I got an email today from the Obama campaign asking for volunteers on election day. Here’s the email:
Obama for America
Zachary –
Ask your Boss. Ask your Professor.
Take Election Day off and volunteer to make history.
Watch this video and sign up to help get out the vote on Tuesday, November 4th:
Watch the video
This election will be decided by what this grassroots movement can accomplish on Election Day.
We have volunteer shifts to fill throughout the day — make calls, knock on doors, and make sure your fellow voters get to the polls.
No previous experience is required. Sign up now to take the day off and make history on November 4th:
http://my.barackobama.com/takethedayoff
Thanks,
Jon
Over at Fairly Conservative, Cindy Kilkenny seems to have a problem with the Obama campaign encouraging supporters to volunteer on election day:
You heard him. It’s national skip day. With our government about to take such good care of us, we won’t need jobs at all soon. Go on.
What I’d like to know is when it became a bad thing to encourage citizens to get involved in the democratic process. Since when was it a bad thing to have citizens actively engaged and involved in the process of electing our leaders? Further, would the same folks who seem to have a problem with the Obama campaign encouraging its supporters to volunteer on election day voice the same concerns if Sen. McCain’s campaign were encouraging its supporters to volunteer on election day?
I think not.
Well, Zach, I wonder what Ms. Kilkenny would say if she knew Scott Walker encouraged county workers to take Tuesday off (it actually is a holiday for many employees) to work at the polls and GOTV activities.
I don’t have a problem with Scott Walker encouraging county workers to take the day off, just as I don’t have a problem with the state agencies encouraging their employees to take the day off to volunteer as poll workers. In fact, I’m looking forward to having the day off to work at the polls here in my neck of the woods.
Apparently she’s never heard of vacation days or personal days.
Yeah, I could see if Obama’s campaign was encouraging folks to play hooky, but encouraging supporters to try and get the day off to volunteer doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.
My college decided to cancel classes on Election Day. Of course, it’s a liberal arts college so…