Dan Joins the Movement

Today - shockingly - was my first day volunteering for the Obama campaign, and my first day - even more shockingly - ever volunteering for a political campaign.  My first, not my last, and it might not be long before I decide to do this for a living.  Maybe.  I don't know.  We'll see.  Shut up.

Anyway, today I spent a lot of time on the computer and on the phone (sound familiar?).  The difference was that, instead of sitting on my ass in my apartment, I was at an Obama campaign office in Philadelphia introducing myself to voters as "Dan from the Barack Obama campaign."  You can imagine my thrill over that.

It was a relatively brief, decidedly simple yet ultimately happily rewarding experience.  The neighborhood for this particular office is a very Obama-esque mix - lots of ethnic whites, and a large black and Latino population.  That's how the office (not surprisingly) was, as well.  I called a bunch of people, several of whom sounded ecstatic to be called, and helped register new voters who regularly came into the office.  It was great to finally actually contribute, in my own small way.

I'm a little annoyed that the campaign never contacted me about attending Camp Obama, considering they wanted me to be an Organizing Fellow (though I couldn't do it) and I'm so clearly fucking perfect for something like that.  But from now on, no one will ever be able to say I didn't contribute to this or any other political campaign.  And this is only the beginning, to which I say:

Yes.  We.  Can.