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New Hampshire Journal from the John Edwards’ Campaign
"I believe that John Edwards can beat President George Bush in a general
election."
By Mollye Hooper
Day 1, January 20, 2004:
It was sixteen degrees outside when I arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire today
to volunteer for the John Edwards for President campaign. The primary is a week
away today, and the Edwards campaign had a huge victory last night in Iowa.
Despite the cold weather, things are looking good for the campaign.
Many people might be wondering why on earth I chose to travel to the coldest
part of the country to volunteer for a presidential campaign. The answer is
simple: I believe that John Edwards can beat President George Bush in a general
election, and I believe we need a different President. John Edwards is full
of charisma, and can win over an audience with his charm. He is bright and well
educated, but he is also a man of the people. He grew up with a mill worker
father, and was the first in his family to go to college. I believe John Edwards
is the candidate who represents the American people the most. He understands
the strife of the poor, and also the challenges facing hard working people.
Born in the South, he understands the issue of race. He believes in equal opportunity
for education and jobs, and is the only candidate who has mentioned poverty.
These are just some of the reasons why I am bearing the cold (and missing a
week of school and work) to come to New Hampshire and help elect John Edwards
for President.
My first day was fairly interesting. Due to our second place finish in Iowa,
spirits at the makeshift campaign office were very high. The phones were ringing
off the hook, as more and more people were calling to either learn more about
Senator Edwards or to know how they could help volunteer. We had various press
organizations, including MTV News and the BBC stop by the office wondering how
they could be linked to the campaign. And I even had the opportunity to be on
the 5:30 local news, as they showed 6 of us volunteers crazily phone banking.
All in all, I can say my first day was a good day, and I cannot wait to see
what the next week has to offer.
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Day 2, January 21, 2004:
Today I felt like a real campaign field volunteer. I worked for 11 hours today, and I even left the office early. I spent about 7 hours today making phone calls, trying to get John Edwards supporters to come to a local Manchester restaurant to watch the big debate tomorrow. Senator Edwards will be coming by afterwards to meet his supporters, and try and get out his message one more time. I am very excited because I think whoever shines in the debate has a great chance of doing well in the primaries. I’m also excited because I will get to see Senator Edwards in person, which is always fun.
For the rest of the day today I made posters and then went out to a popular intersection in Manchester and did what campaigns call “vis,” which means “visibility.” This is campaign lingo for going out and holding big signs and posters, trying to get passers by pumped up on Edwards. This was interesting for several reasons. First of all, it was 16 degrees outside, and I was freezing cold. Second, it was interesting to see the different reactions of the people driving by. Some people honked in support, while others honked and yelled obscenities. Some people gave us the thumbs up, while others gave us the blatant thumbs down. I realized, while I was standing outside in the freezing cold, just asking to get sick, that there is a reason why I am willing to sacrifice my health and comfort level for Senator Edwards. After watching the State of the Union Address, I became even more passionate about getting President George Bush out of office, and if standing outside in the cold to hold Edwards signs is what I have to do to accomplish this monstrous task, then that’s what I’ll do.
It’s funny how people say that my generation is apathetic about politics. But working on this campaign is proving that wrong for me. The majority of the volunteers and interns are college-aged, and some are even in high school. These are people dedicating their lives for weeks on end, without getting paid, to do all of the campaign grunt work. They work 12 to 16 hour days, stand outside in the freezing cold for hours, and call local people for hours on end. I think my generation does care.
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Day 4, January 23, 2004:
So far, I am having a great time here in New Hampshire. I am beginning to get accustomed to the long days that make up campaign life. However long they may be, I must admit, I really do enjoy this.
I think the main reason why I enjoy working for the John Edwards campaign is because of the people I am meeting here. All of the other volunteers, as well as the staff, are incredibly nice, outgoing, and passionate about making John Edwards our next president. I feel like I will walk away from this experience with new friends, which is something I was not expecting when I made my plans to volunteer.
I am also enjoying my time because of the work I am able to do, and the events I am able to see. Last night was surreal. It was the night of the big New Hampshire debate, so all of the candidates’ supporters and volunteers gathered outside the debate venue for hours before the debate to show their support. It was freezing cold (in the teens, and who knows what the temperature was with the wind chill), yet hundreds of people were outside, carrying signs, and screaming out cheers and chants for their candidates. TV crews, cameramen, and anchors were running around, taping the going ons and interviewing volunteers and other supporters. It was very surreal. It is this part of campaign life that surprises me. There are some volunteers whose sole job is to stand outside and wave signs around. It amazes me because people are sacrificing their health and time and real jobs to spread the word about a particular candidate. I think that is pretty amazing.
I have spent the last two days as the receptionist. This may sound like an easy job, but it definitely is not. I was in charge of the six phone lines, and making each caller happy and satisfied. All six lines pretty much ring every minute, all day long. It gets hectic, but it is fun, and I get to hear lots of positive comments about Senator Edwards.
So far this has been an awesome experience, and I have a new-founded respect for people who work full time on campaigns.
- Mollye Hooper is a student at UC Berkeley
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