What it was like to canvas for Hillary in NH

I realize most of us (all of us?) are ready for the election and the election talk to be over… me too! But I really need to decompress and write about the morning I had, so I hope you’ll be kind enough to just skip this post if you’re not interested, and read on if you’re curious.

I spent this morning knocking on doors in NH to ask people if we can count on them to vote for Hillary on November 8th. I can’t remember the last time I did anything quite so outside my comfort zone… I was less nervous at the beginning of my first half marathon.

I don’t like knocking on doors. When I bake bread for the neighbors around the holidays, I send Greg over with it because I’m shy. (I love our neighbors. I just don’t like the suspense of knocking on doors.)

But… this election is important to me, and face-to-face contact is the best way to increase chances that people will vote.

So off I went, driving a carpool of volunteer students from nearby.

There were three of us in my group, so we could either knock on doors together, or I could split off and theoretically cover twice as much ground. I really wanted the trip to be worth the time I was spending away from my family, so I sent the college students off together and went knocking on doors solo.

Which I would never do again.

I never felt unsafe, but it took a real emotional toll when people were hostile, especially because I felt uncomfortable knocking on doors in the first place. I feel bad interrupting their day. I really do. I just feel the cost of their time is worth the potential benefit to the world if it assures a higher voter turnout for Hillary on November 8th.

Also… dogs.

I am amazed by the percentage of houses in New Hampshire that had multiple barking dogs. A lot of dogs. Seriously, SO MANY DOGS. I saw one cat (the cat’s person is voting for Hillary) and it was almost a palatable relief not to be barked at. By the cat or the person.

Ok, most of it was friendly and even awesome

The majority of people on my list were Democrats that I was just encouraging to vote. Those were easy and even fun. It was a friendly reminder to like-minded people, and according to some studies, a critical way to help with voter turnout. I liked this. This was good.

But…

The unaffiliated voters who probably get canvassed by multiple candidates were the most likely to be unpleasant.  They were also the most exciting, because of the potential to encourage a vote.

The worst part of my day was one such unaffiliated voter.  He saw my t-shirt when he answered the door and asked with a smile if this was about the election by any chance. I smiled back and asked “how did you know?” but he immediately became angry and said “I am SO SICK of this election!” then slammed the door in my face. It would have been easier if he hadn’t smiled at first.

So there I was, standing in shock on his front steps in the pouring rain with no umbrella thinking “me too.” I am so sick of this election, too. My kids are at the Museum of Science right now with Greg and I’m standing here in the pouring rain getting yelled at. I am ready for it to be over, too.

But I want it to end the right way. So I knocked on 15 more doors.

Highlight

The highlight of my day was approaching a man who was talking to two people in his driveway. He was very friendly when I approached and assured me his wife would vote for Hillary, and that he would never, ever vote for Trump but he was thinking of just staying home. After talking for only a few minutes, he said he’ll vote for Hillary on November 8th. Who knows if he will, but having him be so open to discussion, friendly, and then hearing him commit to vote in front of two other neighbors was worth the trip.

Another lowlight was returning to the car and discovering that someone who’d observed us leaving our car with Hillary t-shirts on had left Trump signs and nasty notes under my windshield wipers. One of the college students was just bemused… “Why would they do that?” She said. “They’re obviously not going to change our minds.”

No… but they might intimidate us enough so we don’t feel as safe knocking on doors and asking people to make sure they vote. It’s not a good feeling to know we were being watched, and that someone wanted us to feel uncomfortable enough that they would do something like that.

I understand people disagree, and how passionately we can feel about certain topics. But I would not graffiti a Trump supporter’s car, or home, or be rude to them if they came to my door. (I would have some questions, though.)

So grateful to be home

I feel like I did something important today, that I stood up for what I believe in and tried to make a difference. That I worked today to further environmental causes, anti-racism, affordable medical care, affordable college, safer international relations… I did the right thing.

I am also very, very grateful to be home. It would have been less emotionally draining if I’d gone with a partner, but I made good use of my time and knocked on about 35 doors that wouldn’t have been approached today if we’d stuck together.

I hope I can count on you to vote for Hillary Clinton on November 8th.

And I am so, so excited for this election to be over.

The right way.

I’ve got champagne in the fridge and now I’ll feel like I was part of shaping History… that’s worth it!

That’s all the politics for now… back to running. Long run coming up on Monday!