It’s an inauspicious start for the last day of a campaign Weber’s given her all to. She painted her mini-van in early June when her candidate was fighting a primary challenge from a faux Democrat put up by Republicans.
“Wisconsin deserves Moore” is written in temporary paint on the back windows of Serena Weber’s mini-van. It’s the day before voters go to the polls in the Wisconsin Senate District 10 recall. The contest pits Republican incumbent Shelia Hardsdorf against Democratic Challenger Shelly Moore. Weber is part of a GOTV effort organized by Democracy for America, the Howard Dean group out of Burlington Vermont.
At her first house of the day, Weber takes a minute to verify the address and read over the door-knocking script before she gets out of the car. An older woman watches from her porch. Serena is out and just halfway up the walk when a reedy voice calls out through the screen door, “I know why you’re here and I’m not voting for her.”
It’s an inauspicious start for the last day of a campaign Weber’s given her all to. She painted her mini-van in early June when her candidate was fighting a primary challenge from a faux Democrat put up by Republicans.
Weber has a heart shaped face and a likeable smile. Her son graduated from high school this spring, though she looks too young for that to be possible. She works in the library at River Falls. Her dislike of Republican Wisconsin State Senator Shelia Harsdorf goes back to a town hall meeting several years ago. “They said it was supposed to be a question and answer session,” Weber explains. “Instead it was Shelia saying, here are my answers. Your questions don’t matter.”
She’s buoyant through the afternoon, unfailing cheerful at the door. Many are supporting Moore. Back in the car she indulges in little rants on fracking and collective bargaining. The evisceration of education spending by funding shifts to private schools receives particularly articulate condemnation. Her tone stays chipper.
At the last house in Hager City are two impressively noisy dogs. A girl opens a sliding door that's a little off its track, yanks the dog chains and goes inside to get her mother. The mom stands on the deck which is raised half a story. There's peeling paint on the underside of the railing. The woman is not planning to vote. Good canvassing strategy would say move on. Instead Weber starts to talk about education funding, water quality and how hard things are on the little guy. It’s the first time she’s shared like this with a voter.
She goes on for a while. It could be annoying. She could come off as preachy or know-it-all. She doesn’t. She seems passionate. The mom on the deck looks patient if not interested. The kids stand and listen too. When she’s done Serena Weber thanks the woman, smiles at the kids and compliments the dogs.
“I wish I could vote for you,” says the woman on the deck.