Volunteers walk to get vote out

Faithful take the message door-to-door

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press November 4, 2000.

By LISA WAHLA
Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE - With missionary-like zeal, they descend upon Valley neighborhoods every election season to spread their gospels and rally the faithful.

But rather than preaching eternal salvation, the door-to-door volunteers deliver a message that is politically inspired. Armed with door hangers, buttons, stickers and pamphlets, Republican and Democrat die-hards attempt to spread their enthusiasm with the registered voter masses.

They are the precinct walkers - and on a recent Saturday, they struck many of Palmdale's 51 precincts.

As ubiquitous as campaign signs and campaign promises, the partisan emissaries come in all shapes, sizes, ages and races. Describing themselves alternately as average folk and "political messengers," they share a common goal: getting out the vote.

For Republican Randy Hall, his first contact with politics came through a precinct walker when Hall was a teenager in Lancaster shortly after the city's incorporation.

"Tim Hayes was running for Lancaster City Council and he was out walking the precincts," said Hall, now the chair of the 36th Assembly District Republican Central Committee. "That made an impression on me, that politics is a lot of work."

It is a lot of work - the kind of work that some activists view as almost as important as signing up voters and collecting endorsements.

Democrat Sandy Corrales understands the importance all too well. Last year her bid for the Palmdale City Council fell 97 votes shy of Republican Kevin Carney, who later resigned his seat after being charged with child molestation.

"Just one day of precinct walking," Corrales said wistfully before sending off about two dozen Democrat walkers from a Saturday rally at the home of Alan Lee, a fellow Palmdale City Council candidate.

The Democrat and Republican walkers shared a similar excitement and devotion to their partisan causes, along with a willingness to put their shoe soles where their mouths are.

The similarities stop there, however.

The Republicans operated out of their clean, bright headquarters on Palmdale Boulevard with an organized efficiency that underscores their longstanding activism. They arrived around 7 a.m., quickly grabbed doughnuts and socialized briefly before picking up their precinct maps and voter lists and hopping into cars. By 8, they were on the road and headquarters was fairly quiet again.

Stationed in one of the headquarters' offices was Linda Gray, who had been busy since 6:45 that morning stuffing 70 to 80 plastic bags with door hangers, bumper stickers, stickers and buttons. She also organized the precinct maps and lists, highlighting the registered Republicans, Independents and those who declined to state their party.

The Democrats, meanwhile, met around 10 a.m. and listened to an inspiring pep talk by Antelope Valley Democrat Club Treasurer Robert Davenport. Davenport was followed by council candidate Lee, who serves as president of the AV Democrat Club. Candidate Corrales and Democratic Club of the High Desert President Robert Alvarado also attended the rally.

The Republicans, perhaps secure in their position in local government, focused on the presidential election, while the Democrats narrowed their sights on the Palmdale City Council and the defeat of Measure T. The No on T campaign is opposed to construction of a new Wal-Mart on the east side of Palmdale.

After the mini-rally, the Democrats split off into small groups to spread their political plank around Palmdale.

Davenport and Alvarado took a neighborhood off Lake Elizabeth Road and knocked on the door of each registered Democratic household. If the door was opened, the two would introduce themselves and encourage the resident to elect Corrales and Lee, "two highly qualified candidates," and to oppose Measure T.

Alvarado and Davenport stressed the Democrat majority in Palmdale and urged the voters to elect Democrats to the all-Republican City Council. Davenport also made an issue of the schism in Valley Republican politics, with the ongoing disagreements between the conservatives and the moderates over social issues.

"They're so busy infighting, they're not serving the people anymore," Davenport said. "There's (Palmdale Mayor) Jim (Ledford)'s boys, and (Assemblyman) George (Runner)'s boys, and nothing's getting done in the city."

Their audience was supportive, no surprise considering their affiliation. Alvarado and Davenport encouraged those who were most ardent to put up yard signs.

"I'm sure not voting Republican - I've been enjoying too much prosperity to put a Republican back in office," said resident W.C. Session III, who expressed interest in putting up an Alan Lee yard sign. "It's time (to elect Democrats to the City Council). We need representation."

Not all homes provided such easy sells. At one, the voter asked Davenport why he should oppose Measure T. After Davenport explained the party's position, he still seemed doubtful and said he'd have to think through the issue.

"I'm a registered Democrat but an independent thinker," said the voter, demonstrating the party's diversity but also one of its obstacles.

Many Democrat and Republican precinct walkers said this election is the first to motivate them to volunteer, citing the candidates or the timing.

"I've seen what I perceive as an erosion of personal freedoms at a pivotal time in history," said Quartz Hill resident Richard Peckham, a first-time Republican precinct walker. "I want to see people retain more freedom and slow the federal government down."

For 25-year-old Palmdale resident Damon Peters, it's the man running on the GOP ticket that influenced him to volunteer.

Recalling 1996 Republican candidate Bob Dole, Peters said, "Dole was a qualified candidate, very experienced, but Bush is exciting. He's very inspiring. He's got a vision."

The Texas governor also drew the support of 9-year-olds Christian Hoover and Brandon Vanderberg, who ran from house to house in an east Palmdale neighborhood.

Why would Brandon vote for Bush, if he could vote? "He's a Christian and he'll probably change our nation, make it better than it is," Brandon said, distributing "Seven reasons to vote for Bush" door hangers.

Another nonvoting volunteer was Michael Scheckwitz, a 17year-old senior at Highland High School. He said he became "very passionate" about the Bush campaign after watching the first debate. After the debate, he registered to help out over the Internet on the Bush Web site, part of a burgeoning "Internet activism," according to Republican leader Hall.

"It's a lot of fun," Scheckwitz said. "I feel I can have more of an effect this way than one vote would."