Neighbors are divided in supporting 2024 Presidential candidates including in this battleground state of North Carolina. The cover photo shows adjacent neighbor’s homes displaying signs for opposing parties in the affluent area across from Green Level High School.
Both Democratic and Republican candidates are calling this the most consequential election of our lifetimes and using civil-unrest rhetoric: one side says we need to ‘fight to win’ and another threatening to use the military against political rivals within the U.S. I hope and pray we can all reside in peace and harmony during and after this election!
This is the first year that I’ve taken an active role in political campaigns although I’ve posted a few earlier blogs shown below discussing the contrast between evolving parties and elected officials.
Canvassing for the Harris-Walz campaign, I’ve knocked on about 130 doors so far focusing on getting out the Democratic vote by making sure people know when and where to cast their ballot and recording responses on the phone app MiniVan.
When people are home and answer their door, which averages about half the time, I identify myself and ask if they have voted or have a plan to vote. Then I try to determine which candidates they support. I’ve heard the full spectrum of views from strongly supporting, strongly opposed, refusing to disclose, as well as one person intentionally not voting. I’m relieved to learn that most people encourage my efforts and over a dozen times I’ve gotten the opportunity to engage in informative, sometimes passionate, conversations lasting 15 minutes or more.
I’ve spoken with a few undecided voters who asked my opinion for which candidate and party would be better for “kitchen-table economics.” I empathize that it’s difficult getting unbiased news and that we need to make decisions based on our personal, moral and ethical views. We’re all concerned with the rise in food and housing prices during the pandemic. I like to mention how the U.S. economy is getting much better with inflation and interest rates coming down. But consumer prices are still too high. One candidate supports billionaires like Elon Musk to provide tax cuts or petrochemical companies wanting cuts in environmental regulations. I mention the contrast with the Biden administration, Federal Reserve, and Harris proposals as cited in the non-partisian Economist magazine (based in London) with articles including from October 17, 2024 titled: “The envy of the world, America’s economy is bigger and better than ever. Will politics bring it back to earth?”
One retired person I spoke with favored Mr. Trump because he wants to cut taxes. I said it might sound good on the surface but the last time he cut taxes in 2017 it favored the wealthiest people and international corporations, it significantly added to the deficit, and increased inflation. According to the Center for American Progress:
“The Center for American Progress is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. An important body of evidence shows that the corporate tax changes in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act failed to produce promised investment or wage increases for the vast majority of U.S. workers. The law did, however, significantly reduce corporate tax collections, diverting resources from public investment to the pockets of wealthy shareholders, executives, and high-paid workers.”
If you dig deeper when Mr. Trump says he wants to cut taxes for overtime pay, social security, or medicare that means getting rid of those benefits or entitlements. The people who are currently working are paying the retiree recipients. October 21st news states Mr. Trump’s plan would eliminate Social Security by 2031 (U.S. News and World Report)! I also remind voters that House Republicans tried unsuccessfully 50 times when Trump was president to replace the Affordable Care Act which is much more popular than Obamacare (which are the same programs).
I’ve shared my personal and professional experiences after retiring as a federal government civil servant in 2019 and since began being able to speak out about politics.
Here are some other related blogs that show the contrast between the two parties:
1/21/2021 Diverse Unity
7/6/2020 Environmental Legacy of the 41st President (George H.W. Bush)
6/12/2020 Vote and Yell If You Can For America To Survive
7/21/2019 Carter Denounces Overconsumption
UPDATE: November 7, 2024
Knocking on about 400 doors and speaking with approximately 100 people in four upper middle class neighborhoods over the past few weeks revealed insights as to the election results for many of the candidates. The list on MiniVan provided by the Democratic Party provided names and addresses of people registered as Democrats with the goal of getting out the vote. We could tell voting status and did not need to ask people if they already voted during the early voting period.
Many voters I spoke with said they planned to vote for Democrats while surprisingly many were unhappy with the Biden-Harris administration and planned to vote for Trump-Vance. Some were not happy that Kamala Harris got the nomination for President after the primary election occurred which nominated Joe Biden without much contest except from Representative Dean Phillips from Minnesota who tried to warn people at that time. I felt that Harris was the likely successor being on the same ticket and there was not time to hold another primary election which would have fractured the party. It’s amazing the broad support across political ideologies that Harris quickly assembled and how many former Trump Administration officials spoke out against him.
Most voters that I spoke with were more concerned about cost of living rising over the past four years and showed frustration that more was not done by the government to help people. Many voters said the Republicans speaking out against Mr. Trump was because he fired them; perhaps his Apprentice show meme “Your fired” stuck with people. I attempted to counter these arguments with my own personal experiences.
When I asked their choice for North Carolina Governor, I did not hear anyone endorse Republican Lt. Governor Robinson but they did support Democrat Josh Stein, the former attorney general, who won election. Also the superintendent of public schools went to Democrat Mo Green who defeated a MAGA supporting Republican. So it was not a complete sweep for Republicans in North Carolina where Trump-Vance won by 51%.
I personally would have been willing to ring anyone’s doorbell that did not have an opposing candidate’s sign displayed. I’ve heard news commentators mention that we all need to engage and listen to differing viewpoints to have healthy conversations but both sides are living in a bubble. This is one reason that most Democrats lost elections with an unpopular, isolated incumbent President who many people feel wasn’t listening all the way down to the lowest levels of the campaign such as myself volunteering to canvas and only talking to those registered as Democrats but many of whom rebelled against the party.
May we hold true to our ideals and values, preserve our first Amendment and other freedoms, improve two-way conversations and courageously speak out against negative forces that try to separate our humanity and hard-fought protections such as for health, safety and the environment!