I volunteered to assist the Obama campaign a few years ago. My comfort zone is behind a desk crunching numbers but they needed help answering phones. After doing that for a while I was asked to go door to door, which is really outside my comfort zone. But after several outings, I got pretty good at it, and was assigned to lead groups out into the neighborhoods. As history bore out, we won our areas for Team Blue.
A couple weeks ago I began again helping out going door to door. (And frankly, it should not be this close in purple Iowa.) It’s nice actually talking to voters and at this stage in the game I’m not going to be threatened or chased off like I was two years ago, as the folks currently on the lists are democrats or leaning that way anyway. But two doors this last weekend are of interest for discussion.
Story One: I arrive at one house, knock without an immediate response, but as I’m about to move on the door opens. I introduce myself to her as a volunteer with the Braley campaign and ask if she’s interested in absentee voting, so that she doesn’t have to go to the polls on Election Day and would be able to review a ballot.
Her response: “Who would we be voting for? This isn’t a presidential election year.”
While I was internally surprised, I pointed out that we will be voting for a senator this year and the candidate was Braley. I then added, “We’re voting for a governor this year as well as House representatives.”
Now she looked enlightened and I was able to get her to apply for Vote-By-Mail. I also dropped off campaign literature about our candidates.
There’s probably a Bible verse in there somewhere: Blessed are those who haven’t heard the constant campaign ads running 24-7 in all forms of media, for they shall retain their sanity.
For those who complain about democrats getting support from low-information voters, I was on the street talking to voters; where the hell were you? I worked to present my side, you failed to present yours.
Story Two: At a different house I ask the same question. He responded that he likes to vote on Election Day. Fair enough, that’s my preference as well. I don’t like to soak up people’s time if they’re set on it. I go on and ask if he’s made any decisions yet: democrat, republican, any particular candidates…?
He clicks his teeth, draws a breath, and says slowly, “I think all Tea Party members should be shot.”
I reported back both stories to HQ. Story one got a chuckle as we do want to sign up as many voters as possible, whereas the sentiment expressed in story two wasn’t as well matched.
Now, I admit the Tea Party positions are infuriating. I absolutely hate the idea of secession, corporate money in politics, and impeaching officials just because they don’t do what YOU want them to do, all things endorsed by Ernst, Braley's opponent. However, reposition the viewpoint, and know that these people not only believe in these ideas, they are willing to use violence to enact them. We on Team Blue must recognize the danger and be prepared. We may be chased off doorsteps, thrown out of mobile home parks, or harassed at work, but this will be nothing like what happens as the country goes bluer. They are already feeling cornered and they have prepared an armed response, all that’s missing is a trigger. The threat of armed resistance is being met by like-minded people on the other side.
The polarization on one side is causing polarization on the other. We’re developing trigger-happy people on both sides. We as a country will need to figure out how to deal with it.