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| Door-knocking photo by Erika Luckert |
With the provincial election campaign in
full swing, candidates and their representatives are appearing at my doorstep,
seeking support. My thoughts turn back to my time as a door-knocker during the
2008 provincial election campaign.
The weather was very cold for most of the campaign
period during the winter of 2008. Although I had bought shoe liners developed
by NASA to keep my feet warm, they didn’t do the trick, so I resorted to my skidoo
boots that I had used for work in the north. Armed with brochures highlighting
the candidate’s background, web site and position on the key issues of the time,
I’d diligently walk up an icy sidewalk, ring the doorbell and wait for the door
to open a crack. I’d introduce myself, say a few words about the candidate I
was representing with fingers crossed that I’d be let in for just a few seconds
of warmth and the opportunity to briefly engage those at home about the
election. If it went well, I would ask whether the candidate could count on the
support of household members, so that they could be called during election day
to get the vote out. It was a bonus when I scored a lawn sign location for the
candidate, and even a bigger deal when the home owner of a corner lot near a busy
intersection agreed to a large fence sign emblazoned with the candidate’s name.
What are some of the memorable things that
happened during my foray into door-knocking four years ago? Shock when a guy answered
the door buck-naked and said “I don’t have any clothes on”. Trying to keep a
straight face when a woman answered the door with only her eyes and mouth
showing through a clay facial mask. The frightening feeling when the door
opened to 2 or 3 barking dogs restrained by their owner (this happened many
times). Struggling to keep my balance walking on icy sidewalks but wiping out
anyway. The woman who asked me to put the candidate’s brochure on the ground
and to pass it to her with my foot to avoid contact with my germs. The widows
and widowers tearfully telling me that they had lost their life-long partners
when I referred to the outdated voters’ list from 2004. Meeting Harry Strom’s
charming widow, who said “it didn’t last very long being the Premier’s wife”
and “Harry watches over my shoulder to see how I vote.” Trying not to take it
personally when people smirked, recoiled or were openly hostile since they clearly
did not support the candidate I represented. Being asked if I was a Christian
as if it were a deal-breaker. Being caught in the middle of a fight in homes
where the husband and wife supported different political parties. Encountering
people I had crossed paths with at different times of my life, in High School,
University, and through work. An English professor who had taught me as an
undergraduate student remembered me. So did parents of children who had gone to
school with my kids.
I discovered that a lot of people didn’t
care at all about the 2008 election. I heard comments like “First politician on
my doorstep gets my vote.” “I’m neutral” (meaning “I don’t vote”). “I’m not
voting since Jesus wasn’t involved in politics.” And then there were the women
who said that they vote for the candidate that their husband tells them to vote
for. Some people clearly didn’t understand that Canada has three levels of
government.
It seemed that people who had tuned in to
the election were, for the most part, pretty satisfied with how things rolled
in the province, and weren’t too jazzed about party policies. The facts
surrounding the political issues of the day didn’t seem to matter to them. Instead,
the positive or negative feelings toward party leaders (“there’s something
about him I really like / don’t like”) and how they felt the candidate’s party aligned
with their personal convictions in areas that touched their lives held more
sway.
When candidates and their representatives
appear at your door during this election campaign, consider engaging briefly
with them on your doorstep. If it happens to be freezing outside, consider
letting them in for a moment to warm up and do their pitch. And think of a
question to ask them about an issue that matters to you. The answers you hear
might get you hooked on this election.
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