Handing out "Real Americans for Obama" buttons in front of the Super-Walmart in Hillsborough.

A friend of mine from college has been creating his own lawn signs, and this is his last attempt - he posted it on our class list-serv.

I love his signs but I'm not sure they'd help here in North Carolina. The people who believe in science are already voting for Obama.

It's certainly a hopeful sign that around 20 percent of registered voters have already voted, and that early voting is going two to one in favor of Obama.

As a campaign contribution, I had 300 of these "Real Americans for Obama" buttons printed and rushed to me (that's on top of the 50 or so I made by hand with my Mr. Button machine).

Instead of handing them out in Carrboro or Chapel Hill, which will already go to Obama overwhelmingly - remember Jesse Helms' remark, 'no need to build a zoo in North Carolina, let's just put a fence around Chape Hill' - Ezra and I took a basket of buttons and stood outside the Hillsborough Super-Walmart where the die-hard McCain supporters shop. We thought we'd put some heart in the voters of northern Orange County.

A lot of folks swept by us, scowling, saying, "Never!" or "Not gonna happen," but a surprising number took buttons. Old people, young people, black and white. We convinced some folks to vote early, told them where the polling places are, wheedled and joked.

One old guy told us he would never vote for Obama because Obama is for abortion and "when I retire, there won't be enough people to pay for my benefits." In case you don't understand his point - he told us that those millions of unborn babies were supposed to be putting money into the Social Security system. He wasn't any younger than we are. There's something wrong with the math.

Another old guy, a black man, said he wasn't going to vote because "I already have everything I need - I raised my kids and even put them in college, and I own my own house." My son said, "think how proud your grandchildren would be to know you voted in this election." I don't think we convinced him but you never know.

One guy missing his front teeth and wearing a NASCAR jacket walked by saying, "I never vote, haven't voted in 24 years," but came back a few minutes later and asked for four buttons, "my family will wear them."

One guy said, "Wear a button? No way, I kaint hardly tote maself."

There were normal cheerful people too, it was way fun.

I'm going to the Obama rally in Raleigh today and volunteering for a few shifts during the few days before the election.

Maybe Ez and I will go work the Super-Walmart again too. We feared we'd be thrown out but the lady watching the door was black and she snuck out to get a couple buttons and watched over us approvingly.