For activists, blue and red, election day is a transition point, not an end
Aaron McCall was sure Hillary Clinton was going to win the Presidency in 2016. When it turned out he was wrong — and Clinton lost to President Donald Trump — McCall decided it was time to get involved.
For John Berry, who has pushed for conservative ideals since 2012, Trump’s election meant there was something worth fighting for.
While both men fall on different sides of the political spectrum, their work over the past two years culminates today, Tuesday, Nov. 6, as voters head to the polls to cast ballots for local, state and federal offices as well as several statewide propositions.
McCall, of Costa Mesa, is chairman of Indivisible OC48, an Orange County chapter of the national Indivisible movement that cropped up following Trump’s election. The chapter has been focused on flipping the 48th Congressional District long held by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, but others have pushed for progressive candidates throughout the country.
Berry, of Redlands, is an activist with the Redlands Tea Party Patriots, which formed in 2009 following President Barack Obama’s inauguration.
The tea party has been involved in every election since, and this year they have been pushing Prop. 6, which aims to repeal the state’s controversial gas tax and vehicle registration fees.
Blue feet
McCall was studying abroad for his Ph.D., while the British were debating their exit from the European Union, or Brexit. At that time, McCall said he was told there would be no funding available for foreign students, so he returned home to Costa Mesa — the day before the California primary.
McCall cast a vote for Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Senator from Vermont who was running against Clinton and Trump. When Sanders didn’t make it through the primary, McCall shifted his support to Clinton.
When she lost, he said, “I went into this spiral where I was always on the internet, looking for some rule or loophole, or the one petition that said we had to re-vote. I was trying to find the solution to undue what this problem was, and really couldn’t find it.”
McCall, like thousands of men, participated in the Women’s March in Los Angeles, but that wasn’t enough. Then he saw a TV interview with liberal writer Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, founders of the Indivisible movement, and McCall’s involvement in Indivisible was launched.
McCall took over the chapter’s leadership early this year, firmly believing his group could prevent Rohrabacher’s re-election.
In the beginning, he said, many who shared his beliefs didn’t share his faith that they could oust the long-time incumbent, as people told him “there’s no way we can win.”
But McCall believed — and still believes — otherwise.
“Everyone’s angry about Donald Trump,” he said. “We can do something here.”
And, for 80 weeks, they tried. McColl led weekly protests outside Rohrabacher’s office, demanding that he hold a town hall with constituents.
The Indivisible chapter eventually hosted a four-part congressional debate series, created voter support scorecards for the candidates, held rallies, and canvassed neighborhoods of the 48th District.
Ultimately, both the Orange County Indivisible chapter and the national Indivisible organization endorsed Rohrabacher’s Democratic challenger, Harley Rouda.
In the days leading up to the election, Indivisible members have been making calls, sending texts and going door to door. On Election Day, they’ll provide voters free rides to the polls.
There are nearly 10 percent more registered Republicans in the district, which spans from Seal Beach to Laguna Beach. But many forecasters, including FiveThirtyEight and the New York Times, list Rouda as a slight favorite going into today’s vote.
McCall believes it’s the ground work of Indivisible members that made this race competitive.
“We have to vote,” McCall said. “We have to turn out. That’s how we win.”
Red feet
Berry’s activism dates back to 2011, while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army reservist.
He was watching the policies of the Obama administration and Gov. Jerry Brown in California play out, and didn’t like what he was seeing.
“The pit that Jerry Brown turned the state into, or the liberal cesspool, and the damage that Obama did to the military and the country and how it made us less safe, I said ‘When I become a civilian again, I’m going to become an activist and make our state and country a better place,’” Berry said.
“I wanted to make it safer for my son. And I wanted my son to have more opportunities.”
Since then, Berry and tea party members have been holding rallies, weekly meetings — sometimes bringing in high-profile conservative speakers — and leaving voter guides on thousands of doorsteps.
While the years of activism paid off in 2016 when Trump was elected President, Berry remains concerned, particularly about California’s direction.
In this election, Prop. 6 is the conservative catnip, Berry said. The challenge, however, is getting a “yes” vote.
Repeal supporters, Berry included, have been critical of Attorney General Xavier Becerra for the proposition’s title on the ballot — “Eliminates Certain Road Repair and Transportation Funding” — saying that label misleads voters. Those who support the tax say it will generate billions in revenue for road and infrastructure improvements.
“As an activist it really makes us have to work that much harder for what should be a political no brainer,” Berry said.
“We’re not taking it lying down, but as soon as you educate someone on ‘Yes on 6,’ they want to vote for it.”
In recent weeks, Berry and tea party volunteers have been going door-to-door, talking with voters about Prop 6 and the candidates who support it.
Barry said his group initially planned to give out 12,000 voter guides; but they wound up distributing 50,000. They’ve also broadened their canvassing effort to include communities outside of Redlands, such as Mentone, Loma Linda, San Bernardino and Rancho Cucamonga.
“We had so many volunteers coming to me wanting to canvass in their communities,” he said. “I got the data for them and materials and they went out and did it. That’s a reflection of the determination.
“I think we’re going to have a huge impact.”
What comes after
Whether Indivisible sees victories or not, McCall said his organization’s plan is the same — to keep holding elected officials accountable to voters.
“Whatever happens, where we’re going to… protect our coastlines… our healthcare, and our rights,” McCall said.
Berry, too, says election day is a pause, not a stopping point.
“You just never give up.”