I like phone banking like I enjoy eating rocks

[tmooses]

But have kept at it now for the last few weeks. I hate being called at home-so I know what people are thinking when I call them at dinnertime.
The motivation is to save the country from a bunch of neocon fascists
willing to steal our freedoms and our country from us. I'm sitting next to volunteers at my headquarters here in Oregon who are walking in with
walkers,canes and oxygen tanks. I'm working with young kids just back from Iraq and trying to save their country from the same mistakes we made 30 years ago. I'm there with Mom's and Dad's with preschoolers
alongside them while they're making phone calls. I still hate phonebanking but I've never been so impressed by a group of people volunteering their time to save their country.

[NoodleBoy]

1. I don't mind phone banking

but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot else for volunteers to do.

it is really heartening, though, to so all sorts of people involved in it. the last time, I sat between a 60+ year old woman and a middle-aged woman who'd flown in from California for the weekend to help the campaign.

[cally]

2. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!!!

but I'm calling because it's too important for me to avoid.

[Batgirl]

6. luckily the dread seems to lessen a bit

each time. I especially don't mind calling the senior citizens. And last weekend, I noticed the responses included a noticable uptick in people who would kind of allude to dim-bulb Bush before adding "I'm voting for the person who won the debate."

[jbm]

3. I don't mind doing it..

(we just now got phones installed in our little dem headquarters last friday so I've only done it twice though). What scares me is that I'll come across a true undecided and wind up turning them into a repub. The people on the other end of the call don't always ask things in a way that makes it easy to just refer to the talking points, and I'm not great at instant responses. I figure 'volunteers who blow the answers" must be figured into the equations somehow and phone banking still pays off. I hope so anyway...

[Hello_Kitty]

4. I like precinct walking better.

I like it because not only do you get to talk to people in person, but it's good visibility in the community. Even the freeps have to be impressed by our willingness to do it. Do you ever see the GOP out there knocking on doors?

[CitySky]

7. I like walking too

It's hot down here in DeLay-land, but walking around in our blue Morrison shirts, waving at the pick-up trucks driving by and knocking on all the doors, i do feel our visibility makes a difference.

And I like to mention we're VOLUNTEERS: we do this b/c we believe in it. :hi:

[nirvana3240]

5. note:

Gandhi starved himself for a good cause

you're doing the same thing (kinda) lol
Keep at it.

[claudiajean]

8. Can't do it...I'll do anything else...

I so despise being called by unsolicited phoners that I cannot bring myself to phone bank...I know, I know, heap scorn upon me. But I cannot do it.

But I will do anything else, even the jobs that some other people hate, like door-to-door canvassing in my very hilly neighborhood and garbage duty after events and organizing all of the literature for doorbelling for all the PCO's in the whole legislative district, and sticking 10,000 mailing labels in the middle of the night.

But I just can't phone people at home during dinner.

:(

[Kanary]

20. I would say that canvassing is *more* important, so don't put yourself

down. It's important, and some great results.

Given that you've started this early, you will be able to cover quite a bit of ground.

Hurrah for your team!

:toast:

Kanary

[Eric J in MN]

9. I phone banked last Sunday, and my objection was that we

weren't allowed to leave messages on answering machines.

I mostly got answering machines.

I wish I could have said, "Sorry we didn't reach you, we'll try again soon. In the meanwhile, please visit our website..."

[napi21]

10. Please tell me some of the responses you've gotten.

Many, Many years ago, I had a temp job calling about insurance, and I can't repeat what I heard, even though I've said some pretty risque stuff on DU.

What do you hear? Do most people just hang up? Do they swear at you?

[cally]

11. The worst I've gotten is that someone has hung up

Most are friendly and polite. Most just want to get off the phone.

On edit: The key words I use are volunteers and from your community. Both are true and it makes folks more receptive since they may see me at the grocery store next week.

[napi21]

12. Thanks. I can't do ph banking here because they only ask you

to come to the Dem Hdq and you have to bring your cell phone that has free or remaining minutes. I don't have a cell phone! I've asked if I can call from home, but never get any respinse.

I would be willing to at least try it from home (I can't drive anymore...physical prob) but I guess it isn't important in Ga.

I just couldn't go through what I did with the Ins. calling. People were really nasty!

[cally]

14. If they haven't called you nor asked you to call at home

then they probably have enough volunteers. You're off the hook. In my area, we are using all and returning phone calls. We're somewhat desperate although I just may have found a place to use with 25 phones. :bounce: Folks really shouldn't call me offering to volunteer. I'm rather ruthless about getting them signed up and committed.

[napi21]

15. I wish I could believe that, but I don't.

I think this is Georgia! The K/E campaign isn't investing any money, and maybe there's some BS about using your own phone being seen by the FEC as a donation!

[Batgirl]

13. so far I haven't done it during an eatin' time of day

Probably at least half the time I get an answering machine.

I've only had one really bad response -- and that was even kind of funny. (The guy kind of cleared his throat before barking out "Kerry? I wouldn't vote for that sonofabitch if he was the only candidate." Then he added, nice as pie, "Thank you!"

Most people, even the ones who say they're voting Repub, are quite decent.

A surprising number of people actually seem flattered to be getting a call asking if they've decided who they're voting for and what issues are important to them.

Of course some people give you the brush-off, but I'm able to confine my spells of wild sobbing to ever increasing intervals.

But if I had to do telemarketing as an actual job in order to put food on my family, let's just say they'd all be a lot skinnier.

[PittLib]

16. Idid my duty this past weekend...

I didn't like it either. I live in a major swing state, so everyone has been inundated by pollsters - at least 7 groups in this area are calling. Even the most ardent Kerry supporters are a bit exasperated, though cordial. My favorite response was from a woman of about 50 (from a middle class city neighborhood) who, when I asked about whether she'd be supporting Kerry, replied "No. He's wishy-washy and an elitist and I don't like him." Please forgive me if I find the irony (and ignorance) amusing. :shrug:

[Endangered Specie]

17. I hate phone banking and wont do it, (the usual reasons)...

However, I love Voter Registration and Canvassing is alright. Sufficed to say Ive been doing a ton of that.

Personally, I think Voter Reg is the MOST important thing to do, so many people don't even know you HAVE to register, and many people dont do it right. I could fill out the NC form blindfolded.

[David Zephyr]

18. Phone Banking is Just About the Best Thing After Registering Voters.

You are doing a great service, tmooses!

I thank you personally for each and every call that you have made.

You are making a huge difference. Voter by voter.

Many, many thanks!:)

[cmd]

19. I'd rather go to the dentist, but still phone 4 nights a week

I have the time. I know a lot of people don't; so I'm doing one of the most boring things in the world. The pay off will be worth every second of it - every refusal, every "5", every hang up.

[LincolnMcGrath]

21. Gave 8 hours today myself!

Fight the good fight.

[KellyPaDem]

22. Back patting

Don't tell me awful. I start my first day of volunteering for John Kerry tomorrow morning. I decided that simply voting and telling myself that I am doing more than most people is no longer enough. So I'm patting myself and every other volunteer on the back. But could at least tell me if its terrible it is having some positive effect!?