I alerted my 'Hays for Obama' group on Obama’s website, and got a couple more. I asked Glenn Staab, our Ellis County Chairperson to get the word out and he literally emailed it to every Democrat in his jurisdiction. That netted nada, BUT tapping his list of potential Obama delegates and calling them got up a few more.

Not wanting this opportunity to remain unknown, I bought a cable ad and put up flyers around the FHSU campus. Facebook gurus flooded their friends with news of a unique opportunity. That didn’t work either.

Sarah, the phone bank Organizer kept in touch with me throughout . She sounded pleasant but tenaciously serious. She was not that impressed with my numbers. She asked questions like, “Do you live anywhere near Lenexa? How about Wichita?”

I, on the other hand, was well satisfied. Twelve can do a phone bank. Even Jesus had only twelve. It was set to take place at Coffee Rules, a local coffee shop which serves good coffee, Guinness beer and assorted edibles . . .sort of a Star-bucks for small city folks.

Twelve volunteered. Nine showed up. Well, I thought, nine can do a phone bank too. Bolstered with elitist lattes, or completely dry, we hunkered down at the tables and faced the lists. We enjoyed a little love, survived some hate and valiantly tried to clarify confusion at the other end of the line. One spate of nasty responses resulted in a casualty who begged off early, but was sincerely thanked for what she had done.

Huge amounts of messages were dictated. We shared information with the undecided bringing them over when we could. Amazingly, sometimes they just talked themselves into voting for Barack. And, eventually, the job got done.

I was impressed with everyone else’s phone skills. You’d think they had training. They sat down with these scripts and riffed them off like they did it every day. Found out later, some of them do. Five hundred and four phone calls later, we netted 70 individuals and families promised to Barack. There was also a combined figure of 88 together for Clinton, McCain or that most ominous of all responses - “Undecided.”

Was it worth it? Of course! You HAVE to think that way in order to do it. After all, a “victory” in Guam stood or fell by seven votes. Some phone banker[s], somewhere, accomplished that. Yes, they did.

Here are some photos of some of the group and Kelly's kids keeping us entertained.