Adventures in Phone Banking for Obama

Tonight Bruce and I made phone calls for Obama. At a book fair last month, I got some literature from the National Writers' Union and signed their mailing list. They contacted me asking if I'd be willing to make phone calls for Obama, and we offered to help out tonight and also on November 3rd for a last minute "get out the vote" push.

Tonight we called people who supposedly belonged to "Workers for America," to give them some information about Obama and find out which way they were inclined to vote. Undecided voters would receive a bit more of a spiel in hopes of swaying their decision.

For the most part the calls went fine. A few people hung up on me, but others were delighted, so that was no big deal. Some people professed never to have heard of "Workers for America," which made me wonder why they were listed as members. A couple of the calls were real doozies.

One woman was all excited when I told her Workers for America supports Obama for President. She squealed that she's voting for Michelle Obama because she is Barack's best asset. That was actually a great conversation. This woman isn't letting the fact that she just had a double mastectomy get her down. She's out there and participating.

Then there was the woman who became incensed when I said Barack Obama will fight for all Americans. She told me she was shocked that I could even say such a thing, and followed this up with, "You aren't even an American. I bet you're from Russia, you Communist!"

Uh, yeah, with this native Noo Yawk accent? I hardly think so. Nope, lady, the Russians are next door, but I'm not one of them. But, I can see Brighton Beach, otherwise known as Little Odessa, from my house!

The weirdest conversation I had was with a chirpy old lady named Alice. She was named well, because folks, this lady is from Wonderland all right. She told me that everything is wonderful, she and her husband have a business, they've always worked hard, and they have a lovely house..all her nieces and nephews went to college and have big houses and cell phones and what have you.

By this time I had a fair idea but I still wanted to know how this translated into a political philosophy. It sure was hard to get an answer out of this lady. On and on she babbled about how life is beautiful, and what's there to change, why is Obama talking about change?

Why would anyone want to change anything, life is just beautiful? Oh, war can be "unpleasant" (!) but you have to look at all the good things..they never thought America was bad.

Okay, so the economy is one big roller coaster scarier and more painful than Space Mountain in Disney World, and we've spent how many trillions on a war that was based on lies? But everything is great and there's no need for change.

Psst, Alice. I don't know what kind of drugs you are on, but can I have some too?