It’s the time of year when you probably expect us to talk about the 24/7 realities of working on a campaign and the grueling warrior pace we’re keeping up out in the field — especially now that we’re in the hardcore, get-out-the-vote push. Well yes, it’s all true.

We get a major adrenaline rush at this time of year when elections are on and, yes, sometimes we can come off as a little bionic in terms of our sheer ability to just persevere and make it happen. But despite our hardened exterior, we admit deep down, we’re softies. We just love campaigns.

We truly love field organizing. We love it because it’s personal. Maybe our moms were right, we just love talking.  Maybe the skills we honed talking our way out of getting in trouble are just maturing as “persuasion tools.”  Give us a one-on-one conversation with a voter – whether that’s at the door, over the phone, or through Facebook, and we’re in our element.

But it’s not just talking to voters that’s exhilarating. We love our volunteers too, and the people canvassing with us for the first time. It’s a thrill when you see someone get turned on and amp up their game, as they start to see that they’re getting results – and know that their work can actually make a difference in the outcome of an election.

We hear stories all the time about volunteers who want to be more involved once they get a taste for campaign work. The light bulb goes off. They begin to see what’s possible and want to do more. Much as we want to warn them, we can’t say we blame ‘em. They’re becoming one of us.

So here’s to the messy, hard, exhausting and exhilarating experience of being on campaigns in the clutch. Campaigns, we love you.