Change always comes from the bottom up. Instead of waiting for national leadership, we can turn to each other. In my experience as an organizer, I’ve learned that we are the solution to even our most pressing problems.
The Democratic Party has a credibility problem. As the Volunteer Coordinator for the Rowan County Democratic Party, I have had many conversations with people who tell me they will never support another Democrat because of their disappointment with the party’s national leaders.
And, honestly – I get it. It is crucial for Democrats to win seats in state and national races next year, but despite the importance of these elections, the Democratic party has done little to provide policies and goals to rally around. This lack of vision has left voters feeling disillusioned and disempowered about our ability to create meaningful or lasting change.
However, change always comes from the bottom up. Instead of waiting for national leadership, we can turn to each other. In my experience as an organizer, I’ve learned that we are the solution to even our most pressing problems.
Right now, we’re not only in the midst of a breakdown in national politics, we’re also experiencing a breakdown in our ability to relate to each other on a personal level – and this is the realm where we can have the biggest impact.
Talking about politics is hard, especially with our current high levels of collective mistrust. But if we’re going to make any progress as a community or a country, then we have to be able to hear each other and have real conversations that go past talking points and headlines.
That’s why RCDP will be holding regular canvassing and phone banking events beginning in January. We’re going to use an approach called deep canvassing. Instead of knocking on a door to ask someone to vote for a candidate, we’re going to knock on a door and ask that person to share their thoughts. We’re going to take our time and listen carefully to what people say.
Although deep canvassing is a relatively new approach, it has been successfully applied to shift voters’ perspectives on issues like immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. The recent New York City mayoral race was won by using similar tactics, encouraging canvassers to share personal stories and have open-ended conversations at people’s doors. We know that making a personal connection has also been successful in some tight races here in North Carolina.
Our goal isn’t to win support for the Democratic party. It’s to build relationships with our neighbors who may also be feeling hopeless and disaffected. Our goal is to learn about the issues that matter to people in our communities so we can find opportunities to mobilize around the causes that people care about.
The path to winning next year’s elections won’t be determined by who crafts the most compelling argument or compiles the best sources. It will be determined by the listeners – those who can navigate our current political quagmire to sit with others in their anger and frustration.
I think most of us are feeling betrayed by our national leaders, and this presents a powerful opportunity. If we can recognize our collective challenges, then we can move closer to finding collective solutions. The first step is to build trust, and we can do that by having conversations based on curiosity, empathy, and a genuine desire to understand each other.
If you would like to join our team of listeners for canvassing and phone banking, please email rowandems@protonmail.com or stop by the RCDP office Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Beyond winning elections next year, we’re aiming to grow in community – and we won’t be able to do it without you.