Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/11
What a night!
Hi, all, and happy Wednesday!
Suddenly being on Team Blue is feeling fun, isn’t it? Don’t you feel like a million bucks after last night? I know I do!
I won’t add much to the many, many, glowing reports we’ve all read by now. Harris’s performance was simply a tour de force, and the pleasure of seeing adjectives like “masterful,” “decisive,” and “powerful” used repeatedly in the coverage of it—as well as verbs like “crushed,” “dominated,” “won,” and, my personal favorite, “dogwalked,” is almost indescribable. It’s not just that Harris performed so exquisitely on every front, which we largely expected, but that the press, for once, is acknowledging it! Don’t you feel seen for a change? I know I do, and I’ll bet VP Harris does, too!
For me the greatest pleasure, though, was simply hearing a smart, strong, inestimably competent woman state the obvious, and do it repeatedly, in a way—and on a platform—in which people could actually hear it.
Countless millions of Americans heard Harris say clearly that Trump is out for himself—he’s not thinking about Americans’ wellbeing at all. This is true. Americans won’t forget it.
Countless millions of Americans heard Harris state, truthfully and clearly, that Americans didn’t “want” the abortion bans that Trump and his captured court have forced on us.
Countless millions of Americans heard Harris’s excellent economic proposals, and heard her point out, ruthlessly and accurately, that Trump’s economic plan—to the extent that he has one at all—is disastrous.
Countless millions of Americans heard that Trump’s past record on healthcare was attempting to gut what little we had of it, and that his current plan is…nonexistent.
Countless millions of Americans saw how weak and petulant Trump is when baited, and how easily distracted. They saw how vulnerable he is to being manipulated and played. They saw his effusive, counterfactual nonsense on mortifying display.
There’s much more, of course. In the face of Harris’s muscular performance Trump was like an umbrella in a wind squall—whipped out of shape, immediately absurd, inarguably useless.
It was pure joy to watch.
So, that was a good night. I told you we might have one. I told you we might have the opposite, too. And I reminded you that whatever happened we were going to respond the same way: by continuing to do the work.
Of course having a bit more wind at our backs now that Harris has destroyed Trump in a debate is an added bonus. But wind or not, we’re going to win.
Why? Because no matter what the weather, we always take to the oars.
Let’s do that one more time. 🚣🏼
P.S. — Hope to see some of you at the How We Win With Key Voting Blocs webinar tonight. They have AMAZING speakers. Should be absolute 🔥🔥.
P.P.S — Tomorrow the Vice President will be in North Carolina for two rallies in Greensboro and Charlotte. If you or someone you know is interested in attending please RSVP using these links. Charlotte, NC: RSVP Link Greensboro, NC: RSVP Link
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) and Senators (find yours here) 📲
I made a video explainer on the budget and the SAVE Act. If you’d find it helpful it’s here.]
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to say that I want Congress to pass at most a short Continuing Resolution on the budget—not the six-month one Republicans are proposing that would kick the can down the road into March. And I absolutely object to the inclusion of the SAVE Act in any Continuing Resolution. The SAVE Act is a so-called “solution” in search of a problem; worse, it could force 21 million American citizens off the voter rolls. Congress needs to be focussed on policies that help the American people—not policies that cut VA funding, defund Social Security, or suppress our votes. I’ll be watching how they vote on this very closely. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s write to the Washington Post (zachary.goldfarb@washpost.com), Politico, (press@politico.com) and the New York Times (editbd@nytimes.com), and any other corporate media entity we care to, and ask them to stop “sanewashing” Donald Trump.
This is just what I wrote—I have a cold so it’s not the most coherent. Feel free to go your own way!
I’m writing to object to your publication’s incessant “sanewashing” of Donald Trump.
To quote Columbia Journalism Review:
“As applied to Trump, the idea [of sanewashing] is that major mainstream news outlets are routinely taking his incoherent, highly abnormal rants—be they on social media or at in-person events—and selectively quoting from them to emphasize lines that, in isolation, might sound coherent or normal, thus giving a misleading impression of the whole for people who didn’t read or watch the entire thing.’”
We know, of course, that there are many, many such people.
Parker Malloy wrote scathingly about this phenomenon. She said—and I agree—that:
“This ‘sanewashing’ of Trump’s statements isn’t just poor journalism; it’s a form of misinformation that poses a threat to democracy. By continually reframing Trump’s incoherent and often dangerous rhetoric as conventional political discourse, major news outlets are failing in their duty to inform the public and are instead providing cover for increasingly erratic behavior from a former—and potentially future—president.”
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve watched your publication do this over and over again and I’m asking it to stop. Sanewashing a would-be dictator who is also in the obvious throes of mental decline is a horrific abdication of duty—and one you absolutely wouldn’t perform for any Democrat.
Do better. Our democracy needs a capable press, and right now you aren’t filling that bill at all. Thanks.
Get Smart #1! 📚
On Wednesday, September 11 at 7:00PM ET, BigTentUSA is honored to have the lead plaintiff in Zurawski vs. Texas, Amanda Zurawski, and renowned journalist Tara McGowan. Join them for a compelling and impactful event featuring two prominent voices in the fight for justice and democracy.
Amanda Zurawski’s powerful testimony will shed light on the human cost of restrictive abortion laws, while Tara McGowan will explore the vital role of media in strengthening democracy and inspiring civic action. Join Blue Tent and be part of an important conversation on the intersections of health, rights, and the power of informed citizenry.
Please use this link to register!
Get Smart #2! 📚📚
Galvanize Action is the only national organization developing messages proven to move moderate white women in swing states towards progress. Reaching these women is vital to our country’s progress. This month there will be two webinars featuring Celinda Lake, one of the nation’s leading Democratic pollsters, and Jackie Payne, Founder and Executive Director of Galvanize Action, to give us some insight into recent election trends.
Galvanize Action is a top recommendation of David Callahan's Blue Tent. Galvanize Action and the One for All Committee have also been selected by Focus for Democracy, which rigorously evaluates and selects a few groups who they determine are the best investments to protect democratic values and fundamental rights.
Please register at one (or both) of the links below to secure your spot for these webinars! They should be amazing.
Thursday, September 12, 2024 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PT
Thursday, September 26, 2024 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PT
Spread the Word—Spread FORWARD! 📣
From my friend Yosi at TaskForce:
We worked with Shepard Fairey to create, print and launch his Kamala image for the DNC this year and are working to get it out as far and wide as possible…
I am looking to identify some awesome people/volunteers in Milwaukee, Detroit, Philly, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte to whom I can send posters, stickers, and shirts. The hope is that these folks will act as distribution points in their cities, passing them out to other activists, volunteers, and business owners… to take them to rallies and use them to motivate their peers. (We are open to sending smaller quantities to folks in other cities in those same states too.)
If you know the right person please hit me directly and we can ship them the goods ASAP.
If this is you—and I think he’s looking for people who can distribute a decent amount of this stuff—email me at hijesscraven101@gmail.com and I’ll pass you on to Yosi. Thanks!
Stop Dangerous Disinformation
This short Framelab post—about what’s really behind the false rumors about Haitian immigrants—is an important read. It posits that it’s critical that we understand the sinister nature of these attacks, and also that we use a “truth sandwich” when talking about them. As George Lakoff—an absolute master of messaging and the co-author of the article—suggests, a truth sandwich should always start with the truth, indicate the lie and repeat that it’s a lie, then return quickly to the truth. The truth must always be repeated more than the lie.
A truth sandwich about this false rumor, according to the authors of the abovementioned piece, would look something like this:
Trump and Republicans are spreading false and racist rumors about Haitian immigrants.
These false rumors – alleging that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating the cats of their neighbors in Ohio – are entirely made up. News sources report that the rumor started with a viral social media post. Officials in Ohio say the claims are 100% false.
Despite the fact that this conspiracy theory has been debunked, Trump and his allies are making a full-on effort to spread it. That's because this anti-Haitian conspiracy theory is part of a strategy to inflame racial hatred and fear of immigrants during the 2024 election.
Read the article. It’s a bit scary, but we can’t fight what we don’t understand. And we have to fight this.
Give 💰!
We all are acutely aware of how close the Presidential and Senate races are in Arizona. You can do something about it by joining Airlift on Tuesday, September 17, 5:00 PT / 8:00 ET to help ensure victory. Airlift is thrilled that Congressman (and Senate candidate) Ruben Gallego will be their special guest for this fundraiser benefiting Worker Power to help get out the vote in this crucial battleground state. You’ll also hear from key leaders of Worker Power.
Worker Power has built one of Arizona’s biggest field operations, scoring victories for worker protections while helping flip the White House, Senate seats, the governorship, and other statewide offices Blue. With so much at stake in 2024, come learn how we can help Worker Power help Ruben Gallego and Kamala Harris win this election.
Sign up here. Although this is a fundraiser, you need not make a donation to attend.
Win Races! 🗳
In every election, there are Americans who aren’t able to make their voices heard because they don’t have safe, reliable transportation to their polling place. Rideshare2Vote removes the transportation barrier by providing free, round-trip transportation to voters who need it. You can help by joining a Rideshare2Vote phonebank to share information about this crucial service with citizens who would otherwise be unable to vote.
GOTV Phonebank with Rideshare2Vote
🗓️Thursdays and Saturdays
💻Sign up HERE
[H/T The Union]
Win Races—Write Voter Registration Letters!
You can now write Vote Forward letters to encourage voter registration in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin so that as many voters as possible can participate in critical elections happening this year. In these campaigns, you’ll be writing to households where VF’s data indicates that a potential voter is likely to reside.
You can start writing and sending these voter registration letters right away, until October 1.
Write letters by signing up here.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PZOAXV to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
I'm writing to urge you to co-sponsor and work to pass the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act (H.R. 2953 / S. 1376).
Forced arbitration clauses, buried in the fine print of countless contracts, strip away our constitutional right to have our day in court if a company wrongs us. Instead, disputes are funneled into a private system that favors corporations over individuals.
This impacts all of us but especially harms workers, consumers, and communities of color who face systemic discrimination and are more likely to be targeted by predatory corporate practices.
The FAIR Act would ban forced arbitration clauses in employment, consumer, antitrust, and civil rights disputes. This crucial bill would restore access to justice for millions of Americans. Workers could fight back against wage theft and discrimination. Consumers could hold companies accountable for dangerous products or fraudulent practices. Victims of sexual harassment would no longer be silenced, and small businesses could challenge anticompetitive practices by larger corporations.
A recent viral story about Disney trying to use a Disney+ subscription to force a wrongful death case into arbitration has highlighted how pervasive and unjust this practice is.
Please co-sponsor the FAIR Act and work with your colleagues to bring it to a vote. It's time to restore our fundamental right to have our day in court.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Thanks for calling out the "sane-washing" issue. Here's what I wrote to the NYT, Politico, and WaPo:
Be better.
Stop bending over backwards to sanitize — or “sane-wash” — Donald Trump’s ridiculous ramblings.
To quote Columbia Journalism Review:
“As applied to Trump, the idea [of sanewashing] is that major mainstream news outlets are routinely taking his incoherent, highly abnormal rants—be they on social media or at in-person events—and selectively quoting from them to emphasize lines that, in isolation, might sound coherent or normal, thus giving a misleading impression of the whole for people who didn’t read or watch the entire thing.’”
Your job is to inform, without fear or favor. Translating gibberish into coherence is irresponsible when it is that very gibberish that merits headlines.
Do better.
Cold or not, you are a wordsmith Jessica Craven! One of my many favorites: "In the face of Harris’s muscular performance Trump was like an umbrella in a wind squall—whipped out of shape, immediately absurd, inarguably useless."