Ever since my little orange friend has made me into a super-sentient being two years or so ago, I have been able to tell my friends and family what they're about to be hearing about on the news. You all probably know what this feels like too: casually, or sometimes heatedly, explaining that very soon we'll be hearing about a lobbyist named Abramoff or a chemical named White Phosphorus or an operative named Plame.
I am extremely grateful for this heightened awareness. Our proximity to each other, in all of its bloggy splendor, does have a downfall. It can sometimes make you feel good while doing nothing. KEEP READING! I'm writing about myself, before you think I'm saying bad things about blogs or something, I love them. I have a suggestion about a transition to activism that I'm about to make...
But first back to the downfall. I've been coming here for a long time, and I love this place. I have learned a huge amount, and my only regret is that it has taken me this long to take any meaningful action beyond communicating with people I already know and posting on this blog. When I get really upset or annoyed, it is all too easy to just find a post that really summarizes my rage and give it a four. Sometimes I REALLY wish there was a five. (We should all get just one ten a month, to make it a meaningful rating, to be used in special circumstances.)
After bonding and ranting and venting, I go back to other diaries, read through Yahoo news, listen to a BBC news update, and go on with my day. Perhaps it isn't a downfall with the site, but I found that politics lived only within dailykos, conversation, and the voting booth.
~
This is changing today. I have been following the Senate races rather closely for the first time (I'm 27) and it is so close I really want to make a difference. I don't have the money to make much of a donation, but I do have time on weekends.
I realized that the perfect way for me to have an impact on Senate (or House) races is to participate in phone banking. I have almost ten years in telemarketing experience, both making calls and in training and coaching sales representatives.
While this has little to do with my degree in philosophy, I enjoy my job immensely, and actually can't wait to start making calls. I have contacted several campaigns, and requested lists, scripts, and information about issues that voters in those states might care about.
I haven't ever done phone banking before, so any suggestions you all have would really be appreciated. I have however done years of telemarketing, and would be happy to give advice on doing phone work generally. That advice is usually to speak slowly, naturally, and with confidence, as though what you are doing is perfectly normal and natural.
~
I am very excited to actually have made a few steps into the sphere of activism, even if I haven't started yet, and I think that by the time I have the lists, there may be thirty or forty people making calls with me. (I know a lot of very gregarious people.)
As a final goal, I would like to have gotten at least a couple of people that I do not know to start doing some phone banking. I often see people write on this site comments about how they will do anything but phone bank. I understand their reservations, many people share them. It is possible, however, to overcome them, with some experience and maybe some context.
Telemarketing exists largely to employ people who are otherwise unemployable: there is a very high percentage of people who are disabled, who are minorities, or who would otherwise be unable to work but are able to speak confidently and type. They, just like you, are uncomfortabe when they start out the job. Unlike you, they don't have the luxury of calling registered voters of their party, many of whom will likely be grateful for the call. I apologize if that sounded harsh, but people can be very mean to telephone sales representatives, and often, it is the only job they can get.
In any case, people can very occasionally be mean, but what does that matter? They have to continue the day being a mean them, but you get to go back to being whoever you are. With any luck, that person is now an aspiring phone bank volunteer looking for some contact information!
I would recommend the following...
Claire Mccaskill
Jim Webb
Anybody else with suggestions please add them in the comments!
Also, if you decide to phone bank because of me, let me know, it'll make my month.
Finally, this is my first diary, so let me know if I need help.