Hi, all, and happy Monday! I hope you had a great and possibly even restful weekend. I did, which is good, because the seemingly constant work now recommences. I’ve signed up to go do in-person ballot curing in Rudy Salas’s district on Saturday, and will be running two ballot curing phonebanks into CA districts this week. (The links for them are
Nov 15, 2022·edited Nov 15, 2022Liked by Jessica Craven
Jessica,
A week after THE DAY (if not the counting), and I just feel so compelled to write here (for I know of no other more direct way) and express just how grateful I am for your presence online here, and the tireless work you do. I don't remember how I came across CWCW, but what you have done for my sanity, motivation, and patriotism in these last few years cannot be measured. Although to me you appear superhuman, I know you are in fact human and must have days where you feel worn down or wonder whether things are making a difference, or fast enough. Please KNOW you make more of a difference than you can imagine to everyone who cares as deeply as you do about the good ole USA and reads CWCW regularly.
As for the nitty-gritty: I'm not given up on the House yet either: there's just too much left in Cali to know for sure (hey, we aren't usually the deal-maker). Since last week I have found my attitude shifted - even if we come up short there (which I obviously would not prefer), I am willing to accept it without too much grief at all considering the totality of the outcomes. I had a frank exchange with one of the campaign managers during a phone bank and he offered me a new motto: PROGRESS ISN'T LINEAR. (He followed it up with "Not a lot of people get that.") If you offered me the deal of coming up 2-3 seats short in the House, but gain in the Senate (Go Reverend, Go!!!) and flip governors *and* state legislatures for the first time in forever... I'd take it. Let them display their idiocy; knowing full well they earned it temporarily only through mapmaking skullduggery. Every time they try some nonsense, we will call it out loud, and then give Joe a photo op at the new snazzy CHIPs factory and a coupla Ketanjis on the courts. Bide our time, deploy our resources, and sweep back in on the winning presidential ticket in '24, filibuster proof trifecta in hand (I'm already making Ruben Gallegos yard signs.)
And we still might pull off a not-really-a-miracle, and gain it all. We'll know soon enough. My point is, we both know all the armchair know-it-alls are waiting to claim that anything short of total triumph on our part shows they were right all long. But they never gave us a chance, and you did. You knew we COULD succeed, no matter how many times they said we couldn't. Even coming close indicates you were right. You ARE right. Their "realism" is nothing but cynicism in a thin disguise, and while that cynicism accomplishes nothing, your positivity accomplishes everything worthwhile.
PROGRESS ISN'T LINEAR. I don't need The Resistance to have a straight line to victory. What I need is to finish this decade with democracy and the planet intact. Thanks in part to your power of example, no setback will dissuade me. I am in this for the long haul. Somehow I suspect Maxwell Frost and Summer Lee aren't moping around today doubting about whether they will be in a majority position or get the right committe assignment. They are in this for the long haul. Somehow I doubt that those kids who registered and organized for Beto really thought they were going to win, or are going to hang up their hats now. They are in this for the long haul. So are you. So am I. And so are the dozens upon dozens of millions of Americans who showed up in the last weeks to give election denying, autonomy-constricting extremists a hard slapdown, no matter how many reports expected us to care more about the price of something or other. WE are in this for the long haul.
Again, Thank you for what you do.
-William
P.S. My Mom says you "Are beautiful in the best way: because your spirit shines through from the inside out. Can't fake that!" And she is an internationally awarded art photographer and former Ralph Lauren stylist... so she knows what she's talking about. (Disclaimer: She also thinks I could be a model, which is delusional, but if someone has 1/2 your DNA who else can you count on to be deluded in your favor?)
You always inspire me to take action RIGHT NOW, so often that is calling senator and representative offices. I would love to celebrate having done that with a check box at the bottom of your column and a tally of how many people had taken some kind of action from that message.
Thank you as always! Downtown Nasty Women Social Group (DNWSG) has penned a resistbot petition urging our congress to take advantage of the lame duck session to end partisan gerrymandering (based on recent comments from David Pepper). We are hoping you all might sign and amplify. https://resist.bot/petitions/PNQTXP
Jessica Craven, you are absolutely AMAZING!
Jessica,
A week after THE DAY (if not the counting), and I just feel so compelled to write here (for I know of no other more direct way) and express just how grateful I am for your presence online here, and the tireless work you do. I don't remember how I came across CWCW, but what you have done for my sanity, motivation, and patriotism in these last few years cannot be measured. Although to me you appear superhuman, I know you are in fact human and must have days where you feel worn down or wonder whether things are making a difference, or fast enough. Please KNOW you make more of a difference than you can imagine to everyone who cares as deeply as you do about the good ole USA and reads CWCW regularly.
As for the nitty-gritty: I'm not given up on the House yet either: there's just too much left in Cali to know for sure (hey, we aren't usually the deal-maker). Since last week I have found my attitude shifted - even if we come up short there (which I obviously would not prefer), I am willing to accept it without too much grief at all considering the totality of the outcomes. I had a frank exchange with one of the campaign managers during a phone bank and he offered me a new motto: PROGRESS ISN'T LINEAR. (He followed it up with "Not a lot of people get that.") If you offered me the deal of coming up 2-3 seats short in the House, but gain in the Senate (Go Reverend, Go!!!) and flip governors *and* state legislatures for the first time in forever... I'd take it. Let them display their idiocy; knowing full well they earned it temporarily only through mapmaking skullduggery. Every time they try some nonsense, we will call it out loud, and then give Joe a photo op at the new snazzy CHIPs factory and a coupla Ketanjis on the courts. Bide our time, deploy our resources, and sweep back in on the winning presidential ticket in '24, filibuster proof trifecta in hand (I'm already making Ruben Gallegos yard signs.)
And we still might pull off a not-really-a-miracle, and gain it all. We'll know soon enough. My point is, we both know all the armchair know-it-alls are waiting to claim that anything short of total triumph on our part shows they were right all long. But they never gave us a chance, and you did. You knew we COULD succeed, no matter how many times they said we couldn't. Even coming close indicates you were right. You ARE right. Their "realism" is nothing but cynicism in a thin disguise, and while that cynicism accomplishes nothing, your positivity accomplishes everything worthwhile.
PROGRESS ISN'T LINEAR. I don't need The Resistance to have a straight line to victory. What I need is to finish this decade with democracy and the planet intact. Thanks in part to your power of example, no setback will dissuade me. I am in this for the long haul. Somehow I suspect Maxwell Frost and Summer Lee aren't moping around today doubting about whether they will be in a majority position or get the right committe assignment. They are in this for the long haul. Somehow I doubt that those kids who registered and organized for Beto really thought they were going to win, or are going to hang up their hats now. They are in this for the long haul. So are you. So am I. And so are the dozens upon dozens of millions of Americans who showed up in the last weeks to give election denying, autonomy-constricting extremists a hard slapdown, no matter how many reports expected us to care more about the price of something or other. WE are in this for the long haul.
Again, Thank you for what you do.
-William
P.S. My Mom says you "Are beautiful in the best way: because your spirit shines through from the inside out. Can't fake that!" And she is an internationally awarded art photographer and former Ralph Lauren stylist... so she knows what she's talking about. (Disclaimer: She also thinks I could be a model, which is delusional, but if someone has 1/2 your DNA who else can you count on to be deluded in your favor?)
You always inspire me to take action RIGHT NOW, so often that is calling senator and representative offices. I would love to celebrate having done that with a check box at the bottom of your column and a tally of how many people had taken some kind of action from that message.
Thank you as always! Downtown Nasty Women Social Group (DNWSG) has penned a resistbot petition urging our congress to take advantage of the lame duck session to end partisan gerrymandering (based on recent comments from David Pepper). We are hoping you all might sign and amplify. https://resist.bot/petitions/PNQTXP
Hey, I really want to protect marriage for everyone, but I don't know if this will do it.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRQ8rAn2/
Hello, How can I get involved in curing ballots? I did not see a link. I would also like to write to Georgia voters if there is an opportunity!
Thank you for your work and optimism!
Kathleen