The Dude abides.... In Hudson, WI
A few days ago I wrote a short note about how I thought the race in Wisconsin was going from my experiences canvassing in the western part of the state. I had a great response which got me onto the rec list for the first time (Thanks, everyone!) but near the end of the comments someone wrote this:
In the campaigns for which I have worked, the response that I got going door to door was not well correlated with the the final result. It is much too anecdotal. In many cases people will be friendly but they may not show up to vote in the end. In the end it's the enthusiasm that the candidate generates that makes the difference in whether people get out and vote. GOTV is only relevant in the raser thin races. In most cases it has no impact and is too often overrated. The candidate has to motivate the voters. It won't come from a stranger at the door.
Now I don’t want to assume that they were being a troll, it may truly be how they feel about the effectiveness of canvassing. After another person commented, they then followed it up with:
If a person enjoys the volunteer work they should do it but it won't make a difference. In the end it's all about the message!
I had to think about that for a minute. I’m just one person who decided to spend some time on weekends knocking on doors. In a state of 5 or so million people my efforts would dream of reaching the level of being insignificant even. It really felt that way when I first headed out to canvass in Eagan, MN a few weeks before the caucus. I live in the area that used to be represented by Michelle Bachman, so being a progressive democrat supporting a democratic socialist isn’t the most popular thing in my neighborhood. When I signed up online to volunteer, I had hoped that I would connect with a big group of Bernie supporters. When I showed up to canvass there were 5 of us. The organizer for that day was a woman who used to be an anti-war protester at the Lockheed-Martin plant in Eagan. She showed us pictures of her with Dennis Kucinich and told us about getting her kids politically active. It was the first time canvassing for two of us so we decided to pair up and head out that Saturday morning. I went out with Tom, a self described politically active old-timer who said this was probably his last campaign. He had gone down to Iowa to help out with Bernie and gave me some signs that he had left over. After going to a couple of houses together, I figured I had the idea of things so we split up to cover more territory. At the time, the only poll in Minnesota had Bernie down by 35% so when I wasn’t surprised when the first person I talked to chuckled at me when I told him I was looking for Bernie supporters. I got a lot of houses where no one was home and then a lady who said she really didn’t have time to talk. I felt pretty foolish when the next guy told me to “save my breath”. Then I came across a guy who was parking his truck in his garage. I started to tell him about the upcoming caucus and he told me that he was a union worker and was really ticked about his union leadership supporting Hillary. The TPP was big for him and as we ended our conversation he grudgingly said, “ Yeah…. I’ll show up”
ONE! ONE ! ONE! I got one guy to commit! Something clicked then… the next house a young mother who was juggling her three kids while holding a dog back while answering the door. Yes… she and her husband were already planning on going. Then a couple that had just moved in last fall… Yes! and then a jogger who was running by… Yes! The day that started so cold ended with a hot streak. I was so energized that when I got home I took one of the signs that Tom had given me and planted it in the snowbank in my front yard… in the middle of Michele Bachmann territory! It was only a dozen or so people who committed for Bernie, but at least we were going to make a showing.
The next Saturday I went around my own town of Woodbury, MN. Again I met with the organizer… it was just me and him. Again… a slow start to the day. Nobody home… no time to talk. I got lost in a section of townhomes and asked for help from a couple who had set out in lawn chairs on their driveway to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. They had just moved in from Bemidji. Big Packer fans with a green “G” flag flying. We chatted for a while and they helped me figure out where to go. “Ahhh, why not”, the husband said as I was leaving. “We don’t have anything going on next Tuesday”. I handed them a flyer with the caucus info, “See you there!” Another turning point. The next row of houses had a young Somali gal who dragged her parents to the door (She was too young to vote) Yes!…. Then a woman who said she and her daughter would go….Yes! A Hillary supporter followed by a woman who was undecided. (We really need your help… think about it and show up on Tuesday). I had a little chat with a retired lady taking a walk around the block who was deciding between Cruz and Rubio (Catholic she said… can’t vote for the Democrats. Bernie’s too old anyway. I smiled and told her that was ageism. She chuckled.) I wrapped up the morning in Woodbury with 9 people saying they would go. Not bad for my little red-leaning suburb.
That afternoon I went to the main headquarters in St Paul. I was shocked to see that the parking lot was nearly full of cars with Bernie! stickers on them. I was assigned a route in a good old St Paul neighborhood. It’s not only Betty McCollum blue, but also Wellstone green! At the very first house I met a woman who was pro-Bernie who complained about her yard sign getting taken. As I left she said she was working on her pro-Hillary husband with a wink. I knew this was going to be good territory. Down the block I knocked on door with a Bernie sign in it. The man answering said I could save the literature for other houses, he was having out of state Bernie volunteers crash at his place. Across the street a man and his son were playing soccer in the front yard. The guy said he would support Bernie but he would much rather stay married. His son smiled. I think that neighborhood was 80% Bernie. I knew super Tuesday was going to be tough but we had a chance to give Minnesota to Bernie. I was so excited I signed up for another day of canvassing when I got back and turned in my packet.
The next day was much more seasonable. Unfortunately it was February and I was in Minnesota. I picked up my packet in St Paul again. Ugghhh…. White Bear Lake. Back to another day in red-leaning suburbia I thought. Boy was I wrong. God bless you White Bear Lake! Union plumber. Peace activist. Lady who knew the second coming was soon but she would give Bernie a thought while praying for my soul. Street of 5 straight houses with two Bernie voters in each. (If you guys really show up we can win this thing!) Heading back to headquarters and seeing the exhausted volunteers hoping that you took the time to organize your packet before turning it in (Please!)
And then the caucus. The wonderful caucus. I know they get a bad wrap (not democratic, inconvenient) but I love to caucus. The lines, the lines, the wonderful long lines! It feels like democracy. It’s chaotic and messy and disorganized. It’s old time democracy though (like the Greeks) People who care coming out to express their ideas and opinions. Seeing your neighbors and talking politics with them. Meeting the local politicians who need your support to get to the next round. I first met Paul Wellstone at a caucus! And the line of cars was so long. Nowhere to park. It was beautiful! So many people who really gave a damn in this cynical age of corporations are people and Citizens United. And we won. Bernie won and WE won. Maybe alone I changed only one or two minds, the rest would have shown up regardless. But collectively WE came together. WE volunteered. WE organized. WE all changed one or two minds. And WE showed up! WE made a difference.
I know I’m idealistic and a little pollyannaish but this election has restored my faith in democracy and the people of this country. So when that commenter said “If a person enjoys the volunteer work they should do it but it won't make a difference”, maybe alone we make little headway. Together if we all make a little headway we can turn that into momentum. And if the people have momentum, watch out Washington!
I was so excited about what happened in Minnesota I decided to help out across the border when the Wisconsin primary came around. I connected with a group of Bernie supporters who called themselves the “Friends of the St. Croix” since Minnesota and Wisconsin residents on either side of the border marked by the St Croix river had banded together to help out with the Minnesota caucus and the Wisconsin primary. It was organized by a wonderful couple who must have spent hours upon hours of their own time dedicated to making it easy for volunteers to zip over to the headquarters, pick up a canvassing packet and head out to the neighborhoods to knock on doors. They weren’t political professionals and were a bit sheepish about how they were doing on getting their effort together. They were amazing and they were just volunteers. Just average people with an interest in change. I canvassed in Hudson, River Falls and Hammond, WI. I didn’t make it as far as Tomah, so I’ll have to check out the Humbird Cheese Shop on my next trip to Chicago. And Angela Marx, I didn’t get to Sparta but I know they have a great hiking trail that I will have to try out this summer. I must have talked with over 150 people canvassing this year. My favorite conversation happened in Hudson two weeks ago. I had a couple of addresses that were in an apartment building that you needed to buzz in to get past the security door. I buzzed the first apartment. A woman answered that politely said she wasn’t interested and wished me a good day. I buzzed the next apartment and no one answered but I heard the click of the security door open. I wasn’t sure if I should go in and I heard it click again. I opened the door and looked up the stairs and a man in a bathrobe was looking down at me. “What took you so long? I buzzed you in.” I nervously explained that I was canvassing for Bernie and I barely finished my sentence before he took over the conversation. He was all in for Sanders. “It’s all about the future. My kids and grand kids. It’s not about me any more” He went on for another 10 minutes telling me about how we need to keep Hillary’s feet in the fire, even if we don’t end up winning. As soon as we quit she’ll stop being progressive. He was better at this than I was. I almost asked him to put on some pants and help me out. At the end he talked about how sad it is that people don’t get involved like they should. “Show up and vote. Democracy is a sweet ride. People should get behind the wheel once in a while.” I know the Coen brothers grew up in St Louis Park, MN which isn’t too far away from Hudson, WI. It sure seemed like something the Big Lebowski would say.
The “Friends of the St. Croix” are going to try and stay together after the primary season. I hope to be a part of that. Russ Feingold might need a little help this fall and I really miss having him in the Senate. I think I’ll get behind the wheel of this democracy a few more times this year.
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