Calling all Citizens!
A democracy doesn’t just happen. It needs to be created and it may take a struggle or even a fight. It also seems clear that a democracy doesn’t just continue to thrive on its’ own…it takes work. There are many ways to contribute to our democracy including staying informed, hosting or attending meetings, registering voters, communicating with voters (Door to door, calling, writing, texting, donating, etc.), and most basically, voting… I chose to make phone calls. I know that many people might be apprehensive about calling strangers. It does take getting used to, but it’s not as scary as it may sound. Let me share some of my calling experiences….
After completing my Zoom training, I am now an official caller for the 2020 Victory campaign. I am calling voters about the election. I’m finding this work sometimes challenging and frustrating, but generally, when I reach someone and have a conversation, I am finding a connection with average Americans…like me. Many are struggling because of the pandemic and the significant recession in which we are mired. A few of these calls left me smiling. One left me shaking my head. Another had me laughing to tears.
One afternoon I called voters in Minnesota. One man I tried to reach wasn’t home but I had a warm conversation with his wife. I didn’t ask her name, but I should have. As callers, we are supposed to start conversations by checking in, asking something like ‘With everything going on right now, how are you doing?’ She shared that it’s been tough, that she is worried about her husband who is nearing 80 and has health issues. She told me that she is very worried about the election, sharing that she had been mistaken about Trump. She said that when Trump was elected, she thought that he would merely be another celebrity politician, a clown like Jesse Ventura, the professional wrestler that Minnesota elected as Governor 20 years ago. However, instead of being a benign clown, she sees Trump as a horrible person and viewed as a dangerous clown by the rest of the world. What does that say about us, she asked?
Another Minnesotan I talked with was ‘Andy’, a retired man who had worked at the Mayo clinic. Recently widowed, he seemed in a low place, telling me that he was really tired of looking at his four walls during Covid. As we talked, Andy seemed to liven up. Even though he was a transplant to Minnesota from a mountain State, like so many Minnesotans I knew when I lived there, he was so proud of the Mayo where he had spent his career. He told me a story of Dr Mayo, the founder, who even after long days at the clinic in Minnesota winters, if there was someone within 20 miles who needed his expertise, Dr Mayo would have heated bricks placed on the seat of his horse drawn wagon and make a house call. Andy was a technology guy for the Mayo and got enthused about my description of the campaigns’ sophisticated volunteer system and how well it worked. He agreed to become a volunteer caller like I am…Yes!
I spoke with another man from Minnesota, I’ll call him Charles, a 35-year-old, black, special Ed, high school educator. When I asked Charles how he was doing, he unloaded. He is struggling with how to work with his students virtually, going through a divorce and having surgery! Despite all that, this guy was fired up politically. Charles is active in Black Lives Matter and views himself as very progressive. He thinks the old guard of the Democratic party doesn’t get it, Bernie would have been the way for him, but he sees Trump as being so bad for our country. He will vote for Biden because he is a decent man. Right after the election he plans to start primarying the establishment Dem’s in Minnesota. Perhaps this is how a party is retailored for a new generation.
Another call to Minnesota was one for the books. My screen indicated that I was calling someone named ‘Alexandra’. A male answered but it was hard for me to hear because there was a lot of background noise, like this guy was standing near a busy highway. I asked if Alexandra was available and it sounded like this person indicated he was Alexandra…? As best as I can, here was our conversation.
Me: “Hi. Thanks for talking with me. I’d like to start by asking how you are doing with all that’s going on?”
A: “Can you hear me OK?”
Me: “There is a lot of background noise…”
A: “Give me just a minute, hold on.”
I hear a door open and close and an old-fashioned door chime that small retail shops used to all have. When the door closes, the background noise in muffled.
A: (Speaking to someone else) “Are you Vlad?”
V: (With a very heavy accent) “Yes, Vlad”
A: “I want to get a tattoo and I got your name from Yelp.”
A: (Speaking to me again, clearly excited) “I’ve never had a tattoo before and I’m going to get one today! I want to talk with you. This should only take a minute. Please hang on…”
Me: (Intrigued) “OK”
A: (Back to Vlad) “So how does this work?”
V: “Vat do you want?”
A: “I’m from Chicago and I want the Chicago Bulls emblem on my arm.”
V: “Fine, sit down”
A: “Wait! I want to see it first. Can you sketch it or something?”
Vlad answers gruffly and it was hard for me to make out everything he said, but at the end I heard “Just sit!”
A: “No, no I want to see it first!”
At this point my inner Dad started coming out and I told Alexandra to head for the door “You better get out of there!”
Vlad answered Alexandra with more that I couldn’t understand. Perhaps he was showing Alexandra his computer screen and he reiterated “Just sit!”
A: “Oh, OK… Will this hurt?”
Wait… what?!
The next thing I hear is a loud buzzing of an electric device. A fairly short burst. Sounded like an engraving tool I used a long time ago.
A: “Ow!! That hurt!”
Wait a minute…what is this?! I have this dawning realization feeling coming over me… Can’t help myself from laughing…
A: (As the buzzing starts up again) “Ow, ow, ow!!”
I tried to say something to Alexandra but there was too much craziness going on. I hung up belly laughing… I had been spoofed!! (I think?). One of my sisters shared with me that some anti Robo-call app’s include ‘counter attack’ features that sound like my Alexandra/Vlad the tattooist adventure…who knew?!
I spent another afternoon calling, this time to New York. One man I spoke with interrupted me early in what I was saying, letting me know that he is a solidly registered Republican and wanted to save both of us time. As a caller, we are instructed to not get into it with voters who are strong Trump supporters. This guy was polite and I appreciated his candor so I thanked him and wished him a good rest of his day.
Another New Yorker call surprised me. As I was explaining who I was and what I was doing, I heard a smile in his voice. He shared with me that he is a campaign captain in his borough and that he trains callers like myself…yikes! He couldn’t have been nicer and sincerely appreciative of my volunteering. I felt pumped up after that call…encouraged!
I spoke with a Latin-x woman who had a fairly strong accent. She sounded older. When I asked her how she was doing with everything going on, she was the only person I’ve spoken to who answered enthusiastically “Great!” I asked her if she was going to vote for Biden, Harris and the Democrats down the ballot, she responded, “I am going to vote for the President!” She ramped up quickly, following with, “Biden would bring in socialists….. Communists! And they would take our money! I want to keep my money! It’s true!!” I thanked her for her time and wished her well. So discouraging…
Calling Virginia on another afternoon I spoke with a friendly woman with an infectious laugh, ‘Georgianne’. I asked her how she was doing and she answered “All good…God has a plan”. Wasn’t sure where this was headed. Turned out she is a very strong Democrat. I tried to encourage her to volunteer but she explained that she has been a polling place worker in her neighborhood for years and that was all she could do. As we chatted a bit, Georgianne shared that her birthday is November 3rd, so election day is always a celebration for her! I told her that being a polling worker was plenty and wished her a great birthday with the present of a successful election outcome…
Finally, I spoke with ‘Ella’. When I asked her how she was doing, she told me she was doing OK. “I’m not getting around these days very well so I applied for an absentee ballot, just in case. They promised me that I could still vote in person if I felt up to it…which I would prefer. But I may need to vote absentee this year… I am 94 after all!” Ella was sharp and I could hear a little twinkle in her voice…charming! I thanked her for her support and her passion to vote. In turn, Ella thanked me for being a volunteer, saying, “I wish I could help out but I don’t drive anymore.” I told her there was no need to drive. The campaign had created a great system for volunteers to contribute from home. Ella was pleasantly surprised, “I’d be happy to do that!” So, I signed her up… I ended that call to Ella encouraged about the future of our democracy.
Join me! Volunteer and become an active member of our democracy…