Back in 2018 I ran a voter identification survey to better understand what voters are thinking in the run-up to the general election. Several thousand people took the survey, but one emailed response stood out.
It was a note from a 91 year old widow in Salt Lake City named Joan. She declined to take the survey because she said her age and declining health made her opinion less relevant. I replied to Joan (I responded to all emails generated by every survey I sent out) and encouraged her to participate by phone, but she declined due to her poor hearing. She explained her frustration with the current state of the GOP, but also expressed her unwavering support for Mitt Romney. I asked her if she would mind if I passed this feedback along and she agreed.
The Romney campaign's response warmed my heart. The next afternoon, Joan, her daughters, son-in-law, grandkids, and her friendly little five pound Yorkshire Terrier (who Joan refered to as "Stella the Hella") got a surprise visit from Mitt. She reported that it was a wonderful visit and said that Mitt was "charming and comfortable to be with." She also said that "his newspaper photos do not do him justice."
There were no reporters, no publicity, the Romney campaign didn't even post about this on social media. The only photo (attached) was snapped by a friend of mine on the campaign to show me how it went. The next morning Joan sent me this note:
"[Romney's] visit was certainly one of the highlights of my life and the lives of all who were present. I wish everyone could have such a personal meeting. Couldn't help but love him."
I've done many things in Utah politics, but this was by far the one I'm most proud of. In American politics (especially in Utah with its "caucus system") it's easy for political operatives to become disconnected from the people behind the ballots. Mitt Romney and Joan Haskins reminded me that politics is about human connections, not polls and social media likes. It's a lesson I will never forget.