Working in politics

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I held signs for McCain in 2008, my first volunteer experience. I waved signs for Ron Paul and handed out campaign lit on the day of the primary in 2012. I was an intern on the Adam Hasner campaign from March to November last year. I also interned on the successful "Glickstein for Mayor" campaign in Delray. I have met Rudy Giuliani, Marco Rubio, Gary Johnson, Ken Cuccinelli, Tim Pawlenty (who I am with in my Facebook profile picture), Allen West (21 different times), and obviously Adam Hasner. I almost got to meet Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump. Also of course, a pitter-patter of mayors, state senators and representatives, and city commissioners.

The Hasner campaign was the best experience of my life. I loved the staff, and am in touch with most of them still. One of the staffers (the only local one) managed the later Glickstein for Mayor campaign. I entered in petitions from March to May. Every day for two hours after school, I sat on a laptop leftover from Hasner’s first run for State House in 2002 and entered names into Microsoft excel. When I pressed the button to enter the last petition, it was like I pressed the button to drop the ball in Times Square on New Years. Another time, when Obama was coming to campaign for our opponent, the now Congresswoman Lois Frankel, I went to the Obama office and pretended to be a Frankel volunteer to get tickets for our campaign (I was unaware we had a video tracker). I worked the summer interns, who were also. I discovered that I get along well with people in their mid twenties-I was originally socially terrified of them, but quickly formed friendships with them. I look ahead with great excitement and anticipation for 2014.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

My only "odd" call in phone banking was awful. I called a woman, and listened to her whine about the bombardment of political calls. She then promptly hung up. I forgot to cross her name off the list, and then called her again. She gave me a bombardment of nasty words, threatened to call the cops, and again hang up. I murmured "b*tch" after she hung up, and then realized the candidates wife and half the staff was right behind me. Fortunately, they heard the entire call (the lady was very loud) and did not take offense to my use of the word, nor did she think that I was still on the phone with the lady.