It's hard to believe that I was just typing to you about a call to set up the get out the vote stuff for this campaign in Georgia... only that I wasn't just typing to you. It was five days ago.
Since then, it's been nuts. Wednesday was a complete and utter whirl wind of half upacking/ packing/ laundry/ and starting the set up. I was on the phone with hotels in Atlanta all day, trying to find a room, setting it up with phones and Internet and writing boards. Not to mention sleeping rooms for several people, and credit card authorizations, and the whole thing took so much time, I didn't even get to the grocery store for my poor, starving husband. He's been eating out since we left for Vegas over a week ago.
First flight of the morning on Thursday, and I went right to continue the room set up. I started to get ready for the workers, including calling several to show up on Friday. What were they going to do on Friday? I had no idea. Not my problem. My problem was the execution of the room, and the execution of the campaign strategy for getting out the vote.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
It has been nothing but my problem on what to do with the workers, where to send them, and what they should do.
I need to write this in a way so that it doesn't come across as complaining, which I'm not intending to do. I knew wholeheartedly that this was going to be stressful and involve 15 hours of work a day. I was a bit unprepared to be a part of positioning the workers or getting them around or deciding where they were most needed. Not only am I unfamiliar with the campaign research of what areas of Atlanta needed more awareness, even if I DID know that research, I'd have no idea where those places were or how to get people to them.
But, I've taken that challenge by the horns, I think. I admit to several swearing-like-a-sailor moments yesterday, but when I left this afternoon to fly home for 24 hours, I had workers out and about today and tomorrow, and had even "deputized" one of them (with the promise of double pay) to keep track of everyone and sign their time sheets. I also have a plan at least for the first 3 hours of work on Monday, all written out and posted in the meeting room.
(Such famous last words. You know by the time I land, a million things will have gone wrong.)
The most rewarding and the most stressful parts of this have been the workers themselves. The campaign found them because that rally that I helped with on Tuesday? ... it was right next door to a job fair. A higher up in the campaign walked over, and announced that they could come over and sign up with us to be paid canvassers for several days.
So on Thursday, I called several of them and they came in and worked all day Friday. (That's not all I did on Thursday. I also had to create time sheets, print out w-9's, create an insurance waiver, and then create a system to get all the information, keep it together for everyone, track their hours and their payment. That was actually all kinda fun, because I'm sick like that.)
This group needs the work. Many had to borrow subway or bus fair to get downtown. Most couldn't afford to buy themselves lunch (I'm working on that for Monday, trying to get the campaign to pay for lunch). They all wanted to work the maximum hours possible.
I had fun with them, but it also hurt my heart. I had to feel good that we were at least providing this opportunity for the weekend. But at the same time, you couldn't help compare and contrast with them. I was getting paid by the hour to be there also. I was just getting paid a lot more.
I may have been accused once or twice of being too soft with them -- signing up their friends for Saturday work, and agreeing to let them quit at 6:30, even though we had already cut checks that assumed they worked until 7, because the check-cashing place closed at 7, and most of them needed that money to get home and get dinner.
It was also heart warming at times, though. My deputy? I narrowed in on him fairly early, actually during my call with him to set up his working. I remembered him from Tuesday's rally. Some, like him, did what most of us would do when we want to get a job or impress people. He didn't just come over and sign up for canvassing and leave. He came over, signed up, sat down during the rally prep, offered to carry a sign, and stayed afterwards. Just lingering, but eager and polite.
Did I mention he was a 6 foot 4, 300 pound, 57 year old black man? I wanted him on my side and by my side.
So I told him that. Told him to come early, listen to the instructions, and keep everyone organized and in order. Told him I wanted him by my side while I was cutting checks.
He did that, even though the security part of it wasn't needed with this group. But he also organized rides among them all to get to today's canvassing location. He offered to take yard signs and drive up and down one of the highways and put them out. And he never left my side, but once. Once to offer to go outside (I had kept him inside with me as my body guard but also as a reward to gain his trust and loyalty for all I wanted him to do for me today) and switch places with one of the women who was getting worn out.
They were just, good people.
I fully anticipate I'm over paying them this weekend, since I'm flying back to DC right now and don't have any way of checking that they are actually going to put the fliers on windshields at the churches they signed up for tomorrow, but I don't really care. (Maybe I shouldn't write that publicly, since it's not my money that I committed.)
But when I left them this morning at a shopping center, with signs, and palm cards and buttons, I just, had a good feeling about it.
And now I'm just hesitant to his "publish post," since as soon as I do, I know this feeling of being in control of things will quickly go away as the next crisis arises...
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