Just before her 90th birthday, retired executive secretary Doris Haddock took a 14-month walk across the country to agitate on behalf of campaign finance reform. Neither arthritis, nor emphysema, nor American apathy could stop the populist activism of the woman who came to be known as Granny D. Three years later, she’s as fiesty as ever, continuing her travels, this time to get out the working woman’s vote. After a recent stop at Harvard, she took some time to tell FM about the sexy Swing State Project, getting arrested on Capitol Hill and being Woody Harrelson’s smoking buddy.
1. When did you start becoming politically active and what inspired you?
In 1960, I became active in an effort to save an Inuit (Eskimo) village from being destroyed by hydrogen bomb tests. We organized contact with the House and Senate and slowed it down. When Kennedy signed the atmospheric test ban treaty with Khrushchev, that killed it.
2. You are walking across the country to register working women to vote. Where did that idea come from?
I’m not walking all the way this time. Last time I walked 3,200 miles, but it took me 14 months. This time I’ve got 13 months (before the election) and have 15,000 miles to cover. I find that if you make a real effort, people give you the time of day and will listen to your message. Political leadership, even at my modest level, is about sacrifice.
3. As a “D,” whose music do you prefer: Tenacious D, Dee Snider or Dee Dee Ramone?
I don’t know these groups. Wasn’t there a D-posh Mode, or something? I like D Boston Pops.
4. Are you actually a grandmother or is “Granny” just an honorific?
I am a grandmother and 17 times a great-grandmother.
5. How do you choose your tour routes?
I took a nighttime satellite image off the Internet that shows all the lights in the metro areas of North America and the strands between them where towns are strung along. I used that so I won’t be walking (and being driven) in too many areas where there aren’t lots of potential voters. My plan assumes that potential voters had their lights on that night.
6. During your last protest, you were arrested for reading “The Declaration of Independence” in the Capitol building. Judge Hamilton threw out the case and gave you a hug. Is Judge Hamilton cute?
He is a tall and dignified African-American man who looks like an actor you would cast for the part of a Washington, D.C. judge. After he complimented us for our brave action and let us out of jail, I thought he looked not only cute but very wise. I was arrested after that for another action in the Capitol, and I certainly asked for Judge Hamilton, but they don’t do it that way.
7. How would you repair the American Government’s rift with France?
Politics is just people. We should send them a nice note with some roses and tell them that they were right about everything, and how could we have been so stupid? They will invite us over for champagne and all will be wonderful between us again.
8. Did Forrest Gump’s run across the country in Forrest Gump influence your protest style?
I admit that I looked a little clueless at times, and I am known for eating chocolate. But before you dismiss me entirely, understand that I met with many newspapers along my path, many of whom thereafter changed their tune to support the passage of campaign finance reform. Also, in the last miles, several thousand people were walking with me into Washington, including several dozen members of Congress, and we had lots of “Good Morning America” and NPR stories to raise the profile of the reform bill as it hit Congress. Gump had none of that. None.
9. Who’s your pick for president?
I do have an opinion, but if I say it out loud, people will think I am walking for that person’s campaign. I just want to get to those who have not been voting and tell them to study the issues and the candidates and to make up their own minds and vote. They don’t need me telling them whom to vote for.
10. All of your walking must put you in pretty good shape. Could you take any of the candidates for the Democratic nomination for president in a fight? Al Sharpton perhaps?
I think I could outwalk or ski any of them after a few weeks.
11. In light of your policies on getting working women more involved in the political process, what do you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s groping working women policies?
Powergrabs seem to run in his family.
12. What are the Working Women Vote Road Crew parties like?
You will think that we have our Ensure cocktails, but we really do have fun. I like a little whiskey and the boys smoke. I had Woody Harrelson with me once and he smoked indeed.
13. Who is the most interesting person you have met because of your political activity?
Ross Perot was very interesting. He was surrounded by his people. He offered me carte blanche, anything he could do for us, anything at all. I couldn’t think of a thing. I could kick myself sometimes. I have become good friends with Molly Ivins and Jim Hightower and they are marvelously funny and interesting. Molly and some of us went for a drink to The Good Life on Mass. Ave.var after her speech last week, and she is so wonderful to be around.
14. If you could change one thing about the American government, what would it be?
The American Government.
15. Is “The Swing State Project” as sexy as it sounds?
It may or may not be. It can go either way.
Seriously, you should tell your readers to sign up there if they want to take a road trip and influence the election, or go to GrannyD.com if they want to help on my trek.
