An Election Day Earthquake

An Election Day Earthquake

I’ve been phone banking and politicking for political candidates and causes for over 50 years.

From RFK in his US Senate & Presidential campaigns in New York State in 1964 & 1968; to my history teacher Mike Andrew’s try for State Legislature in 1970; to my own run for public office two years later; to Mario Cuomo’s gubernatorial campaigns in 1982,1986, 1990 and 1994; to the Presidential crusades of Jimmy Carter in 1976, Mondale/Ferraro in 1984, John Kerry in 2004, Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and Hillary Clinton in 2016, I’ve done just about every level of political task — big and small — to advance the people and policies in which I believe.

I’ve always preferred face-to-face contact, public speaking and message framing, and hated doing phone calling to prospective voters who didn’t want to be bothered. My dislike for cold-calling was baked into me since childhood when I witnessed my mother’s soul-withering experience of dialing-for-dollars, and customers, for the old Gimbels Department Store. She was paid $5 per “sales lead.”

Growing up, I could recite her practiced phone spiel to earn money from home, selling upholstery: “Hello. I’m Estelle Taradash (my mother’s non-Italian sounding phone name), and I’m calling to offer you a special this month on Gimbel’s re-upholstery of your most beloved…