In New Hampshire for Obama

I am in New Hampshire campaigning for Barack Obama. Not a whole lot of time to blog, but I will try to provide some dispatches when I can. My job is door to door canvasing, talking to voters, recording their preferences and make the case for Obama if they invite a converstion. You really get a sense of how people think. If all politics is local, this politics at its more pure. The way it's been done for time immemorial, face to face persuasion, probably like the Greeks did it at the dawn of small "d" democracy around 300 BC.

I hate it. Deeply.

I do it because every election I regret not having gone to New Hampshire. This time I decided to do it. And I really do beleive that Obama is a once in a generation candidate.

So, I was sent out to a somewhat rural suburb of Manchester. Didn't get started until about 5 pm. It was pitch dark, there was about 2 feet of snow on the ground and these houses are all on acre lots. So, you feel like you're the only person in the universe as you walk these deserted roads.

At the first house I visited, after steeling myself for 20 minutes, the woman came to the door visibly upset. I started my schpiel, "I'm Bill Black, a volunteer for Barack Obama, are you going to vote on Tuesday?" Recognizing her distress, I asked if she was OK? She blurted out that, "I just learned that my husband is in the Intensive Care Unit!" I immediately recoiled and assured her that that was way more important than the election and started to make my exit. But she insisted on talking about Obama, saying she thought he was a nice man, but thought maybe he'd be more appropriate as vice president.

I said, "No, no, he's ready to go, very impressive guy. I just saw him this morning. He's amazing. I think he's thte best man running, by far!"

She said, "Really? Do you really think so?"

I said, "Do you think I'd be out here in the middle of nowhere on this cold, dark, snowy night if I didn't think so?"

She said, "Good, good. I'll consider him."

I resisted the temptation to offer an absentee ballot for her husband in case he doesn't make it to Tuesday.