Calling Up Fellow Americans

I spent the afternoon at Illinois headquarters for the Obama campaign, calling voters in Ohio to let them know where to go Tuesday to vote. Sandwiched in a small littered cubicle with two other volunteers, it was like being at the center of a cyclone.

People were talking on phones, yelling for drivers, carting in pizza and doughnuts, entering data on laptops, and running back and fourth with clipboards.

I was lucky to get my spot. There wasn’t enough room for all of the volunteers in the office. When I arrived, roughly 30 people were sitting on the floor in the hall, diligently working through call lists. It was a beautiful thing.

Every volunteer I talked to, like me, had never worked on a political campaign before this one. And yet there we all were… taking a deep breath and picking up the phone to dial a stranger. I don’t particularly like doing that, and I really don’t like getting telemarketing-like calls myself. But in this case, I think it’s worth it. Obama has a plan for people with disabilities that makes sense to me. That is one of the many reasons he has my vote. I’m happy to join the fray to help spread that message.

Besides, who would have thought it would be so fun, energizing, and addicting to sit at a desk plastered with candy wrappers and used napkins making calls for hours on end? But it is. Because this election matters.

Get out and vote!

Related links of interest:
'Taking Responsibility' commercial
Article about the candidates' positions on disability