何毓琦的个人博客分享 http://blog.sciencenet.cn/u/何毓琦 哈佛(1961-2001) 清华(2001-date)

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A glimpse into the US Campaign and Election

已有 4330 次阅读 2020-9-14 08:59 |个人分类:生活点滴|系统分类:海外观察

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A glimpse into the US Campaign and Election

This year of 2020, the US presidential election will be a big event. Both the Democratic and the Republican party are doing everything they can to persuade voters.

Both my wife and I are registered Democrats and Massachusetts is a strong democratic state. Thus, you may conclude that besides contributing to the campaign fund, your vote does not matter. Not true! Your effort can actually influence vote elsewhere. Ever since we started voting, my wife have been helping the party in one specific way. For each seven dollars you give to the party, you can purchase 20 post-paid postcards and a list of 20 names and addresses of active voters from other states (often called swing states since they may turn democratic or republican depending on the election and issues involved). You then personally by hand address the cards as well as write a handwritten message urge the recipients to register to vote and vote for a particular candidate. The hand written part is crucial for otherwise the recipient will consider the card as junk mail  and throw it away without reading. The fact that someone (a stranger) will take the time and effort to hand address and write a personal message often can influence an undecided voter. Thus every four years my wife will write at least one hundred such cards for the Democratic party. Some of our Chinese American friends think this is a total waste of time and money. Others are afraid that your name will be on a black list of some government agency such as the FBI. So, besides belief, why do you do it? I can tell you at least one benefit that may not be obvious. When my wife calls up the local party office or Congressman they know who she is because of the many years of devoted efforts such as this. They can attend to her reasonable requests! Example: years ago, a friend needs to move the date of his naturalization ceremony so that he can get his US passport in time for international travel. A call to the local congressman’s office immediately got this seeming impossible task done. That is called constituent service! (Note she is not asking a privilege for herself but for a legitmate convenience for a potential future U.S. citizen. Everything are transparent and legal and not corrupt politcal practice. Her role is simply that of an expeditor who can make things happen.)




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