Behind the Scenes of Team JUD: A Volunteer's View

   There are phone calls to be made, doorbells to ring, letters to be written, speeches to be given, signs to be distributed, events and parades to attend, questions to be answered, and money to be raised.  I'm sure the list could go on, but you get the idea: campaigns take work!

    I’ve had the opportunity to chat with some great people over the phone while working on Jud's campaign. We call people in our district to see where they stand on different issues in Indiana and to give them a little information about Jud.  When I made my first phone call, I felt like a telemarketer and was certain that voters would want nothing to do with our calls.  But by my second phone call, I realized that the phone were often well received, and talking to the people about issues and our campaign was enjoyable to both me and the person on the other end.  When I call people, I typically ask if I can answer any questions for them.  I expect questions like "How does Jud feel about …?"  One night, a woman caught me off-guard. She only wanted to know one thing: why had I given my time and support to Jud. 

    I gave her a good on-the-spot answer, but her question made me think.  When I agreed to campaign for Jud, I had never met him.  I simply thought a political campaign would be a good way for me to meet new friends and do some professional networking.  I have made new friends and I have been networking, but neither of those selfish reasons could explain why I continue to volunteer after those goals were met. 

    The truth is, after I got to know Jud, I started to believe!!!  I gathered facts, some not even on this website, and realized that he is capable of being a State Representative.  I'll share with you some of the info I've learned that has made me confident in my decision to campaign and vote for Jud.

    Jud has earned a law degree and gained experience working as a prosecuting attorney and now is in a general practice law firm. This has given Jud the tools that are necessary to write sound laws on our behalf and work through complicated issues. I knew about the law degree, but I did not know that his undergraduate degree was in economics.  Learning about his economics degree bolstered my confidence in his ability to responsibly improve our financial situation. 

    This year the word change has almost become cliché.  Every candidate for every office says change will happen.  When Bob Bischoff was first elected to represent us, Jud was three, and I was not even born yet!  Because of that, I believe that it is time for change. I know Jud is sincere when he says he will work to bring change to the State House, and I believe the change he will bring for be for the better. 

    While on the topic of the other candidate, I was somewhat concerned about getting into a campaign and having to be negative about the opponent. I have always thought mud-slinging was a horrible tactic in campaigns, and that it just detracted from what was really important: the candidates and the issues. I have found campaigning for Jud to be refreshing because there has been no mud-slinging.  Publicly, Jud has not made negative comments about Bob Bischoff.  Much to my surprise, I have not heard Jud make negative comments about him in private either. 

    Before I met Jud, I had a stereotyped image in my head of a lawyer that enjoys arguing.  In reality, he smiles all the time, gets along with just about everyone, and is well liked by those that know him.  I've also discovered that he's passionate about his ideas, and will spend the extra time to make sure others understand his ideas too.  Because he is passionate and works so well with others, I am confident that he will work well with the other State Representatives to achieve positive outcomes for our district. 

    For me, the final tipping point was seeing how Jud interacts with his family.  On Flickr, you can see pictures of Jud with his nephews.  None of the pictures I took were posed or planned.  Those are just pictures of Jud being Jud.  His actions have shown me that family is important to him. Jud's close relationship with his family has proven to me that he will keep families in mind while he's in Indianapolis at the State House. 

    If I had to do it over again, I would. It has been a fun, enlightening, rewarding, and exhausting adventure, but more than anything, it has been the right thing to do. I, as well as Jud and the other volunteers all believe in what we are doing: trying to make a difference to help our area. There are still seven weeks to go before the election, and I’m sure there will be plenty to do, but I’m confident all the hard work will pay off. When it does, I will be proud to know I’ve done my part to make our corner of the State a better place. 

KATIE