Canvassing for Kamala in Battleground Pennsylvania
With only two weeks left before the presidential election, the focus is on the so-called battleground states that may determine who will win the electoral college and, therefore, the White House. Like so many Blue State New Yorkers, I have been feeling frustrated and helpless about the election. So when a friend sent me information about canvassing for Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania, I thought about Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. Echoing what Harris’ mother used to say to Kamala, Michelle said: “Don’t sit around and complain about things. Do something!” Yes, I thought, this is something I can do.
The bus trip to Chester County, Pennsylvania, would leave from 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard on Saturday, October 19 at 9 a.m. We were told to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. There would be a lot of walking. Along with our cell phones and chargers, we were advised to pack sandwiches, snacks, and water. My friend and I met in our building’s lobby and took a cab to Harlem. There was a sizable crowd already gathering, although we soon discovered the location was also a meeting place for those heading to a casino in New Jersey.
Chet Whye
In front of a banner saying “Kamala,” we met our group leader, Chet Whye, an experienced political strategist who has worked on many political campaigns, including as Harlem4Obama’s campaign director. There would be 100 volunteers traveling in two buses. We were fortunate to be on Chet’s bus because his enthusiasm and positive attitude never flagged, keeping everyone energized and excited about our mission. And we loved his hat!
As soon as we were seated on the bus and headed out of New York, Chet wanted to hear from us. What motivated each person to give up a Saturday to canvass for Kamala? The answers were varied and touched on why this election is so critical. One man, an obstetrician and gynecologist, said he was concerned about women’s health after the Dobbs decision with so many states passing draconian anti-abortion laws. A woman said that her father was an Air Force veteran and she was upset about disparaging remarks Trump has made about those who have fought for our country. The manner in which Trump has vilified immigrants motivated a woman from Puerto Rico to fight back. A young man who was born in Italy and now lives in the U.S. talked about the risk that our country is taking, putting back in power a man he described as a modern day Mussolini. I spoke about my horror on January 6, watching a mob invade the Capitol, a building that I spent many days working as a journalist in Washington, D.C. The Republicans who fled for their lives on that day continue to back Trump, who calls those insurrectionists “patriots” and plans to pardon them if he is elected.
There were many more comments from the passengers covering all the issues that Kamala and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have placed front and center. We had time during the long bus ride to read and digest the material the campaign provided, laying out Harris’ position on everything from inflation, immigration, climate change, and international affairs. Chet stressed that our goal was to have conversations with those we met, not to debate them. Rather, we were told to listen and find common ground that might sway an undecided voter to cast a ballot, not only for Kamala, but for Democrats in down ballot races, including Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey. With some of our conversations, that turned out to be a challenge.
On this day, we would be canvassing in Coatesville, a suburb 39 miles west of Philadelphia with a population of 13,350, according to the 2020 census. We downloaded an app that would list those voters we hoped to meet and engage. A volunteer driver dropped us in our target neighborhood.
We didn’t need to knock on the first door because the woman we hoped to talk with was standing outside. But it was a tough encounter. We introduced ourselves and said we wanted to have a conversation about what issues she was concerned about with the election so close. Very politely, she told us she didn’t want to tell us. No matter how we worded our approach, she stonewalled us. Finally she said she wasn’t worried about the election because Jesus would save us all. We bid her good day and moved on.
The next woman was eager to talk and started out by telling us she wasn’t going to vote for Kamala because the vice president knew that President Biden has Alzheimer’s and didn’t do anything about it. She went on to say that Harris never accomplished anything as vice president. I nodded and asked, “What stands out to you about something that Mike Pence accomplished?” She paused and said, “nothing.” I listed the names of other past vice presidents and she admitted they hadn’t accomplished anything either. The conversation ended cordially, and we actually felt we gave her some things to think about.
At one house, our knock brought an adorable gray cat to the door. We could see another cat, a brown fluffy one, in the living room. The owner told us she would be voting for Kamala. Of course she would!
Although we were hoping to speak with the wife at one house, she wasn’t home, but her husband was. He told us his wife wasn’t going to vote because she didn’t like either candidate. As for him, he was voting for Trump because of abortion. He told us that there was a trailer operated by Planned Parenthood outside the Democratic National Convention that was performing abortions and vasectomies for free. We had never heard about this situation, but he told us it was on five networks. (When we got back to the bus, we looked it up. There was such a Planned Parenthood trailer, but the DNC had nothing to do with having it there.)
We anticipated an easy time at one house where the husband, wife, and daughter were all registered Democrats. But the wife told us her main issue was immigration and that her daughter, who is in college, feared she would be trafficked by immigrants. She also mentioned that with so many terrorists coming into the country, we were risking another 9/11. We pointed out that Oklahoma Senator James Lankford had worked across the aisle to construct an immigration bill but that Republicans, on Trump’s order, killed the legislation wanting to use immigration as one of his campaign issues. “It was a terrible bill,” she said, but didn’t explain what the bill was lacking.
Along with the economy, immigration came up as one of the main issues. On our ride back to the bus, we asked our driver who has lived in the area for decades, if he felt immigration was a valid issue to motivate voters towards Trump. He told us that the area has been hurt as a result of immigrants leaving. Kennett Square, also in Chester County, is known as the mushroom capital of the country. But those businesses have suffered because they can’t find workers who want to perform what can be dirty and back breaking work to cultivate the mushrooms. “No white 20 year-old is going to go after that job,” he said. Also, many undocumented Mexicans who used to do yard work have left, worried they might be deported. It’s hard to find people to do those jobs now, he said.
One thing we did pick up on: people in battleground states are fatigued and tired of having people knock on their doors and ask them about the election. Virtually every house we visited had a Ring doorbell, and on several occasions occupants talked to us through the device telling us to leave. Most houses had signs that said, “No soliciting,” even though we would point out that we weren’t soliciting because we weren’t selling anything. A few homes had even more straightforward signs making it clear we weren’t welcome.
When we got back to the Harris/Walz headquarters to meet the bus, the campaign leaders boosted our spirits. There were soft pretzels with mustard, Philadelphia’s best! We posed for photographs and a video to wish Vice President Harris Happy Birthday on the following day, October 20. We spent one day canvassing, but these regular campaign officials, some paid, many just volunteering, are indefatigable, determined to do whatever they can to elect a president who actually believes in the Constitution and Democracy. “We’re not going back” is their rallying cry, and we felt privileged to be there even if just for one day to join them.
On the ride back to New York, Chet led us in a debriefing. What did we find, what did people say, how were we feeling about what we accomplished. Our experience was similar to what some of the other volunteers had encountered. And with only two weeks left, Chet noted that it was paramount to keep up the canvassing. Many volunteers plan to return.
I’m still trying to process everything I heard. I think we did the best we could. We listened, we tried to find common ground, even when that was tough. I feel I “did something.” Whether that was enough, we’ll find out on November 6.
Photos by Woman Around Town