Door-knocking. A political season tradition that seems to be having issues. In Chester County, PA it’s run off of the rails.
Recently a woman in Malvern asked if it was OK that a political door-knocker actually at least partially entered her home. The answer is a simple and emphatic “NO.” And then there was the person who found a political door knocker in their mudroom handling their package. Mind you, this person didn’t ask for help, and the door knocker was a stranger. Not a neighbor, not a friend, not an acquaintance, a stranger who seemed to have serious boundary issues.
Door knockers CAN’T just open people’s doors and decide to leave their crap inside. That is actually TRESPASSING since the have NOT been invited in. There is no “oh they didn’t mean any harm” of it all, it creates issues for all door knockers no matter what political persuasion.
The job of a door knocker is to spread the word…in a neighborly fashion. Not imitate the obnoxiousness of door to door window salesmen from Anderson Renewal or Whitetail Disposal or the annual fly by night driveway resealers/repavers.
If someone doesn’t come to the door, it DOES NOT mean peek in all the windows and crush the plantings. It DOES NOT mean knock louder or incessantly ring the bell. And if someone asks did you not see the no trespassing sign, that is NOT license for arguing that you aren’t selling anything, because technically if you want to play Captain Semantic, you are indeed trying to sell someone a politician.
It does not matter what political party, basic decorum is kind of non-negotiable.
If people don’t want to talk to a door knocker, move onto the next house. Don’t enter their homes even to open a door, don’t peer in the windows, just move on. If they have “No Solicitng” just skip it altogether.
I am going to say that sadly it is being said the door knockers and candidates who are being odd this year are Republicans. So what is the Republican Committee of Chester County doing about this? There is a new chair. So many questions about him, although on a personal level I find him so nice a man.
And a special note to State Representative candidate Gail Newman because she is the, shall we say, most vigorous door knocker of them all? Gail, learn the word no. You are more of a stalker than political candidate.
Thanks for stopping by.
Unfortunately people don’t know the difference between Soliciting and Protected Free Speech (aka door knocking or political canvassing).
But I get your point about aggressive door knocking. I attribute this to lack of training. Republicans in Chester County never used to have to fight to win their races. As these campaigns became more competitive Republicans have realized they need to do the work to persuade voters. Maybe their new chair will get your message and provide their candidates and volunteers with some good training. Thanks for raising the concern
My point is even with protected free speech, if someone says “no thank you I’m not interested“ or whatever the case may be and the clear intent is “I don’t want to listen to you please leave my property,” these people aren’t paying attention to that. Which then presents an issue because maybe free-speech is protected, but if someone asks you to leave their property or does not give you permission to be on their private property in the first place, that’s trespassing etc. I don’t hold out much hope for the new chair although a very nice man I don’t think he has the spine to get them in line with reality.