The Day Before
Monday, November 01, I wake up and drive Natalia to school. After I drop her off, I stop by a coffee shop to find out where a grocery store is and the coffee maker directs me to Beans and Barley. When I walk into the store, I see a big poster advertising a Kerry speaking event scheduled for today. When I’m checking out at the register, I hear two women in front of me talking about how someone should go to the poles and check to make sure that all the old white men are legitimate voters (ha, ha). I ask them about the rally, and one of them says she’s going, and all of a sudden what began as a quick trip out of the house to drop off Natalia and pick up groceries (in my ugg boots and sans bra, no less) becomes a journey to see the man himself, Kerry. I follow Dena, who is an amazingly vibrant and friendly film producer, native Milwaukee-ite, and relative of Russ Feingold, the Wisconsin senator up for re-election. We park downtown and walk over to the rally, where we stand for two hours in the pouring rain, occasionally breaking into a dance move while listening to the soft rock hits of the Democratic party—mostly a lot of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and U2. The big performer of the day, Bon Jovi, plays a few songs live with an acoustic guitar and a fiddle accompaniment.
Finally, after Natalia has joined up with us, Kerry comes on stage, wearing a Carhart beige jacket an flanked by his two daughters. He flashes a big smile and thumbs up and says all the tag line campaign points: improve the economy, stem cell research, become a real commander-in-chief and realign ourselves with our allies, right the situation in Iraq, etc. He even mentions how the Redskins lost against Greenbay on Sunday, thus proving that he will win the election, since everyone knows that since 1936 no incumbent president has ever won reelection when the Redskins haven’t won. He expresses great appreciation for all of us loyal supporters standing drenched in the rain and he urges us to canvas, knock on doors, and drive people to the polls. I feel like this is a personal message just for us.
We applaud and chant “One more day! One more day!” and get wetter and wetter and teeter on the metal barricade so that we can see over all the people and their Kerry/Edwards signs. And then it is over. And we leave. And there it is- the long awaited in-person experience with Kerry, after all these days talking about him, telling people how great he is, working with him in mind. He cannot know how dedicated we all are. How many of us there are. He’s really very tall.
Natalia and I drive to work at the New Voters Project. We have a rough start to the day- miscommunications with a disinterested driver, etc.- and eventually reach our turf on the south side. Natalia and I rock turfs 140 and 222. We talk to so many people who otherwise wouldn’t have known their polling location, the times that the polls are open (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and what forms of ID they need to bring with them. It is really awesome to go door-to-door with Natalia, and we tag team alternate houses on the same blocks. Natalia is a canvassing pro. Without any training or background, and barely any prep time, she rocks the rap, and adds her one impassioned persuasions for why folks should vote tomorrow. She is confident and clear and very personable. It is really great to have her fresh perspective. Throughout the night, going up and down long numbered streets, we frequently seek refuge from the rain in a local panaderia which is selling special pan dulce (sweet breads and cookies) for the Dia de los Muertes (Day of the Dead) festive memorials. We talk with a lot of people on the street in addition to the names on our lists (which become really wet and soggy as the night wears on) and I think that some of these actions are as promising and rich as those with registered 18-24 year olds, but of course they aren’t listed on the tick sheet of our daily “success.”
We end the night in an apartment community off the I-43 and finally journey, loud rap music, gun wound and boar attack stories, and all, back to the office, where we do our paperwork and gaff the big “Vote” banner to use while driving to polling places… basically, we make off like bandits with this incredibly artistic voter sign, and with big smiles and wet clothes. Wes picks up (x2) and let me take this opportunity to voice how incredible Wes has been, behind the scenes, throughout this whole get out the vote endeavor. Without Wes’s good humored flexibility and help with transportation and general wonderfulness (and providing for and paying for the absolutely NECESSARY Bailey’s Irish Cream which is ending this night quite fantastically), Natalia and I would not have been nearly as able to secure the vote for Kerry in Wisconsin.
And then I blog with my bowl of Bailey’s and goat milk. And then I upload. And tomorrow is Election Day. And oh my goodness. 0 more days. Only hours left. And intentions. In tension. In tense. In. In sleep I dream of all that will lie beyond… the real “day after tomorrow.”
Finally, after Natalia has joined up with us, Kerry comes on stage, wearing a Carhart beige jacket an flanked by his two daughters. He flashes a big smile and thumbs up and says all the tag line campaign points: improve the economy, stem cell research, become a real commander-in-chief and realign ourselves with our allies, right the situation in Iraq, etc. He even mentions how the Redskins lost against Greenbay on Sunday, thus proving that he will win the election, since everyone knows that since 1936 no incumbent president has ever won reelection when the Redskins haven’t won. He expresses great appreciation for all of us loyal supporters standing drenched in the rain and he urges us to canvas, knock on doors, and drive people to the polls. I feel like this is a personal message just for us.
We applaud and chant “One more day! One more day!” and get wetter and wetter and teeter on the metal barricade so that we can see over all the people and their Kerry/Edwards signs. And then it is over. And we leave. And there it is- the long awaited in-person experience with Kerry, after all these days talking about him, telling people how great he is, working with him in mind. He cannot know how dedicated we all are. How many of us there are. He’s really very tall.
Natalia and I drive to work at the New Voters Project. We have a rough start to the day- miscommunications with a disinterested driver, etc.- and eventually reach our turf on the south side. Natalia and I rock turfs 140 and 222. We talk to so many people who otherwise wouldn’t have known their polling location, the times that the polls are open (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and what forms of ID they need to bring with them. It is really awesome to go door-to-door with Natalia, and we tag team alternate houses on the same blocks. Natalia is a canvassing pro. Without any training or background, and barely any prep time, she rocks the rap, and adds her one impassioned persuasions for why folks should vote tomorrow. She is confident and clear and very personable. It is really great to have her fresh perspective. Throughout the night, going up and down long numbered streets, we frequently seek refuge from the rain in a local panaderia which is selling special pan dulce (sweet breads and cookies) for the Dia de los Muertes (Day of the Dead) festive memorials. We talk with a lot of people on the street in addition to the names on our lists (which become really wet and soggy as the night wears on) and I think that some of these actions are as promising and rich as those with registered 18-24 year olds, but of course they aren’t listed on the tick sheet of our daily “success.”
We end the night in an apartment community off the I-43 and finally journey, loud rap music, gun wound and boar attack stories, and all, back to the office, where we do our paperwork and gaff the big “Vote” banner to use while driving to polling places… basically, we make off like bandits with this incredibly artistic voter sign, and with big smiles and wet clothes. Wes picks up (x2) and let me take this opportunity to voice how incredible Wes has been, behind the scenes, throughout this whole get out the vote endeavor. Without Wes’s good humored flexibility and help with transportation and general wonderfulness (and providing for and paying for the absolutely NECESSARY Bailey’s Irish Cream which is ending this night quite fantastically), Natalia and I would not have been nearly as able to secure the vote for Kerry in Wisconsin.
And then I blog with my bowl of Bailey’s and goat milk. And then I upload. And tomorrow is Election Day. And oh my goodness. 0 more days. Only hours left. And intentions. In tension. In tense. In. In sleep I dream of all that will lie beyond… the real “day after tomorrow.”
posted by rae @ 10:29 PM
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