Am I a bit too aggressive with getting people to vote?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

Last weekend when we were out registering voters, I came upon a guy who told me he was 88 years old and registered to vote, but he laughed and said, "If I MAKE it to November 2nd!"

I laughed, too and said "Hey! Early voting starts October 18th, which means you only have to hang on for another coupla weeks!!"

He LAUGHED his ass off, told me he forgot about early voting and he'd have to do that (he was a Dem). I asked if he needed a ride and he said no, his "lover" would take him, which inwardly cracked me up.

So we have a great conversation and we walk away and the guy who was with me, the campaign manager for the woman running for state house in my district, started busting a gut laughing so hard I thought for a second he was choking. When he stopped he said "You really shouldn't say things like that. As funny as it was, DAMN, 'you only have to hang on for another couple of weeks???' I couldn't believe you said that!"

I was a bit perplexed. The old guy was laughing really hard after I said that and decided to vote early. Wassa deal? I also tried one lady's soul food (she wanted me to taste it, then she registered to vote) and handed this other guy tools while he was fixing his car, then he registered to vote in exchange for my help.

Hey do whatever you can, man. Did I say the wrong thing to the old guy, though?

[Salviati]

1. I think he opened the door to that comment...

with his "If I MAKE it to November 2nd!" line. Coming out of the blue, it would have been a bit too much, but clearly he took it in the spirit in which it was intended.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

2. ROFL!

Yeah, I could see it being inappropriate if I said, "MAN you are like older than God's parents, I hope you MAKE it to election day, better vote early!"

But he was joking around about making it until Nov. 2 so I just wanted to stay in the spirit of things. I don't find death all that horrifying, maybe that makes a difference.

[Longhorn]

3. I think you did great!

Obviously, he knew you were kidding, as was he. If you really thought he was going to die within days, you never would have teased him. Good for you for getting him registered and inspired to vote!

[txindy]

4. It was funny to me, too

The old man is the one who gave you the lead-in with "If I MAKE it to Nov. 2nd!" It's not as if you went up to him out of the blue and asked him to live another couple of weeks. Now THAT would've been over the top!
:wow:

[RoyGBiv]

5. Probably not ...

You judge those situations by the rapport you've established.

I look at voter registration as essentially the same as sales. You're trying to sell them on something. As a salesperson, using humor is a good technique, but you have to play off clues from the person to whom your trying to sell regarding if and what kind of humor is appropriate. Since he made the comment, then laughed, you had that established. If he'd said it in a more serious tone, then, no.

His laughing after you said it was confirmation that he hadn't taken offense.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

6. I know, sheeet

what was that campaign manager's problem? He doesn't connect with people and was too PC. I think she needs ME to manage her campaign. I also played jump rope with some girls in the apartment complex parkign lot while their dad filled out the voter registration form. It was fun!

[RoyGBiv]

7. Doesn't connect with people?

That's a bad description for a campaign manager.

You DO need to be in charge.

I've know a lot of people with a lot of talents that just have no interpersonal skills. Those people need to be exercising what skills they have, not putting themselves (or being put) in situations where their lack of skills can hurt your efforts.

[MockSwede]

8. Candor and humor!

Just the way I'd do it. Plain and forthright speaking from an honest heart does not injure a person's ego. Great story. Here's one I just got from a friend. Not quite as witty with reparte, but nice, nonetheless!

Subject: Pissed Off Old Coot

I was over in Vermont this morning taking some photos of some old farms in the fall colors.
While I was at this one site near Woodstock, VT, I ran into this 70
year old guy from Nebraska who was also taking photos. He spotted my
Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker and proceeded to launch his attack right
away.

"Hey there Fella, I see you are a photographer. I have the same Nikon you have!
I also noticed your bumper sticker. Well, look here, I'm a Republican and a conservative......."

I braced myself for what came next. And was pleasantly surprised to
find myself wrong.

"....and I'll never vote for that miserable son of a bitch Bush! He
does not represent the values I hold as a conservative!"

We talked for about 15 minutes. The war in Iraq, the economy, the
scaling back of subsidies for farmers who are in trouble with several
years of drought, etc. His favorite description of Bush was "sawed
off", as in "sawed off runt".

But the one thing that REALLY pissed this guy off? He said that his
daughter married a fundamentalist Christian guy, and as such, she
became a "born again" Christian fundamentalist herself. Their pastor
told them that if they did not contribute $1,000 to the Bush/Cheney
campaign and also vote for Bush/Cheney, that they would go to hell.
Literally.

Donate to Bush's campaign, and cast your vote for Bush, or Satan
himself will shove red hot irons up your ass for all eternity.

I'm not making this up - this guy was really pissed off!

[cheshire]

10. Fantastic story, I hope his daughter will be alright. She's screwed all

around.

[cheshire]

9. Your camp manager does not understand that at that age folks are OK with

it and some can laugh about it. You were real and they see that. I wouldn't worry about this guys worries. I love that people like you are at ease with yourself enough to do that.

[CitySky]

11. Ya Done Good!

I've read some of your other stories, Moonbeam_Starlight, and have to say you are just one effective Dem.

You DO connect with people. Trust your instincts on this. You're doing great!

Now, let's all hope that guy makes it to October 18... :7

[janx]

12. Nah. A nice young woman came to our door last night...

the dogs were barking like crazy, it was still early, and I already had my flannel nightgown on even though it was probably before 9:00.

She was very apologetic and said that she wasn't soliciting and that she was only trying to register people to vote. Over the dogs' barking I assured her that we were all registered, set, and ready to vote in our household. I sort of waved her away and felt bad about it, but I was very tired. I did thank her.

So, no. You're doing very well. Keep at it!