240 Comments
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

I

Jayne Freudenberger

I was thrilled to get a call from my at college grandson who when he was home several weeks ago was totally negative about the election--"two old men" were his words tho he reluctantly said yes he would vote for Biden to appease me . Today there was a lilt in his voice as he talked about Kamala and told me everyone he talks to on campus is really excited about her running. WOW --if this has awakened the young people we can win this thing!!

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

I am now volunteering to house a campaign worker that will organize on college campuses.

Expand full comment

That's wonderful!

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

I just listened to a short interview on NPR's morning Edition with Santiago Mayer from Voters of Tomorrow. He said that there has been more interest from young people in joining/forming new chapters in the last 48 hrs as they had in the previous month before the announcement.

This will be a fantastic synergy of $$ from people already established in careers, with families to raise etc. and enthusiasm from young people who are usually strapped for cash.

IMO, everyone should listen to the interview. This is a very savvy young man. I loved some of his answers to the interviewers questions. It will definitely give you a jolt of positive energy.

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/23/nx-s1-5048796/democrats-hope-a-younger-presidential-candidate-will-attract-younger-voters

Expand full comment

What he said about the rise in the level of interest is fascinating! I'm inclined to think that we may have been lucky about the debate going so badly, although we still might have won. I'm glad Biden got four years as he's done SO MUCH GOOD! I'm also glad that Harris had the benefit of working with him for four years--I think she'll be even better for it. In any case, listening to Santiago Mayer is VERY encouraging! Thank you Cheryl Johnson!

Expand full comment

Thank you!

Expand full comment

That is wonderful to hear! (I'm 71)

Expand full comment
founding

WOW! I love this!

Expand full comment

My kids in their 20s are thrilled!

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

AND, my daughter just ordered a DemoBrat T-shirt! WOW!

Expand full comment

Very cool indeed! (Yesterday I was sitting in a cafe, and a young Black woman smiled at me and told me, "Now you have to update your [Women for Biden/Harris] T!" I said, "after my next paycheck!")

Expand full comment

Now is the time for all good women to come to the aid of their country.

Expand full comment

And men.

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Got room for me? I'm not dead yet.

Expand full comment
author

We all need our sense of humor to make it through this period. For those who are unfamiliar with the reference, "Not dead yet" is from Monty Python's and the Holy Grail and the musical Spamalot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUYwZkJhly0

Expand full comment

I think grandpas with granddaughters are an untapped resource! Dads, too!

Expand full comment

Love it!

Expand full comment

Well said, Victoria!

Expand full comment
Jul 23·edited Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

The younger members of my family are all in for Harris. They were all in for Biden. In fact my family has people voting from ages 19-93 and all are planning on voting Democratic so I do not need to convince them, just help them with the logistics. My daughter and I are both voting as members of Democrats Abroad which is an organization that helps US citizens to vote when they are out of country so that they can get their ballots in on time and make their votes count. She is 19. She already voted in the primary. We particularly want to help younger voters manage the logistics. Everyone should do that for the college crowd. They need to know whether it is better to register where they go to school or vote absentee, and if the latter, how to do it. Actually for either. Helped my 27-year old nephew reregister. When I say help, I mean nagged him to find the time outside of his exams and research for his doctoral program. People in university can get tunnel vision about grades. I have stressed to my daughter that the biggest help to her future is not her classes, but this election. We are dual citizens and also voted in the EU election. Hope we helped to provide some balance against the voices of the right wing there too. In my region in Germany we plan on meeting at several rallies and events to recruit and inform. In order to do that, a group of us are slogging through Project 2025 to try to prepare one page information sheets on how project 2025 is relevant to different constituencies.

Expand full comment

Hey, Linda! You are truly amazing!

Expand full comment

So are you, Lynell!

Expand full comment
Jul 23·edited Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Love the engagement!

Project 2025 resources:

Marc Elias describes how the single most dangerous provision is Schedule F which will be used to undermine our elections:

https://youtu.be/EhZfiIVdoNk?si=qyvzZmx8diEC4Z42

Voters of Tomorrow break it down to 11 different issues with their Gen Z's Guide to Project 2025:

https://votersoftomorrow.org/gen-zs-guide-to-project-2025/

A great resource for voting is the Blue Voter Guide. We can support other voters by entering their address to produce a sample ballot to send them:

https://bluevoterguide.org/

Good luck!

Expand full comment

Ellie, thanks for the materials. I do not think that these materials go far enough to discuss what the changes will be. I am thinking of The Dept of Education section. It does not mention that Public Education will be unfunded from the Federal government and the money will go to parents, which is great for home schoolers, but not for public school education. Also, special education sounds like it will be destroyed. That will effect even the home schoolers, charter schoolers and private schoolers because that is where everyone turns when they have a child who has special needs that they cannot support. It also does not say there will be no more federal student loans, they will all be private, and no default will be allowed. I could go on, but these specifics will be important to know. What happens if people default? (Prison? Military?) So, I want to go into the specifics more for Gen Zers. All of the ones I know are students. What will compell those who are not?

Expand full comment

The R people have been making war on public education for decades. They refuse to fund public schools at the levels for equitable education and the holler that public schools are inadequate, that parents should have "choices." They don't mention that they have endangered public education with their stupid antiquated actions. If you want to give your children a religious education, fine. Do not expect me, as a taxpayer, to fund that when public money should be going to public schools. An educated person has a better chance of being self supporting than one who is not.

There is absolutely NOTHING good in Project 2025. These people are Confederate traitors in everything but name.

Expand full comment

This DemCast list is great—thanks!

Expand full comment

There is also the guide provided by Red Wine & Blue, after their event with HCR a couple weeks ago. If you like, I can re-post it.

Expand full comment

Thank you! This is great information.

Expand full comment

I just gave some $$ to Voters For Tomorrow. They’re definitely our future!

Expand full comment

Thanks for these valuable links, Ellie.

Expand full comment

I also really liked this link to the 22 scariest lines that Ms. Magazine found in Project 2025. https://msmagazine.com/2024/07/16/the-22-scariest-lines-we-found-in-project-2025s-900-page-mandate-for-leadership/

Expand full comment

Wow!! Linda, you’re a great nag and i mean that sincerely!💕

Expand full comment

So are you Marlene! I am glad we are all in together!

Expand full comment

Young people can get good info from the LWV in their state or city. Here in Texas, the League advises that “It is safest and easiest to register and vote at your college residence address.” This is because registering and voting in Texas presents more obstacles than 49 other states. (Grr) I would imagine that the advice might not be the same in other states, which is why I would recommend doing the research by state.

My League chapter will be on our local UTD campus this fall. Can’t wait!

Expand full comment

Hurray for the League of Women Voters. Always on the front lines.

Expand full comment

Have you seen the 5 page synopsis of Project 2025 that Red Wine & Blue created? It might be a good starting point. Their website is: redwine.blue

Expand full comment

Yes. I think it is good. As a former teacher, and with help from Andra Watkins who has the Substack How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/project-2025-new-start-here

By reading about what White Christian Nationalists believe and what The New Apostolic Reformers believe, it helps to look at the subtext of the Education Section.

https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/what-is-a-christian-nationalist

https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/what-is-the-new-apostolic-reformation

I am a career teacher and studied School Psychology and bilingual education as well which helps me to see of the implications from teacher education down to hiring and professional development.

Expand full comment

A good friend sent me this from a recent Ms. Magazine "22 Scariest Lines We Found in Project 2025's 900 page 'Mandate for Leadership," with permission from writers and magazine to share.

Might be useful.

This is a link to the article:

https://msmagazine.com/2024/07/16/the-22-scariest-lines-we-found-in-project-2025s-900-page-mandate-for-leadership/

This is a link to the article, complete, but in a two-page format

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qTZkqFKqnmdb7wlIjiJZFKnExUuZlwBT/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102472482608180217113&rtpof=true&sd=true

Expand full comment

This is reassuring since the 30-somethings in our family complain that Kamala is not progressive enough.

Expand full comment

Hi, Woody. Have you asked those 30-somethings if they would prefer DJT as the next president? Do they really understand the reality of the choices between the 2 presidential candidate?

Expand full comment

Linda, don't try and reinvent the wheel. Check out this resource from Demcast's substack:

https://www.digitaldrumbeat.com/p/the-big-list-of-resources-about-project?r=1aiy5t&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Expand full comment

Linda, you are a very special person.

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Today’s letter by Robert Hubbell is right on the money. He expressed his disappointment yesterday at President Biden’s decision to not run for reelection. But he emphasized that today is a new day of hope for Democrats. We have to defeat the Orange Monster and his threat to our freedoms.

Thank you Robert 👍

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

NYT: "BREAKING NEWS Kamala Harris secured the backing of a majority of the delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. Monday, July 22, 2024 10:16 PM ET On her first full day in the race, Kamala Harris drew endorsements from her final possible rivals, hauled in record sums of cash and attacked Donald Trump."

Goodbye, open convention. "It's done," as John Adams said in "1776".

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Goodbye, open convention.

⬆️

I have got to admit that that was my biggest fear about the effort to force Joe Biden out. Especially after AOC came out with her warning about factions wanting to snub Harris.

I'm sure that was also the GOP's wildest dream scenario.

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

What a wonderful video your Managing Editor put together to the First Lady! It was touching and beautiful. I hope she finds an email address online for Dr. Jill and sends it to her. I am taking the suggestion of Jessica Craven and hand-writing a thank-you to Joe. I love how loyal you were to him and how quickly you have 'pivoted' to use the over-used term, to the new mission at hand.

Expand full comment

I love this all-around comment, Tracy. It captures my sentiments exactly!

Expand full comment

She has been and will continue to be a national treasure.

Expand full comment

Would you send me the link to that? I keep wanting to read the ME's blog, just never seem to have the time. (Trying to get a loan/buy a house, while working - takes up an amazing amount of time :-( )

Expand full comment
author

Here is the letter to Jill Biden by my wife, Jill Bickett: https://www.everydaywithjill.com/post/a-letter-to-jill-biden

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Kamala Harris is our Democratic Presidential Candidate. We MUST support her as she uses all of skills to win the election.

Expand full comment

We risk entering modern dark ages. Many of us could lose our civil rights. The right to vote. Some of us could face physical; harm. Millions of unregistered folk trend heavily Democratic. FT6 has a database containing 9 million unregistered likely Democrats in swing states. FT6 uses every outreach method there is: email, text, phone, geofencing, direct mail, targeted ads, social media storms, postcards, and live voter drives. Register Democrats -- save the world.

https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/event/643086/

https://www.fieldteam6.org/

Expand full comment

An excellent post Daniel. Thank you !

Expand full comment
Jul 23·edited Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

If Joe had stepped away a month ago, right after the debate, the argument might have been more strongly made that there was still time for some more competitive "mini primaries" or some other fabricated mechanism. But he hung on and played his last card beautifully. No one jumped up and said "Me! I'll challenge her!" (No one would have taken Old Man Manchin seriously.) He didn't endorse her in his letter, yet he allowed no daylight between the letter and when he did endorse her, and the weight of what he had just done would have been a dare to anyone to cause the kind of party demise a chaotic challenge would have brought. "Don't you dare make my sacrifice for nothing by squabbling now." I'm just incredibly relieved that the thing I most feared, contentiousness that could sink everything, didn't happen. Not even for one hour.

Expand full comment

Joe Biden’s timing was perfect. It’s set up the overconfident Republicans to select a deranged old man and a right wing radical. Now they’re scrambling, not knowing what to do 😂

Expand full comment

God Bless Joe Biden! The man knows politics!

Savvy and underestimated for too long. Let's continue to ambush the MAGA crowd and all of America by our energy and commitment to Kamala Harris and to democracy.

MAGA decries constantly the very qualities of liberal democratic society that have allowed them to prosper and spread lies: freedom of speech; non-profit tax free institutions like the Heritage Foundation, a commitment to rational and free discourse, even when that discourse is irrational and bought and paid for by American oligarchs; and a belief that an judiciary will remain above politics (they really caught us on that one -- think back to the confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh where they slimed around and openly lied about the established law nature of Roe v. Wade.

Expand full comment

I wouldn't be surprised if Biden and Harris carefully gamed the timing for maximum effect *after* the RNC convention.

Expand full comment

Hasta la bye bye Manchin!

Expand full comment

I wish Substack allowed non-text memes. I just posted on Facebook two versions of this one:

Rosa sat so Ruby could walk so Kamala could run.

Expand full comment

15 years before Rosa Parks was Pauli Murray. Amazon Prime has documentary of her life : My Name is Pauli Murray. Well worth watching and learning the history that led to so many rights and how her work was essential to Thurgood Marshall and RBG, Sad that so many do not know about her and not known history.

Expand full comment

Thanks for pointing us to her.

Expand full comment

you are welcome. I lived near where she grew up many years ago so that I was able to learn about her and her aunt through many sources. She was so far ahead of her time. https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Pauli-Murray/dp/B09DMYPNWH

Expand full comment

Thanks for the link. I've added it to my watch list.

Expand full comment

YES! Yes! Yes!

I describe Pauli Murray as "the Forrest Gump of the 20th century."

Everything that happened in history seems to have her fingerprints on it.

Add to that, today she/they would likely be characterized as transgender.

EVERYONE HAS VALUE - allow each individual to be their authentic self.

That is how we change the world.

Expand full comment

yes! Pauli Murray was awesome person in so many ways. Some of my friends finally watched the video and were floored. I hope more people will learn about Pauli's work and legacy. Also now considered a saint in the Episcopal church with feast day of July 1st. When she celebrated her first Eucharist, she/they read and preached from an eagle lectern that had been donated by Mary Ruffin who had owned her/their ancestors as slaves-- a powerful image of the world changing and the arc bending towards justice.

Expand full comment

If you are in or near Durham, NC, you may be interested in this event.

Annual Pauli Murray Service

July 24, 2024, Wednesday

6:00–8:00 pm EDT

St. Titus' Episcopal Church, 400 Moline St., Durham

mailto:communications@paulimurraycenter.org

You likely know that Pauli Murray is now commemorated on newly-released quarter.

Expand full comment

tnx. I watched livestream they did last year. Will it be livestreamed this year too? My church in CO showed the documentary and then celebrated her the Sunday after her feast day :-)

Expand full comment

I don’t know. I left a message and will report back when I get a response. 😊

Expand full comment

Thank you for this recommendation!

Expand full comment

Many thanks for that information, Merrimon. I had not heard of her.

Expand full comment

We'll all sleep a little better tonight!

Thanks Robert.

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Little Shillbilly is going to be turned into the mop that gets used to clean up Captain Befuddlepants' slime.

Expand full comment

I rather like the variant that someone else came up with: Uncle Shillbilly.

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Robert thank you for the gift link to Jon Meacham’s very moving tribute to President Biden. I am not a NYT subscriber so would have missed this otherwise.

So glad to see such strong positive movement behind Kamala. We can win in November because we are charged up and ready to get to work!

Expand full comment

It's wonderful to see people getting behind her, and the money pouring into her coffers.

Expand full comment

Moreover, I like the way Kamala Harris took the fight directly at Trump. Make Trump, and all he stands for, the central issues of the campaign.

Expand full comment

For the last couple of years, I've felt that the Democrats needed a candidate who could spark enthusiasm in support of his or her candidacy, enthusiasm absolutely essential in our collective efforts to defeat the Subhuman Monster.

I wished for enthusiasm akin to that generated by JFK, or Bobby Kennedy, or Barack Obama. And, depressingly, I just didn't think there was any possibility that there would be Democratic enthusiasm in support t of a candidate. Until yesterday.

The dramatic announcement by President Biden, coupled with the outpouring of excitement and support for Kamala Harris, has changed everything. The enthusiasm is palpable.

For a hugely needed change, I feel optimistic and enthusiastic about the prospects of defeating the Subhuman Monster

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

I am completely gobsmacked by the amount of money the Harris campaign has raised in the past 24 hours. I love President Biden and I. didn’t like the ways he was being pressured by other Dems, especially the leadership. The media/pundits were awful awful awful. But President Biden made a hard decision and then he endorsed his wonderful VP Kamala Harris. From that moment there was enormous energy released and the universe of the split in our party just healed and now Kamala Harris has secured enough delegate to be the 2024 Democratic Nominee for President!! When something happens so quickly with so many things falling into place, that’s when you know the right thing has occurred. Thank you President Biden. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

Expand full comment

From the timing of when he stepped down and the immediate endorsement of his vice president, proves to me that President Biden knows how to command the narrative and to get things done. Thanks, Mary Ann, for your wonderful comment.

Expand full comment

You always are able to synthesize the key elements of a situation in a clear, concise, coherent sentence, Lynell! 🏆

Expand full comment

Wow, thanks, Colleen. I try to keep it short and simple! 🌞

Expand full comment

You succeed and hit the high points along the way. 💙

Expand full comment

I'll take that compliment, Colleen. However, truth be told, my husband would like a word about the "short and simple"...if you know what I mean!

Expand full comment

You are welcome, Lynell.

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

It seems like Biden could do some amazing things in the next six months now that SCOTUS has given the President total immunity

Expand full comment

Start with the Supreme Court!

Ban assault weapons and see the GOP complain about that after their candidate was shot at.

Note: Shot at, NOT shot! Wearing that maxi-pad of a bandage to portray himself as a victim.

Expand full comment

Agreed. So much to do. He could start by pardoning prisoners jailed for drug violations - addicts should be treated not punished. End the war on people (drugs).

And then, imagine the thousands of executive orders relative to the climate catastrophe. Let the deniers sue! Jam the Federalist Fascist courts with more cases than they can process. In the meantime, do the right thing for the planet!

Expand full comment

No! Avoid those kinds of actions – even hints of them – during the campaign period. They will deflect attention from making *Trump* the issue. Keep the focus on Trump: Don’t give targets to Republicans.

Keep attacking Trump and his unAmerican plans. Keep Republicans on the defensive.

Expand full comment

Yes, he’s not to be counted out at all!

Expand full comment
Jul 23Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Wow! Sometimes words are more than words, they're actions. So was Robert's newsletter tonight. His"talk" walked the walk. Let's all join in whatever way we can and be true to our different yet similar selves. This election is not just a political issue--it is a moral issue, a spiritual issue (says me who refused to be confirmed and got in trouble for beginning to attend a Unitarian/atheist church), an ethical issue, a save the earth issue (says the PhD who never took a high school chemistry or physics course.

We need to all do what we can, even if that "can" is smaller than and less perfect than our neighbors. The perfect is the enemy of the good. It's not always true that if something's worth doing it's worth doing well. Sometimes "some" is better than "none". So let's do what we can to be more of the best of us and less of the worst of us in these days weeks and few months. Read Wendell Berry on marriage and The Peace of Wild Things, rest, work, and repeat.

GO BLUE!

Expand full comment