Canvassing has always been my favorite way to connect with voters, and when I signed up to canvass for Gloria Johnson in her bid for the US Senate, I was interested to see how it’s changed since the Obama election era when I got (gulp) invited into people’s homes to have, (erm), conversations about politics. I think canvassing is still extremely effective, and I love it. Phone banking, too. (I also proudly canvassed for Bernie, and those conversations were mind-blowing and very inspiring and hopeful.)
Welp, today I stepped waaaay out of my comfort zone by doing persuasion canvassing. (I’d never even heard of that.) Every time I canvassed it’s been knocking on doors of registered Democratic rolls. Today it was a toss up what kind of voter I’d be talking to. (Yikes!!)
I learned that without campaign paraphernalia, you cannot assume anything about a person’s affiliation or views. You have to get into a conversation and connect over the issues that matter to them. And everyone I talked with is DONE with the politics of hate espoused by Trump and Marsha (Blackburn).
One of the things I love about canvassing in the late afternoon and early evening is how many folks are hanging out on their porches, encouraging a friendly chat and inviting me to share my flier and talk about the candidate or the issues.
Some wanted to make sure I wasn’t lost. Some voted already, some are waiting until the hustle and bustle of Election Day. Some had heard the name Gloria Johnson, others just knew her as a member of the Tennessee Three.
Many offered me welcoming, kind words of encouragement. One told me a story of her experience canvassing in the neighborhood for a historic commission election. Not a single person belittled me or shooed me away or slammed a door in my face. For me, canvassing replaces the exasperation, fear, and anxiety of this moment to help me feel connected to my community and sense of place. Hope becomes real.
Truthfully, I think TN is really more of a purple state than our legislature lets the rest of the world see, so this contest is exciting and high stakes if you’d like to see Tennessee politics center humanitarian values.
“…the work doesn’t begin and end with elections—and it doesn’t necessarily work through them. That’s part of why I think of voting as a chess move, not a valentine. It’s just a little part of the picture of how we make the world.”
—Rebecca Solnit, 2016 article in The Nation
One of the corniest things about me is that I saved the email Obama sent to volunteers before he took the stage after winning the election. Whenever I have to clean out my inbox, I’m reminded of this gem at the bottom and the way we all had so much fun getting out the vote. The stakes feel so much higher now, but it’s still fun to connect with strangers over shared values right at their doorstep.
Regardless of how things go, I want to be able to reflect on this moment and know I gave my all, and I give myself permission to have as much fun as I can muster in the process before I collapse in a puddle from exhaustion.
Élan Young 