Chop Wood, Carry Water 8/2

Hi, all, and happy Wednesday.

A new round of January-6th-related indictments has hit Donald Trump and his co-conspirators—wild times, indeed. Much has already been said about this third set of charges; more will be written in the days and weeks to come. Additional commentary from me is largely unnecessary, except to remind you of what you already know: that no matter what happens with Jack Smith’s case, only beating Trump in next year’s election can truly save us from him.

For, as gobsmacking as it seems, none of the charges filed against Donald Trump thus far—even should he be convicted of them—will disqualify him from holding elected office again. Should he win next year, moreover, such niceties won’t matter, as he’ll have the charges dismissed, or pardon himself if he’s been convicted.

Is this fair? No. Is it right? Absolutely not!

But we must face the fact squarely and as bravely as we can: Trump will be our opponent, the race will be close, and his victory would obliterate the possibility of justice for him or his co-conspirators, likely forever.

So while I’m thrilled to see that the ex-President has met his match in Jack Smith, and while I celebrate that the wheels of justice are finally turning as they should, my real faith has always been, and always will be, in you and me. We are the ones who will, in the end, defeat this existential threat. Jack Smith can’t save us. Only we can.

Fortunately, we are absolutely up to the task.

Look. Some live in quiet epochs. Others live through pivotal moments, turning-point periods where the trajectory of human history flies in unpredictable, unprecedented, and gravely consequential ways. We are living through such times. It’s not our choice. But it’s our reality, so we will live up to it as well as we can. What an honor! We, after all, will fight for, and save, democracy. There is no higher calling, no more pressing quest.

So today we’ll celebrate the first steps of a legal process that could, eventually, bring some justice.

Then we’ll go back to the front, where the battle that will win the war has been turning our way for years.

Get Smart! 📚

Learn how to use the Race Class Narrative!

The right regularly uses racial fear as a tool to exploit economic anxieties and turn people against one another, even when their economic interests are aligned. The Race Class Narrative messaging architecture fights these attacks, builds cross-racial solidarity and support for issues, and fosters an active and inclusive government.

On Wednesday, August 2nd at 5PM PT / 8 PM ET join Indivisible to learn how to use Race Class Narrative messaging in your work.

Pre-Reading Assignment is here.

Register here.

Spread the Word!  📣

Anat Schenker-Osorio’s Research Collaborative sent out the following messaging guidance on the new indictments. I thought it was important to quote it in full—very helpful stuff!

With the news that the former MAGA president has been indicted by a Grand Jury of Americans for his criminal conspiracy to overthrow the will of the people, we wanted to share updated guidance. In addition to the message below, we also want to keep in mind the following overarching principles for determining how we convey to voters what has happened, who is responsible and how to proceed: 

1. Push this beyond one actor: the MAGA Republicans that supported, schemed, and covered up for him are still in power today and must be held accountable.

2. Connect MAGA response to the larger criminal conspiracy - from Congress, to the Courts, to states - of deliberately spreading lies, breaking laws, and fomenting corruption in order to grab and hold onto power.

3. Focus on outcome arguments about how this endangers our country instead of process framings about hypocrisy or “rule of law.” 

4. Emphasize the role everyday Americans have played and must continue to play to push for accountability. ‘We the people’ weighed the evidence and decided to indict and now we must demand that all those involved face the consequences. 

5. Activate public defiance and use this and other indictments to remind voters that we can and will stand up to and defeat this fascist faction.

Overarching Narrative

Americans value our freedoms – our freedom to elect leaders who respect our will, protect our interests and govern in our name. Now, multiple grand juries of everyday Americans across races, backgrounds, and parties have indicted the former MAGA President for his criminal conspiracy to incite supporters in the deadly January 6th assault on our country, attempt to overthrow the will of the people, and theft of national security documents. Yet the MAGA Republicans in office today that supported, schemed and covered up for him want to overturn our legal system to allow him to evade consequences, while they carry on this criminal conspiracy and seize power unchecked. 

From the House of Representatives to the Supreme Court to state legislatures, they want to take away our freedoms and rule for the wealthy few. We must come together and demand that anyone who aided, abetted or excused the MAGA criminal conspiracy be held accountable so we can make this a place where our leaders honor their oaths, protecting our country and our freedoms.

You can find more messaging, research, and content in our Freedom Over Fascism toolkit, which we will continue to update. 

Win Races—Text! 🗳️

This Monday, August 7th, the day before the critical special elections in Ohio, Activate America and Commit to Democracy are texting out the vote.

In case you’d forgotten, they’re working to defeat a deceitful constitutional amendment proposed by MAGA extremists that is designed to make it more difficult to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.

It’s all happening on Monday, August 7th from 1-2:30 PM Pacific / 4-5:30 PM Eastern . Interested? Sign up HERE.

Win Races—Call!

The election in Ohio is SO SOON! Please consider joining other volunteers who are calling as many potential voters as possible and urging them to cast their ballot by August 8. Here are some phone banks you can join:

Call with the Ohio Democratic Party

Call with the Swing Left’s Bay Area Coalition  

Call with Swing Blue Alliance

Call with Activate America, Commit to Democracy and Women’s March Action

[H/T Swing Left SGV]

Resistbot Letter

[to President Biden] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN PXANZL to 50409]

I am writing to express my deep concern over the dangerous amendments in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

By limiting access to medical services; dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion offices across the military; and dismissing climate change, the GOP-led House is waging a direct attack on individual health rights and personal autonomy, leaving servicemembers in the lurch, and failing to address critical threats to our national security.

The House-passed NDAA would take our country backward, contradicting the principles of justice, inclusivity, and truth that people have fought so hard to uphold. As the president, you must veto any NDAA that contains damaging and regressive amendments like the ones included in the House bill.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

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OK, all, you did it again! YOU are helping to save democracy! THANK YOU!

Talk again immanently.

Jess