A Katy Perry marching band?
I must be in the right place.
As Wein notes, theres a big Puerto Rican population there.
D.J. Lehrhaupt/Queers for Kamala
Hes expecting it to be a good trip.
Were three days out from Election Day.
No one is getting cocky.
But its clear theyre feeling good, and theyre also feeling other emotions.
Its also about trans rights.
The organization is completely volunteer-based, with the Harris-Walz campaign sending the buses.
(He also decided the green bus idea wasnt where he needed to put his energy.)
Were still having similar conversations.
And I see that happening with young people to this day.
His schedule is daunting, his enthusiasm is indefatigable, and his resolve is unbreakable.
I know whats at stake.
Lets just be clear about that.
Theyre quite clear about the fact that they want to shame us back into the closet.
We have come too far.
What were battling is an attempt at erasure from society and from the government.
Thats what were up against.
In one office, there are posters for the JFK and Jimmy Carter campaigns.
A message on a whiteboard says, There are 3 days until election day, Nov 5, 2024.
Underneath it is a paper addendum: We Can Sleep When Were Dead.
But I told her, you shouldnt be afraid for me in terms of going in canvassing.
Its a right of Americans, its democratic, says Benk, looking at her partner.
This is her first time doing this sort of thing, she says.
I didnt think I gave enough.
I gave little bits of money, but I felt like, I have to do something.
Things have started to change, but were not going back.
And Kamala Harris will stand up for me.
Melendez gazes at her lovingly, smiles.
And then haltingly adds, And they callPuerto Ricoa pile of garbage.
I am from Puerto Rico, its very dear to my heart.
She starts to speak louder and more assuredly.
Everybody has been appalled.
Its been a tough few months.
Shes been volunteering at Planned Parenthood since she was in high school.
We cant afford to be single-issue voters, she notes, as everything is on the line.
Theres two candidates in this election.
One of them has a plan, and thats Kamala Harris.
And another one has a concept of a plan, and thats Donald Trump.
And I think for me, the choice could not be clearer.
This will be Hariris first time knocking on doors.
But just being here is a sign she isnt giving up.
There are shared anxieties among young people as we look at the future.
And hopefully today, as we go knock on doors, we will attempt to find that within people.
It can be hard to find, but its there.
Tom Walz, 38, isnt technicallyTim Walzs nephew, even though thats how Wein introduces him.
Theyre more like distant cousins.
Minnesota is a nice place.
And the politics of nice take on a lot of different manifestations.
And so I grew up in a household of Democrats.
I dont know if I can say the same about the party under Donald Trump.
THE FIRST TIME Cruz and Sanchez OShea knock on a door today, its a swing and a miss.
She was 92, and she says shes not going to vote.
I asked her if we could change her mind, and she said nope, says Cruz.
No one answers at the next five houses they knock on.
Its a beautiful day, after all, and the Ohio-Penn game is on.
(Though mail-in ballots are available, Pennsylvania does not have early in-person voting.)
Im fine, says an older man who then shuts the door.
Three rejections in a row would ding the confidence of anyone, but Cruz still radiates positivity.
However, he does allow that I wish I was talking to more Puerto Ricans.
(Cruz is of Puerto Rican descent.)
We voted, replies a couple before Sanchez OShea can finish his question.
The next house they knock on, a young girl answers.
They move on to the next house.
We just want to see if you had a plan to vote on Tuesday, asks Cruz.
I do, replies the woman.
Her elementary school-age daughters quickly come out of the house to say hello.
Im voting for them, and bringing them with me.
Wein notes thats the last one they have.
Cruz and Sanchez OShea are beaming ear to ear.
The sign on the next house reads, Welcome To The Shit Show.
Hope You Brought Alcohol.
They knock, and a voice from the buzzer tells them to leave the package at the doorstep.
They shrug and move on.
We walk by a house with a sign stating, Even My Dog Is Voting For Trump.
Cruz says, Lets skip that one.
Shell be bringing everyone in the house with her.
His next few days are packed.
Theres a rally tonight and a karaoke party in Philadelphia.
It could be Taylor Swift, its posited.
It would be a way for her to make history, Wein offers.
Or maybe Bad Bunny will show up.
If that happens, I would shit myself, Cruz offers.
Hell hardly have a moment to himself in the next three days, but its fine.
Its been like this for most of the summer.
Fear is a motivator.
I dont want to lose my country, and I dont want to lose this election, he says.
Ive been telling people its going to take all of us.
This is literally an all-hands-on-deck moment, and Im just adding my hands.
Theres a fire in the house.
Its a loud, boisterous Puerto Rican celebration of our right to vote, he explains.
This was an unexpected encounter, but shes more than willing to get some thoughts off her chest.
She smiles and then gets a steely look in her eyes.
When I came here to Pennsylvania, I was wondering, is it going to be the same enthusiasm?
And it was tenfold.
I was shocked, I was so happily shocked.
The reason why the spotlight is on us right now is because we dont take it sitting down.
It is not in our DNA.
He picked on the wrong people and hes feeling the heat, she says.
His whole campaign is feeling the heat.
Right now, his rhetoric has ramped up because hes feeling very, very desperate.
I really think that the tide has turned, and it has turned in favor of Kamala Harris.
As opposed to someone who laughs at us, who has shown us exactly what he thinks of us.
BACK AT THE FIELD OFFICE, everyone is grabbing pizza and sodas after a long day.
Some look absolutely exhausted, others are chatting with their fellow volunteers.
One person initiates a pro-Harris call and response chant, as often happens in these sorts of places.
I think there was a sense of, we dont really want to hear this anymore.
And were so ready for change.
And theres faith in Harris and fighting for what matters to folks.
And I was really glad to hear that.
We knocked on the door.
We noticed that her husband was a registered independent, and she was a registered Democrat, he says.
When we knocked on the door she smiled broadly.
And said, Oh, no, weve decided as a couple.
Were voting for Trump.
But she gave us a little wink and we went on our way.
Like Tim Walz, he has an open face and a voice that easily swells with emotion.
He points out that once youve won political capital, you burn it to make peoples lives better.
Thats Tims philosophy, and hes done it for the community in Minnesota.
I think he would do so as Vice President.
They want to double-check that they did everything possible to have an impact in this election, he says.
I think many of us were complacent.
We have learned that lesson, and were not going to be making the same mistake again.
