By a lucky quirk of fate I’ve just spent ten days on the campaign trail for President Obama in Ohio, that most tricky of swing states right up at the topmost edge of the US.
I’ve been able to see a couple of campaigning legends in action: Siobhan and Margaret McDonagh led a team of thirty UK campaigners who got right out there in amongst it knocking on doors in practically every social demographic in the State. Between us we knocked on about 10,000 doors and spoke to thousands of people about their voting intentions, and their lives. We all came away with a strong sense of how this campaign was running and being run, and also how vitally important the national mood is in this election.
What struck were the little things. In Ohio the Obama for America team was being run by relatively junior staffers who were picking up the threads of community campaigning left from last time around. Obama is a master at community campaigning – of the kind that Movement for Change is attempting to foster here in the UK. However, America is so huge and the party structure is such that scant attention is paid to many voters in the fallow years between elections. The Democrat offices we visited were pumped with energy, awash with great literature, but we didn’t get the strong impression that there were armies of footsoldiers out pounding the streets day in day out.
We were, in fact, sent out in relatively small groups on our own with packs of voter data, to some pretty tough areas. I wouldn’t have sent a bunch of Yanks out solo to some of our tough estates… but we’re a tough breed and well, in a way, our Englishness acted as a bit of a shield.
Conversations would run a bit like this:
Me: Hello, I’m Simon from the Obama for America team. Just in the area to see if you’re voting in November?Them: What? Are you Australian?
Me: Nope, English. How are you doing?
Them: Wait, wait, wait. KIDS! COME HERE RIGHT NOW! Ok now listen to this guy’s accent. Go ahead. Talk.
Me: Ummm. Ok – hello everyone. I’m on the Obama campaign team just…
Them: Is he from Harry Potter?
Eventually we’d get to the politics bit and what became clear was that most of these people, and we’re talking African Americans and blue collar white working class people, were not that used to being talked to about their politics. Most were delighted to see us.
The outcome in Ohio and across the union is so uncertain but it will be parochial issues that determine the final verdict.
What’s clear is that the US is on a knife-edge. I came away depressed about the possible outcome. Black America – no problem. If they vote – they’re Obama all the way. But the blue collar vote has really crumbled because of massive disappointment and a feeling like the medicine just isn’t working. That demographic is hesitant, not knowing which way to turn.
As Bill Clinton said at the amazing rally we attended: ‘I’m a jobs guy’. America really needs a jobs guy right now. And a homes guy to deal with the crushing negative equity in poorer areas.
Obama’s campaign action plan message has kicked in very late well after the critical debates. What this campaign has to do is speak to absolutely everyone and, as we get into Halloween, scare the hell out of them. Make them vote, so that this Thanksgiving, we have something to be thankful for.
Simon Redfern is a Progress member and Labour party activist in Walthamstow. He tweets @simonredfern