From a local news station:
FOOTBALL CITY - In a political season where campaigns disagree on almost
everything, here's one area where state politicians have found
common ground: suspend campaigning whenever a [our football team] game is on.
In the hotly contested U.S. Senate race, campaign volunteers
took a 3-hour timeout Sunday while [our team] played [another team].
The campaigns say they know better than to upset voters with a phone
call or a knock on the door during a key moment in the game.
Republican Senate candidate [Dude 1] says it would "be dumb" to
antagonize a voter by interrupting the game. And his Democratic
opponent, [Dude 2], says everyone knows you don't disturb a [our team] fan while the game is on.
The presidential campaigns also stopped campaigning for those three hours.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Sunday Nov 4 We are weary and we are cranky
I shudder to think what the mood around here will be if Primo loses. We are both tense and snappish and crabby already and that's with the possibility that he will win. If we have the certainty that he has lost, after all we have gone through, we will be sad indeed. And no, it will not help that we knew all that going in.
Primo ran into another county party guy who was doing doors for the PD presidential candidate. The guy had a flyer promoting the PD candidates for president and senator and also for congressman - only they had the wrong congressional candidate listed. Idiots. The person they listed is not in this district. Is it that hard to check your material before you start canvassing?
Primo was annoyed - and rightfully so, I think, that once again, this piece of campaign material made no mention of him and his race.
"I get emails all the time asking me to donate to the party to support their entire slate of candidates, but then they don't do anything for me," he grumbled. "They would be happy to take my money, but they don't want to give me any support. I'm so fed up with them right now. If I had this to do over, I would run as an independent. Maybe I'll tell them what I think about them after the election."
I would love to see that.
One of the reasons Primo has been cranky is because he spent a lot of time volunteering on other campaigns instead of working on his own (I did tell him I thought that was a bad idea, but you never get to say "I told you so" when it really matters, or at least, you shouldn't) and now some of those people are not helping him and we are having a hard time finding volunteers. Lots of people say they'll help, but when you ask them for a specific time, they are not so interested.
So we were all worried that we would be the only ones working at the phone bank tomorrow night from 4 to 8, but then I baked a cake for our neighbors who have already helped and asked them if they would do more after I handed the cake to them. They said yes. Then I called two other people who have already helped a ton and begged them. They said yes.
The older lady who said she would help a few weeks ago, though, said she didn't think she could make it because she was so busy working on the PD presidential campaign, which made Primo fume. "How much difference does it make for someone in our district - suburban, well-educated professionals - to get a phone call telling them about the PD presidential candidate? Do they really think people don't know who's running for president?" [If they don't know by know, they are too stupid to vote is my opinion.] "The phone calls don't make a difference for him, but they would for me because I don't have millions of dollars in campaign contributions to fund ads!"
Oh he was annoyed.
So was I.
And then we feel guilty about being annoyed because these people are volunteers.
Primo ran into another county party guy who was doing doors for the PD presidential candidate. The guy had a flyer promoting the PD candidates for president and senator and also for congressman - only they had the wrong congressional candidate listed. Idiots. The person they listed is not in this district. Is it that hard to check your material before you start canvassing?
Primo was annoyed - and rightfully so, I think, that once again, this piece of campaign material made no mention of him and his race.
"I get emails all the time asking me to donate to the party to support their entire slate of candidates, but then they don't do anything for me," he grumbled. "They would be happy to take my money, but they don't want to give me any support. I'm so fed up with them right now. If I had this to do over, I would run as an independent. Maybe I'll tell them what I think about them after the election."
I would love to see that.
One of the reasons Primo has been cranky is because he spent a lot of time volunteering on other campaigns instead of working on his own (I did tell him I thought that was a bad idea, but you never get to say "I told you so" when it really matters, or at least, you shouldn't) and now some of those people are not helping him and we are having a hard time finding volunteers. Lots of people say they'll help, but when you ask them for a specific time, they are not so interested.
So we were all worried that we would be the only ones working at the phone bank tomorrow night from 4 to 8, but then I baked a cake for our neighbors who have already helped and asked them if they would do more after I handed the cake to them. They said yes. Then I called two other people who have already helped a ton and begged them. They said yes.
The older lady who said she would help a few weeks ago, though, said she didn't think she could make it because she was so busy working on the PD presidential campaign, which made Primo fume. "How much difference does it make for someone in our district - suburban, well-educated professionals - to get a phone call telling them about the PD presidential candidate? Do they really think people don't know who's running for president?" [If they don't know by know, they are too stupid to vote is my opinion.] "The phone calls don't make a difference for him, but they would for me because I don't have millions of dollars in campaign contributions to fund ads!"
Oh he was annoyed.
So was I.
And then we feel guilty about being annoyed because these people are volunteers.
Sunday Nov 4 Primo is too skinny
I can see Primo's ribs. Good thing the election is Tuesday. Any longer, and he would waste away to nothing.
Primo saw a post on facebook this morning that bothered him. Someone had shot an elephant on a hunt in Africa and posted the photo.
"I'm going to post something!" he fumed. "This is indefensible! Wait! I'm going to unfriend her!"
I held my breath. The elephant guy is a mutual sort-of friend. I hate conflict, even with someone I have not seen for over 25 years and probably will never see again.
Although I, too, think it is stupid to hunt elephants. I don't mind hunting, but I do mind hunting that is done just for the sake of killing. Hunting deer you are going to eat is fine. Hunting a wild animal just to prove that you and your fancy gun are superior? That's dumb.
He stomped upstairs, loaded for bear. (Ha.)
He is cranky. It is the almost-election-day blues.
Half an hour later, he came back downstairs.
"I checked. African elephants are not endangered. Legal hunters pay tens of thousands of dollars to do these hunts. I still think it's stupid, but I guess it's OK."
"You know," I said, "that's one of the big differences between you and MaryJane and one of the things that bothers me the most about her. Before you spouted off on facebook, you checked the facts. MaryJane doesn't bother to do that. She just blurts out whatever is on her mind, whether it's factually correct or not. I will slit my wrists if she wins and you lose."
Primo saw a post on facebook this morning that bothered him. Someone had shot an elephant on a hunt in Africa and posted the photo.
"I'm going to post something!" he fumed. "This is indefensible! Wait! I'm going to unfriend her!"
I held my breath. The elephant guy is a mutual sort-of friend. I hate conflict, even with someone I have not seen for over 25 years and probably will never see again.
Although I, too, think it is stupid to hunt elephants. I don't mind hunting, but I do mind hunting that is done just for the sake of killing. Hunting deer you are going to eat is fine. Hunting a wild animal just to prove that you and your fancy gun are superior? That's dumb.
He stomped upstairs, loaded for bear. (Ha.)
He is cranky. It is the almost-election-day blues.
Half an hour later, he came back downstairs.
"I checked. African elephants are not endangered. Legal hunters pay tens of thousands of dollars to do these hunts. I still think it's stupid, but I guess it's OK."
"You know," I said, "that's one of the big differences between you and MaryJane and one of the things that bothers me the most about her. Before you spouted off on facebook, you checked the facts. MaryJane doesn't bother to do that. She just blurts out whatever is on her mind, whether it's factually correct or not. I will slit my wrists if she wins and you lose."
Friday, April 12, 2013
Saturday Nov 3 Late nights
Primo: Are we going to [wxyz]?
Me: No. That offer has already expired. I'm too sleepy.
Primo: But you said!
Me: Sure. At nine.
Primo: If I set the clocks back now, then will you be interested?
Me: No. That offer has already expired. I'm too sleepy.
Primo: But you said!
Me: Sure. At nine.
Primo: If I set the clocks back now, then will you be interested?
Saturday Nov 3 Stupid PD Party
Me: A woman whose brother has been in the state house for the past 11 years asked if you were getting any support from the party.
Primo: Nope.
Me: That's what I told her. I told her you were becoming a little bit disenchanted with the party.
Primo: There are a lot of us. Oh! I stopped by the local PD office over on Oak Street this afternoon.
Me: And?
Primo: They have campaign materials for [the PD presidential candidate] and [the PD senate candidate] and a script. I looked at the script: It said, "Don't forget to vote for the other Polka Dots on the ballot, blank and blank." They didn't say anything about me.
Me: Wait. Whose names did they have?
Primo: Nobody's! They hadn't put anyone else's name in there! And I'm the other Polka Dot on the ballot!
Me: Jerks.
Primo: Nope.
Me: That's what I told her. I told her you were becoming a little bit disenchanted with the party.
Primo: There are a lot of us. Oh! I stopped by the local PD office over on Oak Street this afternoon.
Me: And?
Primo: They have campaign materials for [the PD presidential candidate] and [the PD senate candidate] and a script. I looked at the script: It said, "Don't forget to vote for the other Polka Dots on the ballot, blank and blank." They didn't say anything about me.
Me: Wait. Whose names did they have?
Primo: Nobody's! They hadn't put anyone else's name in there! And I'm the other Polka Dot on the ballot!
Me: Jerks.
Saturday Nov 3 The lesser of two evils
Primo: I met another voter who knows Mark [his opponent].
Me: And?
Primo: She liked me and liked my message, but she was already voting for Mark. I said, "I would have a chance if you didn't know Mark, wouldn't I?" She said yes.
Me: It's a nice position for a voter to be in to have to choose between two people she likes.
Primo: I know that with Romney and Obama, you think they are both top of the line candidates.
Me: Oh definitely.
Me: And?
Primo: She liked me and liked my message, but she was already voting for Mark. I said, "I would have a chance if you didn't know Mark, wouldn't I?" She said yes.
Me: It's a nice position for a voter to be in to have to choose between two people she likes.
Primo: I know that with Romney and Obama, you think they are both top of the line candidates.
Me: Oh definitely.
Saturday Nov 3 Exhaustion
Primo: I don't think I'm going to take a shower on Wednesday. Or Thursday.
Me: Sounds good to me.
Primo: Do you realize that since August 24, I have taken a shower every single day?
Me: Wow. That's the most continuous showered days since we met!
Me: Sounds good to me.
Primo: Do you realize that since August 24, I have taken a shower every single day?
Me: Wow. That's the most continuous showered days since we met!
Saturday Nov 3 Sometimes phone banking isn't all horrible
I hate calling people to ask them to vote for Primo. I calculated at the session we had on Thursday, we paid $2.60 for each voter contact, "contact" being defined as a conversation with the voter. A conversation does not mean the person will vote for Primo. Let's say less than half of the conversations yield a vote for him. That's over $5 a vote. I don't know if that's a good number or a bad number in campaign terms, but I do know that every $5 we spend on reaching voters is $5 I can't spend on a pedicure.
But. One of us must have left a message for this voter the other day, because he tracked Primo down and sent him an email. Poor guy. I think he's lonely. I get so sad when I see people who have lost their loved ones. But what a nice thing for him to do to write to Primo. I'll bet he wouldn't have gotten pissy with Primo for knocking on his door.
Hello Primo,
I missed the phone call to my home on November 1st. I moved to [our town] in the summer of 2009 following the death of my wife from metastatic breast cancer. My daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids live here, which was my primary motivation for moving from [where I lived before]. I will be voting for you in the November 6th election. I am a retired public school educator, widower, Vietnam-era military veteran, and consider myself an independent. I will be voting for you on Tuesday. I wish I had more time to help with the campaigns of people that I support, but I have primary care responsibilities for my 97 year-old mother who lives [an hour from here].
No need to call again . . .
My best wishes for success on Tuesday and beyond,
T. Voter
But. One of us must have left a message for this voter the other day, because he tracked Primo down and sent him an email. Poor guy. I think he's lonely. I get so sad when I see people who have lost their loved ones. But what a nice thing for him to do to write to Primo. I'll bet he wouldn't have gotten pissy with Primo for knocking on his door.
Hello Primo,
I missed the phone call to my home on November 1st. I moved to [our town] in the summer of 2009 following the death of my wife from metastatic breast cancer. My daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids live here, which was my primary motivation for moving from [where I lived before]. I will be voting for you in the November 6th election. I am a retired public school educator, widower, Vietnam-era military veteran, and consider myself an independent. I will be voting for you on Tuesday. I wish I had more time to help with the campaigns of people that I support, but I have primary care responsibilities for my 97 year-old mother who lives [an hour from here].
No need to call again . . .
My best wishes for success on Tuesday and beyond,
T. Voter
Saturday Nov 3 Stolen yard sign
Someone took the "Primo for State House" sign from our yard. But if it was a malicious attempt to hide Primo's name from public view, it didn't work. Because our next-door neighbor and our two-doors-down neighbors also have the sign. Primo and I can't figure out what's going on. We shrugged and put up another one.
Saturday Nov 3 More doors
Four hours on doors today. My back is killing me. I can't believe Primo does this at least five hours every day. No wonder he is losing weight, is exhausted, and is cranky all the time.
A lot of people weren't home. One woman was out raking leaves. I asked if I could leave the flyer in her door. I didn't say anything else to her - tell her who I was campaigning for, nothing.
She looked at me flatly and said, "No." Then she returned to her raking.
Bitch.
An old man -89, according to the walk sheet (I cannot believe they have all this personal information about people and make it available to whomever wants it. That really, really bothers me) answered the door in his underwear. He warned me, though. I averted my eyes.
When I gave him the flyer, he said, "I've heard of him! I'm voting for him. He's an honest man. I can tell."
"He is!" I said.
"I was a sheriff's deputy for 35 years," he said. "I can tell."
Then he told me that he and his wife went to Switzerland five times after he retired - "She was Swiss and I'm German!" - but that she was dead.
I am really impressed at all the older people who still live on their own. I want to be like that when I get old.
Primo just got home. He said one guy was angry that Primo was knocking on doors. "That's worse than a robocall!" the man fumed.
Which I totally do not understand. A robocall is annoying. But don't you want to meet the people who are running to make the laws? Don't you want to meet the people you might be hiring to represent you? What a jerk.
A lot of people weren't home. One woman was out raking leaves. I asked if I could leave the flyer in her door. I didn't say anything else to her - tell her who I was campaigning for, nothing.
She looked at me flatly and said, "No." Then she returned to her raking.
Bitch.
An old man -89, according to the walk sheet (I cannot believe they have all this personal information about people and make it available to whomever wants it. That really, really bothers me) answered the door in his underwear. He warned me, though. I averted my eyes.
When I gave him the flyer, he said, "I've heard of him! I'm voting for him. He's an honest man. I can tell."
"He is!" I said.
"I was a sheriff's deputy for 35 years," he said. "I can tell."
Then he told me that he and his wife went to Switzerland five times after he retired - "She was Swiss and I'm German!" - but that she was dead.
I am really impressed at all the older people who still live on their own. I want to be like that when I get old.
Primo just got home. He said one guy was angry that Primo was knocking on doors. "That's worse than a robocall!" the man fumed.
Which I totally do not understand. A robocall is annoying. But don't you want to meet the people who are running to make the laws? Don't you want to meet the people you might be hiring to represent you? What a jerk.
Saturday Nov 3 Until death do us part
Primo: You're trying to kill me by cooking in uncoated aluminum!
Me: Nope. You're no good to me dead until you start work again and have your life insurance.
Me: Nope. You're no good to me dead until you start work again and have your life insurance.
Saturday Nov 3 Fooling around, almost
Remember the guy who was hitting on Christina at the karaoke fundraiser?
I guess it's a good thing he didn't ask for her phone number, although I couldn't figure out why he wasn't because he was sure acting interested.
He's married.
I guess it's a good thing he didn't ask for her phone number, although I couldn't figure out why he wasn't because he was sure acting interested.
He's married.
Saturday Nov 3 Housework
I can't remember if I've written about this yet, but I have suggested to Primo that after Tuesday and before he starts work again after Thanksgiving, he should be in charge of all housecleaning and yard work and meal prep.
He's had a pretty good deal: I have done all that work up until now, first because he was working and I was not and now because I am working but he is working even more on the campaign.
But on Wednesday, he can rake the yard. He can clean the bathroom. He can wash the kitchen floor. He can wash the clothes. He can make supper.
It's only fair.
He's had a pretty good deal: I have done all that work up until now, first because he was working and I was not and now because I am working but he is working even more on the campaign.
But on Wednesday, he can rake the yard. He can clean the bathroom. He can wash the kitchen floor. He can wash the clothes. He can make supper.
It's only fair.
Saturday Nov 3 In the home stretch and fighting again
Primo and I had a big fight last night. We are both so on edge and ready for this to be over. I really am surprised that there are not more campaign-related murders.
We were fighting because Primo wanted me to do more doors and drop lit this weekend, even though last weekend, he had told me that was my last weekend to do doors because this weekend, there would be volunteers and he would just want me to stay at home and give material to people as they arrived.
We were also fighting because Primo had done nothing to secure volunteers.
He said that that's not what the candidate is supposed to do - that's something Samantha, the fired campaign manager, should have done.
I pointed out that I had called and emailed every single person who had said they would help and most of them blew me off, which I completely understand because WHO WANTS TO WORK ON A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN? I don't.
He was frustrated because he was very involved in some other campaigns this year and some of the people he helped have not reciprocated, which I agree is tacky.
Our conversation was not fruitful.
Me: But I don't want to do doors! You said I was done! I am so sick of this!
Primo: There aren't any volunteers.
Me: That's not my fault. I told you to call them a month ago when they weren't responding to me.
Primo: You should have nagged me more to call them.
Me: Oh, so it's my fault.
Primo [laughing]: Yes.
Me: I don't want to. I hate this. I hate this. I am SICK OF THIS! The past six months have been all about you. I am DONE! [I took my book and started hitting myself on the head with it. Not with the cover. That would have hurt. With the open pages.]
Primo: Stop! What are you doing?
Me: I. Hate. This. Every time I think I'm done, there's more to do. I never get a second to relax. You keep moving the goalposts.
Primo: I'm sorry, sweetie. I don't know what else to do. I had a skewed idea of what it was like to get volunteers. When I was working on those campaigns, this spring, they were the only ones. But now there is the presidential campaign and the senate campaign and other state house representatives. Nobody wants to help.
Me: I will divorce you if you ever run for office again.
Primo: I thought other people would help me the way I helped them.
Me: But they aren't. Some of them are, but most of them aren't. Can we agree that you will no longer volunteer for other politicians?
Primo: I think so.
We were fighting because Primo wanted me to do more doors and drop lit this weekend, even though last weekend, he had told me that was my last weekend to do doors because this weekend, there would be volunteers and he would just want me to stay at home and give material to people as they arrived.
We were also fighting because Primo had done nothing to secure volunteers.
He said that that's not what the candidate is supposed to do - that's something Samantha, the fired campaign manager, should have done.
I pointed out that I had called and emailed every single person who had said they would help and most of them blew me off, which I completely understand because WHO WANTS TO WORK ON A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN? I don't.
He was frustrated because he was very involved in some other campaigns this year and some of the people he helped have not reciprocated, which I agree is tacky.
Our conversation was not fruitful.
Me: But I don't want to do doors! You said I was done! I am so sick of this!
Primo: There aren't any volunteers.
Me: That's not my fault. I told you to call them a month ago when they weren't responding to me.
Primo: You should have nagged me more to call them.
Me: Oh, so it's my fault.
Primo [laughing]: Yes.
Me: I don't want to. I hate this. I hate this. I am SICK OF THIS! The past six months have been all about you. I am DONE! [I took my book and started hitting myself on the head with it. Not with the cover. That would have hurt. With the open pages.]
Primo: Stop! What are you doing?
Me: I. Hate. This. Every time I think I'm done, there's more to do. I never get a second to relax. You keep moving the goalposts.
Primo: I'm sorry, sweetie. I don't know what else to do. I had a skewed idea of what it was like to get volunteers. When I was working on those campaigns, this spring, they were the only ones. But now there is the presidential campaign and the senate campaign and other state house representatives. Nobody wants to help.
Me: I will divorce you if you ever run for office again.
Primo: I thought other people would help me the way I helped them.
Me: But they aren't. Some of them are, but most of them aren't. Can we agree that you will no longer volunteer for other politicians?
Primo: I think so.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Friday Nov 2 Preparing just in case
Primo: I don't have Mark's phone number.
Me: I thought about that.
Primo: One of us will be calling the other on Tuesday.
Me: I know. I didn't want to say anything.
Primo: He's been really nice to me. Except for that one line on the news story, he hasn't said anything publicly about me that's mean.
Me: I k now.
Primo: Maybe there will be a last-minute hit piece.
Me: I hope not. I wouldn't think he would wait until the very last minute to mail something, though.
Primo: Could be. Could be something that's supposed to arrive tomorrow or Monday when I won't have a chance to respond.
Me: What would he say?
Primo: He could say I was a protester who signed the recall petition.
Me: I hope he doesn't do that.
Me: I thought about that.
Primo: One of us will be calling the other on Tuesday.
Me: I know. I didn't want to say anything.
Primo: He's been really nice to me. Except for that one line on the news story, he hasn't said anything publicly about me that's mean.
Me: I k now.
Primo: Maybe there will be a last-minute hit piece.
Me: I hope not. I wouldn't think he would wait until the very last minute to mail something, though.
Primo: Could be. Could be something that's supposed to arrive tomorrow or Monday when I won't have a chance to respond.
Me: What would he say?
Primo: He could say I was a protester who signed the recall petition.
Me: I hope he doesn't do that.
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