This article on the return of door-knocking is particularly enraging since the evidence we have shows it's not an effective tactic for voter persuasion in either House or Senate campaigns. It just annoys people and potentially puts them at risk. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/14/down-ballot-democrats-canvassing-414715

There's this fantasy of canvassing as an in-depth way to connect with voters and have meaningful dialogue on important issues on their doorstop. Everyone who's done it has a story of a life-(or at least vote-) changing conversation with a stranger. But we need real talk here.

It's incredibly annoying to have a stranger knock on your door and read from a script. It's trebly annoying in a pandemic year, no matter what precautions they follow. Approximately 0.0% of US voters in 2020 want to have a conversation with an interrupting stranger about politics

There are situations when we know this tactic can work: when the people involved know each other, when it's a highly mobilizing ballot initiative, or when it's done to get out the vote in the closing days of an election. Otherwise sic your dogs on door knockers with a clear heart

The reason canvassing and phone banking are the indestructible tools of modern politics, despite much evidence showing their uselessness, is because they are highly quantifiable make-work for volunteers. Somehow telemarketing is supposed to become magical when it's about politics

I'll restate just so I'm clear that I'm ranting here about Federal campaigns, and canvassing or phone banking done by strangers in an attempt to persuade voters. This rant not valid for other situations. Other rants may apply.

Here's a 2017 study on how political door knocking and phone banking are useless. Share it with whatever strangers call you or come to your door in the next 50 days. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3042867