Notes on a defeat – a Tory staffer who volunteered for Harris hands in his canvass return

I have knocked on over 1,000 doors, pounded miles of unfamiliar road, met hostility and openness, borne witness to defeatism, determination, intimidation, ignorance and apathy. As the dust settles on a Donald Trump win, this is what suburban Georgia taught me about this year’s race for the White House.

Drive two hours east from Atlanta and you find the city of Augusta, best known for the Masters golf tournament and, well, not a lot else. A short call two days before leaving; flights, accommodation and transport hastily booked. Volunteering for free is not how everyone would choose to spend their savings or use unpaid leave. Inexperienced, unprepared and under the cloud of President Trump’s accusations of “foreign interference”, battleground territory was where I was needed.

To win in Georgia, Vice President Harris needed Black and Latino voters; not only did she need their support, she needed them to vote. Our biggest challenge, by far, was voter apathy. Many simply tuned out. The Democrats were banking on their get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaign. It didn’t work.

Harris’ message struggled to break through; as one grandmother put it, sitting watchfully outside her boarded-up house, “We know who he is, who is she?” Three-word slogans were everywhere – echoes of Brexit and ‘getting stuff done’. This time it was “we’re not going back”, and a great deal of time was spent on Trump and his cacophony of chaos. GOTV is supposed to address voters directly and cut through the noise.

In true American style, the Harris campaign turned to celebrity. Some figures did cut through: Barack Obama and Beyoncé are popular, especially among younger voters. Former president Bill Clinton visited on Sunday, and Atlanta hosted Harris twice in as many weeks. The campaign’s focus was clear: GOTV in Georgia’s suburbs.

Devoid of celebrity status, volunteers were given targeted literature, badges, stickers and signs. These were not universally accepted: one man suggested our bumper sticker would be best used elsewhere in vivid terms. His car, a hearse, was parked outside.

If freebies weren’t enough, we explained the importance of each vote. President Biden’s 2020 victory margin, and the resulting controversy, were often met with a slow, thoughtful nod. Assured of their electoral importance, many said they would vote – perhaps not all were telling the truth.

In Augusta, there is a great deal of warmth and openness; almost everyone smiles and everyone waves. I have been given food and drink, welcomed into homes; people have offered advice and taken an interest. I even shared a prayer on one woman’s doorstep. However, times are tough and access to communities is limited. Almost without exception, conversations conclude with “be safe around here”. The presence of guns adds unease and the political temperature has not helped. I’ve been threatened, told to leave and warned to stay away.

Trump focused less on voter turnout and his struggles with volunteer recruitment were well-documented. Harris-Walz volunteers, armed with impressive data on simple apps in hand, spoke to thousands of hard-to-reach voters; with wafer-thin margins, they believed GOTV could tip the balance.

Hurricane Helene and male support for Trump proved stiff challenges for the GOTV operation, however. Neighbourhoods smell sweet with the scent of sawdust, and damaged houses – some destroyed – sit dark and vacant behind piles of recently cleared storm debris. I witnessed, with astonishing regularity, men – mostly young Black men – showing resigned support for Trump. Their reason? That Harris is a woman.

Canvassing resources focused on important issues such as lowering costs, reproductive freedom and immigration, but nothing to persuade young men from voting based on gender.

As a gangly, redheaded parliamentary researcher from Norfolk, working in Westminster for James Wild MP but there very much on my own dime, I attracted much curiosity on the doorstep. Oddly, a handful of young men asked about Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As the longest-reigning monarch in British history – and a woman – she served as my most effective route through.

Nestled between Koinonia Community Church and Mr Tattoo, off a small garage forecourt on Broad Street, Augusta, you will find Richmond County Democratic Party HQ; where on Sundays the noise of prayer emanated from next door, ricocheting off walls, drowning out campaign activity. The nerve centre of Harris-Walz GOTV efforts in Augusta. In the days and weeks ahead it will be a scene of intense soul-searching.

William Falcon is a Tory parliamentary staffer.

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