sac, south sac area and i walked last time For Durston who tried to unseat Lungren

and for someone with not high name id he came close, this time i think it might happen, i'm really hoping it will, he's a really guy and the real deal! Thanks for your good wishes and back at ya, we love ya Nevada!

[Emit]

23. chimpsrsmarter, your post reminds me of something that H20 Man reminds folks of frequently

that politics is local. When '04 proved a defeat, I got on board with volunteering for a guy whose wife I had met during the '04 run. He was challenging a creepy fundie Repug in our district for State Senate, Brookes Holcomb, in '06. I poured effort into the Bobzien campaign because I felt he had potential to move beyond local politics and, in our state, dominated by Repugs, I envisioned him being our rep in DC someday, if he chooses. I will volunteer for him again, because the crap reps we have in Congress started somewhere. If we can help forge the paths for the good ones now, hopefully, we can know better who is up there representing us tomorrow.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. I'd laugh about the Green but...

my husband who is a RW evangelical is registered Green. No joke! (I think originally it was because he wanted to support a local candidate he liked, but it's been 15 years so I really don't remember.)

[Starry Messenger]

4. California Republicans.

Sorry about them. Since they're outnumbered here I guess they feel they have to be more obnoxious to really make their point. Their votes are largely ceremonial as far as President is concerned. Poor things. Pity them.

MPK

[AlCzervik]

7. and their numbers are down since 2004 which is a great thing.

[medicswife]

5. Hey, how'd you get involved

with a voter registration drive and do you know how I could do the same? I'm in the state of Kentucky, right on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. It's a military base though, so we have kind of different rules. But after my gall bladder surgery I'd really like to do something like that.

[Emit]

10. They need you there

I registered on line with the Obama campaign months ago, but never got a call. I called their office several times, but again, no one called me back. I finally took the bull by the horns, though, and called again. Around the same time, one of my old volunteering buddies called me and said she'd given my name to the paid Obama coordinator in my District. I said, finally. (In all sincerity, I should've been down to Dem headquarters or seeking out the Obama office much sooner, but, my life has just been too hectic to date)

Try finding if there is an office near you -- either a Democratic Party headquarters or an Obama office. My coord. told me they called their campaign 'Hope for Change', not the Obama campaign - don't know if that is the same across all states or just here. Anyway, see what you can find, whether on line through the Obama website or maybe in your local phone book for the Dem HQ.

They need you down there -- they need to draw in as many new voters as possible in your area. Thank you for asking. You are much appreciated for even asking and I hope your gall bladder surgery goes well. Good luck. PM me if you need help searching for a number in your area.

[spartan61]

12. I live in Florida, but I am in Maine for the summer.

When I first arrived, I went to the Maine Dem Office in Augusta and asked if there was anything I could do to help with the Obama (and Tom Allen campaign. Allen is running against Susan Collins for the US Senate.) They were more than happy to take my contact info and they called me the next week to do some canvassing, voter registration, or phone banking. Now they have an office in the town closer to my Maine cottage and I try to do whatever I can do several times a week. Just find out where the office nearest to you is located and either call or go there. I can promise you that your offer to volunteer will be most welcomed.

[Cha]

11. Thanks for getting out there Emit on the front lines!

My friend asked me today if I would be interested in Phone Banking in the near future as there is someone in our county who will set it up..I said yes, I would really like to do that.

And, she's encouraging everyone to write letters to the editor with our thoughts on this historic election.

[Emit]

18. No problem, I actually enjoy it, and while I got a later start this year

I'm fired up and ready to go now!

And thanks for phone banking -- that's the guts of it there. :hi:

[progressiveforever]

19. Keep on working! ANd thank you.

You're doing your part. I'm canvassing tomorrow.

[Emit]

21. Good on you

where abouts?

I'm curious to know if other states have a lot of infrastructure in place, or if Nevada is getting a bit more $$ and attention because it's a battle ground state. Any idea in your area?

[progressiveforever]

22. I'm canvassing in Ohio

[trashcanistanista]

24. Hi Emit! I am right across the border from you

and I can tell you that Nevada is getting a lot of our volunteers from Placer County (CA), El Dorado County and the San Jose Area. The Obama group seems to be very well organized in Northern Nevada. I'm in Placer and our group has been assigned Douglas County(Nev) this week and next to do door to door. We are used to rethugs in Placer County so we can adapt to Nevada. I have been helping out in our Dem office in Auburn where we have been getting a trickle of rethugs donating to Obama and Charlie Brown (our Congressional Candidate). Next week we have our County Fair and so many volunteers are heading to Nevada, we are skimpy on staff here at home. Nevada can be won, California is already won so that's why they are sending the California Dems to Nevada to work. We phone bank out of our California office to New Mexico too, which is another battleground. It may hurt our local candidates because we really need more people here but we have been picking up more and more volunteers every day so hopefully it will all work out. The Democratic Party has pumped money into our district CA(04) for the first time in years, to win the Congressional seat. It is non stop work and it is hard to keep track of who you are working for and where you are supposed to be and what your lines are when on the phone.

[Emit]

25. trashcanistanista , hello!

And you ARE just across the border from us here in Reno! PM me if you're ever coming to Reno -I'd be glad to hear from you.

In '04, we met many, many Californians who came up to walk and go door to door with us. My SO and I took a group of 8 college students from Davis and worked with them for a weekend -- man, the energy was palpable. They were so positive and fired up.

I am interested in what kind of response you get in Douglas County - Gardnerville, Genoa, Minden and those towns up at Lake Tahoe like Zephyr Cove and Stateline are all beautiful areas - and, likely ... hopefully, will have more progressives than in years past, as folks have moved there from areas like California for retirement, new families have moved there to live and commute in to Carson and Reno even, and that area is experiencing a lot of growth, in general.

It will definitely be a mixed bag, though. I have family in Minden and in Carson City, and if you knock on their doors, they will tell you they're voting for McCain! *arghhh* (trust me, I've tried).

Good luck and thank you so much for helping Nevada turn blue! (Bring a jacket, it's getting chilly in the am and evenings and will be more so in our higher elevations - as you may know from being up in Auburn.)

[progressiveforever]

20. Keep on working! ANd thank you.

You're doing your part. I'm canvassing tomorrow.