Election Day bonus!
Notes from making calls for Obama (now get out there and vote)

"Hi, I'm ___ and I'm a volunteer with moveon.org. Is this Rose?"
"Yes, it is."
"Hi Rose. Well, as you know, the last weekend before the election is coming up, and so I'm trying to get people to come out to volunteer."
"Oh, yes, well, I can't come out and volunteer because I'm teaching a class over the weekend."
"Oh, that's --"
"But I have been working for Obama and talking to people -- I've been talking to the press a lot. You see, I live with a Republican."
"Really?"
"Yes. And I've got two interviews coming out this weekend, I can't remember where the reporters are from. But they're all very interested in us. We're in the I4 corridor, you know. We typically go Republican but not this year!"
"Wow, well, that's --"
"Now where are you from?"
"Um, I'm from Brooklyn."
"Oh, I'm from Brooklyn! Flatbush! It was not a good neighborhood when I was growing up there."
"Yeah, I don't know if it's a good neighborhood now…"
"And two of my daughters got their PhDs at Columbia. The third one's an MBA. Now what do you do?"
"I'm a filmmaker."
"Really, a filmmaker! So I should look for you! I see on the caller ID that your name is _____ _____. Is that what your name is?"
"Er, well, yes."
"Well, I'll have to Google you!"


"Hi, I --"
(suspicious) "Who is this?"
"My name is _____ and I'm a volunteer for Moveon.org. And, um, on my list here I have that I'm either calling for 'B' or 'G.'"
"Well…I guess you'll have to talk to B."
"Okay, so is this B?"
(long pause) "This is B."
"Okay, great. Um, we're looking for people to come out and volunteer for Obama this weekend."
"Well...I cannot. You see, I'd very much like to volunteer. But my job precludes me."
"Oh." (Beat, while I wait for him to tell me what his job is. He doesn't.) "So you can't volunteer."
"No, I'd like to very much. But my job precludes me."
"Okay."
"All I am able to do at this juncture is vote."
"Well…thanks for voting!"


"Hi, I'm a volunteer with Moveon.org, how are you doing?"
"I'm all right I guess."
"Well, great. I'm trying to get people to come out to volunteer for Obama this weekend."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's not a good time."
"Oh. Okay."
"You see my dad just died."
"Oh, I'm so sorry…"
"And I have all of my family here at my house right now for a memorial service."
"Oh, well, I'm sorry, then I'll --"
"I am voting for Obama. In North Carolina."
"Well…thank you."
"I really wish I could help, I would like to. But it's -- it's not a good time."
"No, no, of course not. Thank you for taking my call. And again, I'm so sorry."
"Well...everybody dies."


"Hi, I got a call from this number?"
"Oh. Hi. Yes, um, I called you because I'm a volunteer with Moveon.org and we're trying to get people to come out and volunteer."
"Oh. But this number says New York, are you calling from New York?"
"Yes, we're in New York."
"So…you want me to come up to New York?"
"Oh, no, no, we have a campaign headquarters in Ocala."
"Oh. Great!"


"My weekend is booked solid."


"I'm going out of town for Halloween."


"Oh, yes, I'm already going to do that."
"Oh, great! So which time would you like to come out, Saturday at 10 am or --"
"Oh, no. I can't do that."
"Oh."
"I'm going to vote for Obama but I can't volunteer. I'm an old lady."


"Oh, yes!" (off the phone) "She's calling from Moveon." (on the phone) "When are you looking for volunteers?"
"Saturday and Sunday."
(off the phone) "She says Saturday and Sunday…." (on the phone) "What would we be doing?"
"Well, you'd be talking to voters, so either making calls or knocking on doors."
(off the phone) "She says making calls or knocking on doors…" (on the phone) "Hold on a second."
(a few moments go by, the she returns to the phone)
"Well, I guess we're not."
"Oh, that's too bad."
"Yeah...But we did vote! We voted today!"
"Oh, that's great. We don't have early voting here in New York so we have to vote on election day."
"Oh, well, you know we're in Florida, so we're special."
"Yes, well...yes. Well, if you decide you do want to volunteer you can always check out the Moveon website. If your husband changes his mind --"
"Well, we'll fight over it and if I win, we'll do it."