Chop Wood, Carry Water 8/19
Happy Convention Week!
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
Happy Convention week, too! I am having major FOMO at not attending in person, but I know that watching the livestream will be almost as good—I’ll be doing so here (I think you can do so here as well.)
Those of us not actually in Chicago can help Democrats, and Team Harris-Walz in particular, by sharing as much content as we can from those who are. Let’s keep a massive buzz going all week. It shouldn’t be hard—the speaker lineup is amazing! President Biden and his wife Jill will be the headliners tonight, but we’ll also hear from, among others, Hillary Clinton, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Mallory McMorrow, Jasmine Crockett, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Wow! The lineup on every successive night, I’m sure, will be equally incredible.
It’s going to be a fun week.
Meanwhile, Republicans are [checks notes] carrying around vials of fake JD Vance sperm as a way to mock couples who need IVF to get pregnant? Yes, this appears to be a thing. Sigh.
It’s gross and pathetic, but this kind of creepy and fetishistic behavior underscores a more serious point. Republicans and their voters aren’t even pretending their side cares about policy anymore. They’re abandoning all semblance of normalcy or seriousness and embracing their “weirdo” cult status. This may work well for the Trump base, but, as many political pundits have observed, Trump can’t win the election with his base alone. He needs independent and swing voters.
Mocking couples struggling with infertility—not to mention resorting to icky props and puerile stunts—is not going to win them over.
Still, we can take nothing for granted. Let’s all keep doing the work—sending the postcards, holding the letter writing parties, joining the phonebanks, knocking the doors, registering the voters, giving the money, and trusting that if enough of us do that we will prevail in a huge way.
On that note, let’s get to work one more time!
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to ask the Congressmember to co-sponsor the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, HR 4184. This bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which contributes hugely to the gun violence epidemic by enabling the gun industry to evade accountability, at the expense of victims of gun violence who are denied their right to hold the gun industry accountable for harm they have suffered. Will the Congressmember co-sponsor this bill? Thanks.
Get Smart! 📚
The Environmental Voter Project just polled 2,615 young voters across 5 battleground states, allowing them to get precise information on both likely and unlikely voters in each important state. They hope you'll spread what they learned to all who might find it useful, and they also hope you'll join their in-depth briefing webinar on the poll on Thursday, Aug. 22, 12pm ET / 9am PT.
Spread the Word! 📣
For anyone who has friends and family who want a primer on Kamala Harris’s and Tim Walz’s credentials and accomplishments - here’s some helpful info from the always-excellent
!
Give 💰!
Well, folks, we are LESS THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS AWAY from hitting our 100K goal for our Pennsylvania and Arizona States Project Giving Circle. These funds, of course, will go to helping to flip the state legislature in Arizona and keep our one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House. I am amazed we have raised this much, but I also believe we can do even better.
Remember, money given to this fund will not only help achieve our statehouse goals, but will also help with up-ballot races, including U.S. Senate seats and the presidential race, so it’s a win, win, win! Please give any amount that you can—maybe we’ll get to 110K!
Win Races—Write Postcards!
Markers For Democracy is writing postcards for Jason Anderson who is running for state senate in a new district southwest of Kansas City. They need more volunteers!
Jason Anderson, a lifelong Democrat, is running for the Kansas State Senate in District 35 southwest of Kansas City. He is running for an open seat and this year there is a strong opportunity to break the Republican’s supermajority since 1996, and support Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s vetoes.
Jason is committed to defending reproductive rights, supporting fully funded public schools, and promoting economic development that benefits all residents. His opponent is backed by conservative groups aiming to roll back the progress made on these issues.
Mail Date: Write and HOLD until September 30.
If you want to write for Jason, complete this form. The Markers For Democracy volunteers will respond by email within 48 hours with instructions on how to set up an account & get addresses for Jason.
Win Races—Help With Voter Protection! 🗳
The DNC’s voter protection team needs passionate volunteers to ensure all eligible voters are able to cast a ballot that counts. If you want to be a poll observer, hotline volunteer, or help with volunteer recruitment in a battleground state, please sign up below.
National Volunteer Interest Form
Win Races—Send Texts!
Black Voters Matter is building power through digital organizing. Join them every Tuesday at 6pm ET for community building, learning, and taking action in the easiest way possible.
Here is the link to register: https://bit.ly/BVMTextingTuesday
Keep in mind that for security purposes, you will need a basic Zoom account to register and attend.
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
The wonderful organization Climate Cabinet, which helps fund climate candidates in downballot races across the country, has been on a winning streak this primary season. Most of their climate champions have crossed the finish line first in key states like Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Their strategy is delivering victories where it counts.
Their Primary wins:
Arizona: Climate Cabinet won 7 out of 8 total top-priority races.
Michigan: Climate Cabinet won 9 out of 10 total top-priority races.
Minnesota and Wisconsin: Climate Cabinet won 3 out of 3 total top-priority races.
This includes Huldah Hiltsley, running for Minnesota HD 38A, who won her primary by JUST 50 VOTES.
I think this org is doing tremendous work. Please give them a follow or maybe send them a donation if you can!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T Climate Action Now] [Text text SIGN PHVDQF to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
America’s EV investments are starting to really pay off, with 704 new public EV charging stations installed in Q2 2024 and a surge of federal support on the way. This is good news, as climate action is really important to me!
As such, I'm calling on you to keep the EV-boosting NEVI initiative fully funded!
In the second quarter of 2024, 704 new public EV charging stations opened across America, increasing the national total by 9% in three months. If this pace keeps up, EV chargers will outnumber gas stations in America in just eight years!
And there’s a decent shot that the pace will in fact accelerate! The business of the whole EV sector is booming. The IEA estimates that U.S. fully electric vehicles sales will surge to 2.5 million in 2025, up from 1.1 million as recently as 2023. BloombergNEF estimates that $6.1 billion will be invested in EV charging infrastructure in North America in 2024, nearly double the 2023 spend.
Furthermore, major federal support for EV chargers is only just starting, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) initiative having signed agreements with 23 states to fund an additional 550 public EV charging stations in the near future. And EV chargers are also spreading more evenly across the country, which when combined with fast-improving battery tech is effectively making range anxiety obsolete.
In this context, it’s not that surprising that American businesses are rapidly adopting EV chargers, with enterprises from U.S. Bank to Waffle House installing them at several locations recently. Even old-style gas stations are getting in on the action, with Shell, Enel, and Flying J outlets among those installing EV chargers in Q2 2024.
America’s EV investments are starting to really pay off, launching an epic nationwide transport upgrade that’s delivering us life-saving cleaner air in the short term and a more stable climate in the long term!
I urge you to sustain this progress by keeping the EV-boosting NEVI initiative fully funded! Thanks!
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I can’t even figure what they’re trying to say with the sperm cups. Like, obviously they’re being horrible, but, like, what’s the narrative? “Vance will help you do the thing we want to outlaw”? “Vance is more virile than your husband so use this instead”? The more I think about it, the less I understand!
Is it possible that the fundamental ideological difference here involves humor? I mean, people have been noting for a long time that Republicans aren’t funny. Is it possible that they just can’t tell the difference between humor and cruelty, and everything else springs from that? WHAT IS THE JOKE, MAGA?
Jessica Craven - I'm so happy a fellow subscriber (from Heather Cox Richardson) recommended your CHOP WOOD, CARRY WATER substack. There is so much talent in this daily pool of journalists. I love your group of shared bloggers and the thoroughness and trusted optimism helps us share your orbit in order to get our citizens engaged in civic responsibility and volunteerism. ¡Muchas Gracias! Thanks!