Canvassing in the 21st Century

 

The losing political campaign is in the midst of a huge blame game.  One of the critics of the campaign spoke with derision about all the people knocking on doors.  "Who answers their door to talk to a stranger," he asked. He was right. 

People asked me how many minds I changed.  None.  My mission was to remind Democrats to vote, not to change the minds of Republicans. In part, that's because I talked to so few people. 

No one is outside in suburban neighborhoods.  And 9 out of 10 people don't answer the door.  As the election neared, the few people I talked to had already voted or had a plan to vote.  The people I talked to who had not voted or planned to vote did not know who to vote for.  Or did not plan to vote at all.  For these registered democrats both candidates were the same. Or voting was worthless.

I wrote several posts about the experience of canvassing, but the most important to the election result was Empty Streets.

If anything was going to convince people to vote, it was certainly someone on social media.  A canvasser is so 20th Century. Or maybe 19th. 

Peace is Easy to Break, Hard to Restore

 

If, on November 6, 2024, at 1 a.m Easter Standard Time Donald Trump had not won the election, our country would have been sliding toward civil war.  

The best predictor of a successful coup d'etat is a failed coup attempt.  If he had lost, Trump would have thrown the country into chaos. This time he would not make the mistakes he did the last time. He would be assured that the Republican-majority government in most of the swing states would sow enough doubt to throw the election into the House where, by the Constitutional rules, Trump has the advantage.  

Instead we have peace.  Trump won so he has no reason to lie about the results.  More importantly, he is effectively endorsing the election system--because it elected him.  

On the one hand, we will be governed by an old authoritarian wannabe on January 20, 2025.  

On the other hand, we did not fall into civil strife that could easily have led to violence beyond the control of any government.  

Once broken, peace is hard to restore, so I am glad we have peace.

I am also hopeful. Once Trump is gone--he is almost 80--his successor will not have flag-waving worshippers.  His successor will be just another politician to be criticized, doubted, and attacked. The Trump phenomena will not be repeated by JD Vance or Trump Jr. or Tucker Carlson.  Nobody will wave Tucker flags. 

It may not be for long.  But for now we have peace. I am thankful.

No Canvassers for Trump

 

At all the houses I canvassed, I saw one piece of Trump literature

Several times when I canvassed on weekends, I ran into other canvassers.  They were always Democrats.  Usually, I was canvassing for a Congressional or State candidate and the other canvasser was out for Harris-Walz.  We made sure to avoid overlap so as not to knock on the same door twice in five minutes.  

But I never ran into a Trump canvasser.  In fact, I saw only one piece of Trump literature on a porch the whole time I canvassed.  In some neighborhoods, I would see several pieces of literature left under a mat or near a door I was canvassing.  The literature could be for Harris-Walz or other candidates, but it was there.  

I listened to Holly Otterbein, a Pennsylvania political reporter talk about strife within the PA Republican Party over canvassing.  She said the party traditional organized canvassing, but the national party had hired Elon Musk to control the canvassing and it was not getting done.  That certainly agreed with what I saw. No literature. No canvassers.  

If Harris-Walz win Pennsylvania that lack of canvassing may be a factor.  I can only hope.

Canvassing in Monoculture Neighborhoods

 

Multifamily homes I canvassed were multicultural.  Every sort of American lives there. 

But when I canvassed neighborhoods with single-family homes with two-car garages, the demographics were very different. As I mentioned in other posts I get the name, age and party affiliation of the voter.  In multifamily homes I often had the names of both members of a couple, or even a couple plus an older parent or adult child.  

But in single-family suburban homes, I often had just one name, almost always a women.  And if someone answered the door, it was often a man of about the same age. Which means that man was not a Democrat.  Assuming he was a voter, he was Republican or a Republican-leaning Independent.  

I asked for the voter by name. She was "not available." I would say I was asking her to vote for the candidate.  The guy said he would tell her, or say "We're not interested."  Door shuts.

The age of the voter and the couple was often 40s to 50s.  Kids were often hovering around the parent who answered the door.  While the couples in these houses were mostly white, there was one interesting exception.

It was a neighborhood of single-family houses, all built since 2021 on two parallel streets named for Ivy League colleges. All of the families on the first street were South Asian.  All of them.  The voter lists had three or four generations of voters. On the porch were shoes of kids and adults.  

I skipped three houses, which means they were probably Republicans--the entire family. But the shoes and the Hindu blessings on the doors said they were South Asian also.

On the second street it was mostly South Asian families plus a few Black and East Asian families. 

Canvassing is fascinating just for the demographics. 

Canvassing Shows Just How Multicultural South Central Pennsylvania Neighborhoods Are

 

In suburban York, Lancaster, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, I have canvassed in neighborhoods with multi-unit new homes like the one in the photo above.  I did not want to take a picture where I canvassed. This is from Google. 

The names in my canvassing app show just how many races and ethnicities live next to each other.  Often these multi-unit dwellings have eight homes per building.  In that building are White, Black and Hispanic families; east, west and south Asian families; and families from Africa and the Caribbean.  

Since I only canvass homes with Democratic or Independent voters, I know which homes vote Republican because I walk past them. Many of these families are single party households--which is also interesting because of their age demographics.  The residents of these neighborhoods are mostly in their late 20s to early 40s or past retirement age.  The residents are either in their first home or a post-retirement down-sizing home. 

A woman in her 30s I spoke to in suburban York county told me she and her husband were voting in person and would be voting a straight democratic ticket.  She said the rules of the development don't allow yard signs which is why she did not have a Harris sign out front.  She thought it was for the best, because she didn't want to see Trump signs.  When there are signs, they are often in opposition to neighbors as I noted here.

As I wrote earlier, these neighborhoods are very quiet--much more quiet that my own neighborhood. Which means there is no overt politic strife. In rural and Urban Pennsylvania, there are certainly areas that are more monocultural, but in the  multi-unit housing suburban neighborhoods I have been walking in, America is very multi-cultural.

The more upscale, large single-family houses are different. I'll write about them next. 

Canvassing Empty Streets and Sidewalks: No One is Outside

 

In six weeks of canvassing, I have knocked on a thousand doors in cities and suburbs across south central Pennsylvania.  I walked empty streets and sidewalks between those houses.  

Empty.

It was not the weather. I canvas in the daytime. Generally the temperature was between high 60s and mid 70s. Wonderful weather.  

No kids. No walkers. No runners. No bicyclists. Just the occasional driver with windows closed of course.  

Is it social media?  I can't tell, but it seems like a good explanation.  I spend two or three hours in neighborhood.  If anyone was going to walk, run, ride, play games, sit on the porch or something else outside the house, I am likely to have seen them.  

Some of the houses I canvas have kids in the family. They peek out of the windows when I ring the bell or cling to mom's leg while she talks to me. But I have not seen kids outside.  

A couple of times as I walked down sunlit empty streets I thought "The Last of Us" and other dystopian stories.  Whole neighborhoods with no sign of life. 

My Exceptional Neighborhood

By contrast, my own neighborhood in Lancaster city has walkers, runners, cyclists, people that sit outside, kids, dog walkers and other signs of live community. If there is a social media plague keeping everyone inside, I'm glad I live in a place with social media antibodies.  

I'll be knocking on doors until the election; I will definitely write if I find a neighborhood besides my own with signs of life. 

Signs of the Times: As I Canvass for Candidates I See the Parties in their Signs

 

Recently, I was canvassing on a lovely day in a suburban Philadelphia district divided very closely between left and right. The houses I visited were all in a township that has a "No Solicitation" law. Violations can result in a fine of $375-$1,000. 

A few of the "No Solicitation" houses had a black box near that door that announced "You are under video surveillance" as I approached. One woman opened the door to ask, "Did you not understand the no solicitation sign?"  I replied that the law does not cover free speech including political speech. She shut the door.

It did not affect my canvassing because political and religious solicitation is exempt. 

I passed many houses with signs for democratic candidates and others with signs for republican candidates.

The only houses I passed with "No Solicitation" signs posted on the door that were identifiable as one party or the other were Republican. 

Last week I walked past two houses in Lancaster side by side on a city street. Both houses had two signs out front. The first house had a "Harris-Walz" sign and another that said "Love Thy Neighbor." The second had a "Trump-Vance” sign and another that said "No Trespassing."

When the Invader Intends Only Evil: War is Right

Sam Harris, noted Atheist, Meditation Guru

In the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Jewish atheist meditation guru Sam Harris became one of my rabbis.  In the midst of  tragedy, he spoke calmly and sensibly about the situation in Israel and for Jews in the rest of the world.  

The sexual violence and murder of the Hamas attack was followed by worldwide support for the attackers: and complete silence by women's rights groups. The progressive left, especially on college campuses, defended and exalted Hamas.  Black Lives Matter Chicago used a hang glider like those used by Hamas as a symbol of freedom at a rally days after the attack.

In that moment, Sam Harris said the world could choose between Jihad and civilization. We cannot have both.  As long as Hamas, Boko Haram, ISIS, The Iranian regime, the Houthis and Hezbollah exist, civilization is at risk.  

The proper response to Jihadi terror is war.  

In the past few weeks I have spoken to many people who believe war is always wrong. 

I believe they are wrong.  War is the right response implacable evil.  

War against the Nazis and the Death Cult of Imperial Japan was right. War against Jihad until they have no ability to rape and slaughter is right. 

Right now, Israel is the only nation to make the affirmative choice to fight against armies that have vowed in their founding documents to destroy Israel and kill Jews.  If the Jihadis win, the rest of the civilized world is their eventual target.   

Hamas has lost most of its fighters, but refuses to negotiate, preferring death, especially the death of Gazans other than themselves.  The Houthis attack ships to  close the Red Sea to world trade. Iran threatens to build and use a nuclear weapon.  Hezbollah planned another rape and slaughter attack on Israel but was thwarted recently when Israel killed and maimed thousands of Hezbollah leaders in a series of sabotage attacks.   

For those who do not know what real evil sounds like, Sam Harris posted a transcript of a Hamas murderer bragging about the ten Israelis he killed.

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Another war of necessity against an evil foe who intends destruction of their nation is The War in Ukraine.  Russia invaded Ukraine to carry out a program of Imperial expansion by Vladimir Putin.  

The majority of Americans support Ukraine seeing it as the front line of  a fight against Russian expansion in Europe.  I have supported the Ukrainians in every way I can since the beginning of the invasion.  

In the strategic sense, Ukraine is defending America as it defends itself.  Russia has lost a million soldiers killed and wounded since the war began.  We have sent only weapons to Ukraine. No American soldiers are fighting and dying in Ukraine, only Ukrainians defend their homeland.

---------------------------

In both wars, if the invaders stop fighting, the wars will end.  If either Israel or Ukraine stops fighting, their nations will cease to exist and their people will be enslaved or killed. 

Every person I spoke to who is against these wars and against all wars said, "Why don't they negotiate?'

Which only makes clear they know nothing of negotiation.  To make a deal, both sides have to have something they will compromise on.

Jihadi terrorists want the destruction of Israel and the death of Jews.  

The ground for compromise is?????

Putin believes Ukraine is not a nation and that he, as ruler of Russia, is the rightful ruler of Ukraine.

The ground for compromise is?????

War, in those circumstances, is right. 

The Attraction of Tyrants: Our Default Government is Monarchy

 

The Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryan, Game of Thrones

Whether in real life or fiction, for all of recorded history and before, the default form of government we both lived under and wanted is monarchy--rule by a single, all-knowing, enlightened, benevolent, brilliant, brave person.  (Best case.) It hardly bears mentioning that this ruler is the representative of God on earth and easily confused with the supreme being, especially in the mind of the ruler.  

Which answers the question of why so many people can vote for Trump, especially Christians.  Given every word and the life of Jesus (available in a very popular, apparently little-read book) it may seem crazy to think that people who declare themselves followers of Jesus could believe Trump is God's choice to rule America, but they do.  Catholic, Evangelical, Protestant, Mormon, Adventist--every flavor of Christian and all of their global acolytes love Trump.  

It is no accident that Trump praises tyrants in every speech and promises more and more arbitrary authoritarian actions: mass deportations, shooting shoplifters, travel bans.  His rally audience cheers every tyrannical utterance of their chosen bully. 

Partly, this is because the democracy America brought to the world beginning with the Declaration of Independence, requires constant work and compromise.  We all have to deal with our fellow citizens and live with them as best we can get.  

Trump and every other tyrant promises the return order and justice with no effort. That is the center of their appeal.

Americans after World War II thought our democratic history somehow protected us from the rapid fall into Naziism in Germany and to an Imperial death cult in Japan.  We now know it is possible anywhere. Democratic Germans and Japanese were swept up in a popular wave. Many millions of Americans want tyranny.  Trump is only too happy to grant their wish. 

Queen Daenerys Targaryan began her reign freeing slaves and ended incinerating her subjects.  Granting absolute power to anyone is dangerous.  Granting absolute power to a craven bully like Trump will be a disaster from Day One.

John Fetterman--The Gift That Keeps on Giving to Pennsylvania, America and the Free World

The Pennsylvania delegation at the Ukraine Action Summit visiting Senator John Fetterman

On the second morning of the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington DC, the Pennsylvania delegation visited the office of Senator John Fetterman.  He is unequivocal in his support of Ukraine in its war against Russian invasion and aggression.  

In two days we visited most of the 19 members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation.  Fetterman was the most clear and emphatic in his support, as he has been from the first day of the invasion on February 24, 2022.  

This is the fourth summit I have participated in since October of last year. Each time we visit Fetterman's office, I am revitalized in my work as a political activist.  

Much of the work of political activism shows no obvious results. I have been to many protests and marches where I can see no difference before and after.  But the longest protest I was involved in had the wonderful result of opening the door to Fetterman's election to the Senate.  

From November of 2016 to January of 2023, I was part of an intrepid group who showed up in front of the Philadelphia office of Senator Pat Toomey of Pa., year round in all weather.  In 2016, Toomey promised if elected he would have open town hall meetings in Philadelphia.  We started "Tuesdays with Toomey" to hold him to that promise. In our primary goal, we failed.  Toomey never held an open town hall, anywhere.  

But our protests, at every Toomey office across the state, eventually led Toomey to not seek reelection, nor to seek the governorship.  Will Bunch, the politics correspondent at the Philadelphia Inquirer said "implacable opposition" in part led Toomey to decide not to run.  

In a 50-50 state like Pa., incumbency is a real advantage.  Because Toomey decided not to run, Fetterman did not have to run against an incumbent.  And then (thank you Trump) Fetterman did not have to run against a viable candidate.  Trump's pick, Dr. Oz, was the Republican candidate. Fetterman won!  

Fetterman spoke twice at Tuesdays with Toomey in Philadelphia while he was serving as Lieutenant Governor of Pa.  We were delighted when he ran for the Senate, more delighted that we could in some small way contribute to his victory.  

And our reward is all the Senator John Fetterman has done to support Ukraine.

Political Wins are Complicated. Just Enjoy!

 

Roz Holtzman and I and many others 

protested Pat Toomey for more than six years. 

Did we chase him out? Maybe a little....

Wins in politics are so deeply complex, no one is ever sure which grain of sand started the  landslide.  In a move no one anticipated a week ago, Mike Johnson pushed through aid to our allies who are under attack and threat by our enemies.  

For six months Johnson had looked to jellyfish as having more backbone than him. Then this week he suddenly became a Reagan Republican and passed aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.  

Wow!!

Until this week Johnson was cowed by threats from the Freedom Caucus, led by Queen Bitch MTG.  Then suddenly he has a backbone and a moral compass.  

I would love to think that activism by Ukrainian Americans and Americans of Ukrainian descent (like me) pushed Johnson toward the good and away from Putin-loving America First Republicans.  But we will never know. 

So I will happily take the win. And then go to the next fight.  

Advocating for Ukraine in Washington DC, Part 1

 

Yesterday and Today I joined hundreds of advocates for Ukraine to advocate for funding to support the fight against the Russian invasion in 2022. I am part of the 30-member Pennsylvania delegation. Every state except Alabama, Hawaii and South Dakota had delegates here.     

The best meeting this trip and the last two was with Senator John Fetterman. He backs Ukraine loudly. He is also a master at trolling colleagues who supported Ukraine then backed away.  

Last time we met with Fetterman we had a group shot with him on the Capital steps.  

My fellow protestors Roz Holtzman joined the effort to support Ukraine. We protested together for six years in front of Senator Pat Toomey's office.  Roz was arrested in the Russell Senate Office Building in 2018 protesting Toomey.  That office was just down the hall from Fetterman's office. Fetterman replaced Toomey in 2023.

I wore this shirt for the Fetterman Group photo above. 

It says, "Russian Warship! Go Fuck Yourself!" When the Russian Black Sea flagship demanded their surrender, that is how the Ukrainian Marines replied.  Three months later, Ukraine sunk the Russian flagship.

Several more meetings this afternoon.  More updates later.

 

Politics and Freedom in "Fury"

This morning I was reading Hannah Arendt's "The Promise of Politics" on freedom and leadership.  Politics, Arendt says, should bring freedom into the world.  She wrote this shortly after World War 2.  In a big way, the movie "Fury" could be seen as a movie about men who gave up their freedom to set others free.

But reading Arendt, I thought about one of the early scenes when the column of tanks passes hundreds of German refugees.  Among this group of pathetic people carrying their meager belongs on the muddy road is a woman wearing her wedding dress.  Her head is oddly tipped.  The dress is dragging in the mud.

In any coffee shop, locker room, or restaurant, we hear people saying "Politics doesn't matter--they are all the same."  Or "I don't care about politics."

In America we have the freedom to say those things, because in America we have the Rule of Law and who is in charge does not matter in the same way as in a real dictatorship.  The scene with the refugees portrayed real roads full of German refugees at the end of World War 2.

Those men and women stumbling through the mud, hoping to get food, hoping to stay alive another day, dragging what few belongings they still had would never say politics doesn't matter.  Just 12 years before, many of those refugees voted for Hitler the only time he actually stood for election.  Because of that vote, American tanks were driving down the muddy road to kill more Germans in their country.  And the men in those tanks were making jokes about how many chocolate bars or cigarettes they would need to have sex with any of the women on that road.

We can say politics doesn't matter.  In Sudan, in Egypt, in Palestine, in Iran, North Korea, and Congo, no sane person says politics doesn't matter.


Other posts on Fury:

Fourth time watching Fury

Review

Faith in Fury

Memories