Confessions of a Door Knocker

            I’ve done a fair amount of door knocking, to the point that I sometimes go out with first-timers to show them the ropes. The irony is that I don’t actually consider myself very good at it.

            I am good at coming up with trenchant responses to people’s qualms about Democrats. The problem is that I don’t think of them until hours later. I’m still haunted by the woman who was adamant that there was rampant grooming of young people in the public schools, trying to make them trans. Maybe I should have stood up to her, but I just walked away sad.

            Then there was the guy who wondered why we hated Trump. I should have said that whatever I think about Trump, I don’t hate Trump voters. Alas, too late.

            So I don’t do persuasion when I’m door knocking, and fortunately we’re not really expected to. The main job is simply to find likely Democratic voters and encourage them to turn out. I’m convinced that the most important thing I do at the door is smile and say pleasantly, “My name is Paul, and I’m a volunteer with the local Democrats.” It conveys the message that Democrats are nice people who care enough to spend a few hours doing this. Even Republicans will sometimes tell me they appreciate my willingness to engage.

            Often, a friendly greeting is about as far as I get, if I even get that far. Most of the time no one answers, and I’m sure there have been any number of occasions when someone was home but couldn’t be bothered to come to the door. When people do answer, you’re often interrupting them in the middle of doing something else, and they would just as soon get back to it. They’re almost never hostile about it, but you can tell they’re impatient. So you hand them the literature and hope they read it.

            I do sometimes have a real conversation with an enthusiastic Democrat who’s happy to talk with someone who shares their concerns. The other day I ran into a teacher I know who is a good prospect to volunteer at some point. That’s what keeps me going.

            Door knocking is not a particularly efficient means for doing voter outreach, but those person-to-person contacts, when they happen, are our most powerful organizing tool. And let’s face it, the alternative is ads. If we ever want to neutralize deceptive advertising and the big money behind it, we’ll need to replace it with armies of volunteers doing direct voter contact, either at the doors or on the phones.

            At 72 years old, I can only do so much. Then my old bladder tells me it’s time to quit. So I invite you to join us if you’re able. Like so much else in life, there’s an app for it, and our organizers are always happy to teach you how to use it. Maybe they can pair you up with someone who’s more comfortable with the routine. Maybe it’ll even be me.

Paul Harris