11.01.2004
Fear Factory
Two points I wanted to make about my canvassing experience both have to do with fear.
1) Almost no one mentioned terrorism. This is SO not on the radar for people in the wards of Milwaukee I was canvassing. I think fear is a luxury. This is sort of Michael Moore's point in Bowling for Columbine. People who are better off are afraid because they're afraid they'll lose what they have. Poor people are too busy being anxious about the next paycheck to be fearful of terrorism.
2) People ARE afraid, some of them anyway, of their neighbors (or family members?) hearing them say out loud that they're voting for Kerry. Four different people (out of the 20 or so I talked to Saturday) whispered, smiled, gave a thumbs up, or otherwise indicated silently that they were voting for Kerry. It reminded me of the weeks and months after 9/11.
Further evidence that Bush & Co. are much, much scarier than "terrorism."
1) Almost no one mentioned terrorism. This is SO not on the radar for people in the wards of Milwaukee I was canvassing. I think fear is a luxury. This is sort of Michael Moore's point in Bowling for Columbine. People who are better off are afraid because they're afraid they'll lose what they have. Poor people are too busy being anxious about the next paycheck to be fearful of terrorism.
2) People ARE afraid, some of them anyway, of their neighbors (or family members?) hearing them say out loud that they're voting for Kerry. Four different people (out of the 20 or so I talked to Saturday) whispered, smiled, gave a thumbs up, or otherwise indicated silently that they were voting for Kerry. It reminded me of the weeks and months after 9/11.
Further evidence that Bush & Co. are much, much scarier than "terrorism."
