Andrew lives with his wife, their 11-year-old son, a chocolate lab, and “what is arguably the worst cat in the greater Chapel Hill area.” He works as an enterprise architect for a financial services company, specializing in architecture governance and standards.
He is a part of FLIP NC’s Social Voter Program, tracking the many productive conversations he is having with friends, relatives, and acquaintances around voting in North Carolina this fall. Voter outreach isn’t just about talking to strangers! Read this interview with Andrew, and then sign up for our next Social Voter Program information session on Saturday, Oct. 3 at noon.
How did you find out about FLIP NC?
Before the 2016 election, my wife had become very active with Moms Demand Action, and she traveled to Washington for the Women’s March after Donald Trump’s inauguration. I didn’t go to that event with her, but I attended the march here in Raleigh on the same day. I’ve always tried to be politically aware, but I don’t think I was honestly activated until I attended that event. As a family, we decided that we would give our time, energy, and money to organizations that were organizing for the change we wanted to see around us. For me that meant voting – specifically channeling the feeling that “there are more of us than there are of them, how could this have happened, and how can I help make sure it never happens again?” into something useful. I found FLIP NC as I did my research into the organizations I wanted to support for the 2018 and 2020 elections.
How many times have you volunteered with FLIP NC? And in what capacity?
I’ve been using the Empower app [part of FLIP NC’s Social Voter Program] on a regular basis and as a foundation for having discussions about voting with like-minded friends and neighbors. Y'all did a fine job with that app. I'll also be calling voters with FLIP NC until election day. I also try to provide what signal boost I can to FLIP NC's messages on Twitter.
What has surprised you most about our voter outreach?
For me, I continue to be surprised when I talk to someone about voting Democratic from the top to the bottom of the ticket this year, and I get a strong agreement from folks. But when I pivot from “you have to make sure you’re registered, that you have a plan, and that you actually vote” to “you need to tap into your own friends and neighbors and make sure they are registered, that they have a plan, and that they follow through on that plan,” folks still seem to be unsure about the actions or commitment of the people in their social circles. But the times when someone agrees to the importance of engagement and starts to talk about who they'll talk to and how, boy, that’s a good feeling.
If you've participated in other voter outreach efforts, how are FLIP NC's different?
Everything is different this year, what with it being the “inside times.” We’re not out knocking on doors like we were in 2018. We’re not out regularly with friends and family. But specifically, what is different about FLIP NC is you’re not trying to convert voters, but to leverage your own credibility with like-minded people who you know to build a mutual web of accountability. That’s the part that I really like. I’m not just asking you to do something. I’m renewing my own commitment at the same time.
What's your top tip for someone who is new to voter outreach?
Besides just getting started? I think being able to improvise makes a huge difference. I think there are lots of folks that are out there giving their time, phone and text banking, and they’re utilizing the scripts they’re provided the best they can. But to be able to improvise in the moment really turns contacts to engagements for me. Do I do it perfectly? No way. But I'm not sure being perfect is the point.
What is really motivating you to get involved? Obviously, you want to FLIP NC, but tell us a bit about the "why."
The cruelty. The soul-crushing dishonesty. The lack of accountability. The insincerity. I know that people have been hurt by the president on a national level and by the NC GOP locally. I know that if they win again, if there aren’t democratic consequences – in the form of being removed from their offices for their actions – that hurt will be amplified and expanded in a way I can’t accept or in some ways even imagine. But truth be told, I probably lacked the imagination to see things getting as bad as they have already.
How are you feeling about the 2020 election? Optimistic?
I guess I wouldn’t be doing this if optimism wasn’t a currency that I like to trade in, but it doesn’t feel like optimism. I’m tired of everything in this country being “unprecedented.” I’m ready for some blissfully normal, boring old “precedented” times. At the same time, I know that’s not the answer unto itself either. This country and state have more work to do, not to mention trying to undo the damage and putting the wheels back on things.
Other than politics, what’s a passion of yours?
Cooking, central Texas barbecue, pizza, running slowly for long distances, and making $15 cocktails at home. Wait. What am I saying? It’s 2020; every passion of mine is an at-home passion now.
Who do you admire in politics? Why?
Locally? State Representative Christy Clark for her work with Moms Demand Action. State Senator Jeff Jackson for the clarity of communication during the pandemic. [Founder of Moms Demand Action] Shannon Watts for being a bad ass. The Reverend William Barber for his dedication to the social safety net and equity. Senators Michael Bennet and Elizabeth Warren – the first for being soft-spoken but thoughtful and the second for being thoughtful and fearless. Barack Obama, obviously.
What would you say to someone who is feeling totally dejected by our current state of politics? And how do you stay in the fight?
I think that dejected and hopeless feeling is the intent. I get it – me too. Sorry; you must vote, or you’re going to feel a helluva lot worse.