AT 7am on the day of the US election, ex-SNP MP Anne McLaughlin and SNP councillor Graham Campbell boarded a bus full of Democrats in Washington DC.
It was one of five organised by the Woman's National Democratic Club that morning – a Washington DC-based political organisation – which then made the long journey to Johnstown, Pennsylvania in an attempt to Get Out The Vote (GOTV), a term used by US political campaigns to describe efforts to increase voter turnout, in this key swing state.
McLaughlin – who lost her Glasgow North East seat in the July general election – told the Sunday National that she and her partner Campbell made the trip stateside because “we felt we had to do something”.
She added: “The plan was really just to be here to soak it up and to enjoy Kamala winning. We did consider the question of if Donald Trump wins, it will spoil our holiday.
“[But] it’s not that the team we supported would lose, it’s the real fear about what will happen in the world with him in charge.”
Campbell – who represents Springburn/Robroyston on Glasgow City Council – said the couple also thought it would be a “historic time” to visit with the hope that Kamala would make history by becoming the first female US president.
The bus – packed with dozens of volunteers (below) – drove for three hours through rust-belt Pennsylvania before arriving in Johnstown, a typically deindustrialised part of the state that voted heavily for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, but where Democrats felt they could make inroads.
“The mood of those we rode with was definitely apprehensive,” Campbell said.
“Many of the younger ones had never canvassed before whilst older ones hadn’t done so since Bill Clinton or Barack Obama won. The urgency and to some extent fear of a Trump victory motivated them."
Washington DC leaning heavily Democrat, he said, also meant the volunteers felt it made sense to campaign where it might make a difference.
Campbell added: “They thought Kamala would win but that it was tight and that every vote they could mobilise in the Republican-leaning areas would help her win Pennsylvania state.”
Mclaughlin, meanwhile, said she noticed that Democrats were “visibly scared” throughout.
“All scared and talking about whether they could live in the US if Trump won. But still hopeful that Kamala would make it.”
In Johnstown itself, Campbell and McLaughlin knocked doors for four hours. The goal? “Reminding known voters to vote, impressing upon them how important their vote was and updating the central system,” McLaughlin explained.
In terms of whether the experience differed from campaigning in Scotland for a general election or a Holyrood election, McLaughlin said it was largely similar.
“The SNP use similar data-driven processes for marshalling party supporters to the polls,” she said.
“[But] campaigning in Glasgow, you know where the nearest loo is, your phone data doesn’t run out, you have your bearings.”
That being said, she added: “It was an incredible experience.”
Campbell said that some voters told them what had driven them to vote Harris, including that she would be both the first woman and first black or mixed-heritage women president.
“However, speaking to undecided voters, it was notable that – even amongst black voters – there was scepticism,” he said.
“Many demographic changes to this county of black and Latino incomers from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and even New York was down to the affordable local housing in what’s a pretty rundown town.”
After the long day, and as polls started to close, both McLaughlin and Campbell were told on the bus back to Washington DC to expect the result to come in several days and that it was going to be very close.
“Everyone thought it was on a knife edge so we left them cautiously optimistic,” McLaughlin said.
When they then woke up early the next morning to the news on the TV of Donald Trump’s impending win, it was one of shock.
“We were in a WhatsApp group with the coachload and for hours after the results, there was nothing,” she explained.
“Nobody said a thing.”
When someone eventually wrote in the group, it was a message communicating total despair.
Campbell wasn’t too surprised with the result, though.
“You can’t disagree with economic facts about the cost of living crisis here,” he said.
“Unfortunately, most voters totally ignored the political and moral facts about Trump’s reactionary, racist, misogynistic character, criminal nature and authoritarian rhetoric and instead focused on what they themselves felt about their own lives and facing real hardship.”
Campbell highlighted some of his observations, including how eating out for breakfast costs between $30-40 and that basic groceries cost $77 without any meat, poultry or even snacks.
“When you add rent, utilities and fuel for your car, you can see why people were discontent,” he said.
“Kamala’s programme offered nothing much to these working-class sections of the population. The Democrats will soon be busy blaming themselves for being too left-wing or radical - but that’d be getting the wrong end of the stick."
Campbell added: “This election was won and lost on 'the economy, stupid'. Bernie Sanders got it spot on – working-class America feels like it’s been abandoned by the Democrats.”
On the question of lessons learned for Scotland and, even, the SNP, Campbell said that, firstly, the idea something similar couldn’t happen is “misguided”.
He highlighted Reform UK getting 10% of the vote in Glasgow in July’s General Election with virtually zero ground campaign.
“With Labour pandering to their agenda they can only grow,” he said.
“Nigel Farage will take inspiration from Trump's success in getting even migrant communities to fear new refugees and migrants, so it’s a real threat to us.”
Campbell also took aim at the “wall-to-wall mainstream media coverage” parties like Reform get in the UK currently.
“If there’s a lesson to learn from the US media - don’t do what CNN, CBS, ABC and NBC did – giving fair coverage to right-wing propagandist commentators whilst right-wing networks like Fox News do the opposite," he said.
“The US is a clear example of how a repeatedly false narrative can become the truth in too many people’s eyes.”
