Making it happen

I was feeling pretty good after knocking on doors in South Philly (Point Breeze - looks like The Wire) on Sunday. J and I did two sections, about 35 houses, trying to find the newly registered voters the office had on their lists, and making sure they knew where they were going and what to do if they ran into any problems. We got two volunteers but only made contact with about 5 of the folks on our lists - lots of them had moved. Across the street from "Monique's" house, her neighbor was sitting on the stoop, and asked for a button.

"You tryin' to get 1542?"
"No, 1544 - Monique? Is she around?"
Her daughter came to the door. "Monique? She's not there anymore....and anyway, she's not 18!"
When I said that our list said she had registered, the daughter gave me this great look, raising her eyebrows a little bit and shaking her head. "Huh uh. She just turned 17."

The daughter then signed up to volunteer, and her mom looked at our materials to see how to vote straight ticket Democratic. The neighborhood was grim - lots of vacants, lots of pitbulls, but it was Sunday, just after church got out, and so there were also lots of folks dressed up, hats and suits, people checking us out and then smiling, or just sitting on their porch and nodding as we walked by with our materials and clipboard. "I'm ready to go," one man said. A young guy on his cellphone was strolling down the street, and told his friend to hang on.

"You guys know if Obama's still ahead?" He was, we said. "But make sure you go vote anyway! You registered?"
He affirmed. He knew where to go, he was all set. We continued on to our next zone and he picked back up with his friend.

We had a newly registered woman at one house, and when I rang the doorbell a little girl answered. I was surprised that she was white, about 7 years old. She only opened it a crack and I started my intro, and then her dad started yelling. "We know who we're voting for! Close the door! Close the door! Close the door!"

I wasn't sure how to mark them down - respect their desire to not be bothered, and check the "non-supporter" box so they don't get another visit? Or just fill it out as not having talked to the woman who had registered?

That night, I called home, and my Mom said she had just gotten down making 125 phone calls to Ohio, and she'd been doing the same all week. I'm so proud of my mom.