Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/14

Happy Indigenous People's Day!

Hi, all, and happy Monday!

It’s a holiday, so this will be a truncated newsletter. Happy Indigenous People’s Day to you and yours!

I hope you had a good weekend doing GOTV work. I know I did! I went up and canvassed for George Whitesides in Palmdale with my old friend Nadine; we had a great time! It was very hot, and we were quite exhausted by the time we were done, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat—and I will!

Of all the conversations we had, the most fascinating was with a middle-aged woman who wasn’t even the voter we sought. She was, in fact, a registered Republican, and told us that she would be voting for Kamala Harris—yay!—but also for Republicans down the ballot. When I asked her why, she sheepishly admitted that it was because she didn’t want anyone taking away her guns. I told her that Democrats only want to pass common sense gun laws—like background checks and safe storage—and have no interest in confiscating her firearms; she seemed relieved to hear it.

She also mentioned, almost in passing, that she was “very pro-choice.”

At this Nadine and I leapt. We explained that if she was, indeed, as pro-choice as she said, then she really must consider voting for Democrats down the ballot. We told her that without flipping the House no legislation protecting our rights could pass. This hadn’t seemed to occur to her—just as it hasn’t occurred to millions of Americans. We must remind everyone we know that just winning the presidency isn’t adequate. If we want our rights restored that means passing federal legislation—and that can’t happen without a trifecta!

I’m not certain that we changed this woman’s mind about voting for George Whitesides, but I’m not certain we didn’t, either. She told us she would definitely think about what we said, and that’s great!

Conversations like that are why we knock on doors. Not to convert Trump supporters, but to have friendly conversations with reasonable people who often just don’t know basic facts. This woman—a classic “non-MAGA Republican”— learned that Democrats don’t want to take her guns! She learned that Kamala Harris can’t wave a wand and restore abortion rights! These are important lessons for her; she won’t forget them.

Canvassing is so worth it. I urge you, if you haven’t yet, to sign up for even one shift to knock on doors. Never done it before? Go with a more seasoned friend! Nadine had never knocked doors before and at first she was nervous, but it didn’t take long before she was chiming in with excellent points. She was a natural! Next time she’ll be the seasoned pro for someone else who is new!

Talking to voters is how we win. So to every one of you doing it, THANK YOU. To everyone considering it, jump on in! The water is fine, and the feeling afterwards is absolutely priceless.

Me and my old friend, Nadine—now a veteran canvasser—in Palmdale, CA

In other news, Kamala Harris just dropped another policy proposal—one that would give Black men the tools to build wealth, lower costs for themselves and their families, and protect their rights.

The plan includes the following:

• Provide 1 million forgivable loans up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs and others who have a good idea but don’t have the resources, connections, or access to capital to get their business off the ground

• Launch a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black men

• Legalize marijuana at the federal level to break down unjust legal barriers that hold Black men and other Americans back

• Lower costs by enacting the first-ever federal ban on corporate price-gouging for food and groceries

• Lower rent and provide down payment assistance to triple the number of new first-time Black homeowners

This is great stuff! Kudos to Harris and her team for prioritizing the needs of this so often neglected community! Please take a look at the full proposal and share it widely!

And now let’s get down to business!

Extra Credit ✅

Let’s call Speaker Johnson and fill up his voice mail box! 202-225-2777 or 337-423-4232 or 318-840-0309

Say:

My name is ______ and I’m calling Speaker Johnson to urge him to bring the US House of Representatives back into session to approve additional funding for FEMA and the SBA. Impacted communities can’t wait and hurricane season isn’t close to over yet; Congress needs to act swiftly to provide Americans with the assurance that their government will stand by them. Thanks.

Get Smart! 📚

On Tuesday, October 15 at 10 AM EST, top political and legal voices will host a virtual conversation on the right-wing movement to infiltrate our courts and interfere in our elections.

The event will feature Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick interviewing Judge 
Michael Luttig, followed by an expert panel discussion. The panel will discuss the election interference cases the Supreme Court has heard and those now heading the justices’ way, explore the dark money ecosystem that has given rise to this dangerous moment, and identify what can be done to ensure we, the people—and not partisan judges—pick our president this November and beyond.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP 

Spread the Word! 📣

Urgent! Help Team Harris-Walz grow their call-crew with more volunteers! You are our best messenger!

Please reach out to your friends, family, network: Spread the Word! We need more folks on the phones and we need it NOW!

Folks can make calls any time once they’ve taken a one-hour “call anytime” training. These happen three times a week! Sign up here.

Give 💰!

As I said above, winning the House is crucial to protecting abortion rights. There are three House seats in California’s Central Valley that are ready to be flipped. That’s why Airlift is thrilled to hear from leaders of their partner group Communities for a New California (CNC) and Galvanize Action on Thursday, October 17 5:00 PM PT/8:00 ET.

Galvanize Action uses research-backed messaging to mobilize moderate women across the country to recognize their Blue values in support of abortion. CNC is mobilizing Central Valley Latina women to vote those same values to help flip these three House seats. Help CNC thwart the GOP’s extremist agenda, including their determination to control what women can do with their bodies.

Sign up here.

Although this is a fundraiser for CNC, you need not make a donation to attend. 

Win Races—phonebank! 🗳

Here are three good opportunities:

If you’re an experienced phonebanker, sign up to make calls into Florida to elect Debbie Mucarsel-Powell as US Senator (and defeat Rick Scott) at Do Something From Anywhere! Phonebank for Kamala Harris, Laura Kelley, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell! You pick the date and time to make your calls.

Spend 2 hours phonebanking TODAY with Broadway for Harris, Swifties for Kamala, Women for Harris, White Dudes for Harris, Musicians for Kamala, Queers for Kamala, and other groups for a Kamala Dial-A-Thon.  The goal is to make 1 million GOTV calls!  Kamala Dial-A-Thon · The Democratic National Committee (democrats.org)

Spend 2 hours on Thurs., Oct. 17 with Swifties for Kamala for a training and textbank to voters in Arizona.  Swifties for Kamala & Voters of Tomorrow Text Bank with AZ Dems! · The Democratic National Committee (democrats.org)

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text text SIGN PGODGR to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]

Despite his 34 felony convictions, Donald Trump has the wealth, connections, and privilege to ensure he doesn’t have to worry about his eligibility to vote this fall. But the millions of ordinary Americans currently disenfranchised by felony convictions aren’t so lucky.

That's why, as your constituent, I urge you to co-sponsor and support the Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 (H.R.6643 / S. 3423) to guarantee voting rights to ALL Americans.

Right now, Jim Crow-style felony disenfranchisement laws deny voting rights to over 4.4 million Americans. The Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 comprises a series of transformative measures that would end the broken system of felony disenfranchisement and empower marginalized communities:

- Guaranteeing the right to vote in federal elections to all Americans who have criminal convictions.

- Eliminating state-level barriers that prevent individuals with criminal convictions, whether they are incarcerated or have been released, from exercising their right to vote in federal elections.

- Ensuring citizens in carceral settings have access to information about elections and candidates

29 Members of Congress have signed on as sponsors or co-sponsors of the Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023. If you haven’t already, please join your colleagues and add your name to that list. And if you’re already a co-sponsor – thank you, and please do everything you can to help pass this groundbreaking legislation into law.

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OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess