After a minor detour (actually, we were heading toward Ohio), we arrived just in time for the orientation. Jackson also has the distinction of being the birthplace of the Republican party. We were told the McCain campaign also had volunteers going door to door. Can you say battleground city?
They sent us off (2 by 2) with a piece of a yahoo map, a bunch of paper, and some very nice, glossy-colored campaign pamphlets. Our mission: to canvas for Barack. We were to knock on doors, invite residents to policy meetings, and register residents if needed. Eventually, we found our way to potential Barack voters. The community appeared to be a working class area. The brightly colored, frame homes were well maintained with little or no trash on the ground. After walking a few blocks, we noticed the overwhelming number of foreclosure notices, empty houses, and for sale signs. We talked to a couple dozen people during our 3 hours in Jackson. The pro-Barack sentiment in our canvas area was overwhelming. The main area of concern for people was the lack of jobs.
I left Jackson with a new found respect for the magnitude of needs our next president will face. One person cannot fix every situation, but the right leadership can focus our energy, talents and resources in the right direction.
In Jackson, we met a variety of people with various reasons for supporting Barack.
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