Insights from Canvassing in Pennsylvania
I volunteered to canvas for Kamala Harris for two weeks in Pennsylvania because PA has the most electoral votes (19) of any swing state — and it's a total toss-up
Folks in the Middle
1. Undecided & Trump-leaning voters want to talk.
People were rarely rude to me and most weren't even in a rush to end the conversation.
2. I met a surprising amount of folks who are "hesitantly" or even "begrudgingly" leaning toward Trump.
They're not excited about it; many even feel badly about it. They're not confident with Harris (so that's why I was talking with them!). OTOH if someone assured them it's "ok" to still vote for Trump, then the election is over. (That's why Elon Musk's support is so concerning).
3. Undecided & Trump-leaning voters buy into his narrative as a "successful businessman" and "strong leader".
At the same time, none of them believe he's a good person but that that's not most important.
4. None of the Trump-leaning voters voiced hot-button or cultural issues as their primary concerns.
Instead, it's about (1.) personal economics; and (2.) perceived strength of leadership. Nobody mentioned gun violence, LGBT+ topics, race & ethnicity, or Israel/Palestine. Even abortion was barely mentioned. (However it's possible these topics are still influential and that people are avoiding addressing them directly.)
5. Split households and women quietly voting for Harris.
I met some women who are voting Harris (or at least open to it) while their husbands are strong Trump-supporters. In two cases, the wife quietly signaled to me that she is voting for Harris – while her husband stood there unaware.
For Dems to Win the Presidency, Focus on State Legislatures
1. You can have real dialogue with Republicans (even in dark red districts) about Kamala Harris — if you begin by discussing *local issues* that directly pertain to them.
How? By focusing *bottom-up* on down-ballot Democrats, particularly State House and Senate candidates.
2. If you distribute Democratic funds mostly to big-name/proven & higher-office Democrats then you're overlooking down-ballot & first-timer candidates who could realistically flip traditionally red districts — if only they had funding.
State House & Senate candidates understand their constituents and speak directly to voters' day-to-day concerns. They are better fit than anyone to create a pathway for some conservative voters to consider a Democrat as president.
The Personal Experience of Canvassing
1. Canvassing is humanizing.
You're having a discussion with America, one human at a time. Be curious, not judgmental.
2. Start by asking questions.
Like any good therapist, problem-solver, or salesperson: Seek first to understand before being understood.
3. Human reciprocity.
After I asked about their most important issues, I acknowledged their concerns and then asked "may I share a few viewpoints?" And every single person said yes.
4. Rapid iteration.
The evolution of my approach — from one door to the next — was the most rapid test-and-learn experience in my life. At each successive door it was clear where my approach fell short, and just two minutes later I could try something different at the next door which moved the dialogue along further. And then further again at the following door.
5. You can slow down time.
Within those first crucial seconds when someone answers the door — even if they're showing body language that says they don't want to talk — you can extend the moment by speaking slower, quieter, and maintaining eye contact. When they put up a fence by espousing sweeping/dubious political statements, you can acknowledge their emotions while asking specific questions that compel them to ground their notions in concrete reality. Before you know it, you’ve had a five-minute balanced dialogue with a traditional conservative who started by saying “I’m not interested”. It's like after I learned how to juggle balls: I also realized there's a window of time to catch a falling water glass before it hits the ground.
Pilgrimage to My Past: a Legacy Cast in Bronze
1. My ancestral home, before 1776.
My original German-American ancestor, Ludwig Frysinger, settled in York, PA (where I canvassed) in 1752. He was drafted for the Revolutionary War and he too likely discussed politics on front porches in 1777-1778 when the US capital was located in York, PA! I even visited the cemetery where he was buried just 5 years after the signing of the US Constitution. We are a country of immigrants (and Indigenous Peoples).
2. Touching base with America’s origins in Philly.
On the weekend I visited historic sites in Philadelphia including the Liberty Bell and Liberty Hall – touching base with the origins of the Constitution and the reason why I’m canvassing in the first place.
3. A legacy cast in bronze.
While on my way from Chicago, I stopped to hear the tolling of bells that I organized to restore in 2019: the Leaning Tower of Niles, with seven bells tolling daily. These bells are made of bronze: an alloy of copper and tin that could potentially last thousands of years. I'm not sure humanity will. This pilgrimage to the bells expanded my contemplations on the future of our country – to the future of humanity.
Curious Observations that Beg Varying Interpretations
1. I met some women who think we shouldn't have a woman as president (ever).
2. I met Harris supporters who are afraid to put a Harris sign in their yard.
3. In Bucks and York counties there were many yards that had signs for down-ballot Republicans but not Trump.
4. Voting in America is complicated and confusing!
As I prepared to canvas, I devoured Pennsylvania's voter website that addressed such convoluted issues as: Am I registered? What's the deadline to register? Did I get disenrolled because I haven't voted recently? Are my registration details out-of-date? What's the deadline for requesting a vote-by-mail ballot (VBM)? When & where do I submit my VBM? How do I vote early? What's the cut-off for early voting? If I vote early in-person, do I need to purge my VBM ballot? What's my polling place? To make it more complicated: these answers vary depending on the state and district that you live in!
My final front-porch conversations took place while the sun was setting over a farm meadow backed by gently-sloping Pennsylvania mountains. As the full moon set over my journey of connecting with voters across Pennsylvania's complicated landscape, I wondered whether my original German-American ancestor also glimpsed this view when he settled right here in York County 270 years ago. What were his hopes for the newly-born country that drafted him in the Revolutionary War? Did he also engage in front-porch political dialogue when York, PA was the United States capital from 1777 to 1778?