Friday, January 3, 2014

Pantera, "Strength Beyond Strength"

Excerpted from The Perks of Being a Campaigner, out now on Nightrain Books.



Three weeks left
   
October 14, 2012
       
Dear friends,

Mega-thanks to everyone who made it to our phone banks and PA trips this week. You are wonderful, wonderful people, and you're going to get the President you deserve.

On an organizing note, this week Time Warner is doing to my internet what Mitt Romney hopes to do to Planned Parenthood, the EPA and 30 million Americans' health care. Please bear with me if I don't get back to you as quickly as usual. Thank you, in addition to everything else, for your patience. If you have any favorite Wi-Fi cafes that are open after phone bank hours, shoot me an e-mail. Better yet, call me.

Anyway, let me answer as many questions as possible before my battery runs out.

Q. What's the most helpful thing that I can do for the campaign?

Make calls to swing states! This Tuesday, October 16, we're having a pre-debate phone bank at Kate's from 6pm-8:30pm. RSVP here.

Not only that, we're going back to Rebecca's on Wednesday, right off the Marcy Ave J/M/Z, from 6pm-9pm. The heroic Anna will be hosting and you won't want to miss it. RSVP here.

Q. Who is that super cool girl who you tag along with at the meetings?

That would be Duyen, our Neighborhood Team Leader. In case you missed our last four months of events, she is a complete boss on all things Obama and organizing. Lucky for us, she's also hosting our next team meeting, this Thursday, at Seiji's. Buzz the top buzzer.

Q. Doing anything fun this weekend?

We are! We're going to Pennsylvania for a canvassing festival, both Saturday (details here) and Sunday (details here.)

Q. Are you doing anything for the next debate?

We'll be at the Counting Room, on Berry St., broadcasting on the big screen. Think about what a blast it will be to see Barack open up a can of smackdown this time.

Q. Can I bring friends to the events?

Friends are welcome, encouraged, and beseeched to join us at any and all events. RSVP with a +1.

Q. What should I bring to the phone banks?

A working cell phone, a laptop if you want to use our robo-dialer, and your larynx.

Q. Can I make calls from home?

Not only can you do that, it would be entirely awesome if you did. You can sign up on Dashboard and select the "Make Calls" option. Directions, numbers and a script will appear. It's easy like Sunday morning.

Q. What has Obama done that's so great anyway?

Where do I start? How about with Obama's Top 50 Accomplishments, as decided by the editors of Washington Monthly. I also like the video Why Obama Now, put together by Simpsons animator Lucas Gray.

Q. What about all that nice stuff that Mitt Romney said at the debate about lower/middle class families and teachers?

Don't forget that he also said that it's not his job to worry about any of us, since we'll never take any responsibility for our own lives, and that there should be limits on how much teachers can contribute to campaigns.

Q. Doesn't Obama have this in the bag yet?

Tell that to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and Virginia, plus the folks who are raising over $100 million for Romney per month and have made 35 million voter contacts so far (stats via Rich Beeson's Romney campaign e-mails.)

Q. How old do you have to be to work on the campaign?

Stop trying to distract me from your homework. Hand in those reading logs.

Q. Is Mitt Romney going to win the election?

Not if we do something about it.

Q. What did you attach in this e-mail?

"Strength Beyond Strength," a mosh pit classic by metal legends Pantera. Wake up your neighbors and invite them to all of our events.

Q. What do we make from working on the campaign?

Plans, friends, and a difference.

Q. Hey, did you see all these funny videos on YouTube?

We'll have a good laugh about those on November 7.


OK, I'm off to write some student evaluations. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make your lives easier.

Just about a moonlight mile,
Ben


The rest is available here.

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