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Canvassing Tips and Techniques
Dealing With Different People And Opinions
In the course of your canvassing, you’ll encounter many different people with differing opinions. The way that you engage them in your 3–5 minute conversation will be determined by those opinions. The most important point is to remain respectful and positive.
We can generalize as to the different types of people that you might encounter as follows:
Those Who Already Support Obama
This group of people is the easiest to talk with. The conversation can easily shift towards discussing a few reasons why each of you likes Obama. From there, it is a pretty easy matter to move to your closing. Just remember to keep things as conversational as possible as you move towards converting their support into some form of participation in the campaign.
With this group of people it is vitally important to make sure that they realize the presidential nomination in Washington State is made through the caucus system. Ask these people if they’re interested in learning where their caucus will be held, and if they will participate to insure the nomination. Be sure to note this on your contact forms.
Those Who Know About Obama, But Are Undecided
For those who already know about Obama but are still undecided, the opportunity exists to help further their understanding of the Senator and the purpose of his campaign. The odds are you won’t entirely convince people in this group to become Obama supporters, but you may open them up to considering him more positively.
With such people, it is good to help them understand not only the Senator’s position on various issues, but how he contrasts with other candidates as well. It is important that people understand that Senator Obama is about changing the face of politics by encouraging others to play an active role in bringing these changes into being.
Many people around the nation who are actively supporting Senator Obama are doing so precisely because he represents a new kind of politics — a politics that is accessible to all people and meant for the common good.
The most important thing will be to leave these people with a positive impression of Obama. If you do manage to convince them — or even move them closer to Obama — this is a great thing. At the very least, the positive impression that you leave behind will keep the door open for the future.
Those Who Know About Obama, But Lean Towards Another Democratic Candidate
If the person who you’re canvassing states a preference for a Democratic candidate, tell them that the candidate they support does have some very positive positions. Perhaps even ask them what is the primary reason they support this candidate. From there, it really won’t be much of a stretch to show them how Obama compares to their preferred candidate.
While you might not convince these people to favor Obama instead, still, it’s a good idea to point out the grassroots support for Obama as demonstrated through the number of small contributions he received during the first reporting quarter. (Obama will not accept money from PACs.)
The Talking Points page contains a few other statistical facts that you might find useful in your discussion as well.
Those Who Know About Obama, But Lean Towards a Republican Candidate
If the person you’re canvassing states a preference for a Republican candidate, let them know how Senator Obama has been very effective at working with both Democrats and Republicans in passing legislation that is positive for the nation — both during his eight years in the Illinois State Senate and in the US Senate.
Always try to turn the conversation with positive statements, such as, “Obama is so different — this is not a Democrat/Republican issue. All Americans, not just one party or the other, need to do this together.”
“Obama really wants to restore the country to what it once was. He sincerely feels we are more alike than different, and has shown this by his bi–partisan leadership in getting bills passed — both when he was in the Illinois State Senate and now in the US Senate.”
Those Who Know Very Little or Nothing About Obama
There are many reasons why a person might know little or nothing about Barack Obama. Some people don’t pay attention to the news and the world around them — they are so discouraged with the political process that they don’t feel the need to pay attention, much less to vote.
Do not be discouraged by such people, nor feel them to be a waste of time. Studies have shown that many of these types of people only need to have contact with others who are politically pro–active in order to become more engaged themselves.
As we know, Senator Obama has attracted many people to his campaign who have never been politically active in the past. This is due to the fact that in Obama, many people sense that we can actually change the politics of our nation at this time.
When we encounter such people during our canvassing, the most important thing we can do is to educate them as to the tremendous opportunity that Obama represents for changing the politics and course of our nation.
Those Who Are Negative Towards Obama or Politicians in General
This can be a very discouraging group of people to encounter. It won’t take but a moment to determine whether or not you’ll be able to engage such people in any type of a two–way conversation. If you find that you can’t engage them in a conversation, simply say “It appears that I’ve caught you at a bad moment. Thank you for your time,” then exit gracefully.
If you do manage to engage them in a two–way conversation and find common agreement with such people, this is a good thing. You might politely suggest that perhaps they have a lot more in common with the way Senator Obama thinks than they had previously realized.
It is important not to fall victim to the proselytism of the other person. It is important not to enter into an argument or heated discussion with such people — and they will often try to suck you into such a situation. (Yes, there are those that prefer to argue differences rather than finding common agreements.)
There are, of course, those who simply don’t believe that any presidential candidate has much to offer this nation. Given our political past, this is understandable. However, the point can be made that if we're going to move our nation forward in a positive direction, it will require that all people work together at achieving those goals.
In any case, politely thank such people for their time while exiting gracefully.