Any word on rural outreach projects? Many of my rural contacts are hoping there is a restoration of a DNC Rural Desk or Rural Policy Desks at the DSCC and DCCC for 2026, something that hasn't been seen since 2006-2008. Maybe we can start advocating for that. There's a lot to highlight in how rural areas are being battered by Trump's policies.
Michael your "rural contacts" should be contacting their state parties and campaigns in their areas. The new head of the ASDC, Jane Kleeb, lives on a farm and is one of the top and most experienced rural organizers in the country. Anderson Clayton is on a statewide rural tour in NC right now. With enhanced resources the state parties now can contemplate more aggressive organizing in rural areas, are being encouraged to do so and your folks should be volunteering to get these efforts off the ground.
I hate to say it like that, but that's where I see it going. Though I could be wrong, and it could certainly backfire spectacularly. It is just such a blessing that we have an Administration of incompetents. If we had a smarter Dear Leader, we would be in some REAL trouble.
I contacted my state rep and state senator here in MA, and I got the standard "ICE is a federal agency" and crickets from the other. It's unacceptable. I replied that "you are our representative, and these things are happening in your constituency; you must speak up." No response.
I expect this, too. It *should* backfire due to the cruelty it entails and the sheer incompetence, but I've continually been dismayed to learn what the "real America" is about.
Since pro-democracy citizens are far stronger when we work together, he will absolutely try to convince individuals that they are safer if they leave their groups and obey him instead. It will even seem like that makes sense, but it won’t be true.
Whatever he does, and it will be both cruel and unpredictable, we must keep working together and convincing others to join our efforts.
Julie, what is the value of this? Truly? Are we sure that the organizers of No Kings invited every single Member of Congress and Senator to speak? Did they ask all local Dem officials to speak? Involve the national DNC and state parties? Is there evidence people were invited and turned down the invitations? Some of the organizers of these protests have attacked prominent Democratic politicians, should they have come and spoken anyway?
Would I speak at an event organized by 50501? No. I wouldn't. Not until their leadership comes out of the shadows and identifies themselves. My rule of thumb here is only attend rallies or protests from organizations and leaders you trust. Please I feel like this is designed to be divisive. Members of Congress and Senators are doing town halls at home, tele-town halls, and speaking to their constituents and educating folks back home in unprecedented ways. Part of how we drove the approval rating of the big ugly bill down so low. Does any of that count or do we only count if they attended a single protest event organized by an anonymous organization?
With all due respect to you, Simon, in our current political state, I feel there has been great value in the 50501's use of a light touch to create the openings that have motivated as many as 5 million people to publicly protest Republican threats across a spectrum of issues. Democratic Party officers, office holders, and candidates should also see these protests as openings for them to convey the framing for Democratic opposition and the path forward about which you write so powerfully,
Of course they would and do, but if they were not invited to speak you should not expect them to have done so. The burden is on 50501 or the many other orgs - mostly Indivisible - that organized these events not the electeds. Punishing an elected for not speaking at an event they were not invited to speak at seems ridiculous. We have over 10,000 elected Dems in the country. How many were invited to speak at these rallies?
My point here is that this is gotcha exercise that I think has no real value. I would be shocked if any prominent elected Dem turned down an invite to speak at these rallies. May have happened but I think it would be surprising and rare. What politician turns down an invite to speak to thousands of their own constituents?
I have said many times here efforts to create lists of good and bad Democrats is a corrosive and divisive exercise. These electeds are doing more to reach their constituents and inform their voters of what is happening with Trump than they ever have. We successfully drove the approval rating of the big ugly bill down to make it the most unpopular bill of the modern era (which wasn't the focus of the No Kings rallies). Creating an impression that somehow these Dems aren't working to define Trump and tell the story of the moment because they did not speak at a rally they were not invited to is in my mind not a good use of our collective time as it makes us, not Trump, the bad guy.
I realize I'm spoiled in the Chicago area. Reps. Schakowsky and Schneider show up to a LOT of protests and hold the town halls. The one on the 17th is on a Thursday, which makes it harder for the Reps and Senators to show.
Illionois State Rep Bob Morgan was invited to speak at the Highland Park, IL No Kings rally, and of course he accepted, giving us the heartbreaking news about the murder of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Morgan is a regular attendee at these rallies.
David, encourage you to create more context for these requests for me to comment on some random article....it's a big ask to ask me to spend 10-15 minutes reading something and then crafting a response - particularly after I just spent 3-4 hours putting Hopium together. So if you going to do it please work harder to justify why this is a good use of my time......
I’m wondering if there are social media monitoring tools used in the political space. In my prior life, I had tools that measured social media sentiment about the brands I managed. With the trend toward getting news through social platforms, it would be prudent to track changes in sentiment. To the points you made yesterday, Trump feels powerful. He is a vibes/sentiment or emotional leader. I wonder if he is right? Are people buying the lies. It’s easier to craft tactics once you know where you stand. I worry about an over reliance on polls to understand where voters stand.
Two comments: I have written hundreds of postcards to swing states, most recently for Abigail Spanberger, and letters for Vote Forward, but I recently read that Vote Forward now says that these efforts made no appreciable difference in the 2024 election. I plan to send my postcards anyway, but I have real reservations about doing this in the future.
My other comment relates to the tragedy in Texas. We had a devastating storm here in Central New York a couple of weeks ago, and that one claimed three lives. Much of the reporting of the Texas disaster refers to preparedness without mentioning the role climate change played in fueling this disaster. This is another problem with the tax bill and Trump's upcoming budget. Cuts to the green energy transition will exacerbate climate change and cause untold economic damage. Costs of mitigating these disasters here in New York alone are projected to cost $10 billion a year by 2050
If I recall correctly, postcards to voters are thought to affect voters in a range of .3 - .4%. In a close race it can make a real difference. It is more like “additional” or ancillary support, not the most major way to support a candidate. (I will still continue to do it. It also supports USPS).
Hi Diane - where did you read the info about Vote Forward? Because the Postcards to Swing States project is not only standing by their efforts, but expanding. As a data scientist, I believe that the turnout increase of 1% that postcarding typically brings is well worth the effort.
Postcards for Swing States claims that their message of "Who you vote for is private, but whether you vote is a matter of public record" raised turnout by 1.3% (if memory serves). Other messages didn't work. They're testing out their news boosting postcards this fall in VA.
Vote Forward is a different organization, and I had heard that their efforts didn't work.
I am aware of that. I was just curious as to what the difference was. Thanks, Elizabeth -this is the info from Vote Forward: https://votefwd.org/posts/2024-results
They definitely did NOT say they were completely ineffective, they said one aspect of their program did not go as they had hoped. Voter contact via letters and postcards DOES still work, they and others have the numbers to prove it. I would urge anyone who is at all interested to do it!
Lisa - once you get the information might you be able to explain it to we civilians? I have done both Vote Forward and Postcards to Voters and have been looking for data on 2024 impact. Any information available yet on WI 2025 Supreme Court race??
So the deal was, the letters specific to "surge" voters did not work - it sounds like from their explanation that it was bc the voters they targeted here turned up on their own, most likely bc they were the Orange voters who only show up to vote for him, I would guess. Without seeing numbers, and not being Tom Bonier, I'll leave it at that and urge you to read the article at Jason's link.
I am not sure re WI, but I imagine it did help. I wrote postcards specifically to Milwaukee last year and I firmly believe it was part of the difference for downballot wins like Sen. Baldwin.
Always felt a little weird about writing that “whether you vote is public record”message, although I did include it on about a third of the postcards I sent last fall. Seems like it could be interpreted as vaguely threatening almost. But I guess it’s ultimately effective
I agree, this statement seems -- if not threatening -- at least trying to shame people into voting. Reminds me of the campaign messages that shame us for not responding to repeated calls for donations. I don't like it and I'd be surprised if most voters responded positively.
The impact was small but real. They believe they need to be more strategic and targeted. I like that they use real data science and studies to inform their work.
I did post this reply but maybe you didn't see it. There's a June ninth piece in the Atlantic by Russell Berman that discusses this and also a recent substack post by Micah Sifry
I read that article. I remember it now. So again, one aspect of their program did not work & other programs did work. I would not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
They most def did NOT say it was completely ineffective. They said one aspect of their overall initiative did not work as well as they had hoped. Please continue to write letters and send postcards, all!
I just checked the websites for the New York State Democratic Party, and my local Westchester County party, and the websites are hopelessly out of date and do not have any information about voter registration drives. Looks like I’ll be making some phone calls.
Yes, call them and ask what the plan is, and let them know you would like to help once the efforts get started. You can to help - how can I do so?
When I was trained as a young field organizer rule one was when someone volunteered you needed to have something meaningful for them to do immediately. See if you state and local parties can pass that simple test, and if not, you need to get in their face.
I am still waiting to hear more about the NJ state Dems. I complained to my county chair, and she said she'd "pass it along." I am not overly optimistic. Paging Ken Martin - please come kick some a$$ here in the Garden State! We advocacy orgs are happy to do our part, but we can't do it alone!
PPS fwiw I feel your pain ... I'm doing voter registration locally with a local Action Together group (ATBC) and LWVCC, and statewide through Field Team 6 BYOP textbanking.
The NJ Democratic Party is sclerotic - at best and on a good day. I spoke to my local Democratic Committee this spring about voter registration and I got a namby-pampy explanation about people hating extremists. Really? Then why were the GOP registration numbers growing!!! Ken Martin would be wise to spend money judiciously with that crew.
Recent reports (I shared the link here recently) showed Democrats bent the curve during the primary. Why? I believe because it was a truly competitive primary that excited voters. Thank you Andy Kim.
So I have zero faith in NJ’s Democratic Party. OTOH the activist groups here are AMAZING and my husband and I have and will continue to work with them to elect Mikie in 2025 and gear up for 2026.
Every state and local community are different but just as I think it is important that we call our electeds and let them know what is expected of them now we need should be calling our state and local parties are letting them know that we believe is expected of them now.
We are going to work on a way to make the efforts in the states more accessible to folks. I do not believe any of these are being led by any state or local party at this point.
I am hearing some local confusion about resolutions being passed by local jurisdictions. Those working on Democratic Party resolutions for platform, consideration by the Governing Bodies, etc. are thinking about resolutions coming from the Democratic party itself for internal guidance. Our resolutions from local jurisdictions (towns, cities, counties, states, etc.) are a different process. In NM, other Democratic party officials have been very helpful in providing written public comments, getting the resolution to the Commission, etc. but it's not something that would be on a state or county website of the Democratic Party.
I have been trying to get information in MA about any possible resolutions of condemnations. So far no word. Also I have contacted our Sec of State’s office about possible voter registration activities and opportunities for volunteers. I will be following up tomorrow by phone.
I have been an unpaid subscriber for several years. Your #1 priority for "What comes Next" has inspired me to become a paid subscriber. I want very much to "do something more explicit about demanding the end of masked, plain clothes “police” snatching people here in America without warrants." All of the other items listed are good and necessary, too, but it curdles my blood when I hear about those atrocities. And, with the infusion of all the Big Ugly Bill money, it is one of the areas that will be most immediately energized..
In this administration, masks are fine when you want to hide the identity of your enforcement troops. Just not when you want to keep diseases from spreading.
hi Simon, newly paid subscriber here (been following for longer) and I wanted to share NC senator Ted Budd's "triumphant" email newsletter indicating why he voted YES on the BBB. Please let me know if there is another way I should be doing this, but in any case, I want to keep this in all NC voters minds so that we can make Budd regret his own words in the near future!
Ted Budd's email:
The Senate Passed President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill
The people of North Carolina elected me to curb Washington’s spending addiction, and that is a job I don’t take lightly. This week, the Senate amended and passed President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which included major reforms to slow the ballooning cost of government programs and root out waste, fraud, and abuse.
The bottom line is this – the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ lowers taxes for families, makes our country safer and more secure, and unleashes economic growth for the future. I voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act because the people of North Carolina deserve more of their hard-earned wages, a more secure border, a reinvigorated military, responsible spending reforms for government programs, and a thriving economy.
My colleagues and I fought successfully to protect North Carolina’s tobacco growers to help them stay competitive with China. I am also grateful that this bill included my PELL Act, which will help Americans earn in-demand credentials for rewarding careers.
Here’s How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Directly Benefits North Carolina:
Helping Americans keep more money in their pockets by extending key provisions of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Preventing the largest tax increase in American history will save the average North Carolinian $2,474 in 2026.
Working families will receive significant savings with the increase and permanence of the child tax credit, expanded tax credits for paid leave, enhanced 529 savings accounts, and additional childcare access.
This legislation lowers taxes for seniors relying on Social Security.
----
I like how he doesn't mention that social security itself is being cut, make any mention that our thriving economy of Jan 2025 is going down the tubes, nor identify any of the "waste, fraud and abuse" that's being cut.
One option to use in discussing it and calls to senator's office: my strategy in the analogous situation, is to treat the letter as naive, happy talk [rather than, e.g., a malicious attempt to pull wool over the eyes of constituents], then there are many directions to take from there - e.g., 'we all know, that retaining the tax cuts doesn't help most Americans, etc [pick an issue -tax on tips, economic growth ], plus Sen. Budd is / may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, etc, lots of places to go with that.
As an OG Hopium member, I find the election donation asks confusing. When are the elections? The Hopium 7 elections are next year, I'm assuming, but when are the other ones? I know some of them are this year. Are they all this year?
Virginia and New Jersey are this year, the others next year but we are trying to raise money early to give them a boost in what will be some of the toughest and most competitive races in the country.
Any word on rural outreach projects? Many of my rural contacts are hoping there is a restoration of a DNC Rural Desk or Rural Policy Desks at the DSCC and DCCC for 2026, something that hasn't been seen since 2006-2008. Maybe we can start advocating for that. There's a lot to highlight in how rural areas are being battered by Trump's policies.
Michael your "rural contacts" should be contacting their state parties and campaigns in their areas. The new head of the ASDC, Jane Kleeb, lives on a farm and is one of the top and most experienced rural organizers in the country. Anderson Clayton is on a statewide rural tour in NC right now. With enhanced resources the state parties now can contemplate more aggressive organizing in rural areas, are being encouraged to do so and your folks should be volunteering to get these efforts off the ground.
"Seriously, what is Trump going to do these next 16 months? How does he regain his STRENGTH and BE STRONG, how does he get his 'WINS'?"
By getting Miller's Standing Army of ICE Agents and using them in a terror operation that targets citizens and non-citizens alike. If they cannot win through popularity, they will try to win through terror and spreading fear among the majority that doesn't like them. (See the latest on Trump's favorite psychopath: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/opinion/stephen-miller.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Uk8.SZcA.5Gk5z-yIFDPG&smid=url-share).
I hate to say it like that, but that's where I see it going. Though I could be wrong, and it could certainly backfire spectacularly. It is just such a blessing that we have an Administration of incompetents. If we had a smarter Dear Leader, we would be in some REAL trouble.
I think this is right. And I'm thinking efforts need to go locally. My BIPOC brothers and sisters here in BLUE Massachusetts are terrorized!
I contacted my state rep and state senator here in MA, and I got the standard "ICE is a federal agency" and crickets from the other. It's unacceptable. I replied that "you are our representative, and these things are happening in your constituency; you must speak up." No response.
That is more or less what Dr. Ben-Ghiat said in her zoom last night.
I expect this, too. It *should* backfire due to the cruelty it entails and the sheer incompetence, but I've continually been dismayed to learn what the "real America" is about.
Since pro-democracy citizens are far stronger when we work together, he will absolutely try to convince individuals that they are safer if they leave their groups and obey him instead. It will even seem like that makes sense, but it won’t be true.
Whatever he does, and it will be both cruel and unpredictable, we must keep working together and convincing others to join our efforts.
I think you are correct.
Are the DNC officers attending 50501 protests, and if not, shouldn't they be attending? Here's a (too short) list of Democratic congressional reps and candidates who were at the NO KINGS protests on June 14: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xMBeoOnSQC5sMnC7Xf9bC3kOpwfv55-tDpIr2zCKI0s/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Thank you for this. On my next call to my congressman, I am going to ask him to attend.
Julie, what is the value of this? Truly? Are we sure that the organizers of No Kings invited every single Member of Congress and Senator to speak? Did they ask all local Dem officials to speak? Involve the national DNC and state parties? Is there evidence people were invited and turned down the invitations? Some of the organizers of these protests have attacked prominent Democratic politicians, should they have come and spoken anyway?
Would I speak at an event organized by 50501? No. I wouldn't. Not until their leadership comes out of the shadows and identifies themselves. My rule of thumb here is only attend rallies or protests from organizations and leaders you trust. Please I feel like this is designed to be divisive. Members of Congress and Senators are doing town halls at home, tele-town halls, and speaking to their constituents and educating folks back home in unprecedented ways. Part of how we drove the approval rating of the big ugly bill down so low. Does any of that count or do we only count if they attended a single protest event organized by an anonymous organization?
With all due respect to you, Simon, in our current political state, I feel there has been great value in the 50501's use of a light touch to create the openings that have motivated as many as 5 million people to publicly protest Republican threats across a spectrum of issues. Democratic Party officers, office holders, and candidates should also see these protests as openings for them to convey the framing for Democratic opposition and the path forward about which you write so powerfully,
Of course they would and do, but if they were not invited to speak you should not expect them to have done so. The burden is on 50501 or the many other orgs - mostly Indivisible - that organized these events not the electeds. Punishing an elected for not speaking at an event they were not invited to speak at seems ridiculous. We have over 10,000 elected Dems in the country. How many were invited to speak at these rallies?
My point here is that this is gotcha exercise that I think has no real value. I would be shocked if any prominent elected Dem turned down an invite to speak at these rallies. May have happened but I think it would be surprising and rare. What politician turns down an invite to speak to thousands of their own constituents?
I have said many times here efforts to create lists of good and bad Democrats is a corrosive and divisive exercise. These electeds are doing more to reach their constituents and inform their voters of what is happening with Trump than they ever have. We successfully drove the approval rating of the big ugly bill down to make it the most unpopular bill of the modern era (which wasn't the focus of the No Kings rallies). Creating an impression that somehow these Dems aren't working to define Trump and tell the story of the moment because they did not speak at a rally they were not invited to is in my mind not a good use of our collective time as it makes us, not Trump, the bad guy.
I realize I'm spoiled in the Chicago area. Reps. Schakowsky and Schneider show up to a LOT of protests and hold the town halls. The one on the 17th is on a Thursday, which makes it harder for the Reps and Senators to show.
Illionois State Rep Bob Morgan was invited to speak at the Highland Park, IL No Kings rally, and of course he accepted, giving us the heartbreaking news about the murder of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Morgan is a regular attendee at these rallies.
Incidentally, Simon, what do you think of this: https://www.yourtimestartsnow.ch/p/breaking-firelines-and-powerlines?
How plausible is the plan? I only ask because I know Miller has his hand in these sorts of things, and he is no dummy like Trump.
makes sense to me.
David, encourage you to create more context for these requests for me to comment on some random article....it's a big ask to ask me to spend 10-15 minutes reading something and then crafting a response - particularly after I just spent 3-4 hours putting Hopium together. So if you going to do it please work harder to justify why this is a good use of my time......
Fair enough. Will do. I will get back to this...
Pay careful attention to where miller is making $$$$$$ from.
What do you mean exactly?
Look where miller has stock/mutual funds/bonds...Adam Kinzinger talked about this. stephen miller is making $$$$$$ off of the cruelty.
Yes, that's right. Thanks Lauren for reminding me of that.
You're welcome. I'm not saying I'm perfect. At the same time, I'm pretty sure I'm not making 6 figures off plantir.
I’m wondering if there are social media monitoring tools used in the political space. In my prior life, I had tools that measured social media sentiment about the brands I managed. With the trend toward getting news through social platforms, it would be prudent to track changes in sentiment. To the points you made yesterday, Trump feels powerful. He is a vibes/sentiment or emotional leader. I wonder if he is right? Are people buying the lies. It’s easier to craft tactics once you know where you stand. I worry about an over reliance on polls to understand where voters stand.
Two comments: I have written hundreds of postcards to swing states, most recently for Abigail Spanberger, and letters for Vote Forward, but I recently read that Vote Forward now says that these efforts made no appreciable difference in the 2024 election. I plan to send my postcards anyway, but I have real reservations about doing this in the future.
My other comment relates to the tragedy in Texas. We had a devastating storm here in Central New York a couple of weeks ago, and that one claimed three lives. Much of the reporting of the Texas disaster refers to preparedness without mentioning the role climate change played in fueling this disaster. This is another problem with the tax bill and Trump's upcoming budget. Cuts to the green energy transition will exacerbate climate change and cause untold economic damage. Costs of mitigating these disasters here in New York alone are projected to cost $10 billion a year by 2050
If I recall correctly, postcards to voters are thought to affect voters in a range of .3 - .4%. In a close race it can make a real difference. It is more like “additional” or ancillary support, not the most major way to support a candidate. (I will still continue to do it. It also supports USPS).
Btw, stamps go up on July 13, so you might want to order some before then
Hi Diane - where did you read the info about Vote Forward? Because the Postcards to Swing States project is not only standing by their efforts, but expanding. As a data scientist, I believe that the turnout increase of 1% that postcarding typically brings is well worth the effort.
Postcards for Swing States claims that their message of "Who you vote for is private, but whether you vote is a matter of public record" raised turnout by 1.3% (if memory serves). Other messages didn't work. They're testing out their news boosting postcards this fall in VA.
Vote Forward is a different organization, and I had heard that their efforts didn't work.
I am aware of that. I was just curious as to what the difference was. Thanks, Elizabeth -this is the info from Vote Forward: https://votefwd.org/posts/2024-results
They definitely did NOT say they were completely ineffective, they said one aspect of their program did not go as they had hoped. Voter contact via letters and postcards DOES still work, they and others have the numbers to prove it. I would urge anyone who is at all interested to do it!
Lisa - once you get the information might you be able to explain it to we civilians? I have done both Vote Forward and Postcards to Voters and have been looking for data on 2024 impact. Any information available yet on WI 2025 Supreme Court race??
https://votefwd.org/posts/2024-results
Thanks. Read and shared.
So the deal was, the letters specific to "surge" voters did not work - it sounds like from their explanation that it was bc the voters they targeted here turned up on their own, most likely bc they were the Orange voters who only show up to vote for him, I would guess. Without seeing numbers, and not being Tom Bonier, I'll leave it at that and urge you to read the article at Jason's link.
I am not sure re WI, but I imagine it did help. I wrote postcards specifically to Milwaukee last year and I firmly believe it was part of the difference for downballot wins like Sen. Baldwin.
It did work but it was marginal. They are applying the lessons learned from the data. https://votefwd.org/posts/2024-results
Always felt a little weird about writing that “whether you vote is public record”message, although I did include it on about a third of the postcards I sent last fall. Seems like it could be interpreted as vaguely threatening almost. But I guess it’s ultimately effective
I agree, this statement seems -- if not threatening -- at least trying to shame people into voting. Reminds me of the campaign messages that shame us for not responding to repeated calls for donations. I don't like it and I'd be surprised if most voters responded positively.
But the data says otherwise - that's why they do it. Seems counterintuitive, yet it works.
A June ninth article in the Atlantic by Russell Berman discusses the lack of impact in 2024. And a recent substack by Micah Sifry also discusses this
https://votefwd.org/posts/2024-results
The impact was small but real. They believe they need to be more strategic and targeted. I like that they use real data science and studies to inform their work.
Yep! Data science, it's a thing. Librarians get Masters degrees in this very topic!
I did post this reply but maybe you didn't see it. There's a June ninth piece in the Atlantic by Russell Berman that discusses this and also a recent substack post by Micah Sifry
I read that article. I remember it now. So again, one aspect of their program did not work & other programs did work. I would not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
OK, so this is what Vote Forward says: https://votefwd.org/posts/2024-results
They most def did NOT say it was completely ineffective. They said one aspect of their overall initiative did not work as well as they had hoped. Please continue to write letters and send postcards, all!
I just checked the websites for the New York State Democratic Party, and my local Westchester County party, and the websites are hopelessly out of date and do not have any information about voter registration drives. Looks like I’ll be making some phone calls.
Yes, call them and ask what the plan is, and let them know you would like to help once the efforts get started. You can to help - how can I do so?
When I was trained as a young field organizer rule one was when someone volunteered you needed to have something meaningful for them to do immediately. See if you state and local parties can pass that simple test, and if not, you need to get in their face.
Maybe they could use some website-savvy volunteer help?
Thanks
To your invitation to share articles or podcasts, I offer this podcast interview with Danielle Allen on “Reinventing American Democracy”:
https://oregonhumanities.org/rll/podcast/episode/reinventing-american-democracy/
I am still waiting to hear more about the NJ state Dems. I complained to my county chair, and she said she'd "pass it along." I am not overly optimistic. Paging Ken Martin - please come kick some a$$ here in the Garden State! We advocacy orgs are happy to do our part, but we can't do it alone!
How about volunteering directly for Sherrill?
Here is the Mikie Sherrill for Governor website https://www.mikiesherrill.com/ and the volunteer sign-up page that links from the website's home page: https://secure.ngpvan.com/VkMV2Oo3CEGshEK1N430HQ2
I'm doing that already. Just frustrated at the systemic dysfunction. Ken Martin can't do it alone either, obvi. :)
YUP (PS Hi Lisa!)
PPS fwiw I feel your pain ... I'm doing voter registration locally with a local Action Together group (ATBC) and LWVCC, and statewide through Field Team 6 BYOP textbanking.
The state Dems website does not have anyone's contact info on it. Seriously?
I am very glad to see there are Hopium people on this, since the party apparently is not! Wonder if people might bring Ben Wikler out to speak.
Ugh. I wish I could say I was surprise. *sigh*
The NJ Democratic Party is sclerotic - at best and on a good day. I spoke to my local Democratic Committee this spring about voter registration and I got a namby-pampy explanation about people hating extremists. Really? Then why were the GOP registration numbers growing!!! Ken Martin would be wise to spend money judiciously with that crew.
Recent reports (I shared the link here recently) showed Democrats bent the curve during the primary. Why? I believe because it was a truly competitive primary that excited voters. Thank you Andy Kim.
So I have zero faith in NJ’s Democratic Party. OTOH the activist groups here are AMAZING and my husband and I have and will continue to work with them to elect Mikie in 2025 and gear up for 2026.
Every state and local community are different but just as I think it is important that we call our electeds and let them know what is expected of them now we need should be calling our state and local parties are letting them know that we believe is expected of them now.
Does anyone know about the progress of a "resolution of condemnation" in NJ? I can't find any mention of it on the state party website.
We are going to work on a way to make the efforts in the states more accessible to folks. I do not believe any of these are being led by any state or local party at this point.
Great. Look forward to finding out more.
I am hearing some local confusion about resolutions being passed by local jurisdictions. Those working on Democratic Party resolutions for platform, consideration by the Governing Bodies, etc. are thinking about resolutions coming from the Democratic party itself for internal guidance. Our resolutions from local jurisdictions (towns, cities, counties, states, etc.) are a different process. In NM, other Democratic party officials have been very helpful in providing written public comments, getting the resolution to the Commission, etc. but it's not something that would be on a state or county website of the Democratic Party.
I see. Thanks for clarifying.
I have been trying to get information in MA about any possible resolutions of condemnations. So far no word. Also I have contacted our Sec of State’s office about possible voter registration activities and opportunities for volunteers. I will be following up tomorrow by phone.
I will forward what Rachel sent to me.
if you give me your email address!
Hi Sarah! Thanks for all you’re doing. I don’t see a way to send you my email privately but I can contact Rachel. ❣️
Massachusetts Stow Select Board declaration, Mark Roberts @markroberts995 letters, resolution sponsored with reintroduction in Sept.
Massachusetts MA House and Senate, (Peter May / not Hopium, via email to me) planning
Massachusetts North Adams City Council, (Peter May / not Hopium, via email to mel) passed
Massachusetts Amherst Town Council, Sarah Marshall @sarahmarshall117300, planning
Massachusetts State Representative, Sarah Marshall @sarahmarshall117300, planning
Massachusetts State Senator, Sara Marshall @sarahmarshall117300, planning
Massachusetts Lexington, (not hopium, via Rachel), planning
Massachusetts City of Boston, Rachel Poliner @rachelpoliner, sponsored
Wonderful list! Thanks for sharing it.
I found the transcript to the New Republic interview of Simon here. There's a lot to absorb. https://newrepublic.com/article/197622/transcript-trump-use-secret-police-takes-shocking-darker-turn
I have been an unpaid subscriber for several years. Your #1 priority for "What comes Next" has inspired me to become a paid subscriber. I want very much to "do something more explicit about demanding the end of masked, plain clothes “police” snatching people here in America without warrants." All of the other items listed are good and necessary, too, but it curdles my blood when I hear about those atrocities. And, with the infusion of all the Big Ugly Bill money, it is one of the areas that will be most immediately energized..
Here is an argument for unmasking ICE
https://youtube.com/shorts/CK3mNT_hGfM?si=b_-khK9_1Y3HPaip
In this administration, masks are fine when you want to hide the identity of your enforcement troops. Just not when you want to keep diseases from spreading.
hi Simon, newly paid subscriber here (been following for longer) and I wanted to share NC senator Ted Budd's "triumphant" email newsletter indicating why he voted YES on the BBB. Please let me know if there is another way I should be doing this, but in any case, I want to keep this in all NC voters minds so that we can make Budd regret his own words in the near future!
Ted Budd's email:
The Senate Passed President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill
The people of North Carolina elected me to curb Washington’s spending addiction, and that is a job I don’t take lightly. This week, the Senate amended and passed President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which included major reforms to slow the ballooning cost of government programs and root out waste, fraud, and abuse.
The bottom line is this – the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ lowers taxes for families, makes our country safer and more secure, and unleashes economic growth for the future. I voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act because the people of North Carolina deserve more of their hard-earned wages, a more secure border, a reinvigorated military, responsible spending reforms for government programs, and a thriving economy.
My colleagues and I fought successfully to protect North Carolina’s tobacco growers to help them stay competitive with China. I am also grateful that this bill included my PELL Act, which will help Americans earn in-demand credentials for rewarding careers.
Here’s How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Directly Benefits North Carolina:
Helping Americans keep more money in their pockets by extending key provisions of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Preventing the largest tax increase in American history will save the average North Carolinian $2,474 in 2026.
Working families will receive significant savings with the increase and permanence of the child tax credit, expanded tax credits for paid leave, enhanced 529 savings accounts, and additional childcare access.
This legislation lowers taxes for seniors relying on Social Security.
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I like how he doesn't mention that social security itself is being cut, make any mention that our thriving economy of Jan 2025 is going down the tubes, nor identify any of the "waste, fraud and abuse" that's being cut.
https://www.budd.senate.gov/2025/07/01/sen-budd-votes-for-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-todeliver-historic-tax-cuts-for-north-carolina-families/
One option to use in discussing it and calls to senator's office: my strategy in the analogous situation, is to treat the letter as naive, happy talk [rather than, e.g., a malicious attempt to pull wool over the eyes of constituents], then there are many directions to take from there - e.g., 'we all know, that retaining the tax cuts doesn't help most Americans, etc [pick an issue -tax on tips, economic growth ], plus Sen. Budd is / may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, etc, lots of places to go with that.
As an OG Hopium member, I find the election donation asks confusing. When are the elections? The Hopium 7 elections are next year, I'm assuming, but when are the other ones? I know some of them are this year. Are they all this year?
Virginia and New Jersey are this year, the others next year but we are trying to raise money early to give them a boost in what will be some of the toughest and most competitive races in the country.
Because, as we know, Early Money Is Like Yeast -- it makes the dough rise!
Virginia (Spanberger) ) and New Jersey (Sherrill) are this year. Not the others.
Jim Spencer represent! Been watching him do weather as long as I can remember :-)