Monday, April 02, 2007
Canvassing
I was back in work today, delighted by the thought of two four-day weeks in succession courtesy of the Easter bank holidays. Like many people, this weekend will be my first time off since Christmas, and the added activities of the campaign will make time off from work all the more appreciated. It will of course not be a holiday entirely, since the campaign doesn’t wait around for bank holiday weekends! It will simply be a double-length excuse to go out leafleting and canvassing!
And it is these two activities which have pre-occupied us today. With leaflets to distribute and canvass data to collect, it was great to see so many people out helping with the campaign today. Now that the nights are lighter and the weather is nicer (temporarily, at least), at least we can go out in relative safety without fear of tripping up and slipping over and falling down in the dark. Having said that, the vicious dogs of Prestwich with their growls and sharp teeth seem to be angered by the mild temperatures as much as we are all grateful for them. They don't like canvassers any more than they like leafleters, as it turns out. Which is a shame because on the whole I like them.
Canvassing is always a bit of a disappointment to me. The need to cover as many houses as possible in as short a time as possible always seems like a missed opportunity. If someone on the doorstep tells me they’ll definitely vote for me, I’d love to chat to them for hours about how we could work together to make Prestwich (and not just Prestwich, the world!) a better place. Similarly, if someone tells me that they aren’t voting for me, I want to talk the issues through there as well and listen to their concerns. Maybe we can change each other’s minds! Sadly, until we get hundreds of volunteers, my missionary work will have to wait. And I suppose once we’ve got the information from the voters, we can convince them either way through Focuses and other leaflets, so all is not lost.
Rick
And it is these two activities which have pre-occupied us today. With leaflets to distribute and canvass data to collect, it was great to see so many people out helping with the campaign today. Now that the nights are lighter and the weather is nicer (temporarily, at least), at least we can go out in relative safety without fear of tripping up and slipping over and falling down in the dark. Having said that, the vicious dogs of Prestwich with their growls and sharp teeth seem to be angered by the mild temperatures as much as we are all grateful for them. They don't like canvassers any more than they like leafleters, as it turns out. Which is a shame because on the whole I like them.
Canvassing is always a bit of a disappointment to me. The need to cover as many houses as possible in as short a time as possible always seems like a missed opportunity. If someone on the doorstep tells me they’ll definitely vote for me, I’d love to chat to them for hours about how we could work together to make Prestwich (and not just Prestwich, the world!) a better place. Similarly, if someone tells me that they aren’t voting for me, I want to talk the issues through there as well and listen to their concerns. Maybe we can change each other’s minds! Sadly, until we get hundreds of volunteers, my missionary work will have to wait. And I suppose once we’ve got the information from the voters, we can convince them either way through Focuses and other leaflets, so all is not lost.
Rick
# posted by Richard Baum @ 20:15 
