I always find it amazing how the sitting President is blamed for everything and sometimes takes credit for things that didn't happen on their watch. The former guy immediately took credit for the upward trend in the economy the moment he took office even though that trend was exactly a continuation of the trend established by the Obama administration. Battleships don't turn on a dime and neither should we judge Presidents that way. In fact, what I see as the problem is the long term dysfunction of the Congress. Like not funding the IRS so my tax return from LAST year has not been processed although they cashed my check in three days. We need tax reform, immigration reform, Supreme Court reform and voting rights restored. In particular we need Citizens United overturned which is legalized bribery and corruption of members of Congress by big money. In shorthand, Party and Patrons come before Country and Constituents. Seems to me that President Biden is doing an amazing job in a horrendous time including inheriting a decimated Executive Branch from the former guy. I don't agree with everything he has done; but I do feel he is holding the ship of state steady on a solid course back to restoring democracy. We, the People, all of us this time.
I mostly agree, but the focus on CU is overblown; bribery and corruption in Congress was going on long before that case came up and, while it would be good to have it legislatively overturned, it's not much more than a distraction from what you accurately cite as major issues for the Democrats to address. I'd prefer an update of the Electoral Count Act now so it doesn't get bogged down in the politics of the 24 cycle.
Agree the ship is holding steady but the voices around the excellent steady reliable and effective administration. Is being drowned out by doom and gloom predictions and a focus on the negative rather than the positive.
Tonight Robert provides a lucid, persuasive explanation of WHY Biden's very low Approval rating does NOT necessarily spell doom for the Dems in November. The size of the Disapproval cadre IS worrisome, but he brings out the key point: there are a lot of people who "disapprove" of Biden's performance but would NEVER vote for a Trump supporter (I am one of them.) Recall back in 2010 just after the passage of the ACA. The right made a big deal of their claim that a majority of voters (around 65% as I recall) DISAPPROVED of Obamacare. It was technically true, but the opposition consisted of around 40% who were against its basic intentions AND 25% who thought it didn't go far enough! Add that 25% to the 35% who firmly backed it, and the real support for the aims of the ACA comes out at 60%. And today it's closer to 70%.
Something similar is happening with Biden--a big chunk of those who "Disapprove" may simply think he is not going far and fast enough in pursuing a host of progressive goals. This group will never vote for candidates pledging fealty to Trump (as nearly ALL GOP candidates in November will have had to do.) But they might stay home and that is where our efforts, as Today's Edition constantly reminds us, must be placed. Massive Get Out The Vote efforts are what's needed--not the far more difficult job of changing people's basic views.
Thanks Roger. And of course, this is never mentioned in the media when they cover recent polling. I agree that we do not need to get people to change their minds, we just need everyone to vote. If that's not an "American value", I don't know what is! I will be writing and sending out postcards to those on my list of 100 voters in Georgia where I will merely urge them to vote by sending them a postcard. ( My postcard states "Voting is your superpower') It's a part of the Progressive Turnout Project's "Postcards for Swing States". Their first postcard program this year is to highlight what Democrats have delivered. Sign up is until April 30th and postcards are to be mailed by May 31st. For the second action this year, starting in May, postcards will be sent to Democratic voters in states with key Senate elections. Volunteers will mail those postcards in October. More information can be found here. https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
Lynn, I’m also doing postcards and they can make a difference !My current project is postcards to voters on tribal lands in AZ. In 2020 these voters helped Biden win thanks in part to a huge increase in mail-in ballots.
Yes! I am working on cards for AZ and have also done several campaigns for local Native American tribes. I still remember the card my husband got reminding him that as an independent he could not vote in the primary….it got him to change his registration!
I also think pollsters should word their questions more carefully to distinguish between those who may be "disappointed" versus those who "disapprove." This is an important distinction. I believe that many who are claiming in polls they disapprove of Biden's performance are more likely disappointed with what is happening and NOT happening, than actually disapprove of Biden's performance.
Everybody seems to forget that midterm elections are basically about turnout and candidates on a local level and for me we need to call out Trump supporting government overthrowing co-conspirators and those incumbents who voted against certifying the Biden election results and hold them accountable
In my opinion (I’m a clinical psychologist) the upset, anger, pain, despair that many of us (Democrats) feel, can be primarily attributed to the failure of the Biden DOJ (Merrick Garland) to secure a single consequence for any of the criminal acts of the former deplorable administration. With time running out. I think Garland should be replaced for failure to function adequately. If Biden did that we’d see his poll numbers soar. But he won’t. Your thoughts? And thank you. Lynn
I agree that Garland's inaction to date is a major cause of the frustration people feel. It would be impossible for Biden to replace Garland. Another nominee would never make it through the Senate. And the person who would become the Acting Attorney General, Lisa Monaco, is the person who is carrying out the "slow walk" strategy.
I posted this about your 4/18 column but too late to be noticed. It is worth comments: Re Amber Heard's article "Why the Democrats Think They are Going to Lose in November". Who IS Amber Heard? Safari says she is (a) a 35 year old high school drop out to go to Hollywood (b) few roles all sexy (c) married to Johnny Depp for two years and big law suit with him (c) briefly dated Elon Musk, etc. etc. Look it up yourself. She has absolutely zero qualifications re Public Policy matters. Hard to think of someone with less. And look again how the Hubbell 4/18 column explains the R slanted mistakes in her piece. Do you think that maybe Amber's publicist wrote her piece for her or does she really read on her own "Democratic campaign memos"? Of course Amber and her publicist have a right to do what they want BUT the Big Question: WHY DID THE WA PO EDITOR PRINT IT? WHY? What is the WA Po motto: something about Democracy dying if the press is silent? Let's get a WA PO response. Waiting.
I think her name is Abigail Phillip, not Amber Phillips. My reaction changes completely with this correction. Now the issue is: Why did an experienced journalist write the article and why the headline??? She and the WA PO owes us an answer. Actually this is even a worse situation when experienced journalist distorts the news. She seems to be building a career so Why Did She Write This??
I wondered that myself. Amber Heard, the former Mrs. Depp, does not seem to be the type of person to write something about politics. However, we could be doing her an injustice.
There are times, and I believe this is one, where it is best to decide Baloney is Baloney and stick with it. Kindness is for those who deserve it, not for every Trickser or worse.
RBH or an assistant made a major mistake in his article "An Easter of War" which stated that the offending article in WA PO was written by "Amber Heard". My response was in reply to RBH's erroneous attribution. Other readers then offered that the WA PO author was "Amber Phillips" and RBH simply stated "My mistake". I now believe after a few more keyboard clicks that the correct name of the author is "Abigail Phillip (no s)" because a person of that name does write on Public Policy matters for WA PO. RBH's point was that the WA PO article was greatly misleading/wrong and he is fully correct. Would have been better to get it right at the beginning and I am certain that RBH is seeing to that.
Wonderful and thorough writing. Thank you. I have a question that may seem unrelated but is not. The question is: Why does Votefwd.org insist on pure pablum, bipartisan letters to be sent in advance of the 2022 midterms? I am told that we mail to ALL, or mostly, democrats. Why on this good earth is Vote Forward not taking advantage with the millions of letters being sent to inform and educate? When I submitted my draft letter, my ears were boxed for the last line, which read: Your vote is your opportunity to be heard and it can make the difference between living in a Democracy or autocracy. So, I succumbed and send their weak template letters saying nothing, not even offering reminders to help voters be prepared: Driver's License or voter registration card, or whatever is being asked for to make voting a challenge rather than a privilege. I have lost my enthusiasm regarding this exercise but do not understand their resistance to remain bipartisan when the audience are democrats. THIS IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR MESSAGING.
I had the exact same experience with “postcards to swing states”. I wrote 200 of the most wimpy messaged postcards. I will be looking for organizations with better messaging and I’m hoping “The Union” will organize one.
Thank you, Annette. 💜 I thought I was alone in my frustration. "Wimpy" is a good description of the content of these, or what should be, important communications. I'll continue but with the costs of postage, paper, printer ink, et cetera, my heart is not in writing 'wimpy' messages in these challenging, critical times. I want to do better with what little I can offer.
I hear you, Lee Anne. I ‘m also writing letters through Vote Forward and had the same thoughts about messaging before I read through the VF General Guidance. We “engaged voters and activists “ get fired up by negative messaging ! VF is trying to reach those who are NOT engaged. Also personalizing the message made sense to me as I’m often drawn to a personal story…
“According to progressive research and communications experts, already engaged voters and activists, like many Vote Forward volunteers, may respond to negative messaging and take a desired action like donating money or voting, but engaging those who are not yet active–like Vote Forward letter recipients–requires making a positive request to take action, i.e., to vote. We want everyone who receives a Vote Forward letter to feel good about voting and being part of the process.”
Thanks, Kathy. However, I don't know at what point in time this 'general guidance' was developed. Times have changed, states are changing and what you quoted seems outdated given the fact our Democracy is unraveling as Trump and his loyalists are beating the drums. VoteForward is one of the organizations that can help with messaging. If people are apathetic about voting, they need to be informed why their vote is important and how outcomes will impact their lives. That said, if nothing else, I believe reminding those who ARE NOT ACTIVE VOTERS of what they may need in way of identification et al. given the gerrymandering. The Republicans are preying on those who don't know what to do when they finally vote. Telling voters what they need to have on their person, what answers they need to know (their district number, etc.) is not partisan. It is useful information. Thanks, again. I would like to see Vote Forward revisit their very "cheery" guidelines in the light of today's realities.
Good points ,Lee Anne ! I’m also doing postcards to voters on tribal lands and the wording includes having them contact their local organizer for guidance, with a name and contact info. Sounds just like what you’re talking about.
You nailed it. Things do feel overwhelming.....the Ukranian horror alone would have brought that on. Remember the picture of the three-year old Syrian boy washed up on the beach in Italy as his family tried to escape the Syrian war (run by the same Russian general know heading up Putin's War)? We each have daily conversations with people outside our families and there is a good place to start with a sentence or two of clarity and uplift. I said to someone in the grocery store line who was bemoaning gas prices, "You know the President has nothing to do with gas prices......even if it is a President you like! He is just an easier target than the oil companies and Putin." She actually smiled and said "you are right". There were lots of ears in that conversation.
Regarding "perspective"; I remain appalled by Mitch McConnell. His policy of -0- support for anything proposed by a Democrat president is unchanged since Obama. He has calculated that party is more important than country. Every single time, every single year. He will fight his formerly good friend Joe Biden in the trenches, in the newspapers, and in the ballot box. I hope there is a special place in history reserved for him, right next to Theodore Bilbo.
Regarding decisions by right wing voters. A good read is The Sum of Us by Heather McGee. She does a great job of explaining how racism may be the cause of the votes against a voter's self interest. I'm only about 100 pages into the book, but the examples have been eye-opening.
I want to comment on the low favorability polls. I have been knocking on doors canvassing for Democrats in the June primaries here in Southern California. I just remind you that we, who read the newsletter, know about the low polls. But many people (most?) don’t. They don’t know we got redistricted after the census. They don’t know the primary ballots come in less than 3 weeks. And they don’t know a single candidate they will see on that ballot. So I don’t think those polls are going to influence their votes. That said, the Party associated with high inflation, which everyone has noticed, has a lot of splainin to do. Same phenomenon. Not driven by the Party, but they don’t know that. That’s what I’m doing. Explaining it if I can. And I’m not really finding that as the major complaint.
Thanks, Deborah, for knocking on doors in South Carolina. You are a true hero of the resistance. That is tough duty.
As to inflation, there is an explanation, but I don't think people care: What changed in the last year compared to the prior 40 years of low inflation? The pandemic. Supply chain disruption, a tightened labor market, and pent up demand from two years of semi lockdown. What's the cure? Higher interest rates. do people really want that? It's a complicated situation, and people may blame Biden no matter what. Does that mean they should vote for candidates who want to ban math books and abortion, phase out Medicare, and raise taxes on 50% of Americans? Doesn't make sense to me. I hope it doesn't make sense to voters who are understandably upset over inflation.
I participated in a street walking, door-knocking campaign this weekend here in a Texas in a swing district. My own approach after briefly introducing myself and for whom I was canvassing (local candidate), was to ask folks what were their major concerns they hoped to see addressed by whoever was elected in this year's elections. I believe it is more effective in my conversations with voters to start with letting them tell me what is important to them, rather than my attempting to tell them what I, or the candidate I am supporting, want to talk about. In that way, people feel listened to and are more receptive to a message about how whoever you are trying to represent feels that is important also and how they might be able to help. It is the old, active listening, two ears one mouth philosophy. Just my own thoughts on this.
Robert today’s Edition addressed several issues I had including the Charles Blow column. I live in NC and there have been a flood of political ads hitting the airwaves. As I was watching them I started to realize that voters need to look at the ads and candidate’s differently and ask different questions. When a candidate says “ We need to make America Great Again” does that mean try and overthrow the government and enact voter restriction laws. When the candidates say “ We need to bring conservative values to Congress” what does that mean relative to woman’s reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights and marriage and of course the sure winner “ Endorsed by Trump basically says hey this candidate supports everything I Donald Trump stand for. Really, What I am recommending is for all of us the “ Hubbell Humble Masses “ to write letters to every local newspaper in our communities asking these questions. The bigger question to ask is what are the candidates position and platform about voting rights, inflation, taxes, infrastructure and education to name a few. Hey candidates show us your platform and tell me what are you going to do for me and my family. Show us what you will actually do. I think letter writing campaigns around these ads will call attention to the frivolous content and information lacking in these ads. I am composing my letters as I am writing this response. Good Luck.
Despite the confluence of terrible events and the "dismal" "failing" numbers the media wallow in every day, let's remember that Joe Biden's approval ratings are in fact ABOVE what Trump's were when he was President. I don't recall the press saying that those ratings made Trump an impossible election candidate. (See 538, https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/).
Long ago, the distant mirror shows us a Ukraine besieged by Mongol hordes. A small group of defenders, in a remote forest of western Ukraine, held out-and defeated one of the Mongols' key generals. Ukraine was battered, burned, but resilient, and kept its identity.
More recently, South Korea was virtually occupied in toto by Mao Tse-tung's forces. A small area around Pusan held out, the Chinese and their North Korean puppets were beaten back, by an international force, and South Korea today is a healthy, democratic society. Dark is followed by light.
You offer us perspective and remind us we all have choices and encourage us all to choose wisely. This is great advice for virtually everything in life, not least of all who we place in positions of leadership.
Here is my first reaction to your advice on perspective. Let's briefly revisit how we got here, which includes revisiting and examining and evaluating our prior choices. In 2020 we were faced with the choice of returning Trump and those surrounding him to office for another four years after experiencing his first term or making a switch to Biden who had been Obama’s V.P. That was the choice we had to make. You cannot imagine there was a different choice because that was the only choice we had presented to us. So I ask all... Reflecting on all we experienced during the prior four years and what we knew then and now (without bothering here to recount all of the events of those four years) did America make the right choice? What might your life and the world look like today had we collectively made a different choice?
Now think carefully on that question because in November 2022 we, each of us individually and collectively, will again be asked to make similar choices. Frankly, it is far more important to think about those choices and their importance than how to answer a pollster about whether you like Joe Biden or not, or how you feel about the state of your life and the world.
Elections are always about choices and possibilities. The choices are finite. You cannot imagine choices not on the ballot. You can only decide between the alternatives you are presented. What is often missed is the importance of what choices you make and what you do in between election days. If you don't like the choices you are asked to make on any Election Day the time to do something about it has passed. You must choose between the alternatives offered. However, you can be assured that in two years you will be asked again to make choices.
So each day as you wake and plan your day, grousing about your prior choices or blaming the state of your life on the outcome of those prior choices is of little help to provide you with better alternatives the next time you are asked to choose. So here is my suggested polling question, “What are you going to do today so that the next time you are asked to make a choice you are presented with the best alternatives to create a better future?
Bruce, you have hit on a very deep philosophical and psychological point. When people bemoan their present circumstances, they give zero weight to other far worse outcomes they avoided. This may be a silly example, but after I have paid ten years of life insurance premiums, should I bemoan the fact that I paid the premiums but my heirs didn't collect the death benefit? No. I got the benefit of financial security for my family for ten years. The fact that my heirs didn't collect on the death benefit is a good thing that most people ignore in evaluating whether it was "worth it" to have paid the premiums.
Should be bemoan our present circumstances? The real question is, "Should we bemoan our present circumstances compared to what could have been under a second Trump administration secured by way of a coup?"
Exactly, thank you for providing an excellent metaphor to help make the point clearly.
We also now have the opportunity to help set up the best alternatives possible for our "next round of choices" in 2022 and 2024. We can either get involved to help set up those choices or ... we can let others control the alternatives and make choices for us. I prefer the alternative of active involvement.
As a corollary, I remind all that despite what some seeking to discourage or immobilize us will say, neither 2022 nor 2024 will be the "last election" or final choices. No matter how dire or successful the outcomes of these election cycles are, they will not be the last time we will be asked to make choices or have the opportunity to set in place the alternatives from which to choose. This is not a single election cycle challenge and all should be prepared to engage continuously for as long as they draw breath and are able.
Robert sorry I didn’t chime in yesterday about the audio, which I use regularly. I’ve been fine with it and figure it’s a work in progress…always grateful to have it! If I didn’t understand something in the audio, I simply look at the written word.
I always find it amazing how the sitting President is blamed for everything and sometimes takes credit for things that didn't happen on their watch. The former guy immediately took credit for the upward trend in the economy the moment he took office even though that trend was exactly a continuation of the trend established by the Obama administration. Battleships don't turn on a dime and neither should we judge Presidents that way. In fact, what I see as the problem is the long term dysfunction of the Congress. Like not funding the IRS so my tax return from LAST year has not been processed although they cashed my check in three days. We need tax reform, immigration reform, Supreme Court reform and voting rights restored. In particular we need Citizens United overturned which is legalized bribery and corruption of members of Congress by big money. In shorthand, Party and Patrons come before Country and Constituents. Seems to me that President Biden is doing an amazing job in a horrendous time including inheriting a decimated Executive Branch from the former guy. I don't agree with everything he has done; but I do feel he is holding the ship of state steady on a solid course back to restoring democracy. We, the People, all of us this time.
Thanks Cathy. You saved me a lot of typing. I agree with every sentence you wrote!
I mostly agree, but the focus on CU is overblown; bribery and corruption in Congress was going on long before that case came up and, while it would be good to have it legislatively overturned, it's not much more than a distraction from what you accurately cite as major issues for the Democrats to address. I'd prefer an update of the Electoral Count Act now so it doesn't get bogged down in the politics of the 24 cycle.
Agree the ship is holding steady but the voices around the excellent steady reliable and effective administration. Is being drowned out by doom and gloom predictions and a focus on the negative rather than the positive.
Thank you, well said. Thank God, tfg is no longer behind the podium, and hope we can coalesce long enough to keep it that way. Go Joe
Tonight Robert provides a lucid, persuasive explanation of WHY Biden's very low Approval rating does NOT necessarily spell doom for the Dems in November. The size of the Disapproval cadre IS worrisome, but he brings out the key point: there are a lot of people who "disapprove" of Biden's performance but would NEVER vote for a Trump supporter (I am one of them.) Recall back in 2010 just after the passage of the ACA. The right made a big deal of their claim that a majority of voters (around 65% as I recall) DISAPPROVED of Obamacare. It was technically true, but the opposition consisted of around 40% who were against its basic intentions AND 25% who thought it didn't go far enough! Add that 25% to the 35% who firmly backed it, and the real support for the aims of the ACA comes out at 60%. And today it's closer to 70%.
Something similar is happening with Biden--a big chunk of those who "Disapprove" may simply think he is not going far and fast enough in pursuing a host of progressive goals. This group will never vote for candidates pledging fealty to Trump (as nearly ALL GOP candidates in November will have had to do.) But they might stay home and that is where our efforts, as Today's Edition constantly reminds us, must be placed. Massive Get Out The Vote efforts are what's needed--not the far more difficult job of changing people's basic views.
Thanks Roger. And of course, this is never mentioned in the media when they cover recent polling. I agree that we do not need to get people to change their minds, we just need everyone to vote. If that's not an "American value", I don't know what is! I will be writing and sending out postcards to those on my list of 100 voters in Georgia where I will merely urge them to vote by sending them a postcard. ( My postcard states "Voting is your superpower') It's a part of the Progressive Turnout Project's "Postcards for Swing States". Their first postcard program this year is to highlight what Democrats have delivered. Sign up is until April 30th and postcards are to be mailed by May 31st. For the second action this year, starting in May, postcards will be sent to Democratic voters in states with key Senate elections. Volunteers will mail those postcards in October. More information can be found here. https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
Lynn, I’m also doing postcards and they can make a difference !My current project is postcards to voters on tribal lands in AZ. In 2020 these voters helped Biden win thanks in part to a huge increase in mail-in ballots.
mine to NC go out today.
Yes! I am working on cards for AZ and have also done several campaigns for local Native American tribes. I still remember the card my husband got reminding him that as an independent he could not vote in the primary….it got him to change his registration!
I also think pollsters should word their questions more carefully to distinguish between those who may be "disappointed" versus those who "disapprove." This is an important distinction. I believe that many who are claiming in polls they disapprove of Biden's performance are more likely disappointed with what is happening and NOT happening, than actually disapprove of Biden's performance.
Everybody seems to forget that midterm elections are basically about turnout and candidates on a local level and for me we need to call out Trump supporting government overthrowing co-conspirators and those incumbents who voted against certifying the Biden election results and hold them accountable
Hi Robert,
In my opinion (I’m a clinical psychologist) the upset, anger, pain, despair that many of us (Democrats) feel, can be primarily attributed to the failure of the Biden DOJ (Merrick Garland) to secure a single consequence for any of the criminal acts of the former deplorable administration. With time running out. I think Garland should be replaced for failure to function adequately. If Biden did that we’d see his poll numbers soar. But he won’t. Your thoughts? And thank you. Lynn
I agree that Garland's inaction to date is a major cause of the frustration people feel. It would be impossible for Biden to replace Garland. Another nominee would never make it through the Senate. And the person who would become the Acting Attorney General, Lisa Monaco, is the person who is carrying out the "slow walk" strategy.
Can she be replaced???
Thank you for your clarification
I posted this about your 4/18 column but too late to be noticed. It is worth comments: Re Amber Heard's article "Why the Democrats Think They are Going to Lose in November". Who IS Amber Heard? Safari says she is (a) a 35 year old high school drop out to go to Hollywood (b) few roles all sexy (c) married to Johnny Depp for two years and big law suit with him (c) briefly dated Elon Musk, etc. etc. Look it up yourself. She has absolutely zero qualifications re Public Policy matters. Hard to think of someone with less. And look again how the Hubbell 4/18 column explains the R slanted mistakes in her piece. Do you think that maybe Amber's publicist wrote her piece for her or does she really read on her own "Democratic campaign memos"? Of course Amber and her publicist have a right to do what they want BUT the Big Question: WHY DID THE WA PO EDITOR PRINT IT? WHY? What is the WA Po motto: something about Democracy dying if the press is silent? Let's get a WA PO response. Waiting.
Amber Phillips. My mistake
I think her name is Abigail Phillip, not Amber Phillips. My reaction changes completely with this correction. Now the issue is: Why did an experienced journalist write the article and why the headline??? She and the WA PO owes us an answer. Actually this is even a worse situation when experienced journalist distorts the news. She seems to be building a career so Why Did She Write This??
The WaPo writer is Amber Phillips. Also, I emailed her yesterday about the “strategy memo” as her source document. No reply.
I wondered that myself. Amber Heard, the former Mrs. Depp, does not seem to be the type of person to write something about politics. However, we could be doing her an injustice.
There are times, and I believe this is one, where it is best to decide Baloney is Baloney and stick with it. Kindness is for those who deserve it, not for every Trickser or worse.
Could I be more confused!
RBH or an assistant made a major mistake in his article "An Easter of War" which stated that the offending article in WA PO was written by "Amber Heard". My response was in reply to RBH's erroneous attribution. Other readers then offered that the WA PO author was "Amber Phillips" and RBH simply stated "My mistake". I now believe after a few more keyboard clicks that the correct name of the author is "Abigail Phillip (no s)" because a person of that name does write on Public Policy matters for WA PO. RBH's point was that the WA PO article was greatly misleading/wrong and he is fully correct. Would have been better to get it right at the beginning and I am certain that RBH is seeing to that.
Wonderful and thorough writing. Thank you. I have a question that may seem unrelated but is not. The question is: Why does Votefwd.org insist on pure pablum, bipartisan letters to be sent in advance of the 2022 midterms? I am told that we mail to ALL, or mostly, democrats. Why on this good earth is Vote Forward not taking advantage with the millions of letters being sent to inform and educate? When I submitted my draft letter, my ears were boxed for the last line, which read: Your vote is your opportunity to be heard and it can make the difference between living in a Democracy or autocracy. So, I succumbed and send their weak template letters saying nothing, not even offering reminders to help voters be prepared: Driver's License or voter registration card, or whatever is being asked for to make voting a challenge rather than a privilege. I have lost my enthusiasm regarding this exercise but do not understand their resistance to remain bipartisan when the audience are democrats. THIS IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR MESSAGING.
I had the exact same experience with “postcards to swing states”. I wrote 200 of the most wimpy messaged postcards. I will be looking for organizations with better messaging and I’m hoping “The Union” will organize one.
Postcards to voters is more targeted & effective as it focuses on specific candidates in specific elections.
Thank you, Annette. 💜 I thought I was alone in my frustration. "Wimpy" is a good description of the content of these, or what should be, important communications. I'll continue but with the costs of postage, paper, printer ink, et cetera, my heart is not in writing 'wimpy' messages in these challenging, critical times. I want to do better with what little I can offer.
I hear you, Lee Anne. I ‘m also writing letters through Vote Forward and had the same thoughts about messaging before I read through the VF General Guidance. We “engaged voters and activists “ get fired up by negative messaging ! VF is trying to reach those who are NOT engaged. Also personalizing the message made sense to me as I’m often drawn to a personal story…
“According to progressive research and communications experts, already engaged voters and activists, like many Vote Forward volunteers, may respond to negative messaging and take a desired action like donating money or voting, but engaging those who are not yet active–like Vote Forward letter recipients–requires making a positive request to take action, i.e., to vote. We want everyone who receives a Vote Forward letter to feel good about voting and being part of the process.”
Thanks, Kathy. However, I don't know at what point in time this 'general guidance' was developed. Times have changed, states are changing and what you quoted seems outdated given the fact our Democracy is unraveling as Trump and his loyalists are beating the drums. VoteForward is one of the organizations that can help with messaging. If people are apathetic about voting, they need to be informed why their vote is important and how outcomes will impact their lives. That said, if nothing else, I believe reminding those who ARE NOT ACTIVE VOTERS of what they may need in way of identification et al. given the gerrymandering. The Republicans are preying on those who don't know what to do when they finally vote. Telling voters what they need to have on their person, what answers they need to know (their district number, etc.) is not partisan. It is useful information. Thanks, again. I would like to see Vote Forward revisit their very "cheery" guidelines in the light of today's realities.
Good points ,Lee Anne ! I’m also doing postcards to voters on tribal lands and the wording includes having them contact their local organizer for guidance, with a name and contact info. Sounds just like what you’re talking about.
Yes! Exactly. If they aren't voting, there are reasons. We should at least provide some of the key points in our postcards and letters.
You nailed it. Things do feel overwhelming.....the Ukranian horror alone would have brought that on. Remember the picture of the three-year old Syrian boy washed up on the beach in Italy as his family tried to escape the Syrian war (run by the same Russian general know heading up Putin's War)? We each have daily conversations with people outside our families and there is a good place to start with a sentence or two of clarity and uplift. I said to someone in the grocery store line who was bemoaning gas prices, "You know the President has nothing to do with gas prices......even if it is a President you like! He is just an easier target than the oil companies and Putin." She actually smiled and said "you are right". There were lots of ears in that conversation.
Regarding "perspective"; I remain appalled by Mitch McConnell. His policy of -0- support for anything proposed by a Democrat president is unchanged since Obama. He has calculated that party is more important than country. Every single time, every single year. He will fight his formerly good friend Joe Biden in the trenches, in the newspapers, and in the ballot box. I hope there is a special place in history reserved for him, right next to Theodore Bilbo.
Mitch McConnell’s personal power is Mitch McConnell’s priority over all else.
Regarding decisions by right wing voters. A good read is The Sum of Us by Heather McGee. She does a great job of explaining how racism may be the cause of the votes against a voter's self interest. I'm only about 100 pages into the book, but the examples have been eye-opening.
I want to comment on the low favorability polls. I have been knocking on doors canvassing for Democrats in the June primaries here in Southern California. I just remind you that we, who read the newsletter, know about the low polls. But many people (most?) don’t. They don’t know we got redistricted after the census. They don’t know the primary ballots come in less than 3 weeks. And they don’t know a single candidate they will see on that ballot. So I don’t think those polls are going to influence their votes. That said, the Party associated with high inflation, which everyone has noticed, has a lot of splainin to do. Same phenomenon. Not driven by the Party, but they don’t know that. That’s what I’m doing. Explaining it if I can. And I’m not really finding that as the major complaint.
Thanks, Deborah, for knocking on doors in South Carolina. You are a true hero of the resistance. That is tough duty.
As to inflation, there is an explanation, but I don't think people care: What changed in the last year compared to the prior 40 years of low inflation? The pandemic. Supply chain disruption, a tightened labor market, and pent up demand from two years of semi lockdown. What's the cure? Higher interest rates. do people really want that? It's a complicated situation, and people may blame Biden no matter what. Does that mean they should vote for candidates who want to ban math books and abortion, phase out Medicare, and raise taxes on 50% of Americans? Doesn't make sense to me. I hope it doesn't make sense to voters who are understandably upset over inflation.
I participated in a street walking, door-knocking campaign this weekend here in a Texas in a swing district. My own approach after briefly introducing myself and for whom I was canvassing (local candidate), was to ask folks what were their major concerns they hoped to see addressed by whoever was elected in this year's elections. I believe it is more effective in my conversations with voters to start with letting them tell me what is important to them, rather than my attempting to tell them what I, or the candidate I am supporting, want to talk about. In that way, people feel listened to and are more receptive to a message about how whoever you are trying to represent feels that is important also and how they might be able to help. It is the old, active listening, two ears one mouth philosophy. Just my own thoughts on this.
Robert today’s Edition addressed several issues I had including the Charles Blow column. I live in NC and there have been a flood of political ads hitting the airwaves. As I was watching them I started to realize that voters need to look at the ads and candidate’s differently and ask different questions. When a candidate says “ We need to make America Great Again” does that mean try and overthrow the government and enact voter restriction laws. When the candidates say “ We need to bring conservative values to Congress” what does that mean relative to woman’s reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights and marriage and of course the sure winner “ Endorsed by Trump basically says hey this candidate supports everything I Donald Trump stand for. Really, What I am recommending is for all of us the “ Hubbell Humble Masses “ to write letters to every local newspaper in our communities asking these questions. The bigger question to ask is what are the candidates position and platform about voting rights, inflation, taxes, infrastructure and education to name a few. Hey candidates show us your platform and tell me what are you going to do for me and my family. Show us what you will actually do. I think letter writing campaigns around these ads will call attention to the frivolous content and information lacking in these ads. I am composing my letters as I am writing this response. Good Luck.
The lack of platform and specifics by Republican candidates is part of their con. Good point.
Despite the confluence of terrible events and the "dismal" "failing" numbers the media wallow in every day, let's remember that Joe Biden's approval ratings are in fact ABOVE what Trump's were when he was President. I don't recall the press saying that those ratings made Trump an impossible election candidate. (See 538, https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/).
Long ago, the distant mirror shows us a Ukraine besieged by Mongol hordes. A small group of defenders, in a remote forest of western Ukraine, held out-and defeated one of the Mongols' key generals. Ukraine was battered, burned, but resilient, and kept its identity.
More recently, South Korea was virtually occupied in toto by Mao Tse-tung's forces. A small area around Pusan held out, the Chinese and their North Korean puppets were beaten back, by an international force, and South Korea today is a healthy, democratic society. Dark is followed by light.
You offer us perspective and remind us we all have choices and encourage us all to choose wisely. This is great advice for virtually everything in life, not least of all who we place in positions of leadership.
Here is my first reaction to your advice on perspective. Let's briefly revisit how we got here, which includes revisiting and examining and evaluating our prior choices. In 2020 we were faced with the choice of returning Trump and those surrounding him to office for another four years after experiencing his first term or making a switch to Biden who had been Obama’s V.P. That was the choice we had to make. You cannot imagine there was a different choice because that was the only choice we had presented to us. So I ask all... Reflecting on all we experienced during the prior four years and what we knew then and now (without bothering here to recount all of the events of those four years) did America make the right choice? What might your life and the world look like today had we collectively made a different choice?
Now think carefully on that question because in November 2022 we, each of us individually and collectively, will again be asked to make similar choices. Frankly, it is far more important to think about those choices and their importance than how to answer a pollster about whether you like Joe Biden or not, or how you feel about the state of your life and the world.
Elections are always about choices and possibilities. The choices are finite. You cannot imagine choices not on the ballot. You can only decide between the alternatives you are presented. What is often missed is the importance of what choices you make and what you do in between election days. If you don't like the choices you are asked to make on any Election Day the time to do something about it has passed. You must choose between the alternatives offered. However, you can be assured that in two years you will be asked again to make choices.
So each day as you wake and plan your day, grousing about your prior choices or blaming the state of your life on the outcome of those prior choices is of little help to provide you with better alternatives the next time you are asked to choose. So here is my suggested polling question, “What are you going to do today so that the next time you are asked to make a choice you are presented with the best alternatives to create a better future?
Bruce, you have hit on a very deep philosophical and psychological point. When people bemoan their present circumstances, they give zero weight to other far worse outcomes they avoided. This may be a silly example, but after I have paid ten years of life insurance premiums, should I bemoan the fact that I paid the premiums but my heirs didn't collect the death benefit? No. I got the benefit of financial security for my family for ten years. The fact that my heirs didn't collect on the death benefit is a good thing that most people ignore in evaluating whether it was "worth it" to have paid the premiums.
Should be bemoan our present circumstances? The real question is, "Should we bemoan our present circumstances compared to what could have been under a second Trump administration secured by way of a coup?"
Exactly, thank you for providing an excellent metaphor to help make the point clearly.
We also now have the opportunity to help set up the best alternatives possible for our "next round of choices" in 2022 and 2024. We can either get involved to help set up those choices or ... we can let others control the alternatives and make choices for us. I prefer the alternative of active involvement.
As a corollary, I remind all that despite what some seeking to discourage or immobilize us will say, neither 2022 nor 2024 will be the "last election" or final choices. No matter how dire or successful the outcomes of these election cycles are, they will not be the last time we will be asked to make choices or have the opportunity to set in place the alternatives from which to choose. This is not a single election cycle challenge and all should be prepared to engage continuously for as long as they draw breath and are able.
Great newsletter today - as always! Thanks, Robert!!!! 🙏 I'm going to check out the ISW....
Robert sorry I didn’t chime in yesterday about the audio, which I use regularly. I’ve been fine with it and figure it’s a work in progress…always grateful to have it! If I didn’t understand something in the audio, I simply look at the written word.
Thank you, as always Robert to help us keep perspective.