A pep talk on VA / Help us win two Supreme Court races in GA / Donate to my new Giving Circle / No white paint on the Eisenhower building! / Save the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program!
I live in Virginia and worked hard on the vote Yes campaign. I’m now in the third stage of processing the court’s decision: disbelief followed by feeling sick and now pissed as hell and ready to fight. My friend is at the Supreme Court of Virginia, where a protest is starting to gather. Let’s buckle up and push even harder.
“Here’s what I keep coming back to, and what I think gets lost in the doom-scrolling: structural disadvantages are not the same as insurmountable ones. The way you overcome gerrymandered maps is not to outsmart them on paper. It’s to make them irrelevant by volume.
This is the moment for Democrats to recommit — seriously, not rhetorically — to the old art of persuasion. That means welcoming people in. That means making the coalition as wide as possible. That means talking to voters who didn’t vote for you last time, or the time before that, rather than assuming they’re permanent losses. Every percentage point of increased turnout in a gerrymandered district is a direct counter to the map.
A pro-democracy coalition is not a niche coalition. It is, by definition, a majoritarian one. But you have to actually go build it. That means showing up. It means having a message that speaks to people’s material lives. It means not treating persuadable voters like lost causes.
The maps want Democrats to fight in a smaller box. The answer is to refuse to fight in the box at all.”
Thank you for helping to keep up our morale and our willingness to fight. You're absolutely right that, well, the "right" will feed on this to discourage our votes.
Thanks for always giving it to us straight, while at the same time encouraging us to stay in the fight. We can and WILL prevail, if we all just do our part!! 💙🌊💙
Bravo Jess, and thanks for speaking out against the Democratic defeatism that has suddenly become popular. We will win, and we can win big if we stick together.
I think we need to financially support all of the campaigns across the country fighting to unseat MAGA. With funds on the local level they can then more effectively get out the vote locally and if everyone votes elections cannot be stolen. It literally can come down to one vote so every vote counts. From Massachusetts I cannot knock on the thousands of doors in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Texas where inside a voter is lonely lost feeling beat and in despair; then the knock and they feel part of a community that is doing something. Also, I believe support of States Project Giving Circle campaign is paramount. Money even a little amount from millions will be the key.
Thank you for your optimism and strength. John Lewis never gave up and his image will stay with me today to get through my anger at John Roberts and the Putin puppet and cult followers
There are more of us than them as our No King No ICE No war and other demonstrations are proving. Thank you
Letting them take away hope is the worst thing we can do. There are all kinds of unanticipated consequences for actions that people take. And the push for progress is an ongoing effort with ebbs and flows. We have the numbers. We also are on the side of right. I will not let them determine how I'm going to feel and how I'm going to proceed.
I really appreciate your peptalk. I think it’s often tempting to go to extremes and declare that we are fucked instead of acknowledging our grief and our fury and using it to propel our actions forward. We need your Reminders for sure!
I live in Virginia and worked hard on the vote Yes campaign. I’m now in the third stage of processing the court’s decision: disbelief followed by feeling sick and now pissed as hell and ready to fight. My friend is at the Supreme Court of Virginia, where a protest is starting to gather. Let’s buckle up and push even harder.
Adam Kinzinger today…
Eyes open. Plans adjusted.
“Here’s what I keep coming back to, and what I think gets lost in the doom-scrolling: structural disadvantages are not the same as insurmountable ones. The way you overcome gerrymandered maps is not to outsmart them on paper. It’s to make them irrelevant by volume.
This is the moment for Democrats to recommit — seriously, not rhetorically — to the old art of persuasion. That means welcoming people in. That means making the coalition as wide as possible. That means talking to voters who didn’t vote for you last time, or the time before that, rather than assuming they’re permanent losses. Every percentage point of increased turnout in a gerrymandered district is a direct counter to the map.
A pro-democracy coalition is not a niche coalition. It is, by definition, a majoritarian one. But you have to actually go build it. That means showing up. It means having a message that speaks to people’s material lives. It means not treating persuadable voters like lost causes.
The maps want Democrats to fight in a smaller box. The answer is to refuse to fight in the box at all.”
https://adamkinzinger.substack.com/p/the-map-changed-the-mission-didnt?r=fqsxl&utm_medium=ios
Thank you for helping to keep up our morale and our willingness to fight. You're absolutely right that, well, the "right" will feed on this to discourage our votes.
Really, we were just talking about this on a program, if you give up & become afraid, they win. . Never surrender
Thanks for always giving it to us straight, while at the same time encouraging us to stay in the fight. We can and WILL prevail, if we all just do our part!! 💙🌊💙
Bravo Jess, and thanks for speaking out against the Democratic defeatism that has suddenly become popular. We will win, and we can win big if we stick together.
I’m so very pissy that I don’t have a house rep to scream at right now. Stupid Swalwell.
I think we need to financially support all of the campaigns across the country fighting to unseat MAGA. With funds on the local level they can then more effectively get out the vote locally and if everyone votes elections cannot be stolen. It literally can come down to one vote so every vote counts. From Massachusetts I cannot knock on the thousands of doors in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Texas where inside a voter is lonely lost feeling beat and in despair; then the knock and they feel part of a community that is doing something. Also, I believe support of States Project Giving Circle campaign is paramount. Money even a little amount from millions will be the key.
Thank you for your optimism and strength. John Lewis never gave up and his image will stay with me today to get through my anger at John Roberts and the Putin puppet and cult followers
There are more of us than them as our No King No ICE No war and other demonstrations are proving. Thank you
Just remember: the other side doesn't change the rules and move the goalposts unless they are LOSING. Keep hitting them hard.
Thank you for this, Jess. I was absolutely crashing out over the news about Virginia.
I'm sharing this with a very upset relative in Virginia. Thank you
Letting them take away hope is the worst thing we can do. There are all kinds of unanticipated consequences for actions that people take. And the push for progress is an ongoing effort with ebbs and flows. We have the numbers. We also are on the side of right. I will not let them determine how I'm going to feel and how I'm going to proceed.
Thank you for you inspiring words today! Yes, the Republicans are historically unpopular and, yes, we need to persist!
Always feel I have been at a pep,rally after reading you and listening to Robert Hubble
Postcards to Voters still has addresses specifically for the Georgia Court race. It is a good message. Write immediately.
I do!
I really appreciate your peptalk. I think it’s often tempting to go to extremes and declare that we are fucked instead of acknowledging our grief and our fury and using it to propel our actions forward. We need your Reminders for sure!