|
Volunteering
to Win
July 27, 2001
by
Lynne M. Sin
I remember November 7th, 2000; I'm sure none of us will
ever forget that date. To be honest, this was the first presidential
election in over a decade that I really didn't make the effort
to help campaign for our candidate. It wasn't that I didn't
support Al Gore, it was just that I found excuses that kept
me from helping out with the local campaign. Other than a
half-hearted attempt to help the democratic candidate for
senator in Pennsylvania (a conservative pro-life candidate
with a poorly financed campaign and little support statewide);
I basically was non-existent throughout the 2000 fall campaign
season.
But the DNC did keep in touch with me and asked if I would
be available on Election Day to help get the vote out. The
volunteer that contacted me explained that they were trying
to get as many volunteers into the "Swing States" (states
still too close to call for either presidential candidate)
and help get the voters to the polls. DNC knew that if they
were to win Pennsylvania for Al Gore, they had to have high
voter turnout in both Pittsburgh & Philadelphia since in the
middle of Pennsylvania is like "rural Alabama". So I took
the day off from work and headed to the DNC Headquarters in
Philadelphia.
What I saw that day amazed me, several hundred volunteers
descended upon Philadelphia. As I walked around and introduced
myself to the various volunteers, I found that many of them
were from outside our state. One gentleman was a union member
from New Jersey and their group had sent three busloads of
members to help out in our state. There were groups of volunteers
who drove up from Delaware, Maryland & Virginia and more groups
that came from New York. There was even one family that made
the trek from Oregon. From our meeting place in Center City
Philadelphia, the DNC sent a large portion of the volunteers
to the Great Northeast of Philadelphia - a Republican stronghold.
Our goal was simple; to knock on door of every registered
Democrat and remind them to get out and vote. From the Northeast
Headquarters we were divided into smaller groups. Those of
us familiar with Philadelphia took with us out of state volunteers.
We were given a district to canvas and we were armed with
brochures we could hang on doors and phone numbers to hand
out for those needing help to get to the booth. I worked with
a family from the suburbs, a mother who took her kids out
of school that day. As we knocked on doors, she told me about
how she felt this would be a historical day and that her children
could experience first hand American History and Civics.
Because of our efforts, we had high voter turnout in Philadelphia
which ensured a victory for Al Gore. But the greatest story
was what happened in the Great Northeast section of Philadelphia.
A Republican State Senator had represented the section we
canvassed for 18 years. This year the Democratic challenger
narrowly defeated him. Maybe that's not headline news, but
it does show the power of getting out the vote. Maybe the
folks in the Greater Northeast were tired of this representative,
maybe there was a small scandal; however, I'd like to think
that the extra efforts made by the volunteers in that area
helped get the few extra votes needed to ensure victory for
his Democratic challenger. This is what happens when volunteers
work together to get out the vote.
With every story there is a lesson to be learned and I hope
the message that you take with you is to get out and volunteer.
Bush & Cronies may define volunteers by the size of their
wallets, but no amount of money can replace the power of people
determined to get out on the streets and remind folks it's
time to vote. In 2001, we have the perfect opportunity to
get in practice for the upcoming elections in 2002 & 2004.
New Jersey and Virginia both have major elections this year
for Governor and both are prime opportunities for Democrats
to band together and get to more governor chairs filled by
Democrats.
Jim McGreevey of New Jersey and Mark Warner of Virginia
are both very popular in their respective states. Jim McGreevey
served as a Mayor and narrowly lost to Christie Todd Whitman
in the 1997 governor race in New Jersey. Mark Warner is a
respected businessman in Virginia. Both candidates are running
against very conservative Republicans that are both enthusiastically
supported by George W. Bush and his special interest partners.
Maybe you're like me and live near one of the states - sign
up as a volunteer for one of the states and help out with
their campaigns. If you're not nearby but have family and
friends in those states, get them excited about the campaign
and volunteering. Maybe neither is possible for you; however,
that doesn't mean there isn't anything you can do. Across
this country there are local campaigns in every state. If
you can spare 3-6 hours a month, take the time to volunteer.
If we are to defeat the deep pockets of the special interest
groups, all Democrats need to take the time to get the vote
out and volunteer. No amount of money can defeat the spirit
of volunteering.
http://www.mcgreevey2001.com
http://www.markwarner2001.org
View
All Articles
|
