How far are you willing to go for change?

Nevada.

Ok, so I would probably be willing to go farther - but I have a swing state just 4 hours away.

This is the third Presidential election that I have voted in, but the first that I have followed actively. In case you didn't notice the now infamous Shepard Fairy poster to the right, I support Barack Obama. I truly believe in Obama's message. Throughout this election he has shown the leadership, compassion, motivation, intellect, poise, and good judgment that America really needs in a President. His message of change has motivated me to help however I can.

If there is one thing that the 2004 election taught me, it is that I live in my Bay Area bubble. I realize that I live in an area where I am surrounded with people who share many of my political views. In 2004, I genuinely thought that there was no way that Bush would be elected for a second term...how could he? Everyone I talked to hated him. Kerry losing the election in 2004 opened up my eyes to the sad possibility that Barack Obama isn't necessarily a shoe-in to win this election, no matter what my Bay Area bubble may tell me.

Now, back to Nevada. It's close, it's a swing state, it's only worth 5 electoral votes - but hey, in this election every electoral vote counts. On Obama's website they present some great ways for Californians to get involved and help out in Nevada. Here are two that I plan on participating in:

Making Telephone Calls

The Neighbor to Neighbor program lets Obama supporters from California call voters in Nevada. The website says

"In all states, you'll be able to immediately start calling potential supporters. Once you select a campaign on the right, you'll get a list of voters either in your state or in an important battleground state. You can pick up the phone and get calling immediately."

I have to say that I am a little nervous about calling people. I expect to be hung up on, yelled at, and I might even befriend a few crazies during this process - but if I help to motivate even one person to vote for Obama - I will call it success.

Don't worry Dad - I won't be overly persistent or annoying, those people annoy me as much as they annoy you. I won't make it my duty to change the minds of hard-core Republicans. I just hope to talk to a few people who are interested in finding out more about their choice in this election.

Drive For Change

Obama supporters in California also have the chance to Drive for Change. If you are in Northern California you can drive to Reno or Carson City, and if you are in Southern California you can drive to Las Vegas. Here is a short description from the website:

"There are a number of activities for which the Nevada Campaign for Change needs volunteers, most which involve a lot of walking door-to-door. These include voter registration, voter contact and persuasion, and Get Out The Vote efforts."

Again, I'm a little nervous to do go door to door, but at the same time speaking face to face with people has been shown to be the most effective way to communicate and connect with people. I will have to try to overcome my shy, anti-social tendencies and speak to a lot of scary people I don't know.

I'm not sure how much of a difference making phone calls and going door to door in Nevada will make, but I feel like I have to try to help somehow. The thought of a McCain-Palin White House scares the crap out of me, and has driven my boyfriend to research what it would take to get us Canadian Visas.

With only 42 days left until the election, now is the time to help...