Michigan LCV Roadtrip Journal: Getting out the Vote
We traveled well over 500 miles, knocked hundreds of doors, made dozens of phone calls, and spoke with four great candidates and a former President of the United States. It was a great Get Out the Vote roadtrip for Michigan LCV.
You can check out a brief slideshow of our trip.
Lisa and I hit the road on Sunday to talk directly to voters around the state on why we believe our endorsed candidates are the best choices on Nov. 2. The first day on the road, we stopped in Mark Schauer’s district to talk to voters about his strong representation of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District over the past two years and his success in bringing clean energy jobs and climate protections to his constituents.
After a day on the doors, Lisa met with President Clinton and Mark Schauer before the massive event held at Kalamazoo Community College to rally voters for Mark Schauer and against Dirty Dozen member, Tim Walberg. It was exciting to hear the former president speak in great detail about the potential for Michigan to lead the world in clean energy. One particularly interesting fact that Clinton pointed out: 17 out of the 30 existing advanced battery technology plants in the nation exist in Michigan. We need Mark Schauer to help us create even more.
The next day we knocked doors for David LaGrand, an ideal candidate for the Grand Rapids region whose strong business background, personal convictions, and passion for the environment make him the obvious choice in his race. We were also able to talk about the other strong conservation candidates in the region: Brandon Dillon for state representative and Pat Miles for Congress.
Our final day of the trip involved both intense weather and campaigning. In the Leelenau Peninsula, we had the opportunity to knock doors in some of the most economically-depressed rural areas of the state. And, despite the torrential rain, we could not help but be impressed at the degree of importance voters placed on their Great Lakes even in the midst of such difficult financial situations.
One particular interaction I had with a gentleman on the porch of his mobile home in Elmwood stays with me: As I was reciting the standard talking points about bringing change to Lansing, etc., he cut me off asking, instead, “What about the Asian carp? Why don’t they close those damn locks?” and “I’ve got free water in my hand right now; who the hell needs to pay a buck twenty-nine for our own water to be bottled up?”
I was thrilled to be able to talk about the details of the issues. I quickly informed him that Dan Scripps was the sponsor of the ban on drilling in the Great Lakes, has fought avidly against Asian carp, and is a chief proponent of keeping international corporations from sucking the water out of our Great Lakes to be shipped away in either bottles or pipelines. A note to candidates: Your voters are well aware that the issues in this election are bigger than clichés and attack ads. Please do not lose sight of this fact as you are sprinting toward the Nov. 2 finish line.
After nearly 72 hours of campaigning, listening, driving, and planning these next six days of the 2010 election season, we returned to Southeast Michigan. Unpacking the stacks of literature (and carry-out boxes) from the car, one fact stood out more than others: The tight races in this election will be won by people talking to friends, families, and neighbors. Lisa and I are back from this particular GOTV roadtrip, but Michigan LCV is not close to done talking to folks around our neighborhoods and in important races. Volunteer with us today!
--- Ryan Werder, political director, Michigan LCV
