A Broad Abroad

yes, i think i have them. i was raised in san antonio, TX, a large but provincial-feeling city. before i moved to oakland, san antonio was the largest city i’d lived in. from there it went like this:

Lubbock, TX – attended texas tech university – home of buddy holly, gettin’ your guns up, prairie-dog town, dust storms and drink specials that launched a thousand alcoholics. it did have a bar that was “gay” one night a week (that would be thursday) but mostly that just meant better music. hair was big and democrats were rare. i was co-chair of the young republican campaign to elect GHW Bush. i openly mocked my one Democratic sorority sister. being dem was not socially acceptable.

Amarillo, TX – my first real job sent me to a string of towns full of “real americans”. I headed north thru a patchwork of pan-flat farms, past plainview and happy to amarillo, home of “the big texas steak ranch” where if you finish their 72 ounce steak (that’s 4 and 1/2 lbs!) it’s FREE.. it’s here that i got serious about droppin’ my g’s. everything you are about to do – you are “fixin'” to do.

Wichita Falls, TX – the two biggest things to happen to wichita falls were “the last picture show” (which was filmed just outside of town) and a 1979 F5 tornado that was so big that people were killed when they emerged, thinking the tornado had past, only to find that it was the eye of the tornado. then the back-side hit. a terrible thing, but some of the guys i worked with at jc penney’s still got a twinkle in their eye 10 years later when they talked about patrolling the parking lot with shotguns to prevent looting (tho they admitted there were no looters). here i learned about stock-car racing and my landlord ate onions like apples. in a red cross blood-drive raffle i won a night with my fiancee at the presidential suite at the wichita falls sheraton – the only thing i’ve ever won in a raffle. sigh.

Enid, OK – a turning point for me and my then-hubby john. the decade that proceeded our arrival was a tough one for enid. the oil bust hit it hard and the local folk were surly. tho they still adhered to the index-finger-steering-wheel wave on the back roads, if you headed out past the carbon-black plant or the genuine sod-house you could find small town antique stores with plenty of genuine nazi paraphernalia. enid is 90% white. fact. here i heard about annual pilgrimages to branson, MO and participated in a cultural-sensitivity training course that would make “The Office” blush. this was the worst 1.5 yrs….of….my….life. i saw unparalleled ignorance and bigotry and i’d had my fill of small-town america. i swore i’d never cross the red river into OK again and i haven’t.

so ms palin, i know of whom you speak. never EVER have i lived among more unconditionally kind, generous and extremely hard-working americans and hopeful immigrants as i live among here in the bay area of california. words cannot even convey my disgust of your ignorant comments. you are pandering to the very lowest common-denominator and if you win, it does not bode well for America.

ok – that’s a bait-and-switch title. Nevada is a swing-state in the 2008 presidential election. there has been a biiiig push to swing that state to the blue-side. it has been VERY interesting to observe the methodical approach of registering voters and identifying supporters for GOTV (get out the vote) efforts. i’ve learned that very little phone/foot canvassing is undertaken with the goal of influencing voters. a large part of the mission is identifying supporters, ensuring they are registered, and ensuring they vote (preferably early). there is a big role there for foot-soldiers.

thru friends of friends i’ve received this account of canvassing, on the ground, in NV. i thought it was a marvelous glimpse into what one encounters:

What an interesting time! I just spent the day knocking on the doors
of Nevadans gaining a glimpse into their viewpoints, concerns, and
hopes. As you may know, Nevada is a “swing state,” and with its 5
electoral votes, may play a critical role in the election outcome.

I didn’t really know what to expect driving into a remote rural suburb
of Minden, surrounded by cattle farms on one side and dry, desolate
desert hills on the other. It was a tract of small mini-farms and
horse ranches with a few newer streets of fancy suburban homes.
Everyone had an American flag out front. To my surprise, there was a
broad mix of political preferences and some truly amazing stories.

For sure there were some hardcore conservatives. One grumpy guy
declared “America is not ready to elect a Black president.” Another
undecided pro-life mother thought that Obama is “denying his white
heritage.” Whoa! Another outspoken women described herself as a
“Palin girl,” who thinks Sarah’s the person to “get rid of all those
old white guys in Washington.” Now, there’s some irony.

But then there were the others. I helped 76-year-old Joyce register as
a Democrat. She has osteoporosis, broke her hip, and had to move in
with her daughter. She’s concerned about the future for herself and
her family. She wants to vote! I talked to another disabled woman
fretting about the uncertainties of health care. She’ll vote for
Barack. There were many, many people, even registered Republicans, who
were still undecided. Others eagerly took the Obama literature and
thanked me profusely for walking their neighborhood!

After seven hours and knocking on 60 doors, I had one more house on my
list. A woman answered the door and looked sort of hostile – like
“What do you want!” I explained I was a volunteer for Barack – and she
poured out a long tale. Christy is a single mother with two teenage
sons. She can barely afford to keep her tract house, keep food on the
table and pay for gas. She’s just changed careers, going into teaching
at age 40. She said the school district where she now works just layed
off many older teachers because they don’t want to cover their health
insurance costs. She thinks Obama is our only hope. She’s desperate
and needs hope. And is making sure her 18-year-old son registers and
votes.

The biggest concerns of nearly everyone I talked to are the economy
and the reckless directions the country has taken under Bush. Even the
undecided folks are mostly undecided because they don’t trust anyone
to fix the situation. Only a couple of people were downright rude –
Republicans in very nice, luxury homes. They looked as if the devil
incarnate had arrived on their doorsteps.

I have to say the Obama staffers and volunteers in Minden were
marvelous! What a great group of hardworking, committed, friendly
folks. I have a whole new respect for those who do political work or,
god forbid, “community organizing.” It’s hard work – and after only
one day of it, I’m exhausted. So if an Obama volunteer comes to your
door, give them respect, a helping hand, and some praise. They’re
working for a worthy cause. Our future.

— Phil

thank you, Phil! i hope your experience encourages people to get involved.