Hi, all, and happy Monday!
Hope you all received “Extra! Extra!” this morning and that it helped to brighten your Monday morning a bit. I only wish I’d included in it this piece; I encourage you to read it now. Michael Moore has, in general, been a much needed cheerleader and source of encouragement over the last few weeks, but this entry, I thought, was particularly good.
Someone posted the post on a listserv that I’m on, and the responses to it were almost as good and heartening as the article itself. One came from the political strategist, Mike Lux, who’s actually quoted in Moore’s article. He said:
Reporters and pundits usually tend to travel in packs, all repeating the same narrative. They are also usually wrong. I can go back with the they were wrong thing many decades, but I’ll keep it recent; they were wrong about Hillary being a lock to win the nomination in 2008. They were wrong that Romney would win in 2012. They were wrong that Trump would get swamped in 2016. They were wrong about Biden being dead in the noms fight in 2020. They were wrong about the GA runoffs in 2021. They were wrong about us not being able to pass major legislation with such narrow margins the last two years.
I am not in the prediction business, I am in the figuring out how win business. And I know how we win: we turn out the vote, and we push back against the ridiculous lies the Republicans are trying to sell people, especially on the economy. It’s hard work every single day between now and Election Day, but it’s not rocket science.
To quote the legendary Heather Booth: if we organize, we will win.
Exactly.
So let’s organize.
Finally, I’d like to quote subscriber Phyllis P, who contributed the following to the (very lively and amazing) conversation that took place all weekend long on the paid subscribers discussion thread. Among other things, we were talking about how we’re mostly avoiding the news. Phyllis, who is volunteering for DemCast and as such can’t do that, contributed this:
I'm here to tell you: actual, real news is rare. Most of what is out there is recycled, kind of old, rehashed, opinion passing for fact, or just plain incorrect. The less you get your head twisted becaue of some innuendo or slant, the better. Don't fret. Everybody has an opinion and no one knows how it will turn out. Right now, today, millions of us at our phones, laptops, doors and sidewalks ARE the news.
Italics are mine. Because it’s so true. We are the X factor that the pundits, the pollsters, the talking heads cannot possibly understand or predict. We’re making history through our actions, and no one will know it until after it’s happened.
At which point we’ll be the ones saying “I told you so.”
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I support the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act, and would like to know if the Senator is co-sponsoring it. This bill would define broadband internet as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. This would restore the FCC’s authority over broadband, allowing the Commission to ban discriminatory practices, investigate consumer complaints, promote broadband competition, and make internet service more affordable.
Extra Credit ✅
Post this on social media (and consider volunteering if you can!):
For some voters getting to the polls is difficult. That’s where @Rideshare2Vote comes in.
This amazing team connects drivers w voters who request rides so they can cast their ballots in the 2022 midterms.
If you can volunteer or if you NEED a ride go to rideshare2vote.com
Get Smart About Student Debt Relief
First, Friday's temporary order does not prevent borrowers from applying for student debt relief at studentaid.gov – and the White House is encouraging eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has.
Second, you are invited to a student debt relief event today, Monday, October 24th with White House officials and special guest Miguel Cardona, Secretary of the Department of Education, to walk through the student debt relief application process (which takes less than 5 minutes), answer your questions, and talk about what you can do to make sure your friends and families are signed up!
What you need to know: The Student Debt Relief Program with Sec. Cardona
Monday, October 24th at 5:00 PM ET RSVP here.
Get Relational! 👯
Tomorrow Red, Wine, and Blue is hosting a Rally Your Squad to Get Out the Vote with Amy Schumer. It’s at 6:00 pm ET.
Get ready for an interactive event where all of us-–including Amy-–identify at least 10 friends that we’ll reach out to about what’s at stake in this election. Red Wine & Blue makes it easy! We provide everything you need to get started including tips, talking points, and voting guides to share. You’ll even be able to look up who of your friends has already voted and who needs a nudge.
For the best experience, sign onto Rally, your personal planner for talking to your friends about the election, before the event. Get that head start by going to RWBvotes.com or texting RALLY to 59868 now.
Give 💰!
Friendly reminder about our Cheri Beasley fundraiser happening TONIGHT! 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET. It should be an interesting and lively conversation with the candidate, and we’re hoping to raise 100K, so please come and invite friends!
Zoom registration link is here.
Win Races! 🗳
I’ve done quite a bit of phonebanking into Nevada in the last few days, and I have to say it’s been hugely satisfying and productive.
On that note I wanted to let you know that Joan’s Democracy Cafe, one of the sweetest and most pleasant phonebanking operations I know of, is doing phonebanking into NV four days a week now—Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays—through election day. Their training is top rate and you’ll be on a dialer—the best!
Also we can’t win without talking to a ton of voters.
Get Trained to Ballot Cure!
This year, the DCCC is launching the first of its kind national ballot cure hotline! This is a special voter hotline designed to help voters “cure” or fix rejected mail-in ballots across the country to ensure their vote is counted.
The hotline operates virtually, so you can be located anywhere to help with these calls. If you like helping voters in a variety of states, this opportunity is for you! Early voting has already begun so, sign up for a virtual training ASAP by clicking here. Bring a friend or two!
Win Races En Espanol!
ACTIVISTAS BILINGÜES–¡ATENCIÓN!
Spanish-speaking phone bankers needed!
Do you speak Spanish fluently or know someone who does? More volunteers are urgently needed to make calls in states with substantial percentages of Democratic-leaning Latinx voters. If you don’t speak Spanish but know someone who might want to participate, please share the sign-up.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PJEAKZ to 50409]
It was only 40 years ago when as many as 10 million Western monarchs would stretch out their wings and take to the skies from California to Arizona for their bi-annual 2,500 mile migration. The millions of orange and black wings would lift off for migration, painting what would look like a kaleidoscope in the sky as they traveled. But in 2021, volunteers tallied a mere 6% of what the populations looked like in the 1980s.
Monarchs were recently labeled as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but despite their grim numbers, the United States still hasn't issued protections for these butterflies.
If we don't act soon, they could disappear from our skies for good. Now is the time to pass H.R.1983 / S. 809 the MONARCH Act to help the imperiled Western monarchs survive the winter, safely hatch their caterpillars, and form their delicate chrysalises to emerge as the delicate, iconic creatures we know and love. Please co-sponsor it and help shepherd it through Congress now, thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
Even better than usual newsletter today! Every registered voter in MA got mail in/drop off ballots. I have the mail in/drop off ballots of 4 neighbors along with my own to take to the drop box at town hall later today. I was already motivated to do this but the piece by Michael Moore that you included in today's Chop Wood, Carry Water makes me think I should ask others if they want me to do that for them or get them to the polling station on election day. Thank you!
As always, a million thanks for the reminders to stay the course Jessica. Shout out to Phyllis - you are so right. Also for anyone who wants it, I did an updated list GOTV textbanks .(did a great one with Harris County Dems in TX today - no zoom. Just get instructions and go- I got 140+ enthusiastic replies over 5 hours that they were voting all blue). Also on the link - you can find update economic talking points to share on social media or in GOTV work. https://us11.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=1ce01226d7c93f240ce04fbb4&id=206784f6d7