Hello reader. Before we go any further, I will start by telling you that I am a volunteer for the Bernie Sanders campaign in South Carolina. As a campaign volunteer, it is my job to inform people, find Bernie Sanders supporters, grow support, and get people out to vote. There are many ways in which we try to gain support for the primary elections. My personal favorite is canvassing, or going door to door and having face to face conversations with real people. Another way is to have phone conversations. However, there is a right way and of course, the wrong way to do it. With this in mind, i’d like to highlight one of my best phone calls, but first, let’s take a quick look at what is considered bad form in political phone banking.
Recently, an astute Bernie Sanders supporter received a very negative “push poll” in which a staffer or volunteer calls a voter in an attempt to swing votes and plant anti Bernie messages in the hopes of sowing doubt and test attack lines to use against Bernie Sanders. The conversation in a phone call like this is supposed to be even handed with questions about preference and and what issues voters care about. This one goes a step further. It is a deliberate strategy to defame and slander Bernie Sanders with potential voters by framing the narrative with misleading statements. To me, this is highly unethical, especially when calling uninformed voters.
If I asked someone “Bob likes to slow roast babies over an open flame and feed them to his house guests…will this make you more or less likely to visit bob?” what do you expect the answer to be? Of course, Bernie isn’t there to clarify or defend himself against these statements so the voter is left with a false impression. That my friends, is slander. Im not saying that Hillary Clinton approves of this method or that Clinton herself is intentionally trying to bully people, I’m using this as an example of bad form in the business because it is a tangible, real-time illustration. Again you should not take this as something Hillary herself approves of.
To contrast, I’d like to share how we do business. We in the Sanders campaign are encouraged to act in an ethical manner befitting Bernie Sanders. As representatives of his campaign, we strive to achieve this day in and day out so it is in that spirit that I share with you a very positive phone banking experience I had with a Hillary Clinton Supporter who liked Bernie Sanders. Before we get to that let’s get a few things out of the way.
One - I’m not about bashing Hillary Clinton because she might be the Democratic nominee. By bashing, I mean name calling, lying, smearing, or assaulting her character with personal insults. I do believe that she is doing what she thinks is best, however I do disagree with how she does that- how we get there is just as important as where we are going. With this in mind, I believe we owe it to ourselves to be as informed as possible about our candidates and understand how their actions have impacted us in both positive and negative ways.
Two - I am not staying home on Election Day for any reason. While I believe Hillary Clinton works for the establishment status quo, she is infinitely more qualified to lead that any of the GOP candidates. We have made some progress under Barack Obama, but we simply cannot afford to go backwards or stall out in the slightest bit.
Three - In order for us to fix what is wrong with the United States, and there is a lot that is wrong with this nation, the status quo simply will not do. From Climate Change to wars in the middle east, far too much is on the line that threatens not only the United States, but the survival of the human race. This is why I hold it in my heart that we need the political revolution that Bernie Sanders speaks to. Without further ado, here is my transcript of my 8:30 pm phone call for Bernie.
Bernie Sanders Persuasion Call
Me: “Hi, is (Joe) around? My name is Dan, I’m a volunteer with the Bernie Sanders campaign.”
Joe: “Hello?”
Me:” Hey Joe, How’s it goin’ man?”
Joe: “Good, Good.”
Me: “Right on. I’m just calling everyone and letting them know about the Democratic Primaries coming up on the 27th. You plan on voting?”
Joe: “Oh yea.”
Me: “Awesome. Well as you know, I’m supporting Bernie Sanders, are you familiar with him? I’m sure you are by now right?”
Joe: “Oh yea, I like Bernie”
Me: “Do you mind me asking who you’re voting for in the primary?”
Joe:” Well, honestly, I’m voting for Clinton.”
Me: “Right on man. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s holding you back from Bernie?”
Joe: “Ha-ha, well, you’re getting me in trouble with my wife now, she’s over her yelling in my ear ‘feel the bern’ ha-ha. “
“Me: “Oh man, I’m not trying get you on the outs with your wife! You just might wanna vote for him so you can get some peace!”
Joe:”Ha ha! Yea well, I like what the Clintons have done, I like her record. You know they’ve been around for a long time and they’ve done a lot of good things. I like Bernie, I like what he says, but I’m not sure about his record.”
Me: “Do you think Bernie Sanders is an honest guy?”
Joe: “Yea”
Me: “That’s why I’m calling you tonight. Because I believe in him, more so than anybody else. I know that he’s trying to do the best he can for us. Do you mind if I bend your ear a little bit about Bernie? I don’t want to keep you too long.”
Joe: “Naw man. You’re talkin’ politics. We’re watching CNN right now.”
Me: “Right on. Are you familiar with Bernie’s Record?”
Joe: “Not really.”
Me: “Well, I’ll tell ya man, he’s written, sponsored and co-sponsored hundreds of bills for progressive causes. He’s passed all sorts of amendments too. He’s actually called the amendment king. Amendments are like attachments on bills that do almost the same thing as a new bill.”
Joe: “Ok”
Me: “So he’s gotten increased funds for college grants, expanded free health care, he’s gotten millions of dollars for veterans groups and low income families. You can actually check out his record at berniesanders.com. Have you checked out his racial justice platform?”
Joe: “Not really.”
Me: “Well, you can check that out on his website too. Briefly, he wants to kill the private prison industry which makes millions from putting kids into prison.”
Joe: “Really?”
Me: “Yea, and he wants to legalize pot so black kids don’t have to go to jail over nothing, and he wants to make it so all kids get free public college, and promote community policing, man, there’s a lot there, just go to his website. Now, I don’t want to keep you…”
“Joe: “Naw man, you’re good. “
Me: “I got two girls and I want them to go to college, and get paid equally. If we can tax those Wall Street billionaires who’ve been living off our dime and get free college for my girls- man, that speaks to my heart. And that’s what Bernie’s talking about”
Joe: “But, well, that’s sound good, but I’m concerned that he wouldn’t be able to do any of that if he’s elected. I think Hillary’s more able to get what she wants because she’s not really asking as much.”
Me: “Yea, I get that. Here’s my philosophy. When I’m making a deal, like to ask for everything, ya know? Now, I know the other guys not going to give me everything, but if I start at everything, then if I give in a little bit, it’s going to seem like I’m giving more away. The other guys going to feel like he’s getting more in return. Even if we reach the middle ground, he’s going to feel like he won, and I’ll still get most of what I want.”
Joe: “I feel ya.”
Me: “Now on the other hand, if I start in the middle, all I can do is loose what I want and it puts the other guy in a stronger position. He gains more and I lose more. That make sense?”
Joe: “I never thought about it like that.”
Me: “No matter what, I’m glad you’re voting blue, that’s for damn sure man. We can’t let any of those Republicans into office, because that scares the hell outta me.”
Joe: “You got that right!”
Me: “Look Joe, I like Clinton, I respect her, and she’s done a lot of good things. I remember the 90’s pretty well, and I remember what Bill Clinton did for this country. “
Joe: “Yea man, I agree with you.”
I also remember what happened when Bill Clinton left office- it was pretty awful. Look, I give Barack Obama a lot of credit for what he did after Bush, but the GOP were merciless with him and I wish he asked for more. I don’t know why he didn’t, I don’t care. But right now, those same guys are writing up Impeachment papers for Clinton and going after her for that bull***t Benghazi stuff, and that email stuff…they are not gonna let up, at all. Can you see them wanting to work with her on anything?”
Joe: “Well, you got a point. They might even have enough to actually impeach her too. Those Clintons have a lot of dirt in their past, that’s for sure…you’ve got me thinking man.”
Me: “You know, I respect Clinton a lot. She’s fought hard to be where she is. But Sanders speaks to me. Until Bernie ran, nobody was taking it to Wall Street like he is. No one was trying to expose corruption in Washington, at least not any politician. Especially people running for president. Now they are. He’s getting in their face, and telling them off. Personally, I like that. “
Joe: “Yea, I like that too.”
Me: “Am I taking up too much of your time?”
Now you may feel different and that’s cool because what I really want is for you to come out and vote regardless. And me personally, I want that guy whose gonna[DH1] fight like a dog to get as much as he can for me and my family. Yea man. You’ve given me a lot to think about, man. I’m gonna look at Bernie a little bit more now and do some more research. You’ve kinda put things in a new light for me.”
Me: “Right on man. I’m glad I called.”
Joe: ”Yea, me too.”
Me: “Alright man, you have a good night and thanks for having this conversation with me.”
Joe: “Take care man.”
If you would like to get involved, here is a helpful link.