PHILADELPHIA - I am a true devotee of the weekly satire periodical The Onion. The horoscope section of this fine newspaper never ceases to amaze me. In continuing with this tradition, I looked up my sign, only to be amazed yet again:
"Aquarius: (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You firmly believe that there are two kinds of people in the world, but also that much research and testing must be done to determine what those two types are."
This is quite apropos, since I just went on my very first campaign trip with the AU College Republicans to Philadelphia to encourage swing voters to vote for President Bush and other Republican candidates in the upcoming election. I often ask myself how someone could still be undecided about who he is going to vote for in the presidential election. I guess the wise words of my horoscope say it all.
The day started bright and early as enthusiastic members of the AUCRs climbed onto an already crowded bus Saturday morning. Other college Republicans from George Washington and Georgetown came along, as well as several members from the D.C. Young Republicans club. There were a few groans as we began the eventful journey north, as our conveyance was none other than a bright yellow school bus with few amenities. But this could not dampen our spirits, and lively debate and chatter ensued during the rest of the three-hour-or-so journey to Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania is a battleground state for the 2004 presidential election, and several critical Senate and House seats are also up for grabs. Most of our efforts involved canvassing neighborhoods and community events with information about the candidates, encouraging voter registration and turnout, and answering any questions that came up.
By far the most interesting part of the trip was going door to door. The variety of responses given to the question "Who will you vote for in the upcoming election?" provided great fodder for "war stories" told over meals at the T.G.I. Fridays across from our hotel. We broke up into groups of two or three and set out with walking lists and maps in hand.
At one house, the resident made a vague gesture as we asked him whom he was voting for. Unsure of what this meant, we asked him if we should put him down as voting for Kerry. To this he responded, "No, I'm voting for Bush. We have a picture of him on our wall." Indeed, he did have a prominently placed picture of President Bush on the wall of his living room.
Others we talked to while going door to door made lame excuses to avoid answering our questions, such as "I'm on my way to work," or simply "No thanks." Occasionally we got lost, as the house numbering in that neighborhood was a little odd; strangely, house number 1154 was right next to a house numbered 710. Trying to find the right houses only added to the challenge.
But it was clear in the neighborhood my group canvassed that Kerry and Bush were in a dead heat, with no clear leader. This mimics the most recent polls, which show Kerry catching up to President Bush after the first debate. Others experienced similar reactions as they attended various community events in and around Philadelphia.
On Sunday, exhausted from hard work, we planned our last day of campaigning. Due to a few logistical problems, our day did not quite turn out as planned, and we were not able to do any substantial campaigning. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the rest of our stay in Philadelphia and headed back to D.C. on the yellow school bus. Despite some traffic delays, we were still enthusiastic as we rolled into campus, already planning our next trip to Pennsylvania.
I wonder if any opinions will change in the next few days, especially after the vice presidential debate. This trip was a great beginning, as I thoroughly enjoyed being "hot on the campaign trail" and am eagerly awaiting the next journey into the historic city of Philadelphia.
Lauren Cooper is a sophomore economics major and member of the College Republicans.
