Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/4
We have us.
Hi, all, and happy Wednesday!
We’re almost exactly two months out from the biggest election of our lifetimes! Hard to believe, right? It’s been on the distant horizon for so long, but it’s starting to loom closer, and we are starting to make out details of how it might look.
The operative word, of course, being “might.”
Things, after all, are looking excellent. Volunteers are revved up and busy, voters are registering in huge numbers, and the Harris-Walz campaign continues to fire on all cylinders. Fundraising is very much in our favor. Energy, too!
But we know that everything can change in a heartbeat, and we also know that appearances can be deceiving. So while, as Robert Hubbell says, “we have every reason to be hopeful,” we also, as he always adds, “have no reason to be complacent.” Trump is not going to go down easily. Neither will any Republican. These people don’t like to lose, and we know they’ll play exceedingly dirty in order to avoid doing so.
So keep reminding yourself of a few simple things:
There are millions and millions more of us than there are of them.
We are driven by love and patriotism. They are driven by hate and fear. The former is an empowering force; the latter tends to lead to entropy and error.
The small dollar—and much of the big—fundraising is on our side. So are the artists. So are the kids. So is the rest of the world.
We have very, very smart people on our team. The smartest.
We are largely united. Our opponents are largely the opposite.
We have “us.” They have only “me.” It makes a huge, huge difference.
We are swimming with the currents of history and progress. They are toiling against them. That makes everything they do harder, and everything we do a bit easier.
Finally, we have you. Never forget it. YOU are the secret sauce that keeps winning elections, stunning pundits, and creating overperformances for which the media will never credit you. You are our behind-the-curtain magic. Just because you remain unsung doesn’t mean your impact isn’t very real.
YOU, your toil, your courage, and your steadfast efforts in good times and bad, are why we will win. If no one else thanks you for that today, I’m thanking you now.
Let’s get to work.
P.S. — This Democrats Abroad event tomorrow has gathered an extraordinary list of speakers. I mean, WOW! If you can possibly make it you’re going to want to. Register here.
P.P.S — My friend David Stowe has a union print shop and it’s from him that I got the above yard sign—I was getting impatient as the one I ordered from the Harris-Walz campaign is extremely delayed. David sells the signs in bulk for a VERY reasonable price, but you have to order a minimum of 50. If anyone is looking for bulk order signs please email him at Dstowe@alphagraphics.com!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
[You can check here before you call to see if your Senator is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. If they are a member they have extra pull; be sure to mention that in your call.]
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling because I hear that the Army is refusing to release the police report filed by the Arlington National Cemetery worker who was reportedly assaulted by two Trump campaign staffers when she tried to enforce cemetery rules. This is not OK. Americans want to know what happened at Arlington—we NEED to know—and that includes gaining access to that report. Please ask the Senator to use all the influence they have to push the Army to release it. If someone on Trump’s campaign broke the law they need to be held accountable. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
[Check here before you call to see if your representative is on the House Armed Services Committee. This committee is chaired by a Republican so Dems have less power there, but if your rep is a member they do have some extra sway. Please remind them of that.]
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling because I hear that the Army is refusing to release the police report filed by the Arlington National Cemetery worker who was reportedly assaulted by two Trump campaign staffers when she tried to enforce cemetery rules. This is not OK. Americans want to know what happened at Arlington—we NEED to know—and that includes gaining access to that report. Please ask the Congressmember to use all the influence they have to push the Army to release it. If someone on Trump’s campaign broke the law they need to be held accountable. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s call the Senate Armed Services Committee about Trump’s Arlington outrage. (202) 224-3871. I got a voicemail, so I left a message there but also called the chair of the Committee, Senator Jack Reed, at (202) 224-4642 and said I was calling him in his capacity as chair of the committee.
We can say something like:
My name is ____ and I’m calling from _____. I’m calling because I hear that the Army is refusing to release the police report filed by the Arlington National Cemetery worker who was reportedly assaulted by two Trump campaign staffers when she tried to enforce cemetery rules. This is not OK. Americans want to know what happened at Arlington—we NEED to know—and that includes gaining access to that report. The Senate Armed Services Committee needs to investigate, make the Army release that report, and get to the bottom of what happened. If someone on Trump’s campaign broke the law they need to be held accountable. Thanks.
[If you are a veteran, a current servicemember, or someone with family who served please make sure to add that information.]
Get Smart! 📚
Tom Bonier and Simon Rosenberg TONIGHT at 7pm ET
Super smart data guy Tom Bonier will be joining Simon Rosenberg live tonight at 7pm. Tom will be discussing two new tools his team at TargetSmart are releasing in the coming days - one that tracks changes in voter registration across the country and another, TargetEarly, which will track the early vote.
Tom will be coming with fresh and encouraging voter registration data from across the country, and he and Simon will also be spending time discussing why Voting on Day 1 is so important, and why we should all be working to win this election in October and not on Election Day.
Register for the event here. It’s going to be a good one!
Give 💰!
Please join Movement Voter PAC on Wednesday, September 11 at 12-1pm Pacific / 3-4pm Eastern for a special briefing the day after the Harris-Trump debate, entitled: "From Debate to Doorstep: Innovative Strategies for Winning the Swing States."
In this briefing, you’ll hear from Michigan United Action, One Pennsylvania, and other locally-based swing-state organizations about the innovative strategies they are using to turn out overlooked Democratic voters.
MVP is "a one-stop shop for strategically investing in local organizations that win elections and transform policy." They’ve set forth the ambitious goal to raise at least $100 million for the local, grassroots electoral organizations that comprise "the grassroots ground game" — a complementary and absolutely critical counterpart to the GOTV work being spearheaded by the Harris-Walz campaign and the Democratic Party. Learn more and contribute here.
RSVP for MVP's briefing here. Note that the briefing will be recorded and sent to all who register.
Win Races—Do Voter Protection!! 🗳
Ballot Cure Hotline: Staff the DCCC's Ballot Cure Hotline and help voters fix their mail-in ballots so their votes will count.
Win Races—Post-It Notes for Kamala!
Live in a swing state? Heck, live anywhere? Do this! [H/T
]POST-IT NOTES FOR KAMALA!
Women: It doesn’t get more grassroots than this! Let’s get a pad of sticky notes and write a message like this on each one:
Woman to Woman
No one sees your vote at the polls.
Vote Harris Walz!
Register at TurboVote.org
Then, let’s stick it on the inside of the stall door every time we use a public restroom as well as other places as we see fit.
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
Join Sierra Club for their election launch livestream on Thursday, September 5, and learn how to write letters to elect climate champions!
Sierra Club is focusing on writing letters to people in Pennsylvania and Michigan, because this tactic works and these are the key voters we need to reach. If you've been looking for a way to get involved, join them on Thursday at 4PM PT / 7PM ET for their launch webinar where they'll dive into their plan to win.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T Climate Action Now] [Text SIGN PLAUPQ to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
I'm calling on you to use the upcoming Farm Bill to encourage research and development of methane-reducing vaccines for cattle!
Boston startup ArkeaBio has developed a vaccine to reduce methane production in cattle, which works by directing the cow’s immune system to create antibodies against methane-producing bacteria. Early small-scale trials are finding that vaccinated cattle saw methane production decrease by around 13%. The Bezos Earth Fund is also investing in grants for researchers trying to better understand the immunology that would enable future vaccines to further address methane in cattle.
These early actions on cattle methane vaccine research constitute a relatively small step, but one with the potential to help solve a very big problem. Agriculture is the biggest source of human-produced methane emissions, and methane (CH4) is a major greenhouse gas that’s the second-biggest contributor to global warming behind carbon dioxide (CO2).
I urge you to pass a Farm Bill promoting R&D on methane-reducing vaccines for cattle!
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I just have to share the BEST anecdote. My Mom lives in a tiny town in east TX and she plays cards with a big group of women a few times a week. She texted me recently to ask if I knew where her pearl necklace was and I thought it was strange because pearls aren't really her style. She told me yesterday that she feels left out because every single one of the women in her friend group wears pearls and Chucks every day because they are so excited to vote for Kamala. I love it!
Jessica, this is amazing! I am getting started, in addition to the articles I write. I am 72, and not very mobile, but this is something I can do without leaving my computer. Thank you for the information, and what you are doing.