Thank you for all the encouraging information and for showing us the importance of keeping on message. My anxiety stems from the democrats who are fighting against each other. Granted, some dems are a bit too left for many but we must FOCUS on our primary goal of flipping the house and the senate so we can save democracy!! We can’t afford to be fighting amongst ourselves.
There's an event in "Regime Change" where the tech bros people show him a bit about how AI works. Trump is just exactly the kind of idiot who first of all would have no idea, and then when he learns about it spend an entire day tweeting AI slop and nonsense.
The most accurate description of Trump is that he's a particularly dumb internet troll. We are at war (or were, I don't even know right now, but the Middle East is a mess) and he's spending an entire day on twitter.
Thank you Simon for sharing Ken Martin's memo. He's exactly the visionary leader and strategist the Democratic Party has needed for a long time but especially in this current moment.
Simon, thank you for sharing Leader Jeffries' speech. No one can say that Dems aren't running on what they're FOR, not just on being AGAINST Trump. (If I have one small criticism, I'd drop the "on Day One we'll . . . ." talk. We may not be able to get these measures through a Trump veto if we don't get big majorities in the House and Senate. "We'll get to work on Day One to . . . ." would be better. Small edit.)
Jon Ossoff gave another great speech this weekend, specifically tying Trump's actions to "evil" and "wickedness." He seems to do really well with these sermons in churches.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to say that Trump's social media posting this weekend shows how out of touch with reality he is and that he's a danger to us and the rest of the world. He must be removed from office as soon as possible. I'm working on postcards to Ohio voters today.
I just made a donation to Troy Jackson. Thank you for setting this up and making it so easy to place our money where you believe we can make a difference.
Morning everyone! I am so proud of us giving 40K already for Troy and Maine. Woo-hoo! Let's go!
I don't understand the negativity around Ken Martin. What I see is a successful plan for longevity winning everywhere. Why is that controversial?
Infighting within the family is why I stayed an Independent for so long. Dems need to stop it. We have a real enemy in Trump and MAGA and we need to focus on that.
I'm in my "simplify life" stage, and maybe I'm missing something here, but I'm really not interested fighting anyone but the enemies of democracy and inclusiveness.
I have been and continue to be impressed with Leader Jeffries. I think he's stepped up.
Martin's letter talked about moving away from a late in the cycle, consultant-dependent mode of operation. I suspect that that's the source of much of the NY Times's article.
I am reminded of Nomiki Konst's rant during the Unity whatever commission after 2016. She was very critical of the then-DNC spending so much on consultants whose record was mostly losing.
I was trying to square Martin's letter with all the sources listed in the NYT article basically saying the DNC was broke, bankrupted and mismanaged by Martin. You may be onto something that it was a hit piece by the consultant class operating like it was still the 1990s. Hope your right about that.
No sooner do I post in the FB comments on election-related posts about the importance of early voting, along comes some MAGA dumbass equating early voting with cheating. Every time. That's one of their major tactics, to discredit election security. My go-to response is to then ask where their widespread evidence of "voter fraud" is that has also been officially presented under oath. "But it HAS to be the case" doesn't cut it: show me the evidence.
We have to explain why it's so important. Simon always goes over it every Wed. We have to beat the drum over and over. I talked last night to a really smart friend who had no idea why early voting was so important. Keep posting the reason. Keep talking about it.
Another response to the attempts to discredit early voting is to ask what's stopping Republicans from also voting early. Last I checked, there was no law saying they couldn't vote early too.
They don't do it because Dear Leader tells them not to (even though he does it himself) It is so obviously his false predicate. Red team takes lead on early returns because many states report election day results first before ealy voting results. Then when the blue team passes them up, he claims fraud.
I'd sure like to see as many states as possible post the mail-in and early voting returns immediately after the polls close. Why not count the votes as they come in? Let the Dems take the early lead and then see if the R's can make up the difference with election day results.
Elections are run by states, they should be able to do this.
I also tell people, it takes you off the reminder to vote calls/door knocking lists and frees up volunteers and Dem organizations to spend their time on other matters or getting through their lists.
On my personal email, this is my "signature" on the bottom of every email I send. Formatting didn't come through. Italicized, red font except for "In person early voting" which is blue. Looks very patriotic to me. I live in Maryland which is why that state is highlighted. I'll probably update to include Virginia when early voting opens there.
Vote Early!
Why? Helps your preferred candidates; makes it harder for bad actors to disrupt elections
How? In person early voting; Mail in ballot delivered to a Drop Box, or (last choice) mail in ballot delivered by USPS
When? In Maryland, October 22 to 29 for In Person Early Vote
yes, I"ve never before had a "signature" in my personal email. But decided this is a good & neutral way for me to spread the word. I tried several versions with different wording. Most of my friends agree with me politically, but stating "your preferred candidates" and "bad actors" without specifying who. . .
Sorry - you can add stuff to your email signature, usually it's in settings/signature. So below your name/title/email address, you can add other text. If it's your work email, you usually are mandated to have your title or job position followed by corporate logo/info. If it's your personal email, you can add stuff like:
"It's an election year - vote early!
Check your voter registration (link to IWillVote.com)
Great responses! The "Oh really, where did you hear that?" response is always good."
That being said, I would venture to guess two things are also going on: 1) some of those are bots 2) algorithm is disproportionately surfacing MAGA comments. I've noticed it everywhere, and Meta has made no secret of their sucking up.
Chiming in to emphasize that Facebook aka Meta is in no way the neutral unbiased forum it may appear to be. The algorithm absolutely boosts what Zuck wants and what keeps people engaged and enraged. So, yeah: MAGA comments and bots are boosted.
Donated to Troy Jackson. Called my Dem Senators re Todd Blanche. Emailed my contact list with the third in my series of emails to provide enticing snippets of information about Hopium House Candidates. This morning's offering featured JoAnna Mendoza, Chaz Molder, Elaine Luria. Every email has prompted good political discussions with a handful of people with whom I wouldn't necessarily talk politics.
This morning: Called Senators Cornyn and Cruz about Todd Blanche. Called their Washington offices, but will now call the Texas office of each of them. Donated $100 to Troy Jackson (wish it could be more, but that's how much I can afford). Talked to 3 people this week who were criticizing the Democratic Party, citing, with logic and facts, all we have talked about here. After we chatted, they said, "Thank you; I didn't know." I speak to an average of 3 people a week about this including in person and online. I can see the impact it has had on people who were posting critical comments online. Thanks, Community; thanks, Simon.
Watched all of Troy Jackson's speech that Simon linked to. The guy is just SO sincere. He wasn't faking his voice cracking when he talked about the reality of so many people having to work multiple jobs just to keep their heads above water--and the serious impact that has on an entire family when parents have to spend so much time away from their kids. Glad Hopium is all in for him and raised nearly $40 k in one day! Keep going!
I agree. I was surprised bc there had been a few comments about him not being a great speaker. I thought he was so genuine and rather endearing. He came across as if he really cared. I loved how he went after Susan Collins and not in a mean way - just by laying out the facts.
Had dinner last night with neighbors, super smart and engaged voters. Asked me directly what I thought about DSA. I was truly surprised by the question, but I couldn’t respond, as I have been remiss in educating myself.
We’re all over 60 and we were unanimously aligned on the following:
1. It is time for change in leadership at top of the party (excluding Jeffries, who all agree has stepped up). (I know this view may depart from sentiments shared here; my purpose is just to share what my peer group is thinking. The word “establishment” was used. Again point being to communicate the perception and vernacular being used among civilians.)
2. Accountability is a must. I think this aligns with Simon’s views. (I believe accountability cannot be delinked from economic opportunity.)
3. Infighting must stop. Residual anger at leaders who slow walked endorsement of Mamdani or never endorsed, the feeling being we cannot ask the “Bernie Bros” (my words) to get in line, if the favor won’t be returned when their candidate wins. (I understand exceptions may be made for super-extreme candidates. Further, none of us would have voted for Mamdani in NYC primary if we had been NYC residents.)
My question: what is the best way to communicate to party leaders that the infighting must stop? We want to win.
Thank you for sharing Martin's letter. One thing that stood out to me is that under his leadership, much like Ben Wikler did in WI, he's essentially implementing a permanent campaign mode.
And the increased investment in Red state parties (when Jane Kleeb became the chair of the NE party is 2016? 2018? she had NO budget for a full-time employee. You know other states muct have been in the same boat) is paying off as we see Dems competitive in states like Iowa. & Nebraska. & others.
Simon, Thank you for today's Perfect Post! I hope everyone does read Ken Martin's Speech. This morning I caught Former Congressman Tom Malinowski on MS NOW. He explained that what Ken Martin is doing is correct. This is a Grassroots Campaign and All the money goes to the Candidates, which is what we have been doing. And this is why it's working and why We are going to Win!!!
"So the day the American people put Democrats back in charge of Congress, here is our promise to you: we are going to hold the crooks accountable." ~Hakeem Jeffries
Hallelujah. Push Push Push and watch the snowflakes melt. Hopefully "Accountability" will begin to be a polling question now.
Thank you for all the encouraging information and for showing us the importance of keeping on message. My anxiety stems from the democrats who are fighting against each other. Granted, some dems are a bit too left for many but we must FOCUS on our primary goal of flipping the house and the senate so we can save democracy!! We can’t afford to be fighting amongst ourselves.
There's an event in "Regime Change" where the tech bros people show him a bit about how AI works. Trump is just exactly the kind of idiot who first of all would have no idea, and then when he learns about it spend an entire day tweeting AI slop and nonsense.
The most accurate description of Trump is that he's a particularly dumb internet troll. We are at war (or were, I don't even know right now, but the Middle East is a mess) and he's spending an entire day on twitter.
Thank you Simon for sharing Ken Martin's memo. He's exactly the visionary leader and strategist the Democratic Party has needed for a long time but especially in this current moment.
Simon, thank you for sharing Leader Jeffries' speech. No one can say that Dems aren't running on what they're FOR, not just on being AGAINST Trump. (If I have one small criticism, I'd drop the "on Day One we'll . . . ." talk. We may not be able to get these measures through a Trump veto if we don't get big majorities in the House and Senate. "We'll get to work on Day One to . . . ." would be better. Small edit.)
Jon Ossoff gave another great speech this weekend, specifically tying Trump's actions to "evil" and "wickedness." He seems to do really well with these sermons in churches.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to say that Trump's social media posting this weekend shows how out of touch with reality he is and that he's a danger to us and the rest of the world. He must be removed from office as soon as possible. I'm working on postcards to Ohio voters today.
I strongly approve of your editing suggestion,Catherine. We can get in serious trouble with voters by promising to deliver on Day 1.
I just made a donation to Troy Jackson. Thank you for setting this up and making it so easy to place our money where you believe we can make a difference.
Morning everyone! I am so proud of us giving 40K already for Troy and Maine. Woo-hoo! Let's go!
I don't understand the negativity around Ken Martin. What I see is a successful plan for longevity winning everywhere. Why is that controversial?
Infighting within the family is why I stayed an Independent for so long. Dems need to stop it. We have a real enemy in Trump and MAGA and we need to focus on that.
I'm in my "simplify life" stage, and maybe I'm missing something here, but I'm really not interested fighting anyone but the enemies of democracy and inclusiveness.
I have been and continue to be impressed with Leader Jeffries. I think he's stepped up.
Have a great day and week friends. Let's do this.
Agreed! Aging brings on that "simplify life stage" and it's terrific. Clear thinking. Clear priorities . No more BS.
Martin's letter talked about moving away from a late in the cycle, consultant-dependent mode of operation. I suspect that that's the source of much of the NY Times's article.
I am reminded of Nomiki Konst's rant during the Unity whatever commission after 2016. She was very critical of the then-DNC spending so much on consultants whose record was mostly losing.
I was trying to square Martin's letter with all the sources listed in the NYT article basically saying the DNC was broke, bankrupted and mismanaged by Martin. You may be onto something that it was a hit piece by the consultant class operating like it was still the 1990s. Hope your right about that.
Agreed on all fronts
No sooner do I post in the FB comments on election-related posts about the importance of early voting, along comes some MAGA dumbass equating early voting with cheating. Every time. That's one of their major tactics, to discredit election security. My go-to response is to then ask where their widespread evidence of "voter fraud" is that has also been officially presented under oath. "But it HAS to be the case" doesn't cut it: show me the evidence.
We have to explain why it's so important. Simon always goes over it every Wed. We have to beat the drum over and over. I talked last night to a really smart friend who had no idea why early voting was so important. Keep posting the reason. Keep talking about it.
I also post this info so that people can see what their state has for early voting options: https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/
Another response to the attempts to discredit early voting is to ask what's stopping Republicans from also voting early. Last I checked, there was no law saying they couldn't vote early too.
Thank you. I even need to find my place. This is so great. I'm going to post and post and post it.
Yeah, and Trump uses mail-in voting. Has for years--even before he was elected.
They don't do it because Dear Leader tells them not to (even though he does it himself) It is so obviously his false predicate. Red team takes lead on early returns because many states report election day results first before ealy voting results. Then when the blue team passes them up, he claims fraud.
I'd sure like to see as many states as possible post the mail-in and early voting returns immediately after the polls close. Why not count the votes as they come in? Let the Dems take the early lead and then see if the R's can make up the difference with election day results.
Elections are run by states, they should be able to do this.
Thank you for the link! I just shared it with my friends on social media.
Thank you! I just posted it on Facebook and Mastodon!
The simple pitch is that voting early increases our turnout, makes it more likely we win, and makes it harder for him to cheat.
I also tell people, it takes you off the reminder to vote calls/door knocking lists and frees up volunteers and Dem organizations to spend their time on other matters or getting through their lists.
You can also add voting messaging to your email signature. :)
What does that mean Lisa?
On my personal email, this is my "signature" on the bottom of every email I send. Formatting didn't come through. Italicized, red font except for "In person early voting" which is blue. Looks very patriotic to me. I live in Maryland which is why that state is highlighted. I'll probably update to include Virginia when early voting opens there.
Vote Early!
Why? Helps your preferred candidates; makes it harder for bad actors to disrupt elections
How? In person early voting; Mail in ballot delivered to a Drop Box, or (last choice) mail in ballot delivered by USPS
When? In Maryland, October 22 to 29 for In Person Early Vote
Got it, Great work. I don't do a prefab signature. I'm going to look into that.
Great messaging Jean
Wait: This is at the bottom of your emails Where it says "VOTE EARLY" why? etc....????Brilliant.
yes, I"ve never before had a "signature" in my personal email. But decided this is a good & neutral way for me to spread the word. I tried several versions with different wording. Most of my friends agree with me politically, but stating "your preferred candidates" and "bad actors" without specifying who. . .
Sorry - you can add stuff to your email signature, usually it's in settings/signature. So below your name/title/email address, you can add other text. If it's your work email, you usually are mandated to have your title or job position followed by corporate logo/info. If it's your personal email, you can add stuff like:
"It's an election year - vote early!
Check your voter registration (link to IWillVote.com)
Make sure friends/family vote!" etc. etc.
Great responses! The "Oh really, where did you hear that?" response is always good."
That being said, I would venture to guess two things are also going on: 1) some of those are bots 2) algorithm is disproportionately surfacing MAGA comments. I've noticed it everywhere, and Meta has made no secret of their sucking up.
One thing about it, rhetorically speaking, it's getting harder to tell the difference between a bot and live MAGA posters
It is. And there are only limited tools to deal with it. We here in library world/academia are on the frontlines. UGH.
Chiming in to emphasize that Facebook aka Meta is in no way the neutral unbiased forum it may appear to be. The algorithm absolutely boosts what Zuck wants and what keeps people engaged and enraged. So, yeah: MAGA comments and bots are boosted.
You would think even Trump knows he should give voters the impression he cares about his job. Instead, he spent the whole afternoon posting bullshit.
Whiny diaper baby gonna whine. ;)
Donated to Troy Jackson. Called my Dem Senators re Todd Blanche. Emailed my contact list with the third in my series of emails to provide enticing snippets of information about Hopium House Candidates. This morning's offering featured JoAnna Mendoza, Chaz Molder, Elaine Luria. Every email has prompted good political discussions with a handful of people with whom I wouldn't necessarily talk politics.
This morning: Called Senators Cornyn and Cruz about Todd Blanche. Called their Washington offices, but will now call the Texas office of each of them. Donated $100 to Troy Jackson (wish it could be more, but that's how much I can afford). Talked to 3 people this week who were criticizing the Democratic Party, citing, with logic and facts, all we have talked about here. After we chatted, they said, "Thank you; I didn't know." I speak to an average of 3 people a week about this including in person and online. I can see the impact it has had on people who were posting critical comments online. Thanks, Community; thanks, Simon.
Great job, Nora!
Good work!
Thanks, Nora.
Way to go Nora!
Watched all of Troy Jackson's speech that Simon linked to. The guy is just SO sincere. He wasn't faking his voice cracking when he talked about the reality of so many people having to work multiple jobs just to keep their heads above water--and the serious impact that has on an entire family when parents have to spend so much time away from their kids. Glad Hopium is all in for him and raised nearly $40 k in one day! Keep going!
I agree. I was surprised bc there had been a few comments about him not being a great speaker. I thought he was so genuine and rather endearing. He came across as if he really cared. I loved how he went after Susan Collins and not in a mean way - just by laying out the facts.
gave to winning the senate. calling cornyn & tillis. it's go time!
A few civilian observations and a question.
Had dinner last night with neighbors, super smart and engaged voters. Asked me directly what I thought about DSA. I was truly surprised by the question, but I couldn’t respond, as I have been remiss in educating myself.
We’re all over 60 and we were unanimously aligned on the following:
1. It is time for change in leadership at top of the party (excluding Jeffries, who all agree has stepped up). (I know this view may depart from sentiments shared here; my purpose is just to share what my peer group is thinking. The word “establishment” was used. Again point being to communicate the perception and vernacular being used among civilians.)
2. Accountability is a must. I think this aligns with Simon’s views. (I believe accountability cannot be delinked from economic opportunity.)
3. Infighting must stop. Residual anger at leaders who slow walked endorsement of Mamdani or never endorsed, the feeling being we cannot ask the “Bernie Bros” (my words) to get in line, if the favor won’t be returned when their candidate wins. (I understand exceptions may be made for super-extreme candidates. Further, none of us would have voted for Mamdani in NYC primary if we had been NYC residents.)
My question: what is the best way to communicate to party leaders that the infighting must stop? We want to win.
PS: post-carding for NJ CD-7.
Thanks for the report. I've experienced similar sentiments in my network.
Thank you for sharing Martin's letter. One thing that stood out to me is that under his leadership, much like Ben Wikler did in WI, he's essentially implementing a permanent campaign mode.
And the increased investment in Red state parties (when Jane Kleeb became the chair of the NE party is 2016? 2018? she had NO budget for a full-time employee. You know other states muct have been in the same boat) is paying off as we see Dems competitive in states like Iowa. & Nebraska. & others.
I noted, too, that even though Ben Wickler lost to Ken Martin in the race for DNC Chair, Wickler has said he agrees with the "compete everywhere, win anywhere" strategy Martin is using--including sending more resources to State Parties and emphasizing red states. Here's a link to a recent interview Wickler did with Politico about his new book: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/07/25/democrats-election-ben-wikler-this-is-the-plan-01011523?mc_cid=9a179bc25f&mc_eid=1c3e8552d0&utm_campaign=9a179bc25f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_07_21_11_32&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NOTUS+Newsletter+Audience&utm_term=0_-9a179bc25f-745842906
Simon, Thank you for today's Perfect Post! I hope everyone does read Ken Martin's Speech. This morning I caught Former Congressman Tom Malinowski on MS NOW. He explained that what Ken Martin is doing is correct. This is a Grassroots Campaign and All the money goes to the Candidates, which is what we have been doing. And this is why it's working and why We are going to Win!!!
Love Malinowski!! Next Dem prez needs to put him to use!
"So the day the American people put Democrats back in charge of Congress, here is our promise to you: we are going to hold the crooks accountable." ~Hakeem Jeffries
Hallelujah. Push Push Push and watch the snowflakes melt. Hopefully "Accountability" will begin to be a polling question now.