Listen to the music

Tonight was my second shift volunteering for the Kirsten Gillibrand campaign, interrupting dinners for democracy. I have moral qualms about telemarketing, even for a good cause, but I think the greater good is being served in this case, so I bit my morals and dialed. Some people were rude, some were angry, some just hung up, but they were the minority. Most—well, most weren't home. (The best away message I heard was, "If you're calling for Consumer Reports: YES, I bought the worst answering machine in the world." Second place went to the poem about autumn leaves.) But a lot of people were enthusiastic, perfectly willing to tell me how much they dislike the Republican incumbent—I heard "anyone but Sweeney" tonight—and how eager they'll be to vote Democrat. One cantankerous old fellow told me he only had a moment to talk, then refused to let me off the phone until he'd read me a litany of complaints about the Republicans, capping it with a story about his staunch Republican friend who would be voting Democrat this year. We were targeting swing voters—unaffiliated, independent, and Republican women—so it was nice to hear so much enthusiasm.

I'll be going back on Monday for another two hours, and I expect I'll do some more around election day. The polls are looking good for our girl—she's up 13% in the latest independent poll (though there's a lot of volatility), and CQ moved NY-20 into the "too close to call" column this week.

If you live near a close race (and you probably do, this year), do think about popping into your local office and volunteering for a couple of hours. It's really not scary at all, and you'll leave feeling appreciated (and possibly full of donuts).