Welcome to Milwaukee Go Kerry

Yesterday, Kim & I sacrificed one of our rare open Saturdays to go door to door for the Wisconsin Democrats in Milwaukee. It was a very unique experience, and I'm glad we did it. Illinois looks to be in the hands of the Democrats, but the Wisconsin polls are changing daily. No matter who wins on November 2nd, Kim & I can say that we gave up our time to help make a difference.

We left out of Evanston and headed up on a bus of Chicago-area people. Everyone was very energized. The day was ugly, but by the time we got to Milwaukee the sun had come out, which was clearly a sign of support by a higher power. Our group was working out of a the Service Employees International Union's hall. We had a piece of pizza for lunch, stood in long lines to get our assignment, and finally got paired up with a car & driver. Then we headed out to Milwaukee's south side.

Our job was to ignore Republicans, which is easy. We were looking from Kerry supporters and undecided voters. When we visited a house that supported Kerry, we reminded them that they can register at the polls and that they can vote early in Wisconsin. When we found an undecided voter, we gave them information about Kerry & Edwards and asked them to think about supporting a change in America. We refused to pressure people. Let me hit two highlights from the day:

Kerry/Undecided supporters: In our four block area, we had roughly 25% undecided, 40% Kerry, & 40% not Kerry. The Kerry supporters were very welcoming. They appreciated us out walking around and said they were looking forward to making a difference. The undecides were very polite, but also seemed embarrassed that they didn't know for whom to vote. To me, it felt like many of them wanted to do the right thing, but they really didn't know what that was. We never tried to argue with them or change their minds. We just asked them to read over the information we gave them and to come out and vote.

The Republican Nutball: Most of the Bush supporters were very nice to us. Some were a little terse or curt, but almost all recognized that we were just volunteers. But, there was one nutball with a huge gut and a long black beard who stood on his porch and yelled at us for as long as he could see us. He called us Nazis and stupid liberal trouble makers. He told us to get the hell out of his neighborhood. He accused us of destroying our country and weakening the nation. For about fifteen minutes straight, we hurled insults at us as we spoke with his neighbors. Now, all of my friends out there know how difficult it is for me to keep my mouth shut. We thanked him for his opinion and kept walking while he yelled at us. At one point while he was yelling, I asked him who was the one pushing hate now? He didn't like that. At another point, I told him that at least we were out volunteering for what we believed in not sitting at home yelling from our front porch. He didn't like that either. Despite me saying these things, we really didn't say much for the length of time that the biker-Cheesehead-genetic-backwash-Bush-supporter was yelling at us. We really kept our cool. However, I do know where this guy lives, if anyone wants to take a trip to Milwaukee tonight.

Lessons Learned: Overall, this was a lot of work, but I learned so much. For the first time, I was part of the ground coordination of our electoral system. I saw many people who truly believed and who wanted to fight for their view of America. It amazed me to think that this was going on in every state, nationwide, for both parties. Most importantly, it reminded me that there are millions of people who believe in the things in which I believe. All of us are working hard to see that Kerry wins, but the important thing isn't who ultimately wins just this race. The important things are the issues that they represent. Things like poverty, a woman's (& man's) right to control her (his) own body, healthcare, etc do not simply go away after November 2nd. Thus, no matter who wins, if you believe in a view of America, then fight for it. Support your causes. Be informed. This is how change works.

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