Notes from the field (part II)

November 3, 2024

This short note opens the Sunday Comments to everyone.

I continue to hear from readers in states across the nation who are working to increase turnout. When we get others to vote, we win! Bless you all for your dedication!

Jill and I spent the day canvassing in a series of large apartment complexes. We were joined mid-morning by Jessica Craven, who drove straight from the airport to our canvassing location to share our assigned territories.

There is much to tell, but it was incredibly positive. Everyone we spoke to thanked us for taking the time to remind them to vote. Many had voted, many planned to vote, and some were struggling to figure out how to vote. We had only one semi-negative experience.

One memorable moment: One fourteen-year-old girl told us her mom was sleeping (having just come home from work). Jill asked the teenager if she would remind her mom to vote because “it is important for all women.” The fourteen-year-old looked us in the eye and said, “It’s important for everybody.”

As we got into the rhythm of canvassing, we began approaching everyone we saw in the large outdoor parking lot, asking them whether they had a plan to vote. Some of our most interesting conversations took place in the parking lot. One person proudly told us that 2024 was the first year he was eligible to vote. One mother worried about taking her two toddlers to the polling location. Jessica quickly determined that she could use curbside voting.

As we drove away in separate cars, Jessica left a few minutes early. As Jill and I were driving out, I saw a woman walking a dog in the parking lot. As I thought about stopping to ask the woman if she had a plan to vote, I received a text from Jessica: “I already canvassed the woman walking her dog.” Talk about teamwork!

We then had the incredible privilege of attending Kamala Harris’s rally in Charlotte on Saturday evening. My guestimate is that there were 25,000 people in attendance. The crowd was enthusiastic, and Kamala was great. When she asked who had already voted, 90% of those in attendance raised their hands. It was a joyful, confidence-inspiring experience.

The two pictures below were taken from about 200 yards out using the digital zoom on my iPhone. The photo quality is horrible, but you can see Kamala in both photos if you look carefully. (Note: I used Adobe Lightroom AI to remove distracting cables and a head that partially blocked the “New Way Forward sign.)

More tomorrow. But as I wrote yesterday, the signals suggest that Kamala Harris is performing in the way that she must in order to win. Polls still suggest that it will be incredibly close. But if enthusiasm, organization, and execution matter, Kamala is doing everything right.

Talk to you tomorrow!

And for our daily dose of perspective, here is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is located 2 million light years from Earth and contains about 1 trillion solar masses (more or less a trillion stars).