I watched two skilled fishermen in action yesterday. They appeared to have their method downpat. They were patient, they were calm, and they would cast their lures out gently into the stream. Most of the fish ignored the bait but every once in a while, there would be a slight tug on the line and then the fisherman sprang into action. They leaned back and reeled the fish in despite all the splashing and flopping about. The fishermen would admire their catch, talk about it with each other, and then eventually unhook the poor sole . . . uh, soul . . . and let it return to the stream.

Well.

Replace "fishermen" with "volunteers for the Democratic National Convention," replace "fish" with "potential voters," and replace "lures" with the sing-songy mantra "Would you like to help elect John Kerry?"

Last night while waiting for Najm to be released from his alleged alien abductors (ahem), I watched two young women in bright red DNC t-shirts chant "Would you like to help elect John Kerry?" over and over and over again in an attempt to snag one of the busy commuters coming in and out of the Metro. For every 50 people who shook their heads, smiled, and kept on walking, there was 1 person who would actually stop, get drawn into conversation, and pull out a checkbook and sign a form to support Kerry before being released back into the flow of pedestrian traffic. "Would you like to help elect John Kerry?"

I was impressed with their indefatigable (can't help pronouncing that word ala Monty Python's Knights of the Round Table: in-dee-fat-eee-GABLE) spirit that gave them the stamina to stand there and try to get their campaign message across. It was a busy sidewalk and around dinner time and people had places to go and things to see and food to eat. But every now and then, these determined anglers snatched a wriggling commuter from the stream and deftly pull 'em in.

"Would you like to help elect John Kerry?"
"Would you like to help elect John Kerry?"
"Would you like to help elect John Kerry?"

(the siren song that hooked the peds sounded remarkably just like this.)