Random phone banking conversations about gay marriage

I phonebank two or three times a week now for the Barack Obama presidential campaign and the No on Proposition 8 campaign here in California.  I did a three hour stint last night with Stefani and Shannon at the headquarters in the Castro.

Honestly, California, as a state, is a political mess.  Legislative gridlock, dedicated revenue funds, supermajority votes for tax increases, and a "pay to get on the ballot" referendum system means that nothing difficult can ever get accomplished here.

One example of that is gay marriage.  Same sex couples can get married today in California.  Hate groups want to amend the Constitution to take that right away.  As much as I hate the entire proposition system, I can’t let that issue go.  So off I go to phone bank at the No On Proposition 8 headquarters last night.  Here’s a sampling of what I heard:

Me: "Hi, <intro stuff deleted> how do you feel about same sex marriage?"
Elderly woman: "Well, since I’ve been with the same woman for 30 years, I feel pretty good about it."
Me: <I immediately tear up.>

Another call:

Me: "Hi <intro blah blah> how do you feel about same sex marriage?"
Retired Man: "It’s ok with me. I saw a ‘Yes On 8’ yard sign today in my neighborhood, and I think that’s horrible.  How do I get a No On 8 sign?"
Me: "I’ll take your address and get the campaign to send you one.  Can you donate to the campaign?"
Retired Man: "Yes, I can give you $25."
Me: "Awesome!"
(unbelievably, they don’t give away yard signs, they sell them in the campaign store.  I bought him one out of my own pocket off the campaign website and had it sent to him)

We’re phone banking several times between now and Election Day.  Probably Mondays at the No On Prop. 8 campaign HQ and at our house on Thursday nights.  Call me if interested.