Talking to Voters (Potential and Otherwise)

I spent three hours yesterday in a campaign outpost making calls and talking with whoever answered the phone. I said my name and that I was calling with ‘x’ campaign. Roughly 60% hung up the phone or indicated in various other ways that they had no wish to talk. It’s August: campaign definition and awareness begins now. It’s a new (they’re all new, now) district. This candidate is running in a district where the registration is heavily against. There is an incumbent advantage and it’s probable that money will stack up fairly evenly. There is also a chance that this district will attract national SuperPAC spending, which would erase those two slim advantages (maybe).

Talked to a couple of idealogues and one demagogue. I was surprised, occasionally by intelligent, open-minded individuals. That makes it three hours well spent. There is a lot of conversation; it’s still hard to find a good discussion.