Canvassing during Major Events: UHC CEO Shooting
Solicit This does not condone physical violence or systemic violence. The United Healthcare CEO shooting was a major shock to the public and a big shift away from the frequent school shootings. People started sharing stories about being unable to afford health and having to make life-or-death decisions. While these types of stories flooded social media, people started to realize that their healthcare system wasn’t just killing them but everyone around them. People across several political identities (conservative, progressive, Republican, Democrat, etc) became aware of their shared struggles.
These major shocks aren’t only felt on social media but can be felt when you’re canvassing a neighborhood. When we knock on someone’s door, they don’t expect or know us personally, but when a major shock happens, people always want to talk about it. Some voters are emotional, while others are very blunt in their viewpoints, but everyone is looking to connect over a shared experience.
Some canvassers struggle to connect with voters about a shocking event, especially if it is a morally conflicting or grey area because they’re unsure what to say or what they should be saying.
Here are a few tips on phrases you can say at the door when a voter brings up a recent cultural event/shock that is morally ambiguous:
“Yeah, what happened to that CEO was really wild and shocking." Phrases like this show active listening while steering clear of condoning violence.
“I definitely don’t condone violence in any way.” Keep your wording vague and about yourself. Don’t speak for other people.
“Yeah, that was a really big deal. I’m interested to see what’s going to happen next.” Avoid leaning into whether something is good/bad or right/wrong.
To prepare your canvassers for the field after a shocking event, do some roleplay around connecting with the voter and pivoting back to your work. Failing to acknowledge major cultural shocks and returning to the field script is a missed connection with voters. Ignoring the voter’s bid for connection when they’re trying to talk about something culturally significant can be very demoralizing. When voters see a lack of authentic connection, they believe candidates/organizations aren’t here to listen but just want something from them.
