Guest Blogger Michael Bersin: 468 Letters . . . and Counting

Written by: Guest Writer on Dec 11, 2003 12:30 PM EST

This entry was posted by Michael Bersin of Missouri who has hand-written 468 of the almost 98,000 letters that you have sent to undecided voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. His words may inspire you to write one today. And you can also sign up now for Victory Days on December 18 and 22, where Dean supporters will meet across the country to write more letters. For more ideas on letter-writing go to Forum for America.

468 hand written letters to voters in Iowa (and a few to New Hampshire). How did I get to this point?

I'm nobody special. I just want my country back.

Why do I choose to do this? In 2000 I was elected as a delegate to the national convention in Los Angeles. We won that election by 543,895 votes - not nearly enough as it would turn out. After all that I had to ask myself the question, "Did I do enough?"

Since January 2001 I have watched, first with real concern, now in horror, the direction this present administration is taking our country. There are serious consequences to not doing enough.

Last December I started hearing about a Democratic candidate for president who was addressing important issues head on. I started paying attention. In May I attended an event in Kansas City where I heard Governor Dean speak. Impressive. I'm in. When I had the chance to talk with him at that event I just quietly said, "Thank you for speaking out."

Why do I choose to do this? I believe Howard Dean is the candidate to defeat Mr. Bush in 2004. I believe Dr. Dean has the skills, knowledge, leadership ability, and gumption to help us achieve practical solutions to the problems we face as a nation.

From my previous campaign experiences in Missouri I knew that personal letters have a tremendous impact on individual voters. I attended Meetups in Kansas City in July and August when we all wrote letters to New Hampshire and Iowa voters. The involvement of the grassroots on this scale - absolutely brilliant. Then and there I knew this was my kind of campaign.

How do I know these letters work? I just received this reply: "Thank you so much for your thoughtful letter 11/17 hand-written at length to support Howard Dean. I was teetering between Dr. Dean and....but now feel he's our man for the job. I plan to attend the caucus in Iowa and will support him. Happy Holidays!" You better believe I'm going to write a follow up letter!

The mechanics of letter writing are straightforward. Once I finish writing one letter, I start another one. Besides, there isn't anything good on television anymore. I retrieve ten names with addresses at a time from the letter database. I acquired American flag stamps in rolls of one hundred. After the first 150 or so letters I picked up the idea from the Forum for America to print my own stationary, thereby saving me a little writing. Smack on the forehead. Shortly after that I discovered my spouse's gel pen. I borrowed it. She'll never see it again. Since then I've gone through ten pens.

Someone asked me if I had a goal for the number of letters I wanted to write. I answered that I'll just keep writing until the database runs out of addresses.

This is from one of my letters: "Ultimately, as Americans we must make a choice - between the empty rhetoric, narrow view, and public relations illusions of the current administration - or Howard Dean's message of empowerment, responsibility, and hope. A choice which will define who we are as a people."

On November 3, 2004 I do not want to find myself in the position where I again have to ask myself, "Did I do enough?"

I have to go now because I need to write more letters.

One voter at a time.

Michael Bersin
Warrensburg, Missouri

Michael Bersin is a cellist, university music professor, union member [American Federation of Musicians, Local 34-627], and is a member of the Missouri State Democratic Committee.

Guest blogger Michael Bersin with Dean for America Director of Internet Organizing and Outreach Zephyr Teachout on the Drive for Democracy, Kansas City, MO, November 28.

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