I don’t watch Fox News. That doesn’t mean i can escape it. Hope Springs from Field PAC has been knocking on doors in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas this month. This means (for me) flying into a state where Fox News could be on in the airport, any fast food restaurant i visit, or at many of the homes whose doors i knock on. So just because i don’t choose to be exposed to the Crazies doesn’t mean i can avoid it.
The presence of Fox News pervades the 2024 Swing States. One of the impacts of this kind of mass exposure to Faux News is that volunteers wondered if the voters they’d be talking to could escape the MAGA news ecosystem or conversations with voters would be peppered with topics driven by the crazies. It was a real concern.
After three weeks of canvassing, Hope Springs from Field volunteers have learned the answer to that. One word, one impression, one takeaway from 3 weeks of canvassing has been risen to the top. And that word or takeaway is relief. Voters are relieved to be talking to someone who isn’t pushing the crazy topics. Who talk as if they still have a choice. Isn’t taken in by Russian propaganda. Who believe that we can really still save this country from tyranny.
Volunteers are relieved that the entire electorate hasn’t gone crazy. I’ll admit, i’ve talked to a few voters this year at their doors who say they feel intimidated by the Trumpie’s “excessive exuberance.” But they also admitted that they knew that the whole purpose was to intimidate them, to deny them their freedom of thought. To the three voters i’ve talked to about this particular thing this month, i also bring up the pressure to conform, how important it is to Trump for everyone to think like he does, see the world like he does, to act like he does. Conformity. AKA to be a crazy.
I also tend to say, Fox News makes everyone stupid. It’s their mission.
I live in Arlington, VA, so i get away from the MAGA ecosystem every week. But the voters i am talking to can’t. It’s all around them, 24-7. Sure, the Internet provides some relief, but it’s still all around them. Knocking on doors in the Swing States, and the Early Organizing Hope Springs from Field PAC volunteers do in this regard, is even more important because these voters can’t escape the MAGA ecosystem.
While i haven’t personally run into this (yet — not sure i’d even be aware of it if i did), some of our volunteers have noted that they ran into voters who have mentioned that the Trumpies are acting like they are on some religious Crusade. And that’s where it gets weird. The Big Lie turned into the Big Conversion. If you think the J6 convicts are hostages, if you accept that terminology, you aren’t very likely to vote for Democrats. But you are constantly exposed to that terminology. Even think it is normal.
But we aren’t finding those voters. Our models, our targeting of Democratic and Independent households, still allows us to talk to the “normies” (which is apparently an insult). We aren’t knocking on doors of the Cultists; but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a concern. Again, when you are surrounded by that kind of propaganda 24-7, you can (reasonably) worry about it.
Which is why this initial impression is so interesting. Independent voters, Democratic voters, are still able to escape the Crazy Dome (patent pending, according to the volunteer who mentioned it (in jest, no doubt)). But i have a few thoughts.
First of all, i can say that more than once over the last three years, i’ve gotten on the plane and said to myself, thank god we are doing this. I know that i focus on the Data Collection we are doing, replicating that First and Second Rounds of the traditional Five Round canvass. But many times i come away from talking to voters thinking, i just “armed” them for the battle. It’s not uncommon to be told, “i heard Democrats are ‘dying,’” or disappearing, there, that there are no Democrats in their neighborhood or town, or that they thought they were the only one. When i had paper walk lists, i’d always show voters how many Democrats were on my list when i heard that (this isn’t new), but i can’t do that with mini-VAN (technology isn’t always better). But the presence of a Democrat at their door is always reassuring.
Last year, i’d wear my old Obama campaign gear, but this year i’ve been going out in Biden gear. In route and knocking on doors. Old white guy advertising. AKA invitation to invite comments. Both good and bad, i admit. Now the worst comment i’ve heard this year (so far) has been, “you’re brave.” A couple of laughs (pretty sure that’s supposed to be an insult or intimidating), more than a few “you like that guy?,” “are you going to vote for HIM?,” or “you got to be kidding!” But i also got a “Go Biden!” in the Atlanta airport. We’re not supposed to be supporting the president, but it’s okay to publicly show support for the traitor. Or something like that. I did mention that Fox News pervades these places. And i am battle-hardened.
But it used to be worse. In 2021, it was far more obvious. I don’t think i traveled into a Swing State that year without passing people in Trump gear. Maybe i just don’t notice it anymore, but it’s not as prevalent. I’ve yet to see a pickup truck with a Trump flag flying in the back this year. It’s early, but still. But going out in Biden gear isn’t brave, it’s normalizing. Makes it easier for others to follow. And i know it is easier for others to follow, to not feel alone. To feel part of a group.
Not this year (yet), but occasionally, i’ve heard people say (or yell) things like, “Trump won” (to which i will immediately reply, “prove it!”) or, more politely, “Trump’s going to win” (to which i will say, if i say anything, “isn’t that the cool thing about America, we all get a vote?”). I don’t get into arguments, although i feel free to point out facts; we all have a right to vote and to express ourselves. Trump wants to embolden his supporters to try to suppress “dissent” to his views. And while i don’t think i am being confrontational (my wife might disagree), i’ll be the first to admit i don’t feel that pressure to conform.
So i really think it’s a good sign that voters and volunteers are feeling relieved. Because Biden isn’t as popular as we’d hope. Lots and lots of effort out there to make people think he’s really unpopular and can’t possibly win. Lots of money behind that proposition. Lots.
But one thing we can all do is to reach out to our friends and family in the Swing States and remind them that normal is not the MAGA media ecosystem. That Biden is less popular than we’d want him to be, but that Biden still has support — even in their state. That this is going to be a close election, as near as we can tell, and every vote will matter. Especially in their state.
They may already know this, but it seems that likely Biden voters in the Swing States, who are exposed to the relentless Fox News foolishness, may feel battered, under siege. That seems weird to me, in my safe, very, very Blue city of Arlington, VA. But that’s my impression of knocking on doors in these Swing States (so far, i’ve gone to Arizona, Florida and Georgia). Relief isn’t what i expected to be my initial takeaway. Helping to undergird that feeling of relief is something that all of us can do something about. Virtually every single one of us. And we need to.
This year is even more important than ever. And Hope Springs from Field would appreciate your support.
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