Happy day after Thanksgiving to all! Simon, I wonder if there could be a couple of talking points about what state and the national parties do with the money? I hear them say infrastructure and staff, and I don’t think those are compelling reasons for donating. Honestly, I don’t know what infrastructure means in a political party. I’d like to be able to say to people, for example, staff produce volunteer training, they ensure that there’s a get out the vote campaign, they make sure that they are painting the Republican candidate early on. I don’t know if any of that is true, but I find myself wishing that I could provide a few powerful reasons for donating to friends and family.
Melissa I will try to pull something short together but all of these interviews I link to with party leaders go into detail about what the new DNC is doing, and the new ambitions state parties have to become 24/7/365 entities that communicate, register, plan strategies, win ballot initiatives and elections. If you listen to our post-election interview with Maine Chair Charlie Dingman he goes into detail about how the money we raised was spent to help bring about our big win statewide in Maine this past November - https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/some-blue-wave-2025-election-recaps
As Charlie explains staff actually really does matter. The old model brought on staff in the spring and summer of the even year. Bringing them on in the odd year gives them time to learn the state, their areas, their craft and makes all of us more successful. I would also stronger encourage you to watch the interview with Anderson Clayton where she explains how our huge investment of $1.1m last cycle helped bring us important state wide wins there in 2024 and helped prepare us for more in 2026. Essentially what we are trying to do is turn on these parties year round and professionalize them across the country.
Simon, “Essentially what we are trying to do is turn on these parties year round and professionalize them across the country,” is ideal for 2026 and onward.
This early money, as all early money does, allows them to turn everything on sooner. Going earlier is a critical way for us to get better, make it more likely we win. The difference between these parties having professional comms and field people now versus in July could be the difference in us winning and losing thousands of races across the country.
Could not agree more. NJ is perfect example of why this is needed. We have one of the weakest state structures bc of the corrupt ballot design system and disproportionate power at municipal level, which Sen. Kim successfully sued to change. The system here is already much better, as evidenced by our strong showing a couple weeks back. But statewide, early hiring and strong party infrastructure is key!
All, thank you so much for the information. Simon, I had listened to the interviews you suggested, however, I just would like three easy statements. People honestly do not like to see their money go to staff and infrastructure. They like to see it go to results. We know that it takes staff and infrastructure to achieve those results. So here’s my take and everyone, please jump in and correct me. I’m sure I didn’t capture the critical elements.
“State parties are the center for activities in the state. For example, they train volunteers, they ensure that voter registration is an ongoing action rather than just before an election, they recruit candidates, and they act as a resource for new candidates. Having year round communications and field staff allows continuity and professionalizes the work. There is no startup required.”
I donate, and I know if I was able to explain the function of the party succinctly, and in words that people who are not professionals in the field understand, that others would donate also.
I have told people what Somon learned from Jane Klebe: that until very recently, only 15 states had paid state chairs. The people whom I have told all looked gobsmacked. NC now has 26 paid staff members. Maybe adding these specific examples to your excellent distillation will help. NC flipped 151 seats from red to blue this year -- city council seats, school board positions, mayoral races, etc. Rage against Trump only goes so far. A robust party recruits good candidates, promotes them, gets out the vote, and helps people get to the polls.
That’s great, thank you yes, she did say that. I also saw that Jane was in Tennessee helping to get out the vote. It occurred to me this morning that one of the other things that state parties do is fight voter suppression, because there’s no one else who has an ongoing presence to tackle those issues.
Good morning, all! Just spent a couple hours on my weekly VoteRiders ID assistance shift. So many folks in need of simple things like ID and birth certificate, but states like TX, GA & FL make it very difficult. We do our best to help, and it's some of the best work I've done as a volunteer. You can sign up at VoteRiders.org!
Just donated to Higgins and already given to Behn- feeling good about our chances on both! Orange man went off on Gov. Walz yesterday & Gov Pritzker. Walz gave it right back to him and asked for his MRI results. More of this, please! [corrected from earlier version]
Dr. Ben-Ghiat live on her weekly Lucid chat at 1 pm today, please tune in if you can.
Great work, Lisa! Yay VoteRiders! I just donated to Higgins and to Behn, too. By the way, it was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz who asked for Trump’s MRI results after Trump called him “retarded” and defamed all the Somalis in Minnesota!
Hey friends. Just listened to Simon and Behn. She's Awesome AND is getting attacked with yucky misogynistic ads. UGH. She told Simon she's "not having fun" BUT is deeply inspired. There is much news about her race in the news which is so great. They need phone banking and door knocking. Sadly I'm not able to do either due to family obligations and travel. I sent a bunch of money last week. But any support you all can send her way will make a big difference. She is a really tough activist. Has been working hard for years! In the south. As a woman. Very inspiring.
NATIONAL SECURITY, NATIONAL SECURITY, NATIONAL SECURITY!
“Again, it all goes back to I think the person running the country right now is a DEAD PEDOPHILE [emphasis mine].”
- Professor Scott Galloway (NYU), Founder of Prof G Media
Folks:
As predicted, it seems that Dolos wants to give his Tsar everything that he wants and call it a negotiation (good coverage by the UK’s Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/28/trump-to-recognise-occupied-ukraine-part-of-russia/ . He wants to ignore the concerns of Europe— let alone Ukraine. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT. It must be what Dolos and his Tsar discussed in Anchorage (basically, a bailout of Russia— financially).
I fully recognize it's an exercise in futility. Still, as long as it didn't cost me anything except a few keystrokes, after viewing videos from yesterday (which I refused to watch during the holiday), I needed to communicate to my elected reps (all DEMS) the all-too-evident truth as follows:
"The President is unhinged and unwell and needs to vacate his office immediately.
Circling back on my to-do readings/viewings from the past few days, I am including this link for Hopiates who weren't fortunate enough to have access to this most excellent, searing piece on "Epstein" in the NYT by Anand Giridharadas
On my mind still a day after Thanksgiving - the people at yesterday's table who are watching just enough news from bad sources that they don't want to hear a word, not even an encouraging word or a suggestion for a different news source. No wonder we're still at only 7M on a major protest day. I wonder how they think the country will be saved if they refuse to help, don't want info about boycotts or shifts in momentum or anything. I was thinking about Nathan Heller's view about how people get information now and hope something reaches them. Maybe this is an area I need to learn more about - how does info reach them; how can we make that more likely.
Switching topics. I finished the American Revolution document today. I'm still hoping for an interview of Ken Burns on the power of ideas and documents that express those ideas. What a remarkable story. I expect I'll watch at the least the first and last episodes again.
Rachel, I am so thankful that I live in my little Northeast Liberal bubble. I have to do extra work to try to understand what I'm not typically exposed to, and I do that work, but I hear stories from people about their neighbors, friends, and relations, and, I just can't imagine that interpersonal stress!
Please please add Taylor Rehmet to your list for Texas State Senate, District 9. We have a runoff from a jungle primary for this special election. This is a solid red seat that we can flip blue with massive democratic turnout for the first time ever.
Self-reporting - made donations to the recommended candidates and causes.
This day after Thanksgiving, I am grateful to our Democratic elected leaders who are standing up to Trump, Republicans and MAGA. I am grateful to the many Democrats who are running to take power away from Trump and the Republicans. I am grateful for their courage and determination and their efforts to make our country a more perfect union.
Since August when the Adam Bonica articles came out about the Mothership Vortex scam in Dem fundraising, I have not seen much about it and am leary about donating. I trust your requests here and will contribute when I can, but I believe if we don't get back to clearing up that problem of our donations going nowhere, it's hard to want to contribute and I know we critically need the money . I don't know why the issue seemed to drop without much uproar. Did I miss it?
My understanding is that relates to robo funding requests from scam PACs and scam consulting firms associated with Mothership Strategies, a digital consulting agency. Much of the concern was raised from republicans in congress. I go directly to trusted ActBlue websites, and don't clink on unsolicited links that could be spam.
but shouldn't we be making an uproar to get them to stop if people are being scammed? Or is there a movement in this direction to which I am not aware?
Thank you! I "met" you at a DTMG gathering several years ago and truly appreciate what you do, along with this persoanl response to an issue that has been nagging at me. You and Robert Hubbell are my voices of reason. My main ACTION is facilitating the IndivisibleHoCoMd Postcard Brigade.
Kind of a good news fyi about Rep Rob Menendez [D NJ 08) introducing a bill to support urban agriculture, and I guess to note, on the topic of we have a deep bench, not to tar him with the brush of corruption of his father
Happy day after Thanksgiving to all! Simon, I wonder if there could be a couple of talking points about what state and the national parties do with the money? I hear them say infrastructure and staff, and I don’t think those are compelling reasons for donating. Honestly, I don’t know what infrastructure means in a political party. I’d like to be able to say to people, for example, staff produce volunteer training, they ensure that there’s a get out the vote campaign, they make sure that they are painting the Republican candidate early on. I don’t know if any of that is true, but I find myself wishing that I could provide a few powerful reasons for donating to friends and family.
Melissa I will try to pull something short together but all of these interviews I link to with party leaders go into detail about what the new DNC is doing, and the new ambitions state parties have to become 24/7/365 entities that communicate, register, plan strategies, win ballot initiatives and elections. If you listen to our post-election interview with Maine Chair Charlie Dingman he goes into detail about how the money we raised was spent to help bring about our big win statewide in Maine this past November - https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/some-blue-wave-2025-election-recaps
As Charlie explains staff actually really does matter. The old model brought on staff in the spring and summer of the even year. Bringing them on in the odd year gives them time to learn the state, their areas, their craft and makes all of us more successful. I would also stronger encourage you to watch the interview with Anderson Clayton where she explains how our huge investment of $1.1m last cycle helped bring us important state wide wins there in 2024 and helped prepare us for more in 2026. Essentially what we are trying to do is turn on these parties year round and professionalize them across the country.
Simon, “Essentially what we are trying to do is turn on these parties year round and professionalize them across the country,” is ideal for 2026 and onward.
This early money, as all early money does, allows them to turn everything on sooner. Going earlier is a critical way for us to get better, make it more likely we win. The difference between these parties having professional comms and field people now versus in July could be the difference in us winning and losing thousands of races across the country.
I've heard that early money is like yeast
It makes the dough rise! Ergo EMILY’s List!!
Could not agree more. NJ is perfect example of why this is needed. We have one of the weakest state structures bc of the corrupt ballot design system and disproportionate power at municipal level, which Sen. Kim successfully sued to change. The system here is already much better, as evidenced by our strong showing a couple weeks back. But statewide, early hiring and strong party infrastructure is key!
All, thank you so much for the information. Simon, I had listened to the interviews you suggested, however, I just would like three easy statements. People honestly do not like to see their money go to staff and infrastructure. They like to see it go to results. We know that it takes staff and infrastructure to achieve those results. So here’s my take and everyone, please jump in and correct me. I’m sure I didn’t capture the critical elements.
“State parties are the center for activities in the state. For example, they train volunteers, they ensure that voter registration is an ongoing action rather than just before an election, they recruit candidates, and they act as a resource for new candidates. Having year round communications and field staff allows continuity and professionalizes the work. There is no startup required.”
I donate, and I know if I was able to explain the function of the party succinctly, and in words that people who are not professionals in the field understand, that others would donate also.
I have told people what Somon learned from Jane Klebe: that until very recently, only 15 states had paid state chairs. The people whom I have told all looked gobsmacked. NC now has 26 paid staff members. Maybe adding these specific examples to your excellent distillation will help. NC flipped 151 seats from red to blue this year -- city council seats, school board positions, mayoral races, etc. Rage against Trump only goes so far. A robust party recruits good candidates, promotes them, gets out the vote, and helps people get to the polls.
That’s great, thank you yes, she did say that. I also saw that Jane was in Tennessee helping to get out the vote. It occurred to me this morning that one of the other things that state parties do is fight voter suppression, because there’s no one else who has an ongoing presence to tackle those issues.
Donated to Higgins, Behn and Audacious Expansion Fund.
boy they are spending money on this tn race; can't go online without some smear about her and ice or some other nonsense. they must be worried.
Good morning, all! Just spent a couple hours on my weekly VoteRiders ID assistance shift. So many folks in need of simple things like ID and birth certificate, but states like TX, GA & FL make it very difficult. We do our best to help, and it's some of the best work I've done as a volunteer. You can sign up at VoteRiders.org!
Just donated to Higgins and already given to Behn- feeling good about our chances on both! Orange man went off on Gov. Walz yesterday & Gov Pritzker. Walz gave it right back to him and asked for his MRI results. More of this, please! [corrected from earlier version]
Dr. Ben-Ghiat live on her weekly Lucid chat at 1 pm today, please tune in if you can.
Keep going!
Great work, Lisa! Yay VoteRiders! I just donated to Higgins and to Behn, too. By the way, it was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz who asked for Trump’s MRI results after Trump called him “retarded” and defamed all the Somalis in Minnesota!
Ok got my stories mish moshed - thx for the correction. 😎. He did call Gov. Pritzker a “fat slob.” 🤬
Lisa - Thanks for sharing info about VoteRiders.org. This sounds like something that might be up my alley.
I've had a couple opportunities to help people with citizenship and voting and I found it very rewarding.
You are most welcome. They can always use more good people. There’s so much work to be done and so much voter suppression.
Curious about your experience in Georgia.
Atrocious. Next to Texas and Arizona it’s probably the state we get the most calls from.
Hey friends. Just listened to Simon and Behn. She's Awesome AND is getting attacked with yucky misogynistic ads. UGH. She told Simon she's "not having fun" BUT is deeply inspired. There is much news about her race in the news which is so great. They need phone banking and door knocking. Sadly I'm not able to do either due to family obligations and travel. I sent a bunch of money last week. But any support you all can send her way will make a big difference. She is a really tough activist. Has been working hard for years! In the south. As a woman. Very inspiring.
Another reason for making the don't give up the ship video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS96BVr5Msc
Simon - do you have a preference in the primary in NE-2, where Crystal Rhoades is a democratic candidate? thanks.
“[I]f it were up to [Stephen] Miller, there’d only be 100 million people in this country, and they’d all look like Miller.” - Donald J. Trump (2024)
Here are Professor Barbara Walter’s five suggestions for fighting authoritarianism:
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/the-hidden-battle-that-decides-whether .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/authoritarian-power-is-mostly-performance .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/how-dictators-lose-control-of-the .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/4-storms-and-streets-break-regimes .
https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/5-how-to-break-a-tyrant .
EPSTEIN, EPSTEIN, EPSTEIN!
BLACKMAIL, BLACKMAIL, BLACKMAIL!
NATIONAL SECURITY, NATIONAL SECURITY, NATIONAL SECURITY!
“Again, it all goes back to I think the person running the country right now is a DEAD PEDOPHILE [emphasis mine].”
- Professor Scott Galloway (NYU), Founder of Prof G Media
Folks:
As predicted, it seems that Dolos wants to give his Tsar everything that he wants and call it a negotiation (good coverage by the UK’s Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/28/trump-to-recognise-occupied-ukraine-part-of-russia/ . He wants to ignore the concerns of Europe— let alone Ukraine. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT. It must be what Dolos and his Tsar discussed in Anchorage (basically, a bailout of Russia— financially).
I don’t think this “plan” will help the longevity of NATO! “Jay in Kyiv” is an American staying in Kyiv; he has a great on-the-ground perspective from Ukraine about his homeland from a distance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Loj9Z-FJs&list=TLPQMjgxMTIwMjVUMTCWcFB9-g. Another great resource on Ukraine is Jake Broe, a former USA Air Force officer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvC78ri7a6I.
CARTHAGO DELENDA EST (via nonviolence).
P.S.: Do the following now! FIRST, TEACH CIVICS. Second, register voters. THIRD, TEACH CIVICS. Rinse. Repeat.
Here is a perspective of a local Tennessee person has on Aftyn Behn’s election:
https://youtu.be/AcJY2c97qRM
I fully recognize it's an exercise in futility. Still, as long as it didn't cost me anything except a few keystrokes, after viewing videos from yesterday (which I refused to watch during the holiday), I needed to communicate to my elected reps (all DEMS) the all-too-evident truth as follows:
"The President is unhinged and unwell and needs to vacate his office immediately.
Happy Holiday, and thanks for your service."
Circling back on my to-do readings/viewings from the past few days, I am including this link for Hopiates who weren't fortunate enough to have access to this most excellent, searing piece on "Epstein" in the NYT by Anand Giridharadas
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/opinion/meaning-epstein-emails.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4k8.qizV.rg-SSr1HRoM-&smid=url-share
perhaps one of the most important essays in recent history. it is one for the ages. many thanks.
excellent, thank you so much for the link.
On my mind still a day after Thanksgiving - the people at yesterday's table who are watching just enough news from bad sources that they don't want to hear a word, not even an encouraging word or a suggestion for a different news source. No wonder we're still at only 7M on a major protest day. I wonder how they think the country will be saved if they refuse to help, don't want info about boycotts or shifts in momentum or anything. I was thinking about Nathan Heller's view about how people get information now and hope something reaches them. Maybe this is an area I need to learn more about - how does info reach them; how can we make that more likely.
Switching topics. I finished the American Revolution document today. I'm still hoping for an interview of Ken Burns on the power of ideas and documents that express those ideas. What a remarkable story. I expect I'll watch at the least the first and last episodes again.
Rachel, I am so thankful that I live in my little Northeast Liberal bubble. I have to do extra work to try to understand what I'm not typically exposed to, and I do that work, but I hear stories from people about their neighbors, friends, and relations, and, I just can't imagine that interpersonal stress!
Please please add Taylor Rehmet to your list for Texas State Senate, District 9. We have a runoff from a jungle primary for this special election. This is a solid red seat that we can flip blue with massive democratic turnout for the first time ever.
Self-reporting - made donations to the recommended candidates and causes.
This day after Thanksgiving, I am grateful to our Democratic elected leaders who are standing up to Trump, Republicans and MAGA. I am grateful to the many Democrats who are running to take power away from Trump and the Republicans. I am grateful for their courage and determination and their efforts to make our country a more perfect union.
Since August when the Adam Bonica articles came out about the Mothership Vortex scam in Dem fundraising, I have not seen much about it and am leary about donating. I trust your requests here and will contribute when I can, but I believe if we don't get back to clearing up that problem of our donations going nowhere, it's hard to want to contribute and I know we critically need the money . I don't know why the issue seemed to drop without much uproar. Did I miss it?
My understanding is that relates to robo funding requests from scam PACs and scam consulting firms associated with Mothership Strategies, a digital consulting agency. Much of the concern was raised from republicans in congress. I go directly to trusted ActBlue websites, and don't clink on unsolicited links that could be spam.
but shouldn't we be making an uproar to get them to stop if people are being scammed? Or is there a movement in this direction to which I am not aware?
Linda, the reason I provide these places to give is that goes directly to the candidates and state parties. It's an antidote to scam pacs.
The DNC has taken concrete steps to counter these pacs as has ActBlue. I will try to get you more info on that in the coming weeks.
Thank you! I "met" you at a DTMG gathering several years ago and truly appreciate what you do, along with this persoanl response to an issue that has been nagging at me. You and Robert Hubbell are my voices of reason. My main ACTION is facilitating the IndivisibleHoCoMd Postcard Brigade.
Here is how ActBlue has responded. https://www.actblue.com/posts/actblue-takes-action-how-were-protecting-donors-from-deceptive-practices/
Kind of a good news fyi about Rep Rob Menendez [D NJ 08) introducing a bill to support urban agriculture, and I guess to note, on the topic of we have a deep bench, not to tar him with the brush of corruption of his father
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/hoboken/sections/green/articles/menendez-bill-would-support-urban-farmers-increase-healthy-food-options-for-families-3