As someone who lives in a solidly blue state, it looks to me like the battle is already lost. Republican in majorities will stop at nothing to suppress the votes of people who vote for Democrats. They have no shame and are the worst possible human beings. Republican voters want it that way otherwise the politicians would be forced to change. It didn't help that Democrats didn't gain in state legislatures in 2020 and lost some. Is there any real hope?
If people in multitude take action, there is a chance, and that is the path to change, as has been demonstrated since the founding of this country over and over--most recently in the runoff elections of 2 Democratic Senators in Georgia.
How can you help? Send a little money to Fair Fight, which is replicating its Georgia playbook in other states:
Republicans want their opposition to feel defeated at the get go. So at least redirect pessimistic energy into support for the on-the-ground activists doing the work. Even verbal support helps keep up motivation and spirit.
I have given to Fair Fight several times in the past year. Abrams will set the stage, once again, in 33 states that are planning to disenfranchise blacks and others voting rights. It is beyond me that we share space with these hateful and cruel people.
Texas needs a Stacey Abrams style get-out-the-vote for Latinos and blacks to motivate and aid them to vote, and a persistent legal drive against voter suppression from community groups and activists. Texas is very close to turning purple for similar reasons that Shelly Bird described for Virginia. Austin, for example, has become a high-tech hub, attracting tens of thousands of democratic-leaning talent. But Texas Republicans have attempted to purge voter rolls, have forced polling places to close, have fought to keep voter registration difficult, and have punished minor violations of election law with draconian prison sentences. Latino voting has remained very low and desperately needs activists to get out their vote. The same is true for black voters in Texas. Gerrymandering is horrible in Texas and will remain that way for the next ten years as the state legislature is still dominated by republicans, and reapportionment will continue to be drawn to their advantage. And republicans will also continue to shout voter fraud in minority-dominated areas. But despite republican tactics of cheating and voter suppression, Texas has edged closer and closer to turning purple. As Shelley noted for Virginia, it takes time, but I believe that time is coming to Texas.
According to brennancenter.org 33 states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 165 restrictive bills this year while 37 states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 541 bills to expand voting access.
There’s a whole lot of pulling in opposite directions - but expanding voting rights could certainly win this vicious tug-of-war.
I have donated to fair fight and other causes and will continue to do so. Stacy Abrams is an amazing organizer and smart as a whip. There is also Nse Ufot of the new Georgia project.
But Georgia is still a red state. Their republican legislature is already planning on making voting harder so that a repeat of senators Ossoff and Warnock can be prevented. This country also tolerated Jim Crow laws for a quite a while.
Democrats must take control of the narrative. Use media and messaging that contains factual evidence of what Biden et al. are doing to help ALL of US. Dems need to stop giving oxygen to the R's.
In all areas of my life I cling to the belief that where there is life, there is hope. We live in NC, in the county with the consistently highest voter turnout in the state that votes consistently Democrat, my husband and I joined a letter writing campaign encouraging Georgians to vote. Where phone calls have become anathema to many, often people will open and read a hand addressed letter. There is always something we can do to strengthen our hope for change.
Glad to see a negative word about phone banks, which I consider a waste of resources in today's world. Letters and postal cards (not slick pieces from candidates) reach far more voters.
Handwritten cards and letters are effective, but phone calls have an immediacy that also works (though abusive responses are possible). Engaging with a live listener is good human contact, and gives them a chance to dialogue with like-minded activists.
I have to have real hope. I can't go anywhere. My daughter and her family are here. She is very ill. She has two little girls. If I didn't keep hope flowing in every aspect of my life, I wouldn't ever get up again. So politically, my granddaughters are front and center and I will do whatever I need to keep our state safe for them. That said, in Arizona we voted Mark Kelly in for Senate and Joe Biden in for President. If that can happen here, then we can take down the right wing extremist legislature. All of my state legislators are Democrats, so admittedly I am in some kind of weird liberal bubble within the state of Arizona. I know we need to find our own Stacy Abrams for Arizona to get a big movement going and adapt to whatever comes out of this legislature this year. But it isn't over.
I visit family regularly in VA and pay some attention to its politics. VA is mostly blue now for statewide and national offices, with large swathes of liberalism in DC suburbs, around Richmond and the Norfolk-Hampton area. (The GOP still dominate rural districts.)
In Aug 2018 we attended an anti-Brett Kavanaugh rally in Alexandria. It was incredibly heartening to engage with like-minded political and union activists. I should have spent the rest of the afternoon with them instead of enduring another dreary lunch with in-laws.
I donated way more than I should have sensibly just to make sure Biden got in—now I’m not even so sure big money works and I don’t have really big money.
You are an inspiration, Liz. I'm also sensibly senseless, proud to donate c.$700 to Biden, and c.$300 to the GA runoffs. I always wait for requests from PACs that offer matching funds: 300, 350, 500, even 850% matches make the money go farther. And we know that signing or donating guarantees ... yet more petitions and requests to donate. Yay?!
This is where the pandemic has helped Dems. People don’t need to be in blue cities or suburbs to work. Where is land and housing cheaper? Trump country.
Wow, thanks so much, Shelly. Do you live in VA? If so, who do you think would make the best candidate for Governor? I am doing research right now to be prepared for November.
Charles M. Blow’s “The Devil You Know” argues that African Americans should return to the South, reverse migration if not feeling empowered in the current home state.
Mr Blow is on target but perhaps a bit tardy. In 1996 anthropologist Carol Stack published Call To Home, a sequel to All Our Kin, her 1974 classic on Black migrants in the North. CTH documents an already-existing pattern of partial return migration to southern states and neighborhoods. The reasons are complex and multifaceted -- but why be prosaic when we can SING !!!
I have found that putting my energy into supporting Democratic candidates in red states gives me the greatest hope. There is also phone banking, postcarding, etc. that can be done if you lack the finances. I am happy here in Oregon with my senators and representative (DeFazio). I try to work other states, and statewide Oregon races where a democrat may need extra help.
For what it's worth the pod save america guys have been highlighting all these causes for the last 4+ years. They also have done fund raising drives for these organizations with an eye towards helping Dem candidates in red/purple states. I feel lucky being in blue MA.
The judiciary committee minority side does look like a league of super villains but a few of them are so deeply steeped in the insurrection I’ll bet there will be some openings. That’s all they have - cheating.
Yes, there is but that would require, despite GOP voter suppression, a massive outpouring of voters at local as well as national levels, who are neither ignorant of the facts nor susceptible to 'big lies.' Getting to that point is the challenge.
Targeted, of course. The Dems won the popular vote by 7 million, but could have lost if 90,000 votes in a few states hadn’t gone blue. GOO knows this too.
Those of us living in states with Republican Majority Legislatures cannot sit back quietly. The real Steal the Vote is in process.
It sure is and that’s another thing the most powerful Republicans are good at — changing the goal posts and stealing.
In the middle of the game.
As someone who lives in a solidly blue state, it looks to me like the battle is already lost. Republican in majorities will stop at nothing to suppress the votes of people who vote for Democrats. They have no shame and are the worst possible human beings. Republican voters want it that way otherwise the politicians would be forced to change. It didn't help that Democrats didn't gain in state legislatures in 2020 and lost some. Is there any real hope?
If we do not try, we have zero chance.
If people in multitude take action, there is a chance, and that is the path to change, as has been demonstrated since the founding of this country over and over--most recently in the runoff elections of 2 Democratic Senators in Georgia.
How can you help? Send a little money to Fair Fight, which is replicating its Georgia playbook in other states:
https://fairfight.com/
Republicans want their opposition to feel defeated at the get go. So at least redirect pessimistic energy into support for the on-the-ground activists doing the work. Even verbal support helps keep up motivation and spirit.
I have given to Fair Fight several times in the past year. Abrams will set the stage, once again, in 33 states that are planning to disenfranchise blacks and others voting rights. It is beyond me that we share space with these hateful and cruel people.
We need Stacey Abrams cloned exponentially
Liz, the way to do that is for all of us to help her! We can be the Staceys we've been waiting for! :)
I do all I can but I live in the bluest state MA.
Bullseye, Barbara.
Texas needs a Stacey Abrams style get-out-the-vote for Latinos and blacks to motivate and aid them to vote, and a persistent legal drive against voter suppression from community groups and activists. Texas is very close to turning purple for similar reasons that Shelly Bird described for Virginia. Austin, for example, has become a high-tech hub, attracting tens of thousands of democratic-leaning talent. But Texas Republicans have attempted to purge voter rolls, have forced polling places to close, have fought to keep voter registration difficult, and have punished minor violations of election law with draconian prison sentences. Latino voting has remained very low and desperately needs activists to get out their vote. The same is true for black voters in Texas. Gerrymandering is horrible in Texas and will remain that way for the next ten years as the state legislature is still dominated by republicans, and reapportionment will continue to be drawn to their advantage. And republicans will also continue to shout voter fraud in minority-dominated areas. But despite republican tactics of cheating and voter suppression, Texas has edged closer and closer to turning purple. As Shelley noted for Virginia, it takes time, but I believe that time is coming to Texas.
Thank you I have some dear friends in Texas and I do wish them purpler.
Dems have almost as many initiatives to expand voting in almost as many states. We will no longer take threats to democracy lying down.
According to brennancenter.org 33 states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 165 restrictive bills this year while 37 states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 541 bills to expand voting access.
There’s a whole lot of pulling in opposite directions - but expanding voting rights could certainly win this vicious tug-of-war.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-february-2021
Thanks Lena. It's good to be proven wrong on this point.
I have donated to fair fight and other causes and will continue to do so. Stacy Abrams is an amazing organizer and smart as a whip. There is also Nse Ufot of the new Georgia project.
https://newgeorgiaproject.org/
But Georgia is still a red state. Their republican legislature is already planning on making voting harder so that a repeat of senators Ossoff and Warnock can be prevented. This country also tolerated Jim Crow laws for a quite a while.
Democrats must take control of the narrative. Use media and messaging that contains factual evidence of what Biden et al. are doing to help ALL of US. Dems need to stop giving oxygen to the R's.
Fair Fight and Indivisible.
Send $$$$
Thanks for sharing the link, Ellie. Just made a donation to this crucial and effective group.
Yes. And -------> https://indivisible.org/
In all areas of my life I cling to the belief that where there is life, there is hope. We live in NC, in the county with the consistently highest voter turnout in the state that votes consistently Democrat, my husband and I joined a letter writing campaign encouraging Georgians to vote. Where phone calls have become anathema to many, often people will open and read a hand addressed letter. There is always something we can do to strengthen our hope for change.
Glad to see a negative word about phone banks, which I consider a waste of resources in today's world. Letters and postal cards (not slick pieces from candidates) reach far more voters.
Not only a waste of resources, but damaging to the resources we already have in place. Phone bank people are just brutalized by extremists.
Handwritten cards and letters are effective, but phone calls have an immediacy that also works (though abusive responses are possible). Engaging with a live listener is good human contact, and gives them a chance to dialogue with like-minded activists.
NB, prior suggestions from LFAAers on the value of sending postcards are much appreciated.
I have to have real hope. I can't go anywhere. My daughter and her family are here. She is very ill. She has two little girls. If I didn't keep hope flowing in every aspect of my life, I wouldn't ever get up again. So politically, my granddaughters are front and center and I will do whatever I need to keep our state safe for them. That said, in Arizona we voted Mark Kelly in for Senate and Joe Biden in for President. If that can happen here, then we can take down the right wing extremist legislature. All of my state legislators are Democrats, so admittedly I am in some kind of weird liberal bubble within the state of Arizona. I know we need to find our own Stacy Abrams for Arizona to get a big movement going and adapt to whatever comes out of this legislature this year. But it isn't over.
Thanks to the nationwide strategy, each state already has its own Stacy Abrams. Her name is Stacy Abrams.
Remember Red State Virginia? Can it be done elsewhere?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/us/virginia-elections-democrats-republicans.html
https://www.thenationalsentinel.com/2019/11/08/heres-how-virginia-turned-blue-thank-eric-holder-and-good-ol-left-wing-judicial-activism/
Yes, Virginia!
Virginia is for lovers of democracy.
I think of VA as purple these days.
When does purple turn blue? VA has 2 Dem Senators, a Dem Governor, a majority Dem General Assembly. My House Rep is a Dem.
I visit family regularly in VA and pay some attention to its politics. VA is mostly blue now for statewide and national offices, with large swathes of liberalism in DC suburbs, around Richmond and the Norfolk-Hampton area. (The GOP still dominate rural districts.)
In Aug 2018 we attended an anti-Brett Kavanaugh rally in Alexandria. It was incredibly heartening to engage with like-minded political and union activists. I should have spent the rest of the afternoon with them instead of enduring another dreary lunch with in-laws.
So we donate $$$ to help push purple states to blue, and/or find out ways to support the cause, even if we don't live in that purple state.
I donated way more than I should have sensibly just to make sure Biden got in—now I’m not even so sure big money works and I don’t have really big money.
You are an inspiration, Liz. I'm also sensibly senseless, proud to donate c.$700 to Biden, and c.$300 to the GA runoffs. I always wait for requests from PACs that offer matching funds: 300, 350, 500, even 850% matches make the money go farther. And we know that signing or donating guarantees ... yet more petitions and requests to donate. Yay?!
Goldwater and Obama are just two politicians who come to mind for having a grassroots foundation of fundraising and support. Our little money counts!
This is where the pandemic has helped Dems. People don’t need to be in blue cities or suburbs to work. Where is land and housing cheaper? Trump country.
Sounds good, but it's too soon to tell.
Now we just need to make sure that the employers of these incoming dem voters think the same way and stop funding those feeding off the oligarchy.
Wow, thanks so much, Shelly. Do you live in VA? If so, who do you think would make the best candidate for Governor? I am doing research right now to be prepared for November.
Charles M. Blow’s “The Devil You Know” argues that African Americans should return to the South, reverse migration if not feeling empowered in the current home state.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/01/29/review-charles-blow-devil-you-know-nyt-book/
Mr Blow is on target but perhaps a bit tardy. In 1996 anthropologist Carol Stack published Call To Home, a sequel to All Our Kin, her 1974 classic on Black migrants in the North. CTH documents an already-existing pattern of partial return migration to southern states and neighborhoods. The reasons are complex and multifaceted -- but why be prosaic when we can SING !!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hSKVrWpH6w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq8tkMNLejM
and update and amplify the message. It would be interesting to see if Mr. Blow cited Dr. Stack in his writing.
I have found that putting my energy into supporting Democratic candidates in red states gives me the greatest hope. There is also phone banking, postcarding, etc. that can be done if you lack the finances. I am happy here in Oregon with my senators and representative (DeFazio). I try to work other states, and statewide Oregon races where a democrat may need extra help.
For what it's worth the pod save america guys have been highlighting all these causes for the last 4+ years. They also have done fund raising drives for these organizations with an eye towards helping Dem candidates in red/purple states. I feel lucky being in blue MA.
The judiciary committee minority side does look like a league of super villains but a few of them are so deeply steeped in the insurrection I’ll bet there will be some openings. That’s all they have - cheating.
Yes, there is but that would require, despite GOP voter suppression, a massive outpouring of voters at local as well as national levels, who are neither ignorant of the facts nor susceptible to 'big lies.' Getting to that point is the challenge.
Targeted, of course. The Dems won the popular vote by 7 million, but could have lost if 90,000 votes in a few states hadn’t gone blue. GOO knows this too.
I'm in PA, and the PA legislature is fighting tooth and nail to make it harder to vote.
And those guys were elected on the same ballot that Biden won. Curious.
For Republicans "Fraud for me not thee."
The best must run. Be brave. Speak truth.
Yes, Republican methods consist wholly of theft.