Hi, all, and happy Thursday.
I’m listening to some really interesting polling as I write. Did you know that the number one group of swingable voters this election cycle is 50+ year old women? And that their top issues are drug prices and cuts to social security? They are also very worried about political divisions and attacks on democracy. Most importantly, they are still undecided.
Why? Because the average American is not following politics the way we are. They don’t know Republicans are promising to come for Social Security. They don’t know that the Inflation Reduction Act contained provisions to lower drug prices and keep health insurance premiums low. They also don’t know that every Republican voted against it.
They don’t know until we tell them.
THIS, you guys, is why we phonebank. This is why we canvass. These women will be deciding who they vote for in the next 5 weeks. Their decisions may well come down to a conversation they have with ONE PERSON who is informed enough to tell them where the two parties fall on these issues. I have had many, many of these conversations already. People are so often without a clue, but they’re willing to learn. They need information that you and I have. Once they have it—once they learn about Republicans’ plans to cut Social Security, to pass a national abortion ban, to end the ACA—they are OURS.
I pray that many of you overcome your discomfort and sign up for a phonebank or a canvass soon. Postcards and letters are great, but it is actual conversations with undecided voters—voters who generally have no idea which party stands for what—that will win us these elections.
You can do this. I believe in you. I SEE how strong you are.
Help us talk to voters, y’all.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I am happy to see that the House passed HR 8873, the Presidential Election Reform Act, yesterday. I want the Senate to pass it, or a similar bill, as soon as possible. The attacks on our Democracy are coming thick and fast—we must work quickly to protect it.
On that note, I also expect the Senator to vote yes on S 2671 the DISCLOSE Act when it comes up for a vote this week. Protecting our elections includes increasing transparency in campaign financing. Will the Senator vote yes?
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to ask that you do everything you can to stop Manchin's fossil fuel side deal, introduced yesterday as the Energy Independence and Security Act. Protecting frontline communities is important to me, and this bill would further exacerbate harms onto them and our climate.
[If Democrat add:] I want Democrats to come together to oppose Manchin's fossil fuel legislation and remove it from the upcoming government spending bill. Do you know the member's position on the matter?
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s contact DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at (202) 282-8495 or DHSSecretary@HQ.DHS.gov. If you call you’ll just be leaving a VM.
Say:
Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] in support of ending all contracts with the Torrance County Detention Facility. In February, the DHS Office Inspector General recommended all detainees be removed due to inadequate staffing and unsanitary conditions, yet the facility remains operational. I am asking you to honor your pledge and terminate ICE’s contract with the Torrance County Detention Facility before more lives are lost.
[H/T]
Give 💰 For Stamps?
Y’all, I have a pretty special opportunity, here. One of my subscribers has been busy writing vote Forward letters—200 so far!—and wants to write many more but cannot afford the postage. I offered to put out a call to see if anyone had extra first-class stamps they could send her and/or if anyone would be willing to order some stamps through USPS.com to go to her. She thinks she can write up to 500 more letters.
If anyone wants to donate stamps, please email me for her address (just hit reply to this newsletter). Thanks!
Get Smart! 📚
DemCast has created a wonderful Google Document listing ALL major federal and state-wide Democratic races in 2022 - US House, US Senate, Gov., Lt. Gov., AG, SOS, State Supreme Court. There is a ton of information about the district and the candidates embedded in this chart. The information seems to be largely taken from Ballotpedia which is also a goldmine…but this chart brings it all together.
Feel free to share the link to the chart with any other Democratic election nerds you know.
Win Races—WRITE POSTCARDS! 🗳
Turn PA Blue still has voter registration postcards they need sent. These cards are EASY—I just ordered another batch of 1000 for my depot. They are pre-addressed, so writing them is as simple as jotting down a short script, stamping and mailing ASAP.
They do cost $15 per 50 card pack, but I consider it a small price to pay to help win in a key swing state. Please, if you can afford to help, do.
Last chance to order your postcards here.
Win Races—Register Voters by Text! 💻
Virtual Text Bank to Register Voters in Wisconsin
Hosted by Progress North and Field Team 6
TODAY Thurs, Sep 22 @ 5 – 7pm CDT
Help reach out to eligible voters in the key state of Wisconsin. Making sure women and gender-diverse folks are registered to vote, and that they can vote safely from home, is a super-effective way to make a difference. This is a superfast textbank (using the Spoke Rewired platform) hosted by Field Team 6.
Training will be provided. You'll be reaching out with a pro-choice message. Now is the time to turn people’s outrage into action – and elect pro-democracy majorities to the Senate, the House, governors’ mansions, and statehouses in November.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to President Biden] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN PNPCOR to 50409]
In the past month, you’ve passed a historic healthcare and climate bill, taken steps to protect Dreamers, and forgiven thousands per debtor in student loans.
That just might be enough to hold the House and the Senate this November, but there’s one thing left you can do to guarantee it: Take the first steps toward decriminalizing marijuana. Not only is this smart politics, it’s 100% the right thing to do.
You can initiate the process to remove marijuana from the schedule of the Controlled Substances Act with the stroke of a pen. This action would make it easier for businesses in states who have ended prohibition to flourish. Right now, cannabis businesses can’t operate across state lines and are financially insecure because they don't have full access to the banking system or the ability to write off their employees' healthcare costs.
In short, descheduling marijuana would shorten the path to full legalization.
Descheduling marijuana is incredibly popular with voters—right up there with saving the planet, fighting inflation, and fighting the student debt crisis. But more importantly, descheduling marijuana could be the issue that gets thousands of unlikely voters to the polls this year. Please do it now! Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
I’m just amazed how anyone would vote Republican, or for the Orange Jesus. They both only have one agenda and that does not include protecting the working class in any way. GOP did not want to lower Drug prices or protect our SSN (they call it entitlements) I call it, something I have earned or protect woman’s rights, or protect our right to vote. I could go on but I won’t.
As a 70 year old Vietnam Veteran I have earned my right to be a Liberal without being labeled unpatriotic.