I phone banked for about an hour at HQ in West LA.
One person was home.
24 year old guy. He’s always been a Republican, he said. His dad is. His whole family.
He hates immigration. Wants the wall put up. His family’s been here since the civil war.
25 minutes with him.
Not sure what got to him. Energy, maybe. My energy argument is pretty good. Strong, effective and personal.
I Don’t know.
I think it was this:
Him: “Also, McCain served in the military. Obama has not.”
Me: Well, that’s true and he did a great service to our country and we should give him respect and, perhaps, ask him for advice on things military. But…what do you do for a living?
Him: My last job was as an electrician on a construction job.
Me: And I assume you did a good job?
Him: Yeah.
Me: So, should you be the head electrician in Vegas?
Him: (Laughing) No!
Me: Hmmmm…Don’t you want the smartest guy to be the president?
Him: Yeah. Why? Is Obama that smart?
Me: He was the head of the Law Review at Harvard. I don’t know about you but I think that’s a pretty good school.
Him: One of the best.
Me: And John McCain, while at Annapolis, graduated at the bottom of his class of 300 students. Right there, like third from the bottom.
Him: Really.
Me: Well, I do want the smartest person to be president. I dunno, though.
We kept talking for a short bit and at the end he said this:
“You know what? Move me from ‘McCain’ to ‘Undecided’.”
I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Invigorating.
