If you've done any canvassing for Kerry...

[Aunt Anti-bush]

I will be canvassing this weekend with my 11 year old son and he suggested that I ask my fellow DUers for any advice.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

1. Wear comfy shoes...

Dress Well -- you're representing your candidate.
Canvass With Others -- have at least one other canvasser in sight at all times (safety first).
Move It Along -- Don't get into "doorstep debates" that waste your time, especially if the other person is a conservative.
Bring Provisions -- Especially with a child in tow, they get hungry and thirsty and want to stop early. Have drinks and snacks available.

Have Fun!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

6. I appreciate your advice.

I am going to wear really comfy shoes and we've already got some snacks in mind that will be easy to pack and take along. You did give me a good idea to ask another adult or two to go along with me. Come to think of it, I don't want to be alone if some nutjob freaks out on me. That happened recently to someone who was involved in a 'visibility' sign night near here but I'd forgotten about it. Thanks.

[Justice]

2. Ask People This --

if they say they support the war, ask them if they are willing to go over and fight in it. That question stops alot of war supporters, particularly if they are young people.

Ask them why they support bush = many times you get the talking points, but they don't really know why.

have some good ready facts - ie job losses in your state, uninsured in your state, amount of money needed in your state to fully fund no child left behind.

[Aunt Anti-bush]

7. Those are great ideas.

Thank you for your advice. I'm going to study my talking points and my facts, too, so that I'm prepared to just spout them off one by one without having to have any reference material. I was thinking about printing up some reference sheets for the doubtful, though.

[senseandsensibility]

3. Take water!

You also want to get all your supplies organized in some kind of tote , you know, the voter registration forms, whatever literature you're distributing, those little door hanger things, the signs and bumper stickers (in California, we have to sell those), so that they are all easy to reach and find.

As far as relating to the people you encounter, use your common sense, be friendly, and you should be fine. If you get the friendly greeting, "You've come to the wrong house!", which I received a couple of times, just smile and say "I'm sorry to hear that." Well, I was sorry to hear it. Some people are not worth debating when there are so many others willing to discuss Kerry with an open mind.
Have fun! Stay positive! And thanks!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

8. I'm going to be positive, for sure.

I'm a telemarketer (sorry, I know. I hate telemarketers, too.) so I'm not afraid of a little adversity. I appreciate your help and advice. I'm going to take a couple of backpacks to keep everything organized. Thanks.

[helnwhls]

11. Excellent advice!!

Water
Comfy Shoes
and possibly a powerbar

[liberal N proud]

4. I was out last night and this is the first time I was faced with any

sort of negativity.
Usually you get pretty good results because the list you are working from is a list of people who previously voted Democrat (determined by Primary voters).
Most people are reasonable and your results are usually good. Last night I was working alone and my first house was better than expected even, I picked up a vote for Kerry that was not on the list. Then the next five houses were all bush, and one lady got really nasty at the door when she saw my Kerry/Edwards button, didn't even let me speak.
All my previous results were 20/1 for Kerry but last night, I quite early because I was just depressed after 10 houses, out of the 10 houses (18 voters), 12 were for bush. That is the first time I was met with rejection. These people were not in well to do homes either.
You will meet some people who want to talk about and some that don't want you on their door step. Wear your Teflon suit for those people, enjoy those who want to talk.
It is an experience more people should get, it kind of gives you a feeling for what America really is.
Good Luck out there and thank you for helping to save democracy!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

10. It's good to know that if I do meet some adversity

that at least I can realize I'm not alone and I have lots of people at DU that agree with me. :) I think I'll do ok, but I will get bummed out, too, if I meet lots of people who are for Bush. I can't see why ANYONE here would want to support him, though because it's a predominantly poor area. I know there are * supporters here, though, because of signs every now and again. It never ceases to amaze me. Their roof is caving in, there is a huge piece of cardboard in a window and they've got a big old Bush/Cheney sign in the yard. Ugh.

[Francine Frensky]

5. Have fun! This is a great thing to do, and you are teaching

your 11 year-old something really important.

Bring snacks and water, if you will be out a while, and definitely try to get organized before you go.

Most doors won't be opened, so be ready to leave a little packet of material and don't get discouraged; some people just won't open their doors to strangers, but your trip is not wasted if you leave some pro-Kerry info.

A few people will open their doors and will be DELIGHTED to see other Kerry supporters. That's fun, and you may even be able to find some new volunteers, so be sure to ask if people would like to help, and find out what they could do.

If you find any undecideds, work them! I bet your 11 year old could speak up and give some good reasons. And "for America's future" is the best reason of all. Ask what the person's top issues are, show that you care (most people just want someone to hear what they have to say) and then speak to those issues specifically.

Be polite and respectful if someone is not interested in Kerry. You may do more than you can imagine by simply smiling, saying thank you, and leaving calmly.

And have a great time!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

12. I think my son is going to be better at this than I will.

He's really issue-oriented. He's 11 and he knows more about the issues than most of the adults I work with. He reads tons of news and watched all of the debates. He's turning around voters for Kerry at school by telling the kids what to talk to their pro-Bush parents about.

I hope we can drum up tons of support for Kerry but even if we don't do too well, I'll know he's getting a valuable experience.

[Thrill]

9. I have

The thing you find out is most people don't know what the hell Halliburton is

[Aunt Anti-bush]

13. My secret weapon.

I've found that bringing that up and bringing up PNAC is really working to get people to start opening their eyes and being interested and concerned about what this administration is doing.

[dogpatch]

14. I'd love to hear how it goes

I'm going from CA to AZ next week as a traveler for Kerry. I believe the campaign HQ there will supply instructions, talking points and a partner but I'd love to hear your perspective and pointers as I'm a first-time canvasser too.

[LittleClarkie]

15. Gently! Gently! Gently!

And stay on topic. I heard a woman phone canvassing and bringing up all sorts of allegations like Laura Bush killing someone with her car at age 17. One of the campaign people muttered "Jesus Christ!" under her breath and went to get the volunteer coord.

True or not, some things are beside the point. Be willing to listen to people and let them tell you what concerns them, then gently bring in Kerry's points, even if you don't mention his name at first.

[roseBudd]

16. I use this for people who think Bush is keeping us safer

it quotes Army War College and General Odom. Who can argue with that?


Go to http://somnamblst.tripod.com to download high resolution TIF or PDF files to print.

[bigpathpaul]

17. Here are some flyers you can download

There are a lot of different types of literature at http://www.bigpath.net

Folks on DU have been using these as handouts, flyers and posters, etc. I'm pasting in a few reduced-size images below. The ones on the site are all 8-1/2" x 11" in PDF and JPEG format. Hope this helps.

[lupita]

18. take some snacks with you...

I always get hungry after a couple hours of canvassing.
Or better else, treat yourself out after your hard work.
Thank you!

[hannad]

19. Plan your route ahead

Use a map, know your route, plan how you attack your area etc. You can save a lot of walking and confusion if you know exactly where you are going to go.

[sandnsea]

20. Stay on message

2.7 million lost manufacturing jobs
worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover
Bush says we can't afford to protect ports, chemical plants, highways and subways
middle class is paying a higher share of the tax burden
bring down health care, energy and education costs
Canadian prescription drugs
Medicare buying in bulk
Attacks on health plan "outright fabrications" St. Louis Post-Dispatch
We have rationing, less access, and long waits now
Insurance companies overrule doctors
You choose your health plan, you buy into the same plan that federal employees and Congress have