What Would You Do?

I had an interesting text exchange this week while phone-banking:

Me: Hello! My name is Ali Rabe, a candidate for State Senate in District 17, and I’m reaching out to make sure to request your ballot before May 19th. Do you have any questions for me on how to do that?

Them: Move to California! We don’t need you! Trump 2020!!!

Me: I'm sorry you feel that way but I was born and raised here in Idaho. Even though you support Trump I hope you will consider supporting local folks for local offices. Do you have any questions for me?

Them: I know your local. All that schooling must have warped your judgement. Might fit in better with California. Stop trying to turn our state into garbage with your beliefs. I will be supporting my local Republican’s who believe in Idaho’s history and independence.

Me: …….

....How would you respond to this?

As someone who was born and raised in Idaho and loves this state (who else was born at St. Luke’s hospital!?), who dedicates my days and nights to bettering our community, I have received more than one request to “move to California” from my neighbors who say they identify as Republican and/or support Trump. People have told me I don’t represent “Idaho’s values” and that I am “ruining Idaho.”

I’ll be honest - as a first-time candidate I am growing a thicker skin, but this hurts. I would like these people to understand how I dedicate an enormous amount of hours to preventing eviction and homelessness from happening to our neighbors and community. I want to tell them that, although I will always stand by my progressive values, I have lived through their frustrations about our federal government’s ineffectiveness and inefficiencies when I worked for the Department of Homeland Security, which is partially why I'm so excited about making a difference in local politics. I want to explain my belief that we as Democrats are often incorrectly pegged as believing in “big government” and a government which takes away from people’s basic independence and ability to make their own decisions, while I identify as a Democrat for just the opposite reason - to stand up for a better, more effective government which is focused on serving the people and their ability to have a good life with their basic needs fulfilled and basic human and civil rights protected.

Four years after the 2016 election shocked us all, I am still confused by how divisive politics are. 2020 will likely continue to divide us. But isn’t it our duty as local candidates to engage those folks in discussion? To educate them about what your values truly are? How can you reach across the line between red and blue and have a civil discussion with folks who are so inflamed and frustrated by their lives and the government? How can you overcome the messaging people get about Democrats from biased, often fake news sources?

I would welcome your comments and discussion on this critical issue in this very important election year - let me know what you think!