First thoughts with the Colorado Democratic Party

My initial thoughts on grassroots campaigning were definitely not what I expected. I soon realized that people are intensely working around the clock for this election on a level that is far beyond the average 8 hour work day. My first day started at 10 a.m. and ended at 10 p.m. It largely consisted of phone calls and preparing for events in which we do various things including voter registration. At first, calling random voters was quite nerve-racking and I found myself mumbling, stuttering, or talking extremely too fast. It did not help that I was given the list of elderly citizens to call and many of them were either hard of hearing or just angry for reasons I will never know. I always had some pretty interesting conversations with some interesting people while working on the phones. Our goal for that day was to gather all sorts of information like voter preference as well as their thoughts on the issues so that we can continue to improve the campaign as we come closer to the elections. It did not take me long to get comfortable speaking with voters because I began to understand that these conversations were not about me but about the issues and opinions of the American people. If I wanted my efforts to hold any weight in these elections, I would have to overcome my nervousness so that I can look back and know that I, indeed, contributed to these historical elections and to resolving the issues that are important to me. I will probably never quite understand why some people complain about their issues and then decide not to vote. If a person wants to make a change they have to put some effort into making that change. These changes may not always be made so just by voting but may require a few hours of volunteering. After working on the campaign, I now know that even a person who may only choose to volunteer for an hour can be extremely beneficial to any campaign. Throughout my time there, I witnessed concerned citizens volunteer daily because of the major issues in our country affecting them everyday. Whether it's healthcare, education costs, or the war, I think everyone has an issue that may directly concern them. When I think of how hard people are constantly working for all of us so that we may be better informed, more involved, and reminded that in a democracy the people have the power to change things, I believe it is a shame that people do not take advantage of their right to vote.
-Derrick A