Calling

Calling voters to campaign for Edwards was simpler than I expected. I had to tell people that Edwards was going in town the following week, give them the time and location, and ask them whether they had decided on a candidate. Having a specific message like that was better than just campaigning on the phone.

I rapidly realized that people really are making up their own mind. There really is nothing much one can say to convince them - they decide based on their interests and their observations, and primary voters are generally well-informed. For example, Edwards wants to raise the minimum wage. If a voter does not agree with that, there is nothing much you can do while campaigning. All you can do is explain Edwards' position, but not change their opinion on what they feel about minimum wage. Change in thought has to come at a more fundamental level - through discussions, reading articles and books, and very importantly through thoughts of family and friends around one. So a campaign essentially becomes an operation that is trying to figure out what people want and planning one's positions accordingly, instead deciding on a position and convincing people that that is the right position (for example, that the minimum wage has to be increased, or that America's foreign policy has to be changed). So campaigns "pander" to the voters.

Hmmm. I guess that is what democracy is supposed to be - leaders' positions reflect what people want. However leaders try to influence the voters in other ways ..... like managing to get people to think that the war against Iraq was necessary, all through subtly influencing people's thoughts, playing on their insecurities, presenting dreams as possibilities.

Anyway, coming back to Edwards. One gentleman felt he was liberal, and wanted his positions in writing before he made up his mind. We gladly sent him a policy booklet (a thick booklet which contains his detailed positions in writing - another reason I like Edwards). Next to me at the phones a campaign staff member was having a funny conversation with a voter over the phone. The voter said he did not like Edwards because he was a millionaire. "But so is Hillary" said the campaign staff member. And then went on to add that Edwards is working against the interests of powerful millionaires, unlike other millionaires who are working in cahoots with powerful millionaires. I don't think the voter changed his mind :)