The Kerry Campaign
I went to the local headquarters of the Democratic Party, and I said I was interested in volunteering, but for some reason I could never get a response from anyone. When I said my name, the woman said: "Yes, we've been in contact." Then she said her name. Turns out, she's the woman I've been leaving messages for who has NEVER returned one. I guess that's "in contact" these days.
I sat down with her in the kitchen (the Democratic Party headquarters in Kalamazoo County is a regular house, and it's a very lived-in place...it was actually difficult to find because there wasn't a sign outside, just bumper stickers on the windows; well, it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but you pretty much had to be looking for the place to actually find it).
So, after talking to her, she told me that the Kerry Headquarters is the only place that actual quantitative work is done; they dictate everything down to the precincts. She said I could be a precinct captain, but that wasn't what I was looking for. The more I talked about options I was hoping to find, the more of the impression I got that you had to be a paid member of the national staff in order to even be taken seriously.
Then a better option was entertained, and that was the possibility of helping out one of the local politicians who could use that kind of assistance that wouldn't be filtered down from the top. She mentioned Mike Ankley, a Democrat running for Kalamazoo Treasurer. She told me that he was an accountant running for the position, and that the position was an open seat (no incumbent) that was being fought by two Republicans and Mr. Ankley. She gave me his phone number.
When I returned home, I did a search on the position through the Internet, and after a bunch of searches, I discovered this wasn't the case. A Republican woman is actually the current treasurer, and she's running for re-election. Granted, there's also another Republican running as well, but it's far from an open seat.
I'm really not sure what to do now. The whole "decisions are made by the national campaign that isn't open to new people" thing really bothers me and convinces me that getting involved really isn't possible.
Just an update on the whole election thing.
Stumble It!
I went to the local headquarters of the Democratic Party, and I said I was interested in volunteering, but for some reason I could never get a response from anyone. When I said my name, the woman said: "Yes, we've been in contact." Then she said her name. Turns out, she's the woman I've been leaving messages for who has NEVER returned one. I guess that's "in contact" these days.
I sat down with her in the kitchen (the Democratic Party headquarters in Kalamazoo County is a regular house, and it's a very lived-in place...it was actually difficult to find because there wasn't a sign outside, just bumper stickers on the windows; well, it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but you pretty much had to be looking for the place to actually find it).
So, after talking to her, she told me that the Kerry Headquarters is the only place that actual quantitative work is done; they dictate everything down to the precincts. She said I could be a precinct captain, but that wasn't what I was looking for. The more I talked about options I was hoping to find, the more of the impression I got that you had to be a paid member of the national staff in order to even be taken seriously.
Then a better option was entertained, and that was the possibility of helping out one of the local politicians who could use that kind of assistance that wouldn't be filtered down from the top. She mentioned Mike Ankley, a Democrat running for Kalamazoo Treasurer. She told me that he was an accountant running for the position, and that the position was an open seat (no incumbent) that was being fought by two Republicans and Mr. Ankley. She gave me his phone number.
When I returned home, I did a search on the position through the Internet, and after a bunch of searches, I discovered this wasn't the case. A Republican woman is actually the current treasurer, and she's running for re-election. Granted, there's also another Republican running as well, but it's far from an open seat.
I'm really not sure what to do now. The whole "decisions are made by the national campaign that isn't open to new people" thing really bothers me and convinces me that getting involved really isn't possible.
Just an update on the whole election thing.
Stumble It!
posted by Duane @ 5:59 PM
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