We with Democrats Abroad in Mexico are holding postcard writing parties. This afternoon we turned out over six hundred - and there will be many more.
My only complaint is that my hand almost fell off by the end of the afternoon. This was almost as bad as penmanship lessons with Sister Mary Joseph in the 4th Grade.
Thanks for doing that Dr. Fahey. I have the same problem. I think what makes it hard is that we are encouraged to print our messages. Printing is much more taxing than cursive when carried out in such repetition.
My successful, motivated and intelligent niece graduated from University this month and she could not read what I wrote on her graduation card as I had written it in cursive. I was floored. It's really true- many cannot read cursive!
it's true that we have to print. Readability is the main thing! I find writing on a full-back card helps because you can write a bit bigger or with a thicker pen so it's less stressful for your hand.
I wrap my wrist in a reusable ice pack wrap for 10 minutes every evening and voila! hand is good for churning out another dozen or so postcards the next morning while I watch my recorded episode of Lawrence O'Donnel or on Tuesday mornings, several more during the double header with Rachel. Just finished 200 to Michigan and currently working on 100 on behalf of Sherrod Brown. Robert is right when he says this is a good antidote to despair. It's ICING on the cake.. 😉
Good idea on the ice. Here's another trick (only works if you are a baseball fan)--I can easily get 10-15 done during the commercial breaks in a baseball game, with lots of rests while there's baseball action!
Wow, that's huge! The hand issue is why I just write in little chunks, 10 once or twice a day. But you can't do a party that way. Thank you for your efforts.
LOL and congratulations, Edward! All by myself here writing postcards to GOTV. I occasionally need to put my thumb in a sling after writing for several hours!
I knew her!! She didn't like the way I made my capital "F," like a French seven "Some folks think they have to be different from everybody else,"she said, as she called me up to the board. Thanks for doing the cards!!
Will the group you worked with allow me to print their message on a postcard. I have arthritis, can't hand print them but I have a printer that will and I have help addressing them so just need the names. Can't find anyone to return my inquiries on the subject.
Linda - I am very low on the totem pole with Democrats Abroad Mexico - just a worker bee.
I'm under the impression that the folks behind the postcard-writing campaigns really want these to be (not simply appear) personal. Although printing HAS reached a point at which sometimes it can be hard to tell whether 'writing' is truly handwritten or printed, they do NOT want the postcards to be printed. It is too impersonal. Most people will simply toss without looking. If it's handwritten, a fraction (admittedly small) will take the time to read it. The estimate is that for every 70 postcards that are sent, 1 person is moved to act. Sounds small but when millions of postcards are sent, there can be a significant impact.
I understand why they want them hand written, was hoping they'd have something I could do because I can't just sit here and do nothing..LOL....my daughter and I planned to make them attention getting hehe...something will come my way that I can help with...thank you
Linda, Grandmothers in Action have a system that requires minimal writing. They send a template to print on postcard paper . You need to address them and they ask that you write a simple sentence of support and sign your first name. They email you the template and the addresses. I purchased the postcard paper from Amazon and printed myself cut you can also take the template to a copy center. Here is their website. I’m doing my postcards for Sherrod Brown thru them and they have other campaigns as well. I hope you see this belated message.
Thank you for the information. I'll get in touch with them. I totally understand why they want them hand written, was hoping they had "something" they need help with. I appreciate your help Shirtz....
Re Tour To Save Democracy. I wonder how many are Swifties? Taylor Swift has 550.2 million followers. Add https://voterizer.org/ to comments on her social media sites -- save the world, register Democrats!
Beyoncé also has a gazillion followers. Her recently released “Ya Ya” is a call to vote ! 💙
Although as Jason Berlin/Field Team 6 says…”Taylor Swift won’t save us, Beyoncé won’t save us. You and I are the only ones who can do that.”
Playing the Arcades this week with Field Team6 to reg voters in swing states !
A Text Arcade is a super-fast text bank that costs $25 a ticket. 100% of your ticket price goes to funding your 1,400 texts. (To put this in perspective, it costs a volunteer $1,300 to send 1,400 postcards!) We pay for about half of those texts in order to keep the ticket price reasonable, so shout-outs (shouts-out?) to our donors who enable us to do that!
But Kathy, if Taylor Swift can get just SOME of her fans to vote, she will have accomplished something! I agree that it is up to each one of US to get out the vote, but I applaud Taylor Swift's efforts!
Seniors Taking Action members got a chance to meet Sam on a recent regular zoom call. What a wonderful young man. Readers, please support them. They gave their itinerary posted. Give them support as they traverse the country. They are not going to campuses as school is out. They want to meet more uncommitted young voters.
Robert, In your final paragraph, you write, “[A]void apocalyptic thinking…The 2024 election is hugely important, but it will not be the last election in which we will be called upon to defend democracy….”
With all due respect, to great affect, I have taken great effort to drive home what it would mean to lose our democracy and how our way of life would change. Trump already has stated he would enlist the Insurrection Act on Day 1 of his presidency. He’s already spoken about rounding up his political enemies. In a word, we can’t relent on prevailing upon people, whatever their concerns about Biden, to imagine what America would look like were the President to start moving the military around to put down our voices, our right to protest policy with which we disagree, perhaps indefinitely detaining us. This is not without precedent. Trump had wanted to criminalize protesters around Black Lives Matter for the murder of George Floyd.
It is of note I’ve barely touched upon rights and freedoms that would be ripped away, nor have I mentioned women losing control of their bodies, nor what it would mean were we unable to depend on an independent judiciary (we’ve already started to see what that would look like), or depend on the rule of law, or an independent Justice department, or an independent Federal Communications Commission—all things Trump has said he would do, and I’m just getting started.
Ultimately, we have less than 5 months to urge so-called persuadable voters before the General to listen to the things Trump says and the people he admires. No one should doubt that whatever freedoms we have in this country, whatever one likes about this country, dramatically would change. Paraphrasing renowned historian Ken Burns, we’ll either have a continuation of the United States of America or we won’t. America needs to decide.
I get it, I have covered the potential travesties of a second Trump term in detail. But if our message is apocalyptic, that is not a motivating message. Scaring people makes them turn away. We have to offer them hope. So please, don't respond to every message of hope with "Things are going to get really bad and we will lose our democracy if Trump is elected." We need the people who can no longer watch the news to engage – and there are millions of them. Telling them we are doomed if Trump wins is counterproductive as a standalone message. So don't respond to every message of hope with predictions of doom. The media does that all day long.
I could not disagree with you and Ken Burns more. If Donald Trump is elected to a second term, that is not the end of democracy in America. If we keep telling people that it will be the end of democracy, they will believe us and give up. So let's stop with the apocalyptic messaging, roll up our sleeves, and fight like the Americans we are: ancestors of those who refused to give up during the darkest times in our nation's history.
Robert, Neither I nor Ken Burns is giving up. Speaking for myself and for Burns through inference, clearly, the fight to preserve democracy is a far cry from trying to reclaim it once it’s lost. As for the “darkest times” you referenced, I believe, as Burns has indicated, we are on the cusp of someplace we’ve never been before in our history in which a presidential nominee largely has absorbed the legislative and judicial branches and also has pledged to purge the entire executive landscape that is not aligned with his quest for power and install loyalists.
Accordingly, I believe we preserve our democracy by telling the truth.
Kathleen, A Trump win in November would result in the consolidation of power and the subjugation of the rule of law under a single individual. How does one reconcile that reality with the statement, win or lose, “it will not be the last election in which we will be called upon to defend democracy?”
Speaking for myself, my engagement has become increasingly more impactful because I don’t shield myself from reality. A fight to preserve democracy is a far cry from trying to reclaim it once it’s lost.
We don't need to shield ourselves from reality in order to encourage people with a positive message. I spend lots of time covering all of the bad things that will happen under a Trump presidency. But telling people that we will endure and prevail. no matter what is not delusional. It is a description of the history of of the United States for the last 240 years--a history that we ignore our peril. While dwelling on catastrophe may be motivating for you, it is demonstrably not motivating for tens of millions of other Americans. We have to find people where they are. And millions of Americans find it difficult to engage with News every day. So amplifying the apocalyptic stories in the news is not a winning strategy.
I agree with you. This is one of the very few things I'm afraid I have to disagree with Robert about; I think the message that this could very well be the last election for the foreseeable future is powerful and one that does resonate. It’s also likely very true and made obvious daily, even today, with the Alitos’ comments. It’s not about fear; it’s about reality.
The positive side of this is that it’s beginning to work. People are starting to wake up to the things these people are saying. Many have begun to realize that the things that opponents of Trump and the MAGA movement are saying aren't just fear-mongering; they are in words and writing, including the blueprint outlined in the 2025 project. Even the NYT published an article with an image listing things that Trump says he will do. Understanding the stakes is critical to winning this election, and again, the good news is that as people start to do this, President Biden’s prospects for winning are showing tangible signs of improving.
I am really sorry to hear that you believe American democracy may end in November 2024. And I don't think you mean it. I know you, Dean, and I know that you will be one of the first to lead the resistance if Trump is elected.
Every day I meet people who are successful and effective in business. They tell me they are afraid to look at the news. Holding their face down in a plate doomsaying is not going to be effective with those people. Yes, we need to be realistic. Yes, we need to take Trump at his word. But telling people that all is lost is counterproductive. please reconsider your position.
Robert, I'm hardly the only person saying that possibility exists. Barbara Jo said it in her post and quoted Ken Burns, who’s on record, saying the same thing. Robert Reich has said it as well as have others. The fear of losing our democracy is one of the things that motivates me to fight for it. On the other hand, I am not saying that all is lost; quite the contrary, I think we can do this: beat Trump and start the process to eliminate the MAGA threat. In my experience, many people do not take the threat seriously enough. I think people are all wired differently. Most people I know are politically knowledgeable, and when I encourage them to get involved, I can send some of them to figures such as yourself, Simon Rosenberg, Jess Piper, and others fighting like hell to elect Democrats and save our democracy. I have to spell out the threat to others, and that approach does provoke a fearful response. Those are different approaches for different personalities.
You are correct in that if the worst happens, I am not the type of person who simply gives up. I would fight, but I would much rather we win the battle ahead of us. However, we need everyone to fight with us regardless of their motivations. You are a powerful voice for hope, and please don't infer that I don't appreciate everything you do. All I'm saying is that different people are motivated by different things, and I still see people not taking this threat seriously enough.
Most Americans have not internalized what and how their everyday life would dramatically change under Trump and what it means to them personally. I would like to see an ad on “ the day in a life under a Trump administration “ what Trump can and will do needs to be personal:
That would be ideal but where would this ad run, and how often? Young voters don't read or watch 'mainstream media'. The bulk of the market share goes to Fox, so would they run this ad? Maybe for tons of money. Local TV stations would probably reach some of these people.
Dean, I very much appreciate your reply, replete with its hopeful note. Still, I would caution that factors including stagnant wages (0.7% year-to-year increase for approximately 40% of workers), widening inequality, growing corruption of government with big money all contribute to explaining why a huge number of people pretty much have given up on a promise and think that the easy promises of a dictator will solve most everything.
For folks who might think despotism is going to stop with deporting 15 million immigrants or going after political enemies, we know better. We know it doesn’t end anywhere.
Contrast that with a poll, albeit possibly flawed, I saw the other day that showed only 18% of the population believes we are at risk of losing our democracy. Accordingly, I view it as our job to wake up those asleep to the reality that there literally is no choice in November—none. As stated in my original comment, we either have the continuation of the United States of America or we don’t.
As noted above it is a dangerous and damaging message to tell people that democracy will end in November 2024. We need to stop. We are bigger than Trump. We are stronger than Trump. We will outlast Trump--unless we convince people that victory by Trump in 2024 is the end of democracy. We have to stop that messaging.
Why? If, have heaven forbid,, Trump wins, what are you going to say then? Are you going to say, "That's it. We're all done. Let's go home. Let's end this 240 year experiment in democracy"? Of course you are not going to say democracy is over if Trump wins, so please do not say it now. People may believe you.
Robert, As methodically explained in my response to your reply to my original comment, if Trump wins, we will be in a place we’ve never been before in our nation’s history. Hence, I don’t imagine we possibly could know how we would respond unless, heaven forbid, we find ourselves there.
But Barbara, the fact that the poll is flawed IS the issue. We cannot let our fear determine our behavior. I agree with Robert that hope drives at least some of us to get up and do more the next day.
Everyone is motivated by different things. Some people are motivated by a pat on the back and an atta’ boy, others by disproving the negativity of others. I’m a generally positive person but fear does drive me. I am scared of a Trump Presidency, and it’s that fear that will make me work hard to prevent it. It’s not a debilitating fear.
I’m pretty bullish on Biden and Democrats' chances in November, but I also know we need everyone’s efforts and votes. If I have a concern, it's that there are people who still don't understand the stakes. We need to change that by any means necessary.
Kathleen, I don’t know whether the poll was flawed. My parenthetical merely allowed for that possibility. For the purpose of clarity, I will edit my comment.
I take Robert's point in another way: this *is* a key moment for our nation, but for perspective, look at where we were during the 1872 election (Tilden vs. Hayes). Three states had two governors and two legislatures each, the Klan was murdering thousands of people to try to maintain its hold on the South, etc. This is why apocalypticism is not helpful now, but an appreciation of where we are and where we;ve been, and how we've survived and thrived is appropriate.
Torquil, As for what’s appropriate, I don’t want our children nor their children to live in a fascist state. That’s why I’m in this fight.
I would add that I was fortunate to live through a period in which I could use my voice to work for increasing social and economic justice for increasingly large numbers of people. I want the same for succeeding generations.
Agree that is why we’re all in this fight, and I appreciate Robert’s stance of informed optimism. All I wanted was to acknowledge that it’s a tough time now, but that we’ve been through worse and survived and thrived.
Torquil, Never has there been a U.S. presidential nominee who largely has absorbed the legislative and judicial branches and also has pledged to purge everyone across the executive landscape who is not aligned with his quest for power and install loyalists.
As I read this, regarding the fear-mongering of the c-rap band, Convicted Felon and the MAGAlomaniacs, I thought of a slogan: "The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself!"
Unfortunately many voters are either not listening carefully to Trump or don’t believe he will do all the things he says he will do because he lies all the time. Many in the voting public are turned off by the election and Trump antics and are just worn out. We need to energize them in November.
Stephen, I agree and would add I especially was appreciative of your reply to Dean, particularly your idea about an ad portraying a day in one’s life under Trump.
Morning, BJ! I just wanted to say I might be wrong, but when I read Robert's words, "The 2024 election is hugely important, but it will not be the last election in which we will be called upon to defend democracy," I took it to mean that even when Biden wins, the threat to democracy will always be with us. I did not read it to be a Trump win would only be a temporary setback where we would get another chance to keep democracy alive.
Morning, Lynell! If you’re right, then I thoroughly concur with your reasoning. Either way, the ambiguity engendered poignant discussion, which, in my view, always is time well-spent.
BJ, I thank you for your advocacy. If I may be a bit humorous, reading the back-and-forth this morning made me feel like being part of a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in preparation for the big vote in November.
Congratulations to all who engaged!
P.S. I was thinking of committee hearings in the old days...
I thought about that after my reply, and if I misinterpreted it, I apologize. The truth is that every election is a fight for democracy. That said, I fear this one is existential.
Barbara, I stumbled over exactly the same sentence as you did. I think it can't hurt to up the ante what the next elections are concerned. I don't necessarily believe that those might be the last elections as the unfortunately current and obvious parallels to Germany in 1932 might suggest. But nobody should have any doubts that should MAGA win the next elections will be rigged to an extent that results will be preordained.
Stefan, Thank you for writing and for including the link. Frankly, I am puzzled that too few recognize we are on the cusp of someplace we’ve never been before in which a presidential nominee, who mostly has absorbed the legislature and the judiciary, also has pledged to purge everyone across the executive landscape who is not aligned with his quest for power and install loyalists.
"Martha Alito....suggested that she could not wait until Justice Alito retired". She is not the only one. Wouldn't it be great if he retired now -- worried that there will be consequences for how he has distorted the purposes of the Supreme Court?
Last night on MSNBC they talked about what the Maggots are up to in Georgia. They are setting the stage for denying the election. Putting bad players in place that will say Biden did not win when he does....They have stopped Fani. We have to gain control...they are fighting dirty and hard...We must simply Fight hard....
I have long flown a Gay Pride Flag off of my front porch. In 2016, as my own personal protest to Donald Trump, I added an American Flag - I can't stand the way that MAGA has given OUR flag a sinister meaning. So I fly mine to the right of Gay Pride. Wouldn't it be great if, in response to Alito, Gay Pride Flags popped up all over the country? Or at least everywhere Mrs. Alito looks.
What bothers me about the make-up of the people attending Robert's gatherings is not so much that they are over 60. That doesn't bother me. Young people (under 30) are following leaders under 30. But I am bothered by no faces of color. Here we are, in a country where diversity is our defining quality and most political issues should cut across color lines, but we still haven't achieved true brotherhood. I don't see people of color in Robert's group photos. That bothers me.
So, Janet, we should not criticize the people who do show up. If you want to criticize someone, criticize me. The people in the photo are people who read the newsletter, so what you are actually criticizing is the fact that there are few people of color who read my newsletter. Don't blame the people who do show up. It is demotivating to them and suggests that their efforts don't count. I know you really do not mean that.
Of course, we should not criticize those who show! My comment is not to criticize anyone! I am simply observing that despite the desire of liberal-minded people, who value living a life filled with friends and neighbors of all colors and religious faiths, our interactions are disappointingly identified by race, if not religion. We can't see religion (most of the time), but the Black experience in America has been so laden with discrimination, that social interactions reflect that past discrimination. I am sad that the Robert Hubbell commentary doesn't draw people of all colors because there is no content in the daily columns that should lead to racial identification. At least, not that I can see. So, where are they? I mean it as a serious question. Where are they? Why does race seem to have influence even when it shouldn't?
"If you are one of the lucky people who can maintain a hopeful outlook in the face of anxiety-producing news, display your optimism and confidence!" While I am not always able to maintain this outlook, I do believe it is my job to display optimism and confidence. I keep thinking of the historical leaders (MLK, FDR, Churchill) who dealt with the darkest times and were constantly needing to enCOURAGE their frightened followers. If I can model that in my modest way, I've done a good day of work.
Barbara, I'm with you! We have great examples in our own country's history (consider the Revolution!) I recently read the book "Franklin and Winston," by Jon Meacham, which showed how long Roosevelt waited to get into WWII because our country wasn't ready to get involved. But in the end we DID, and we made the difference. Each one of us is a mini-Roosevelt. Hundreds of thousands of people are involved in canvassing, making calls and writing postcards. We can't afford to let fear stop us!
Haha. I like to think of myself as a mini-Roosevelt. I'm also constantly reminded of what FDR accomplished while he was seriously ailing. A side note-in 1940 he was running against Wendell Wilkie a Republican who went against his party to support FDR's Lend Lease and a peacetime draft.
This quote is as troubling as the godliness quote, because it means a sitting justice is talking about violence: Justice Alito acknowledged the “difficulty of living ‘peacefully’ with ideological opponents in the face of ‘fundamental’ differences that ‘can’t be compromised.’”
Robert, thank you for including “COUPLES planning families” in your list of those experiencing MAGA extremism. Readers may want to Google Ryan Hamilton to hear his story as a young husband and father here in Texas who almost lost his wife recently, due to denial of healthcare. Also, the short video here of Amanda Zurawski at the Texas Dem Convention is powerful. She is a force.
On a happier note, truly, as I look at the faces in the photo you included, I see joyful, caring, happy people (though anxious, too!). I don’t think that I am imagining this scene as different from what I see in MAGA photos…there is just a MAGA anger and ugliness there that is driving much of this. Maybe that’s an unfair generalization, but I think there’s some truth to that.
Yesterday was grocery shopping day, and I wore my Biden-Harris t-shirt for the morning walk as well. I got a hug from one lady, and we had a nice chat about a range of current issues. Later on, another walker told me she liked the shirt. I've gotten a few second glances that weren't cheerful, but no actively adverse reactions so far. At the car wash in the afternoon, a man asked what the response had been, and, when I told him the above, that started a conversation about how party politics and discussions had changed over the past few decades. There was mutual agreement that the change needed to be reversed if we were to make positive progress. In sum, the shirts are a great idea, there are a lot of them available, especially on Etsy which provides a platform for small business sellers.
We keep saying the 2024 election - it's electionS. Democracy is indeed on the (looong) ballot in the form of countless state, county, local elections including school board and neighborhood advisory committees. Methinks we need to get folks out of the one-and-done mindset of voting for president without considering POTUS needs a Congress with which to work and state/local officials who like-mindedly govern. VOTE the entire ballot!
I want to make sure people know about https://everystateblue.org, with projects in four states (Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas) and nationally (Forgotten Democrats) Every State Blue is committed to creating grassroots communities of people who want Democrats to fight everywhere. I am a monthly donor to https://bluetennessee.org and https://blueohio.org. they both have monthly Zoom meetings which are very interesting and inspiring.
If you join with any amount as a monthly donor you get to go to the meetings.
That is so true. That is why I focus a lot of my support on State Project Giving Circles supporting State Legislative races in key states around the country. We can have more of an impact in those races and they bring people out to vote Dem up the ticket (hopefully!). Here is one supporting AZ and NC, but there are many others for other states. https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/1XQhnKo/-
If people want to show support they can get VOTE BLUE FOR FREEDOM and other stickers here (unfortunately they cost a bit much in this print on demand shop.).
Voting Blue is beyond the presidential election. School boards decide whether to ban books and what is taught. State legislators decide voter suppression laws and gerrymandering, congress people decide what laws are voted on and what hearings to hold. We’ve been witnessing the harm and hypocrisy of the GOP.
Guaranteed, our Dems Make Life Better shirts are well-received, and they are an excellent cue to others that what some call "brave" is an easy way to bring out the others around you with a quick affirmation. Early, headed to Lowes to get concrete patch. The Dems shirts help to create a bridge for us to see, and to be more fully aware, there are MORE of us, Way More! Thank you Robert and Jill Hubbell. Thank you both!!
More good response on the Dems Make Life Better shirts this morning. Be brave. Ease into one slowly and with deep intent and resolve to contain this mess. Help is coming in November if we believe and do all in our power. Relax and breathe deeply to those of us who feel you can do little. Your soul and your spirit is with us, and that is enough.🙏
I know I am among thousands who so appreciate this newsletter and your daily infusion of thoughtful, fact-based, nuance-catching news summary, along with learned and thought-provoking analysis.
Today’s edition (pun intended) was such a needed shot in the arm and I am sincerely grateful for your exhortation to get off the couch and into the fray.
I spent 2017-2020 traveling the country with Prof David Domke and Charles Douglas, directors of Common Power (https://commonpower.org/ ) working to register voters and GOTV. I’ve been in mourning and hiding since January 6, having lost my mojo for the work.
Your “Concluding Thoughts” today — along with the compounding power of the last several years of your encouragement to stay in the fight — really knocked it home. I’m in. I’m so thankful to you, Mr. Hubble, for your tireless support of American democracy 🙏.
Go, Andrea, you are the veteran, with experience, knowledge, and mojo. You could rest on your laurels but instead you have decided to help Robert lead us aged newbies to make a difference. Your note is a word of courage and a call to work and action. "Once more, into the breach!"
We with Democrats Abroad in Mexico are holding postcard writing parties. This afternoon we turned out over six hundred - and there will be many more.
My only complaint is that my hand almost fell off by the end of the afternoon. This was almost as bad as penmanship lessons with Sister Mary Joseph in the 4th Grade.
Congratulations! We Democrats Abroad in Germany are doing the same thing! There is strength in Unity!
Thanks for doing that Dr. Fahey. I have the same problem. I think what makes it hard is that we are encouraged to print our messages. Printing is much more taxing than cursive when carried out in such repetition.
My successful, motivated and intelligent niece graduated from University this month and she could not read what I wrote on her graduation card as I had written it in cursive. I was floored. It's really true- many cannot read cursive!
it's true that we have to print. Readability is the main thing! I find writing on a full-back card helps because you can write a bit bigger or with a thicker pen so it's less stressful for your hand.
Congratulations, Dr. Fahy! That's an astounding number of postcards for just one afternoon!
I wrap my wrist in a reusable ice pack wrap for 10 minutes every evening and voila! hand is good for churning out another dozen or so postcards the next morning while I watch my recorded episode of Lawrence O'Donnel or on Tuesday mornings, several more during the double header with Rachel. Just finished 200 to Michigan and currently working on 100 on behalf of Sherrod Brown. Robert is right when he says this is a good antidote to despair. It's ICING on the cake.. 😉
Good idea on the ice. Here's another trick (only works if you are a baseball fan)--I can easily get 10-15 done during the commercial breaks in a baseball game, with lots of rests while there's baseball action!
Wow!
Wow, that's huge! The hand issue is why I just write in little chunks, 10 once or twice a day. But you can't do a party that way. Thank you for your efforts.
Gel pens make writing easier for me. And many postcards being produced now are less likely to smear.
Write On! 💙
Great idea
LOL and congratulations, Edward! All by myself here writing postcards to GOTV. I occasionally need to put my thumb in a sling after writing for several hours!
I knew her!! She didn't like the way I made my capital "F," like a French seven "Some folks think they have to be different from everybody else,"she said, as she called me up to the board. Thanks for doing the cards!!
They were brutal on left handers, too. :-o
Where are you located in Mexico?
Lake Chapala area
Will the group you worked with allow me to print their message on a postcard. I have arthritis, can't hand print them but I have a printer that will and I have help addressing them so just need the names. Can't find anyone to return my inquiries on the subject.
Linda - I am very low on the totem pole with Democrats Abroad Mexico - just a worker bee.
I'm under the impression that the folks behind the postcard-writing campaigns really want these to be (not simply appear) personal. Although printing HAS reached a point at which sometimes it can be hard to tell whether 'writing' is truly handwritten or printed, they do NOT want the postcards to be printed. It is too impersonal. Most people will simply toss without looking. If it's handwritten, a fraction (admittedly small) will take the time to read it. The estimate is that for every 70 postcards that are sent, 1 person is moved to act. Sounds small but when millions of postcards are sent, there can be a significant impact.
I understand why they want them hand written, was hoping they'd have something I could do because I can't just sit here and do nothing..LOL....my daughter and I planned to make them attention getting hehe...something will come my way that I can help with...thank you
Linda, Grandmothers in Action have a system that requires minimal writing. They send a template to print on postcard paper . You need to address them and they ask that you write a simple sentence of support and sign your first name. They email you the template and the addresses. I purchased the postcard paper from Amazon and printed myself cut you can also take the template to a copy center. Here is their website. I’m doing my postcards for Sherrod Brown thru them and they have other campaigns as well. I hope you see this belated message.
https://search.app/iq4s8FLD4mT3xbf37
Thank you for the information. I'll get in touch with them. I totally understand why they want them hand written, was hoping they had "something" they need help with. I appreciate your help Shirtz....
Re Tour To Save Democracy. I wonder how many are Swifties? Taylor Swift has 550.2 million followers. Add https://voterizer.org/ to comments on her social media sites -- save the world, register Democrats!
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Swifties may turn out to be a force with which to be reckoned in 2024.
Beyoncé also has a gazillion followers. Her recently released “Ya Ya” is a call to vote ! 💙
Although as Jason Berlin/Field Team 6 says…”Taylor Swift won’t save us, Beyoncé won’t save us. You and I are the only ones who can do that.”
Playing the Arcades this week with Field Team6 to reg voters in swing states !
A Text Arcade is a super-fast text bank that costs $25 a ticket. 100% of your ticket price goes to funding your 1,400 texts. (To put this in perspective, it costs a volunteer $1,300 to send 1,400 postcards!) We pay for about half of those texts in order to keep the ticket price reasonable, so shout-outs (shouts-out?) to our donors who enable us to do that!
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ft6arcade24
But Kathy, if Taylor Swift can get just SOME of her fans to vote, she will have accomplished something! I agree that it is up to each one of US to get out the vote, but I applaud Taylor Swift's efforts!
Agreed, Kathleen!
I’m a loyal boomer Swiftie. Bring it on !!💃
I also do BYOP, post cards. I also call on Thursdays.
Robert had a program: Double Your Good Trouble with Robert Hubbell! How Field Team 6 can turn your dollars into Democrats!
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Seniors Taking Action members got a chance to meet Sam on a recent regular zoom call. What a wonderful young man. Readers, please support them. They gave their itinerary posted. Give them support as they traverse the country. They are not going to campuses as school is out. They want to meet more uncommitted young voters.
Yes, their goal is to get young people to come out and hear what they have to say! And all of us! The tour starts July 12. Please come to the Zoom on June 20 to learn more https://www.mobilize.us/markersfordemocracy/event/634419/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
and/or Donate here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tourtosavedemocracy?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Interesting I think Taylor Swift in October will urge her fans to vote and maybe just maybe she will endorse Biden but I would not count on it.
She endorsed him in 2020.
There is hope this year.
Robert, In your final paragraph, you write, “[A]void apocalyptic thinking…The 2024 election is hugely important, but it will not be the last election in which we will be called upon to defend democracy….”
With all due respect, to great affect, I have taken great effort to drive home what it would mean to lose our democracy and how our way of life would change. Trump already has stated he would enlist the Insurrection Act on Day 1 of his presidency. He’s already spoken about rounding up his political enemies. In a word, we can’t relent on prevailing upon people, whatever their concerns about Biden, to imagine what America would look like were the President to start moving the military around to put down our voices, our right to protest policy with which we disagree, perhaps indefinitely detaining us. This is not without precedent. Trump had wanted to criminalize protesters around Black Lives Matter for the murder of George Floyd.
It is of note I’ve barely touched upon rights and freedoms that would be ripped away, nor have I mentioned women losing control of their bodies, nor what it would mean were we unable to depend on an independent judiciary (we’ve already started to see what that would look like), or depend on the rule of law, or an independent Justice department, or an independent Federal Communications Commission—all things Trump has said he would do, and I’m just getting started.
Ultimately, we have less than 5 months to urge so-called persuadable voters before the General to listen to the things Trump says and the people he admires. No one should doubt that whatever freedoms we have in this country, whatever one likes about this country, dramatically would change. Paraphrasing renowned historian Ken Burns, we’ll either have a continuation of the United States of America or we won’t. America needs to decide.
I get it, I have covered the potential travesties of a second Trump term in detail. But if our message is apocalyptic, that is not a motivating message. Scaring people makes them turn away. We have to offer them hope. So please, don't respond to every message of hope with "Things are going to get really bad and we will lose our democracy if Trump is elected." We need the people who can no longer watch the news to engage – and there are millions of them. Telling them we are doomed if Trump wins is counterproductive as a standalone message. So don't respond to every message of hope with predictions of doom. The media does that all day long.
I could not disagree with you and Ken Burns more. If Donald Trump is elected to a second term, that is not the end of democracy in America. If we keep telling people that it will be the end of democracy, they will believe us and give up. So let's stop with the apocalyptic messaging, roll up our sleeves, and fight like the Americans we are: ancestors of those who refused to give up during the darkest times in our nation's history.
Robert, Neither I nor Ken Burns is giving up. Speaking for myself and for Burns through inference, clearly, the fight to preserve democracy is a far cry from trying to reclaim it once it’s lost. As for the “darkest times” you referenced, I believe, as Burns has indicated, we are on the cusp of someplace we’ve never been before in our history in which a presidential nominee largely has absorbed the legislative and judicial branches and also has pledged to purge the entire executive landscape that is not aligned with his quest for power and install loyalists.
Accordingly, I believe we preserve our democracy by telling the truth.
I think Robert's point is that apocalyptic thinking is depressing, but hopefulness and WORK are the antidote to that despair.
Kathleen, A Trump win in November would result in the consolidation of power and the subjugation of the rule of law under a single individual. How does one reconcile that reality with the statement, win or lose, “it will not be the last election in which we will be called upon to defend democracy?”
Speaking for myself, my engagement has become increasingly more impactful because I don’t shield myself from reality. A fight to preserve democracy is a far cry from trying to reclaim it once it’s lost.
We don't need to shield ourselves from reality in order to encourage people with a positive message. I spend lots of time covering all of the bad things that will happen under a Trump presidency. But telling people that we will endure and prevail. no matter what is not delusional. It is a description of the history of of the United States for the last 240 years--a history that we ignore our peril. While dwelling on catastrophe may be motivating for you, it is demonstrably not motivating for tens of millions of other Americans. We have to find people where they are. And millions of Americans find it difficult to engage with News every day. So amplifying the apocalyptic stories in the news is not a winning strategy.
Robert, Because my answer would be nearly the same as my response to your foregoing reply to my initial comment, I won’t take up space repeating it.
I agree with you. This is one of the very few things I'm afraid I have to disagree with Robert about; I think the message that this could very well be the last election for the foreseeable future is powerful and one that does resonate. It’s also likely very true and made obvious daily, even today, with the Alitos’ comments. It’s not about fear; it’s about reality.
The positive side of this is that it’s beginning to work. People are starting to wake up to the things these people are saying. Many have begun to realize that the things that opponents of Trump and the MAGA movement are saying aren't just fear-mongering; they are in words and writing, including the blueprint outlined in the 2025 project. Even the NYT published an article with an image listing things that Trump says he will do. Understanding the stakes is critical to winning this election, and again, the good news is that as people start to do this, President Biden’s prospects for winning are showing tangible signs of improving.
I am really sorry to hear that you believe American democracy may end in November 2024. And I don't think you mean it. I know you, Dean, and I know that you will be one of the first to lead the resistance if Trump is elected.
Every day I meet people who are successful and effective in business. They tell me they are afraid to look at the news. Holding their face down in a plate doomsaying is not going to be effective with those people. Yes, we need to be realistic. Yes, we need to take Trump at his word. But telling people that all is lost is counterproductive. please reconsider your position.
Robert, I'm hardly the only person saying that possibility exists. Barbara Jo said it in her post and quoted Ken Burns, who’s on record, saying the same thing. Robert Reich has said it as well as have others. The fear of losing our democracy is one of the things that motivates me to fight for it. On the other hand, I am not saying that all is lost; quite the contrary, I think we can do this: beat Trump and start the process to eliminate the MAGA threat. In my experience, many people do not take the threat seriously enough. I think people are all wired differently. Most people I know are politically knowledgeable, and when I encourage them to get involved, I can send some of them to figures such as yourself, Simon Rosenberg, Jess Piper, and others fighting like hell to elect Democrats and save our democracy. I have to spell out the threat to others, and that approach does provoke a fearful response. Those are different approaches for different personalities.
You are correct in that if the worst happens, I am not the type of person who simply gives up. I would fight, but I would much rather we win the battle ahead of us. However, we need everyone to fight with us regardless of their motivations. You are a powerful voice for hope, and please don't infer that I don't appreciate everything you do. All I'm saying is that different people are motivated by different things, and I still see people not taking this threat seriously enough.
Most Americans have not internalized what and how their everyday life would dramatically change under Trump and what it means to them personally. I would like to see an ad on “ the day in a life under a Trump administration “ what Trump can and will do needs to be personal:
That would be ideal but where would this ad run, and how often? Young voters don't read or watch 'mainstream media'. The bulk of the market share goes to Fox, so would they run this ad? Maybe for tons of money. Local TV stations would probably reach some of these people.
Dean, I very much appreciate your reply, replete with its hopeful note. Still, I would caution that factors including stagnant wages (0.7% year-to-year increase for approximately 40% of workers), widening inequality, growing corruption of government with big money all contribute to explaining why a huge number of people pretty much have given up on a promise and think that the easy promises of a dictator will solve most everything.
For folks who might think despotism is going to stop with deporting 15 million immigrants or going after political enemies, we know better. We know it doesn’t end anywhere.
Contrast that with a poll, albeit possibly flawed, I saw the other day that showed only 18% of the population believes we are at risk of losing our democracy. Accordingly, I view it as our job to wake up those asleep to the reality that there literally is no choice in November—none. As stated in my original comment, we either have the continuation of the United States of America or we don’t.
As noted above it is a dangerous and damaging message to tell people that democracy will end in November 2024. We need to stop. We are bigger than Trump. We are stronger than Trump. We will outlast Trump--unless we convince people that victory by Trump in 2024 is the end of democracy. We have to stop that messaging.
Why? If, have heaven forbid,, Trump wins, what are you going to say then? Are you going to say, "That's it. We're all done. Let's go home. Let's end this 240 year experiment in democracy"? Of course you are not going to say democracy is over if Trump wins, so please do not say it now. People may believe you.
Robert, As methodically explained in my response to your reply to my original comment, if Trump wins, we will be in a place we’ve never been before in our nation’s history. Hence, I don’t imagine we possibly could know how we would respond unless, heaven forbid, we find ourselves there.
But Barbara, the fact that the poll is flawed IS the issue. We cannot let our fear determine our behavior. I agree with Robert that hope drives at least some of us to get up and do more the next day.
Everyone is motivated by different things. Some people are motivated by a pat on the back and an atta’ boy, others by disproving the negativity of others. I’m a generally positive person but fear does drive me. I am scared of a Trump Presidency, and it’s that fear that will make me work hard to prevent it. It’s not a debilitating fear.
I’m pretty bullish on Biden and Democrats' chances in November, but I also know we need everyone’s efforts and votes. If I have a concern, it's that there are people who still don't understand the stakes. We need to change that by any means necessary.
Kathleen, I don’t know whether the poll was flawed. My parenthetical merely allowed for that possibility. For the purpose of clarity, I will edit my comment.
I take Robert's point in another way: this *is* a key moment for our nation, but for perspective, look at where we were during the 1872 election (Tilden vs. Hayes). Three states had two governors and two legislatures each, the Klan was murdering thousands of people to try to maintain its hold on the South, etc. This is why apocalypticism is not helpful now, but an appreciation of where we are and where we;ve been, and how we've survived and thrived is appropriate.
Thank you!!
Torquil, As for what’s appropriate, I don’t want our children nor their children to live in a fascist state. That’s why I’m in this fight.
I would add that I was fortunate to live through a period in which I could use my voice to work for increasing social and economic justice for increasingly large numbers of people. I want the same for succeeding generations.
Agree that is why we’re all in this fight, and I appreciate Robert’s stance of informed optimism. All I wanted was to acknowledge that it’s a tough time now, but that we’ve been through worse and survived and thrived.
Torquil, Never has there been a U.S. presidential nominee who largely has absorbed the legislative and judicial branches and also has pledged to purge everyone across the executive landscape who is not aligned with his quest for power and install loyalists.
As I read this, regarding the fear-mongering of the c-rap band, Convicted Felon and the MAGAlomaniacs, I thought of a slogan: "The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself!"
If anyone thinks it impossible to turn police or military guns on citizens please remember Kent State and numerous other examples.
Good point, Frankom, although I fear Americans are becoming increasingly inured.
Unfortunately many voters are either not listening carefully to Trump or don’t believe he will do all the things he says he will do because he lies all the time. Many in the voting public are turned off by the election and Trump antics and are just worn out. We need to energize them in November.
Stephen, I agree and would add I especially was appreciative of your reply to Dean, particularly your idea about an ad portraying a day in one’s life under Trump.
Morning, BJ! I just wanted to say I might be wrong, but when I read Robert's words, "The 2024 election is hugely important, but it will not be the last election in which we will be called upon to defend democracy," I took it to mean that even when Biden wins, the threat to democracy will always be with us. I did not read it to be a Trump win would only be a temporary setback where we would get another chance to keep democracy alive.
Morning, Lynell! If you’re right, then I thoroughly concur with your reasoning. Either way, the ambiguity engendered poignant discussion, which, in my view, always is time well-spent.
BJ, I thank you for your advocacy. If I may be a bit humorous, reading the back-and-forth this morning made me feel like being part of a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in preparation for the big vote in November.
Congratulations to all who engaged!
P.S. I was thinking of committee hearings in the old days...
I thought about that after my reply, and if I misinterpreted it, I apologize. The truth is that every election is a fight for democracy. That said, I fear this one is existential.
Barbara, I stumbled over exactly the same sentence as you did. I think it can't hurt to up the ante what the next elections are concerned. I don't necessarily believe that those might be the last elections as the unfortunately current and obvious parallels to Germany in 1932 might suggest. But nobody should have any doubts that should MAGA win the next elections will be rigged to an extent that results will be preordained.
This morning I sent this link to everybody up and down my mailing list with the heading "Meet the people who will be running the US if the convicted felon wins in November https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/russ-vought-trump-maga-policy-rcna156340
Stefan, Thank you for writing and for including the link. Frankly, I am puzzled that too few recognize we are on the cusp of someplace we’ve never been before in which a presidential nominee, who mostly has absorbed the legislature and the judiciary, also has pledged to purge everyone across the executive landscape who is not aligned with his quest for power and install loyalists.
"Martha Alito....suggested that she could not wait until Justice Alito retired". She is not the only one. Wouldn't it be great if he retired now -- worried that there will be consequences for how he has distorted the purposes of the Supreme Court?
I think the statement hints at a darker plan, one that has Alito retiring after a Trump victory in favor of a much younger right-wing nut job.
Last night on MSNBC they talked about what the Maggots are up to in Georgia. They are setting the stage for denying the election. Putting bad players in place that will say Biden did not win when he does....They have stopped Fani. We have to gain control...they are fighting dirty and hard...We must simply Fight hard....
Aw, what a great group to wish Jill Happy Birthday in person!
I have long flown a Gay Pride Flag off of my front porch. In 2016, as my own personal protest to Donald Trump, I added an American Flag - I can't stand the way that MAGA has given OUR flag a sinister meaning. So I fly mine to the right of Gay Pride. Wouldn't it be great if, in response to Alito, Gay Pride Flags popped up all over the country? Or at least everywhere Mrs. Alito looks.
Good for you. He does not own our flag..
What bothers me about the make-up of the people attending Robert's gatherings is not so much that they are over 60. That doesn't bother me. Young people (under 30) are following leaders under 30. But I am bothered by no faces of color. Here we are, in a country where diversity is our defining quality and most political issues should cut across color lines, but we still haven't achieved true brotherhood. I don't see people of color in Robert's group photos. That bothers me.
So, Janet, we should not criticize the people who do show up. If you want to criticize someone, criticize me. The people in the photo are people who read the newsletter, so what you are actually criticizing is the fact that there are few people of color who read my newsletter. Don't blame the people who do show up. It is demotivating to them and suggests that their efforts don't count. I know you really do not mean that.
Of course, we should not criticize those who show! My comment is not to criticize anyone! I am simply observing that despite the desire of liberal-minded people, who value living a life filled with friends and neighbors of all colors and religious faiths, our interactions are disappointingly identified by race, if not religion. We can't see religion (most of the time), but the Black experience in America has been so laden with discrimination, that social interactions reflect that past discrimination. I am sad that the Robert Hubbell commentary doesn't draw people of all colors because there is no content in the daily columns that should lead to racial identification. At least, not that I can see. So, where are they? I mean it as a serious question. Where are they? Why does race seem to have influence even when it shouldn't?
Yes. I also picked up that Walnut Creek must be a very interesting community.
"If you are one of the lucky people who can maintain a hopeful outlook in the face of anxiety-producing news, display your optimism and confidence!" While I am not always able to maintain this outlook, I do believe it is my job to display optimism and confidence. I keep thinking of the historical leaders (MLK, FDR, Churchill) who dealt with the darkest times and were constantly needing to enCOURAGE their frightened followers. If I can model that in my modest way, I've done a good day of work.
Barbara, I'm with you! We have great examples in our own country's history (consider the Revolution!) I recently read the book "Franklin and Winston," by Jon Meacham, which showed how long Roosevelt waited to get into WWII because our country wasn't ready to get involved. But in the end we DID, and we made the difference. Each one of us is a mini-Roosevelt. Hundreds of thousands of people are involved in canvassing, making calls and writing postcards. We can't afford to let fear stop us!
Haha. I like to think of myself as a mini-Roosevelt. I'm also constantly reminded of what FDR accomplished while he was seriously ailing. A side note-in 1940 he was running against Wendell Wilkie a Republican who went against his party to support FDR's Lend Lease and a peacetime draft.
Imagine! the bipartisanship that existed in that moment! I didn't know that. Thanks.
This quote is as troubling as the godliness quote, because it means a sitting justice is talking about violence: Justice Alito acknowledged the “difficulty of living ‘peacefully’ with ideological opponents in the face of ‘fundamental’ differences that ‘can’t be compromised.’”
He is very thin skinned. He was also the 2nd choice as Judge and when that is brought up he gets angry...
Two comments:
Robert, thank you for including “COUPLES planning families” in your list of those experiencing MAGA extremism. Readers may want to Google Ryan Hamilton to hear his story as a young husband and father here in Texas who almost lost his wife recently, due to denial of healthcare. Also, the short video here of Amanda Zurawski at the Texas Dem Convention is powerful. She is a force.
https://x.com/0liviajulianna/status/1800242648021946632?s=61&t=8uj3gtQIHqWvuaUw7gafkA
On a happier note, truly, as I look at the faces in the photo you included, I see joyful, caring, happy people (though anxious, too!). I don’t think that I am imagining this scene as different from what I see in MAGA photos…there is just a MAGA anger and ugliness there that is driving much of this. Maybe that’s an unfair generalization, but I think there’s some truth to that.
Yesterday was grocery shopping day, and I wore my Biden-Harris t-shirt for the morning walk as well. I got a hug from one lady, and we had a nice chat about a range of current issues. Later on, another walker told me she liked the shirt. I've gotten a few second glances that weren't cheerful, but no actively adverse reactions so far. At the car wash in the afternoon, a man asked what the response had been, and, when I told him the above, that started a conversation about how party politics and discussions had changed over the past few decades. There was mutual agreement that the change needed to be reversed if we were to make positive progress. In sum, the shirts are a great idea, there are a lot of them available, especially on Etsy which provides a platform for small business sellers.
We keep saying the 2024 election - it's electionS. Democracy is indeed on the (looong) ballot in the form of countless state, county, local elections including school board and neighborhood advisory committees. Methinks we need to get folks out of the one-and-done mindset of voting for president without considering POTUS needs a Congress with which to work and state/local officials who like-mindedly govern. VOTE the entire ballot!
I agree! VOTE the entire ballot!
I want to make sure people know about https://everystateblue.org, with projects in four states (Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas) and nationally (Forgotten Democrats) Every State Blue is committed to creating grassroots communities of people who want Democrats to fight everywhere. I am a monthly donor to https://bluetennessee.org and https://blueohio.org. they both have monthly Zoom meetings which are very interesting and inspiring.
If you join with any amount as a monthly donor you get to go to the meetings.
That is so true. That is why I focus a lot of my support on State Project Giving Circles supporting State Legislative races in key states around the country. We can have more of an impact in those races and they bring people out to vote Dem up the ticket (hopefully!). Here is one supporting AZ and NC, but there are many others for other states. https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/1XQhnKo/-
If people want to show support they can get VOTE BLUE FOR FREEDOM and other stickers here (unfortunately they cost a bit much in this print on demand shop.).
https://thecommunety.etsy.com
Voting Blue is beyond the presidential election. School boards decide whether to ban books and what is taught. State legislators decide voter suppression laws and gerrymandering, congress people decide what laws are voted on and what hearings to hold. We’ve been witnessing the harm and hypocrisy of the GOP.
VOTE BLUE FOR DEMOCRACY
Guaranteed, our Dems Make Life Better shirts are well-received, and they are an excellent cue to others that what some call "brave" is an easy way to bring out the others around you with a quick affirmation. Early, headed to Lowes to get concrete patch. The Dems shirts help to create a bridge for us to see, and to be more fully aware, there are MORE of us, Way More! Thank you Robert and Jill Hubbell. Thank you both!!
More good response on the Dems Make Life Better shirts this morning. Be brave. Ease into one slowly and with deep intent and resolve to contain this mess. Help is coming in November if we believe and do all in our power. Relax and breathe deeply to those of us who feel you can do little. Your soul and your spirit is with us, and that is enough.🙏
I see a lot of young people at your event. In fact, they all appear younger than me!
I know I am among thousands who so appreciate this newsletter and your daily infusion of thoughtful, fact-based, nuance-catching news summary, along with learned and thought-provoking analysis.
Today’s edition (pun intended) was such a needed shot in the arm and I am sincerely grateful for your exhortation to get off the couch and into the fray.
I spent 2017-2020 traveling the country with Prof David Domke and Charles Douglas, directors of Common Power (https://commonpower.org/ ) working to register voters and GOTV. I’ve been in mourning and hiding since January 6, having lost my mojo for the work.
Your “Concluding Thoughts” today — along with the compounding power of the last several years of your encouragement to stay in the fight — really knocked it home. I’m in. I’m so thankful to you, Mr. Hubble, for your tireless support of American democracy 🙏.
Go, Andrea, you are the veteran, with experience, knowledge, and mojo. You could rest on your laurels but instead you have decided to help Robert lead us aged newbies to make a difference. Your note is a word of courage and a call to work and action. "Once more, into the breach!"