Students for Barack Obama Canvass Trip #1

First let me say thank you to everyone who came out today to make the trip to Terre Haute, IN. Between ISU and IWU students I know we made an impression on the campaign office in Terre Haute. I am going to tell you my story from the canvassing route and what this area means to the campaign in my eyes.

I began my journey by dropping off 2 different pairs of volunteers (who were awesome by the way, Adam, Rollin, Teresa, and Lisa) and then made my way to my first stoping grounds for the day. It was a working-middle class neighborhood where plenty of children were playing. I stopped my car, got out and went to my first home. As I started I began to realize what kind of area I was in, McCain country.

I honestly felt discouraged right away and wondered what the next person would bring. I went up to the simple one story house with toys in the front yard and rang the doorbell. A woman came to the door an appeared to be my contact opn the list. She was and I told her who I was and who I was with and she then stated, "Oh but im a Republican and definitley voting McCain." Oh great another one. But then I asked her what issues were important to her this election. She stated gas prices, the economy, and education. I attached right away to education being a history ed major and told her how I was studying to be a teacher and what education meant to me and why I supported Senator Obama when it came to education. I was then able to tie in the economy and gas prices and told her all the great things the senator was planning on doing.

Her reply was something which makes me think for the rest of the neighborhood ( and the other "red" neighborhoods I visited). "I did not know those were his stances on those issues. I am going to have to take a real good look at him again since those match up with my thoughts." Was it really that simple? Did they just need to be educated? Why were they not finding out the truth of Obama's plans? While I do not know these answers it gives me hope to what these canvasing trips could bring. Each vote counts in an election like this and if her vote is that one vote, I can know I heped make a difference.

What I am trying to say here is this. Be smart. Know what the truth is and find it out yourself because politics has turned in to a massive game of telephone where information gets distorted untill the truth is lost. Get involved. The more people that are out there speaking to potential voters and informing them on the issues at hand, the better chance we have. I was able to turn a definite McCain vote into an undecided voter today. Is it a vote for Barack? No, but right now the seed of truth was planted for that young woman and hopefully it can flourish into a supporter who wants to get the truth out herself.