Posted by
NOTLEGALROADKILLYET on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 12:32:18 AM
The Democrats rely on paid canvassers to walk their precincts. The Republicans use true volunteers. President Kerry will attest to the effectiveness of his party's efforts.
This is a tip that seems so obvious to me now, and yet I was a month into making phone calls before I figured out how to do it. A campaign can get as many volunteers as it needs if it simply asks people to volunteer.
Early this summer, I was, with many others, the recipient of a Karl Rove pep talk on the importance of volunteers to a successful campaign. Ohio was won for Bush in 2004 because the Republicans put 80,000 volunteers in the field.
A few days later, I walked my own precinct. The mission I was given was to distribute campaign materials. No one said or suggested that I should also ask the voters I was contacting to volunteer to help the campaign. I decided I would see how many people would volunteer to help. I only counted folks who gave me their email address. In a period of nine hours, I identified 10 volunteers in 9 households.
This is how I did it: First, I dressed the part. I had a Beauprez shirt and I wore it. That cut down on the need to introduce myself. People knew what I was there for and were either enthusiastic or not.
When I handed them the materials, I told the the more enthusiastic voters that "my real reason for coming was to ask them to volunteer." Note that I didn't ask the elderly, infirm, or unenthusiastic. If I got a "yes" answer, I got their personal information, including info on what they were willing to do. This wasn't hard.
Over the course of the summer and fall, I have identified more than 50 volunteers. When I said in an earlier post that I set a daily personal goal of finding two volunteers, I was serious. I do it, and I can do it. The difference between me and others is that I ASK!