This week I had a crash course in field work as it relates to the Kornell campaign. How important voter contact is was stressed over and over this week, and spilling back into last weeks phone banking. Our campaign’s field plan has set out to reach each super-voter’s house by phone and in person at least six times before the primary. We plan on meeting with these voters (as well as more casual voters) outside of their homes at various events being held every week. In an effort to keep Steve looking busy and important the plan is to have multiple events booked every night that events are held, so he is always coming from or heading to another function.
I was not only told the broad details of our field plan, I was coached on how to approach these different field events. The phone work came easiest to me, as I have many years of experience on the phone and have mastered the smile and dial, and am able to engage the folks on the other end of the line. Approaching people at their doors and at a party was more foreign to me. The party atmosphere being the most awkward, the time spent by myself approaching people was pretty much a flop because if they were interested in talking about the campaign or politics they wanted to speak with Steve himself. so I found my niche following Steve and participating in the conversations as well as handing fliers out to the patrons as they left. This was the one event where I felt off my game, and wishing I had been given more direction. I hope that future non candidate centric events are more conducive to approaching and making conversation with the patrons. The loud booming music and clique focused social structure made it tough to reach out to people.
