Patton: The Adventures Of A Political Canvasser

Very likely, people have been coming to your front door urging you to vote in the New Hampshire Primary for their favorite candidates. After a while you may become annoyed and not want to answer the door. Remember, however, that we don’t get something for nothing. The New Hampshire Primary brings money, political influence, and public attention to our state. That’s why other states are so envious of our first-in-the-nation status and would dearly like to replace us at the head of the line.

So, I would advise you to be tolerant of these unpaid volunteers who are working so hard for candidates they admire and support. Their lot is not an easy one.

I have a very good friend who has been canvassing every week since last July. He would prefer to remain anonymous, so let’s give him a good New Hampshire name - Crawford Notch. In the rest of this column, Crawford will tell us in his own words about the problems a canvasser faces.
“First, there is the weather. Last summer, it was incredibly hot, particularly when I walked in the sun. I kept bottles of water in the car and tried to walk as much as possible in the shade, but after three hours, I was more than weary. Now, in the midst of winter, I think back fondly on those warm days because I’m facing a new set of problems - bitter cold, whipping winds, snow, and particularly slippery ice.

“Some people are good about clearing their walks and driveways; others aren’t. So, a walk from the car up a driveway or a sidewalk can be a treacherous thing. That’s only the start of my challenges. Ringing a doorbell should be easy, right? Not always so. Some houses don’t have doorbells ; some doorbells are broken; and some I can’t hear, so I’m not sure whether or not they are broken. That’s where dogs come in handy.

“It’s common knowledge that dogs are the bane of letter carriers, tradesmen, and anybody else who comes to the front door. But, I don’t find that to be true. Dogs are actually a help to me. In those cases where I can’t hear the sound of the doorbell, a barking dog makes sure that the homeowner knows I’m there. That’s a help. The dog’s owner appears and struggles to keep the dog under control while simultaneously assuring me that the dog won’t bite. That’s not always true. I’ve known one or two candidates who’ve been put out of commission by dog bites. But it’s worth the risk to me.

“Almost all homeowners are pleasant and polite, even if they’re not enthusiastic about my candidate. They may be in a hurry and let me know that, but the legendary confrontations with gun-toting, property owners itching to get intruders off their land just don’t occur.

“After giving the spiel about my candidate, I tiptoe over the ice and snow back to my car, which, fortunately, is still warm so I can be comfortable while I drive to the next home on my list. But that’s not the end of my problems. I’ve got to find that home. That’s not always easy. Some roads are missing street signs. I once complained to a local selectman about missing signs, and he gave me an answer I didn’t expect. People take street signs (think walls of college students’ rooms), so it’s not always cost effective to replace them.

“Okay, I’ve been lucky. I’m on the right street, but I’ve got to find the correct house number. On a busy street, cars are approaching me from behind, so I have to watch out for them and look for house numbers at the same time. Not so easy, particularly because I have gained the distinct impression that some homeowners are in the witness protection program because they seem to make a point of not having a number. That reminds me of an old Yankee saying, ‘I don’t need a house number because everybody I like already knows where I live.”

At this point, I had to ask Crawford why he bothered going door-to-door since he wasn’t paid and encountered all these frustrating problems. He looked at me intently. “Well, you know, every once in a while, a person will say ‘Thank you for doing this.’ I appreciate that. You know democracy is a fragile thing. We all have to do our part to keep it alive.”

Gary Patton is the author of two books, “Selling Mt. Washington,” a political satire about New Hampshire politics, and “Outtastatahs: Newcomers’ Adventures in New Hampshire, “ a humorous account of the struggles of newcomers to this state. Both books are now available in Portsmouth at the River Run Bookstore , Discover Portsmouth, and Tugboat Alley. In Exeter, these books can be obtained at The Water Street Bookstore and the Country Store at RiverWoods. In Hampton, look for them at the Galley Hatch gift shop. In North Hampton, both are available at “The Book Outlet.” In Concord, these books can be found at Gibson’s Bookstore. They are also available on-line at Amazon.com.