Canvassing today in Central Florida

[JohnnyCougar]

I saw a house with a wooden porch swing. The words "Rapture Ready" were engraved in big letters at the top. They weren't on my list, thank god.

The house next door was, however. The guy was a registered independent with a mustang in the driveway with a license plate cover that said "National Rifle Association". I marked "Not Home" and moved on to more fruitful houses up the road. :)

[polichick]

1. oyyyyyyy

[Danger Mouse]

2. lol

:D

[RagAss]

3. Hopeless...Daddy taught them to hate between beatings !!!!!

[d_b]

4. lulz +1

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. Occasionally, I've had good luck with a house like that.

I knocked on this one door where the wife was registered as an independent. Her libertarian husband opened the door. We had a nice chat and he said he was strongly leaning toward Obama. In most cases though, I do what you do. I've got better things to do with my time than argue with knuckleheads.

[abumbyanyothername]

22. No need to argue

In fact, I would suggest leaving a house with a "bad" result with the phrase, "I can respect your position. Whoever wins, I just really hope the country can come together more." Or similar.

[AlCzervik]

6. i saw a truck yesterday, a big chevy with a lift kit, big ass tires and one of those

metal boxes in back, like the kind you put tools and such into? Anyhow on the back window there was a "Red neck" sticker and on the same window on the other side there was an "Obama" circle sticker. I thought that was pretty cool.

[searchingforlight]

7. You might be surprised how many Democrats are members of the NRA

I live in a State where hunting is a ritual. We have buck pools at our local general store and you can't get a tradesman to come to your house in November. People take their vacations at that time of year and go to camp for weeks at a time. We are one of the most liberal States in the USA.

[PresidentObama]

8. You should have went to the door, my fathers an NRA member and voting for Obama.

Voted for Kerry in 2004.

You'd be surprised!

[AllentownJake]

21. If they are in the NRA and active enough to put a sticker on their car

they are voting. People who put political stickers on their car will be voting.

The only reason I go up to houses with cars that say "end of an error 1/20/09" or "Buck Fush" is to tell them about volunteering.

The OP was right to do what he did.

[Statistical]

24. In south many democrats are NRA. Many democratic congressmen earn B & A from NRA

NRA != GOP

In some areas of the country there are anti-RKBA (Right to Keep & Bear Arms) Republicans. They earn an F from NRA.
In some areas of the country there are very pro-RKBA Democrats. They earn an A from NRA.

It really depends on the part of the country. Say in NY or CA where 100% of Dems are very anti-RKBA yeah NRA probably means GOP. In FL I would say there was a 50/50 chance he was Democrat or Left leaning Indy. The fact that he was on the canvas list likely made it MORE likely he was left leaning.

[AllentownJake]

26. In PA NRA = probable republican

I live in a town where you can be in a ghetto that makes N.Philadelphia look good and drive 10 minutes and see a farmer cutting the head off a chicken for dinner. Its the most diverse area of the country I've ever lived in and I love my home town.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Do you even understand what you're supposed to be doing?

Go to every house on your list. Convince people.

Jesus Christ. Your post is unbelievable. You're rejecting voters in advance based on bumper stickers? You're supposed to fight for those voters.

[JohnnyCougar]

10. I think I was discerning what a better use of my time was.

Perhaps I shouldn't have skipped it. But I wouldn't have had time to go up to other houses had I wasted my time on that one. It turns out the last house I got to was an 80 year old male Southern Democrat leaning McCain. I had a nice conversation with him. He didn't like Bill Clinton very much, and said that had soured him to Democratic candidates for President. But I talked to him for a few minutes about the issues and Obama's middle class tax cuts, I gave him some literature from the Obama campaign, plus a handout from the Democratic candidate for US Congress here. We ended on a good note, and he said "well, I've got almost two months to change my mind!"

So I wouldn't have gotten to him had I wasted my time on NRA Mustang man.

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Sorry

I was wrong to question your judgment.

Cheers!

Be out there doing the hard work!!

[AllentownJake]

18. Defending the OP on this

If you walk up to a house and there are obvious political signs that you are going to run into an argument if the wrong person answers the door. Don't knock. If there is a person who supports you in the household they will be going out to vote to cancel out the idiot(s) in the house.

Canvassing is dangerous I had two people who had dogs released on them during the primary. If you can avoid a dog, mace, or yelling do it.

Now that we are going to independents I demand people go in twos. They cover less ground but one person getting hurt reduces my volunteer numbers for canvassing. Word spreads fast. People are less likely to act like an ass if there is a witness.

[Cosmocat]

33. Dude ... One of those Pa types ... Move on ...

Been there - I can tell you by my experiences, you can read a die hard R house pretty clearly - as noted, the Sportsman for Bush stickers, the NRA stuff. My rule out was a Santorum sign or bumper sticker - the holy grail of right wingnut and NRAism.

My father in law is a good man, I could not ask for better inlaws. He is a rural guy, builds log homes and is darn good at it. He also wears either a hat or shirt with NRA on it 99% of the time. The weekend of the Palin pick, we went up to let them visit with the grandkids, he looked over at my wife during dinner and asked - what do you think about McCain's VP pick. She said something about troopergate.

He made an out of character wise remark about how he would rather have something other than experience with her, then realized it and simply said "aw, I am an R and will be voting for McCain."

I can tell you this for a fact having knocked thousands of doors up her as a candidate and as a worker - If I hit his door and we didn't know each other, he would be polite, but there is NO WAY he would view the world any differently.

I have been to all of them - Fundies, fire breathing Rs. Again, you can know by the house most times. I can say with absolute certainty, if someone has the trappings like NRA stuff, you might find one or two out of 10 that might actually say they have seen the light - the other 8 will either be polite and gracious, or be rude and fume at you.

EITHER WAY - YOU are not going to change their minds. They are set in their ways, and only come around when THEIR minds come around.

Better to move on to people who might be on the fence.

[madaboutharry]

11. You are suppose to go to every house on the list.

I have gone up to houses with pick up trucks and bumper stickers that would make you pass them up and have found a "lean Obama" or "undecided" that was interested in taking the literature and appreciated us coming to the door.

It isn't up to you to make the decision to pass them up. We need every vote.

[JohnnyCougar]

14. I think I would have if I wasn't so psyched out about that "Rapture" engraving next door.

It was the only one I skipped all day, though. I knocked on 100 doors total in 90+ degree heat.

Take your preachyness elsewhere.

[madaboutharry]

16. I'm not being preachy, you are being defensive.

n/t

[JohnnyCougar]

28. I think you need to calm down.

[madaboutharry]

32. Look, you can do things anyway you want to.

It is your decision how to do your job. I disagree with you. I have a different opinion. End of story.

[AllentownJake]

23. Commend you

I know how dangerous canvassing can be.

I'm a team leader in PA. I tell all my team members if you feel uneasy about a house mark it refused or not home and go to the next one. A McCain sign, A pro-life sticker, A NRA sticker, or anything RW talk radio is enough for me to tell them to not go there. If there is a democrat in the household they will be at the polls because they live with an idiot and want to cancel out their vote.

[AllentownJake]

19. See post 18

I tell people volunteering if they feel leary about a house not to go to it.

[flamingdem]

12. Extra credit "Hazard Pay" for you efforts!

Wow. Sounds like a tough assignment but we need those FL votes by cracky.

[Pushed To The Left]

15. I think you should have knocked on the door. You may have been pleasantly surprised! n/t

[AllentownJake]

20. Some cases caution is better than valor

see post 18.

[AllentownJake]

17. Did that during the PA Primary use the refuse code not NH

I walked up to a house with a giant banner of a crucified Jesus and we vote Pro-Life on all cars. Did not feel like talking about Islam, Rev Wright, or Abortion. I refused to believe there was a registered democrat at that house so I wrote refused.

Write refused next time. That way nobody else will have to go there

[margotb822]

25. Sucks. This is what I get when I canvas in CA

[AllentownJake]

27. I need one of those

My 4'8' Banner on my fence and normal size Obama Poster in the window isn't enough to let the GOP neighboors to kiss my ass.

[margotb822]

29. Hahaha

I would have one too if I didn't live in an apt. dang!

Although, San Diego is actually fairly conservative, so we are up against some tough competition in the local races...

[KharmaTrain]

30. We Have A "Fundie Specialist"

This guy's a marvel...he can speak with most fundies and even if he doesn't "make the sale", he at least will get their attention and some form of respect. Actually he's been quite successful here in recent campaigns as he appears to be able to lay the guilt on like a Jewish mother (and I had one of the best)...and he's even brought some members of his church to the Obama campaign.

I don't blame you for taking a pass...I've done the same if I see a lot of antagonistic stuff on the door...but it also depends on my mood. There are times I like to take a chance...you may not get the fundie but their kids or another family member who isn't as hellbent and may even be a closet supporter who has never had someone reach out to them. I had this happen to me in 2004...a 19 year old daughter who we invited to our voter party...she came with us on election day and her vote counted.

Thanks for your work and faith...keep going...there's a lot of doors that still need to hear a knock.

Cheers...

[dccrossman]

31. Appreciate what you're doing, but...

You may not have gotten the reception you apparently expected.

We beat up repugs for making assumptions based on appearances and snap judgments.

There are repugs and NRA members that are planning to vote for Obama because they realize just how scary McCain is. Might have been an opportunity to let the person know that Obama does not, in fact, plan to take his gun away.