I’m working hard for Al - will you join me?

09/30/2007

Hi there,

My name is Rob Roddy, and you probably don't know me - unless you're one of the many Minnesotans I've had the pleasure of talking to as a volunteer for the Al Franken for Senate campaign.

I'm writing because the deadline for making contributions to the campaign this quarter is tomorrow (Sunday, September 30th) at midnight. I want to tell you why I'm working so hard for Al, give you a little behind-the-scenes look at the campaign, and urge you to join me in this campaign however you can.

A little about how I came to be part of the campaign: I'm a retiree living in Richfield. I moved to Minnesota from Oklahoma City a few years back after spending some time here visiting my son and falling in love with the state. I've been volunteering as much as I can here at headquarters, making as many calls as I can to tell people about the campaign and helping to organize some of our events.

Once in a while, someone on the phone will express reservations about Al's career as a satirist. Can Al be a serious candidate, they wonder, when he's spent so much time making us laugh?

I usually tell them this: I've read four of Al's books. And, like many of you, I laughed - a lot. But it wasn't until I read Al's commentary on Paul Wellstone's memorial service that I realized the depth of Al's passion and sincerity. Behind the humor is a man who takes the issues, and the people who face them, most seriously. Personally, Al reminds me of Mark Twain, who was a big influence to me when I was a young adult. Like Al, Twain had the rare ability to make us laugh and think at the same time.

But mostly, the people I talk to are just as determined as I am to help bring some real change to Washington, and they're usually just as excited as I am to be part of Al's team.

Now, I don't normally call to ask for money. The rest of the volunteer crew and I are usually inviting people to rallies, following up on letters from Al, or just updating them on the campaign and asking them about what's on their minds. And even though we were all pretty excited when our campaign raised more money than Norm Coleman's campaign last quarter, we spend very little time around here talking about dollars and much more time talking to people.

This weekend is the exception, and that's why I'm writing. There are only a few hours left to make a contribution to the campaign and have it count towards our total for the third quarter.

It would mean a lot to me and to the rest of our team here if you would be willing to support us with a donation of - well, of whatever you can afford. Fifty dollars, twenty dollars, ten dollars - it all helps show how strong our campaign is, and it all helps us continue to run this amazing grassroots organization. (After all, my time is free, but the phones I use to make calls and the stamps I put on letters aren't!)

Okay, money pitch over. I know you're probably just as busy as I am. But I wanted to let you know that there's a whole bunch of us here at headquarters every day working hard for Al. And I hope you'll be able to help us keep going.

Thanks for your time, and if you're in Minnesota, maybe I'll be talking to you soon!

Rob Roddy
Al Franken for Senate volunteer