As the Day Approaches ...

I took this shot from the Obama Campaign HQ in Denver on Tuesday evening. The view looks peaceful but I can assure you, the scene behind me was not. People are dog tired and overworked. I innocently asked one staffer if they had any Obama buttons left - something to ID me when I knock on doors. She just looked at me and started laughing in this strange maniacal manner. It was kinda scary. She just kept laughing until a few tears came. She walked away, still laughing. This is what sleep deprivation does when met with naive questions.

I spent part of my evening going door-to-door asking people who they might vote for in November and if they would like to sign up to receive mail-in ballots. I have not rang stranger-doorbells since I was a wee Camp Fire Girl, asking if folks wanted to buy P-Nuttles or Almond Rocha. Of course, I was much cuter then and greeted with less skepticism. People were mostly nice though there was one dog who humped my leg right outta the yard - that was a close one.

With my task completed earlier than planned, I found a bleary-eyed (they are ALL that way) campaign staffer named Will Bowling and asked what else they needed. "How do you feel about phone banking?" He then handed me somebody's cell phone (someone from North Carolina, evidently) and a list of phone numbers. He sent me off into the buzzing room full of people on phones - some sitting at desks and tables, some on the floor - all very, very focused.

I found enough space on a dirty corner couch and started dialing. What an education! Amazingly, every person I spoke to was gracious - not one rude person. I did get one guy who just wanted to talk and kept me on the phone by declaring his indecision. I finally had to cut him off when he began giving his opinions on cars, air quality, women and bread.

Another woman, after answering my questions politely, ("Who are you going to vote for? Are you going to the convention? What issues matter most to you? Do you want me to sign you up to receive a mail-in ballot?") said, "So, now comes the part where you ask me for a donation, right?"

She caught me off guard. I then threw her for a loop when I said, "Um, no. Not today!"

I talked to a bunch of folks who were undecided, especially Hillary supporters who are still clinging to a dream that Hillary herself has let go of. This I do not understand and this is why the Dems always end up shooting themselves in the foot during a race. From what I can tell, Hillary is doing her best to mesh her flock with Obama's but there are many, many stragglers. I hope they come around before November or will be up Shit Creek ... again.

The words of Eddie Izzard, who I recently saw perform, keep ringing in my ears:

"Okay, people now PLEASE don't fuck it up this time, eh? Vote the right way and then, drive to Florida and vote again, okay? PLEASE!"

Amen to that.