Canvassing is Tiring, a Bit Stressful, But Actually Fun

I have spent a lot of time canvassing for Democratic candidates in my life and especially the last few years. The process has greatly improved since the days when we blindly walked door to door, rarely knowing the politics of the folks who would answer our knocks. Nowadays canvassing is carefully targeted to those whom we believe will support our candidates at the polls. We are not out trying to change minds, though occasionally that happens, we are trying to get our voters out to the polls. 

New canvassers are usually surprised at the warm reception we receive. Nearly everyone I have encountered during canvassing has been very polite and most have been downright welcoming. They are glad to see that even in this ruby red section of Georgia they have neighbors who share their Democratic principles and are willing to get out and work to promote them.

Yesterday there was the 90-year-old lady in Garden Lakes who insisted I come in to see some things. She had the newspaper open to the huge misleading ad that the so-called "Right to Work" political group had paid for in the Rome News. And she showed me the Hershel Walker flyer she'd received in the mail which asked if she'd support Walker. She'd written on it "No" about a dozen times.

There was the mother who had voted herself but had not managed to get her two twenty-something sons to vote yet. She called them from their rooms and I agreed to just drive them to the early voting site right then. They did as their mother insisted.

At another house a young man said, "let me show you something!" He invited me in white he retrieved his phone and showed me a video of people pulling Warnock signs out of the ground. He wanted me to put one in his yard, and of course I did.

I feel certain that my canvassing this time around has spurred a few handful of folks who support Senator Warnock, but might have otherwise neglected to vote, to actually make a plan and do what I consider their civic duty. When ever that happens I just hope that those few voters represent many other folks around the state who have been similarly spurred by other canvassers.

So come join the canvassing. Or share some persuasive posts on social media. Or post a sign in your yard. Or call a few friends. Or send a donation to the Democratic Party. Or attend a Democratic Party meeting.

Our nation and our state and our city need citizens who take the Declaration and the Preamble and the Gettysburg Address seriously. Who realize that our republic is always only one generation from extinction if its citizens don't continue to take their part in "We the People" seriously.