We were sent by the campaign to Jackson, Michigan, a blue-collar, very depressed city, once dependent on the automotive industry in Detroit but at that time suffering unemployment and foreclosures after the first year of the recession. We were welcomed to the town by a sign that said "Birthplace of the Republican Party." Oops.



The first thing I noticed was that the campaign's canvassing sheets were a bit unusual, and the quick training we received on the spot surprised me. In addition to the usual 1s, 2s, and 3s, or plus/minus system I'd encountered canvassing for campaigns over the years, there was an additional set of parameters to mark off at the bottom. These had to do with noting any instances of remarks regarding the candidate's race or religion we encountered. I was a little shocked, but off we went with our routes and lists.



And, indeed, we encountered some very vocal, specific and overt instances of racism and religious remarks (e.g. "I wouldn't vote for that filthy n**** if you paid me," "I won't vote for a Muslim (followed by screaming)," etc.). I'm not saying this was the norm at alljust a few people who were extremely open in their hostility, plus several others whose silence told us they thought these things but weren't going to say it out loud. (One elderly couple simply old us, smirking, that they didn't vote; it was clearly a lie.) And of course we spoke with more people than not who were interested and said they were going to try to vote, though their condition didn't assure us that they would be able to make good on those promises.



In the end, we won Jackson, Michigan, which kind of shocked me. But I can tell you that there was a small but noticeable percentage whose outlooks were based on pure racism. It was a real learning experience.







