TIL that some languages apparently have words inherently differentiating one's status as a citizen or resident of the entity versus a member of a particular ethnic or cultural group? I don't quite grasp the whole thing, although I heard the point being made. What's interesting to me is a) that there is such a thing, which seems very revealing of something about a culture that would need such concepts built into the language, and b) that there seem to be people who think it's inaccurate to interpret the word choice as meaningful. Firstly, since languages have all sorts of concepts built into them, many very specific to their primary culture of use, it seems reasonable that such a thing could exist. Not that I would have thought of it before, since I'm not from a culture where that sort of subtlety functions. Secondly, if that is, indeed, the subtlety of the word choices, where one essentially and inherently includes people, and the other excludes, then I'd kind o...
Worked for Bernie...
ReplyDeleteIf it's like the Obama campaign you'll be talking to people they think are likely Hillary voters, and they should give you some guidance on what to say for common questions.
ReplyDeleteOh, they give you scripts, but you aren't required to follow them verbatim, and my minimally experienced sense in this regard is that people connect to you more if they think you are being "real" versus rehearsed. It's certainly been true on the phone, and those are absolutely at least registered Democrats. They aren't all voting for Hillary, though.
ReplyDeleteI mean, they will probably not answer the door, or just shut the door if they aren't interested, but I'd like to have my head together enough to engage like a human being if the opportunity arises. I suppose it probably won't, though.
Good luck! You probably won't get the "yeah, we're voting for the n****r" comments that happened in PA during canvassing for Obama. But you'll probably get the female equivalent.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I know from personal experience just how your job is about to be. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteInexplicably, everyone I dealt with was not only polite, but mostly even nice.
ReplyDeleteP.S. They prepped us ahead of time about the stupid email nonsense.
P.P.S. The local state level Senator and the mayor were there, as was somebody important from the Western Pennsylvania Democratic hierarchy. Somebody may be taking this election seriously.
ReplyDeleteAlso, they may be letting go of Ohio a bit as they've changed all the trips next week from Ohio to Pennsylvania.