I just spoke to a clueless Obama phone banker.

[moc]

She asked me to vote (although I told her I already did), and she never mentioned the caucus. I asked her about it and she was confused. She didn't know what I was talking about. I had to explain it to her.

:scared:

Volunteers are good, but well-trained volunteers are better.

[sonias]

1. May have been one of her first calls

Phone banking isn't for everyone. It does take some skills. Are you volunteering as a PCT captain for Obama? You know you don't have to be the main one. There can be several in your PCT. And you can make as many calls as you have time. All from the comfort of your home if you have a PC and Internet connection.

http://texasprecinctcaptains.com

You can help us out.

Sonia

[moc]

2. I'm not but dh is. I'm more of a "behind the scenes" kinda gal.

Dh is a phone banker from way back. When we met, he was phone banking for Dukakis. I printed out a list of numbers for him to call last night.

[Honeycombe8]

3. I live in Texas and have yet to find out if my precinct caucuses. No one seems to know.

When people do know something about meeting on the eve of March 4th, they are speaking of the conventions that are held everywhere. But caucuses, for voting, are held only in select locations. No one seems to know which locations those are.

[crispini]

4. You are a bit confused, it's understandable.

People are using Caucus and Convention to mean the same thing. There is only one activity being held the eve of march 4th, and it's the precinct convention. There will be caucuses at the precinct convention where you will vote to elect delegates.

Here are the official rules; it may help.

http://txdems.bluestatedigital.com/the_party/article_iv_party_conventions

[Honeycombe8]

5. Well, what I heard described on TV...and what the Clinton campaign is going to sue over...

is that it IS confusing. Convention and caucus are not the same thing in every location. In SOME locations, I heard it reported on TV, caucusing (like was done in Iowa) will be taking place. That will not be taking place everywhere. Only certain locations. The pundit was stating THAT was what would favor Obama.

There are extra delegates that WILL be pledged ONLY through the caucusing in those locations. They are not decided by the voting in the primary. They are decided AT the caucus.

That's what was reported on TV. That is separate and distinct from the conventions that are being held EVERYWHERE.

They also said for a voter's vote to count 100% in those locations, they need to return, after voting in the primary, to the caucus, in order to pick the heretofore unpledged delegates. That would give that voter a 100% vote. If only Clinton voters show up at the caucus, the heretofore unpledged delegates will be pledged to her...at the caucus. Separate from the primary delegate pledges.

Sheesh. Confusing. Guess that's why Clinton is going to sue?

[crispini]

6. What you heard on the TV is incorrect.

I have been to two (2) official trainings held by the Texas Democratic Party in the last week.

The convention and the caucus are the same thing. Period.

If the Clinton campaign wants to sue anyone, she needs to sue the news reporters in your town. :D

[sonias]

7. Really the newsreporters can't be saying this crap can they?

I'm going to propose that by the next presidential election, the TDP develop a video that people can watch.

This really isn't that difficult for the new person attending the first one. There will be people at these PCT conventions who know what they're doing and they'll show everyone how this is done. It's all in the open, transparent and nothing "secret" about it.

All the rules are out there for anyone to read and understand.


Sonia

[RBInMaine]

9. Call your local Dem party office, your state office, etc.

You can also call your closest candidate's office or your town hall or city hall and ask for voter information. There are so many ways to get this information and so many sources that have it, it should not be hard at all to find. Pick up the phone book and a phone, or start Googling for the info.

[RBInMaine]

8. She may have been a home-based phone banker.

If she was a newbee home-based phone banker, especially one from another state, she may just not have been sufficiently informed or did not know to inform herself well enough. I do home-based phone banking much as I have done office-based phone banking, and I review the script materials very well first (and then deviate from it in order to sound natural and not like some idiot robot), I review the materials on where the candidate stands on the issues, and I review info. such as the voting process in a given state and have phone numbers and website info. that can be given to the people called when they have questions about where to vote, etc. I have DSL internet so I have these materials to refer to at the click of mouse as I am talking with voters. With so much home-based grassroots and volunteerism, some of the necessary prep work is going to fall through the cracks at first until they become a bit more experienced with it. There is a learning curve here, and I'm sure your phone banker is now learning, so thanks for informing her.

[fudge stripe cookays]

10. You're telling me!

I got a call the other night from a volunteer who had used the forwarded message on our old phone # to call us up here in Wisconsin. And evidently hadn't been in Texas long enough to recognize the big few area codes.

At first I was confused, then I realized she was calling from Rockwall. I told her I was no longer in Texas-- that the 414 area code was in Milwaukee, and she was totally flummoxed.

[sonias]

11. Those might be national phone banking people

MoveOn did a huge phone-banking effort today.

Remember folks these are volunteers for the most part. Let's cut them some slack. After doing numerous stints of phone banking myself, I always treat people respectfully when then call. Even people on the opposition. We got phone banked for Ron Paul tonight and I told the young man sorry, we had already voted and it wasn't for Ron Paul.

Sonia