I'm taking this post down. We don't just fire off posts like this here. The sentiment is inappropriate and not constructive. Take a deep breath, and come back with a more constructive version of this post or choose not to engage at all.
That's fine. The attempted sentiment was that the Q poll has to be an extreme outlier with that amount of swing. Understand though, and will be more careful in the future to avoid reactionary comments.
I hope Kinzinger will inspire other prominent democracy-defending Republicans to do the same. Senator Romney and quite a few others need to find their spine, step up and do the right thing for America.
I had just heard Mona Charon ( full disclosure I have never been a fan ) talking with David Rothkoff about reaching out to Rs who oppose trump, especially from his cabinet, and wondering why he hasn't done so. I have mixed feelings about this; I'd rather they come to us with their endorsement, not that Biden go begging to them. I'm always leery of advice that comes from conservatives; she, as well as Kos and many others, have ceded the immigration argument, and report that trump will go full Willie Horton with the recent murder of the 12 year old girl by two undocumented immigrants, and are scouring the country for other examples. Lucian Truscott says Biden shouldn't even try to argue about it. I disagree. He had a border plan, and republicans torched it. Everyone, it seems, has advice for Biden. Everyone is worried he won't do well, whereas everyone knows trump is an idiot and has a low bar. Me, I'll be watching the USA-Panama match, and hopefully will be able to celebrate two wins tomorrow night. The game should be over before the debate starts. Let's roll.
USA-Panama match? Real football beats American carry-ball any day! For starters, almost 90 minutes of ball-in-play compares very favorably to the mere 11–13 minutes of ball-in-play for an average Superbowl game.
No argument here! I don't put down other sports, if people like watching other stuff that's great. They are all kids's games when you get down to it. Too bad the US will never be a world power in the sport, but it is still fun to watch and there are more players at a higher level than ever. Yes, I know the women have been stellar, but different circumstances, and the rest of the world's women are rapidly catching up. I'll be watching them as well at the Olympics, to see if they have improved; unlike the men's side; the women's Olympic soccer is high level.
For a number of the House candidates I could not find their positions on LGBT rights. I’ve been a Democrat too long to assume their support. If you get a chance to mention it to the candidates and/or their staff please do.
Simon, your messages keep me very hopeful. I think we're on the cusp of a good election in November. I was also happy to see Bowman defeated and Avlon winning. I think the Dems in the new House are going to be excellent. Keep up the good work. I am also fighting the Trumpists in Michigan where I live.
A general reminder that when folks come on here to comment please make sure you do your homework, have backup, etc and do not fire off hot takes. We are the antidote to hot takes here at Hopium. Measured, data filled discourse.
I think a lot of people who are plugged-in to politics *in general* don’t always know how *a particular district* operates. Bowman was not a good fit for his district. Sensible Democrats know you have to run moderates like Jon Tester in states like Montana; you can’t have Elizabeth Warren or Brian Schatz in every *state*, but, for obvious reasons (more House districts than states), I think it can be harder to grasp how Representatives and districts fit together.
Also I seem to recall that Bowman’s district got redrawn in 2022 and he was a better fit for the old district than the newly formed one.
In any event, I support Democratic candidates vs. Republicans. So I will cheer on George Latimer versus whoever his R opponent is.
I beg to differ. It's not that democrats are 'running' these candidates, these candidates originate in the district in which they are running and their positions are in tune with their constituents, that's why they are strong candidates - e.g. Jon Tester in Montana and all the condidates we Hopium ppl are supporting. Districts differ; Bowman was supported by his pre-redrawn district.
Thank you for firing up AZLD18 last night. It was great to be reminded of all we have accomplished in AZ and the important role we will play this year. Larry Bodine’s (LD18 Chair) is an outstanding leader and his encouragement was key to the grassroots Worry Less Do More Postcard Project targeting AZCD06. If anyone reading this comment lives in Southern AZ, I still have some postcards left … all will be mailed on Sept 30…contact me at jcmarcotte@gmail.com
In anticipation of the impending Biden/Trump debate on June 27, I urge you to familiarize yourself with the concept of the "Gish gallop." It'll bring much clarity to what goes on when Trump talks. Here are some resources (a Google or DuckDuckGo search will turn up more):
I am so glad that you posted this. I read about the Gish Gallop somewhere (cannot remember where) last year. It was a phenomena that I had noticed yet did not have a name for. IMO, the person who pioneered this nonsensical, skippity pap of bull-dookey-claptrap is Kelly Anne Conway (can't write here what I actually call her). That monotone skipping stone of infinite lies (or as that harridan calls them — alternative facts.) The two things the Grovelers of Putin do so well — convince working class folks to vote against their own best-interests and lie artfully. V*O*T*E
I call her “Kelly Anne ConJob.” When it comes right down to it, everyone in the Trump administration was a con artist of some kind or another. The biggest one of all sat at the Resolution Desk.
All of this is good news. However we do have a communication problem. In Joy Vance's substack today she shared a survey that showed that 75% of racial minorities have never heard of Project 2025. There are African-American and Hispanic voters who are thinking of voting for Trump who have absolutely no idea what they would be voting for. The Democrats should be repeatedly talking about Project 2025 and what it would be like to be governed under its agenda. Biden's campaign and other progressive get out the vote organizations should write up bullet points from Project 2025 and spread that throughout social media. MSNBC has talked about it a little but they need to be talking about it much, much more. Uniformed voters make very poor choices when going to the polls. We need to make damn sure they are very well informed.
Probably a good idea to perform very targeted digital advertising to any group of the coalition currently wandering. On Project 2025, but specifically how it will change their lives for the worse. Especially focus on what Trump has said recently, coherently. When he explicitly stated he wants to cut education spending in half, mostly eliminate DoEdu; celebrating the two year anniversary of Roe ending, contrasting with proj 2025 goals of ending abortion nationwide, ending IVF nationwide, etc.
Stress that this is the playbook all Rs will be using for the next 30 years. Until the boomers and half of my cohort, genX, are gone.
I see that Congressman Jared Huffman is heading up at task force on Project 2025. He has full participation from all the major groups within the Democratic Caucus. His plan is to have public hearings late in the summer to explain Project 2025-- similar to the Jan6 Hearings. I think Ted Lieu is also involved. I signed up for a DNC live event that will go over the details of Project 2025 on July 11 (Happy Sentencing Day, for those who celebrate). More after that.
This is great news! But there also needs to be an outreach on the social media platforms that are used by parts of our coalition that are wandering. We need to saturate all forms of media with information about Project 2025.
"Project 2025" was written by The Heritage Foundation. Succinctly put, the core goal of their project is "to institutionalize Trumpism". That should terrify any rational human being.
The big difference between 2016 and now is that this time they are prepared. For instance, they are already drawing up a Blacklist of which federal employees to purge. And Stephen Miller is assembling a team of lawyers whose only litmus test is loyalty to Trump; they care not one iota about democracy of the American Constitution – quite the contrary, these are obstacles to overcome.
Does anyone have a good resource to share with a group about how to talk to people who may be disinterested, disenfranchised and a bit lackluster about the election. Not just talking points telling them what Biden has done... but HOW to engage someone not interested in engaging or just on the fence. I think listening to them is a first step. And... what about the fact that people in the stock market KNOW the economy is booming because their returns keep coming in, but those who are not in the stock market and have to keep spending TOO much at the grocery store? They are not as convinced and it is difficult to convince them. How do we best do that?
Check out opportunities for training on Deep Canvassing - it can be used on strangers but is equally applicable to friends and family. Here are the results that came back from a search on Mobilize:
Living 90 percent of my life in red states, and red areas of those red states, I understand the grievance culture. The press acts like this is new, but it’s been as plain as the nose on my face as far back as I remember. Yes, definitely active listening is step one, but figure out something they hate that you also dislike. An example that works well in the Midwest is Monsanto. Nobody’s fooled now that they are Bayer again. I was astounded by their sheer arrogance in grad school in the 90s when their PhDs paid big money to make presentations at universities and science conferences would be yelled at by very older, normally very polite PIs for lying to us. We knew everything they were proposing would lead to bad ends. And so did the farmers. I never even need to interject once I can get someone onto talking about Monsanto, because so far I’ve agreed with everything anyone has stated.
Yeah, it’s a negative identification with someone, but this is what a lot of people have been trained to think their whole lives, many close relatives of mine included. They are mistrustful of joy, happiness and kindness, initially. In a 5 to 10 min conversation with a stranger, I let them know we’re on the same side about things we both dislike.
Maybe I’m a terrible person, but this is my approach. I ignore anything they say that offends me or is just crazy, and find common enemies so to speak. If I see them again I will work on finding something positive we agree on, and build from there. Have I convinced anyone? Who knows. But they understand no one will see them voting.
Addendum: Make sure your common dislike(s) is something you are well versed on, because everyone knows when people are pretending. And sometimes I can use local R politicians and policy they are passing to make a point. Education for some is a hard sell because they are convinced that the local schools are woke. I just skip over it at first or say one sentence about how when I taught kids for a few years the only thing I ever had time to do was making sure they could read and do simple math (especially from my 1 semester teaching 6th graders). The local laws being passed that hurt them directly are at least planting seeds of change in their minds. Again, in the near term, no clue if it helps. But I guess I’m looking at this as a lifetime goal. Because I’ve been doing this since the early 80s.
Sounds sensible. Common complaints, common enemies *is* a bonding device. Gossip is friendship glue, even if the wisest people start to ultimately wonder about you if you sossip about people too close to yourself.
I am wondering where I might find the Canvassing 101 webinar? All I see is the Deep Canvassing one. Is there a recording of Canvassing 101 that I could listen to before jumping off into the Deep Canvassing? I am planning an organizing meeting and I want some substance/content to our meeting/discussion of how to talk to people and I thought a video would be helpful. I want some basics for people to hold on to.
I think you sell yourself short to some degree. Monsanto's actions are a genuine grievance for family farmers. Ag issues that impact family farmers and ranchers are strong issues for Biden, whose ag. department has done much to address the problems of family farmers.
Thank you. Monsanto was so obviously nefarious in every aspect in the 90s. Everyone involved in genetics, plant bio, agriculture, farming, soil health, etc. knew this was going to end horribly. And honest to god, we don’t know when or where this is going to end. Not every predictable negative outcome was reached…or not reached yet. We really don’t know.
For the uninterested, keep this Martha Gellhorn quote ready:
"People often say, with pride, 'I'm not interested in politics.' They might as well say, 'I'm not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.' ... If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics."
Wanted to share advice from an activist friend who has literally talked to thousands and also advises candidates at the state and local level. I’ve learned so much from him.As you stated, listening is key! Hope this helps…
“Everyone has some issue they care about. It is best to start with whatever they care about to engage them in a conversation about any issue. That means you have to discover what that issue may be. I always suggest to those canvassing or candidates not to start by delivering a spiel of talking points. Instead, start with open-ended questions. It is often best to focus on local issues as it avoids pushing people into political bias corners. It may be an issue about zoning, water, managing local development or growth, eminent domain, schools, or any local issue that is currently a hot button in your community. Almost everyone has some local issue they care a lot about. That often provides a great starting point for a conversation where you can both find points of agreement. Opening conversations on points of agreement breaks down barriers, allowing the conversation to move to other topics. Try to find several local issues where you can find common points of agreement before moving immediately to reproductive healthcare. Once you have established a rapport with whomever you are speaking with, it may be possible to ask a “did you know” question that provides a starting point for a conversation on reproductive healthcare. I usually try to avoid using the term abortion in the conversation opener. Instead, I might focus on my concern for timely healthcare being denied in pregnancy emergency treatments. I might express a concern about closing a local rural hospital obstetric ward. I might express a concern about a rise in maternal and infant mortality rates. Being armed with real information and data on those issues opens a conversation to explore why that might be happening and what can be done about it.
If those approaches do not work, at least you will have established an opening with that individual in the initial portions of the conversation that may allow you to interact with them in the future. However, I always advise people not to make an enemy of anyone and always leave the door open for future interactions. But do not waste your time on someone who refuses to listen or engage. Time and attention you spend on that individual is time and attention you do not have to spend on someone unwilling to engage in a civil conversation.”
Robin - I don't have a resource to share - great ones below. But I have this antidote.
I was canvassing once in rural Maine and I went to the door of a college student who wasn't home. I talked with her dad who told me he was a Republican as he gave me the side eye. He walked with me to my car and we talked about his hound dogs - fox hounds, coon hounds - etc. I grew up with them so was well versed. It was a nice conversation with lots of laughing. I think that can be a good start. Our political environment doesn't promote seeing someone else as a real person. I think starting with something like this helps to make the conversation a little more friendly.
For anyone hunkering down in the heat and looking for some indoor activist activities, here are some suggestions:
Field Team 6 (www.fieldteam6.org) has added a bunch of new voter registration campaigns since the last time I checked, including some legislative district races in AZ.
Postcards to Swing Swing States still has lots of postcards to distribute in most of the 11 swing states that they are targeting. (MT is fully distributed). Per a recent update, they have distributed 71% of their AZ postcard allotment, but only 43% for NC. (These postcards are to be written and then held until their mid-October mail date). So if you haven't gotten your postcards yet and would like to join in, sign up here: https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
They will also be launching a second postcard program to key swing House districts in states without a full state program. This program will launch July 9 and will use a common "America Votes" postcard design for all these campaigns. Of Simon's 12 key house races, the two AZ races are coverered by the current AZ postcards. But the other 10 races will each have their own postcard campaign for that House district -- along with a bunch of other House races not being followed by Hopium.
Grassroots Democratic HQ (https://grassrootsdems.org/) has lots of phonebank and postcard opportunities (including some I haven't seen elsewhere for postcards).
Activate America (www.activateamerica.vote) is writing postcards mostly to key CA and NY House districts as well as AZ and OH.
Postcards to Voters (www.PostcardstoVoters.org) has returned to writing Vote by Mail postcards for FL. They are working their way through the various FL counties.
Cheryl this is great, please continue to share a version of this every few days, so people who miss this one, can see it in the future. I know so many people are still figuring out how the can help. FYI, I did some texting with Black Voters Matter yesterday. They are taking the month, but will be back and force and need help starting in August.
Tomorrow evening, The DNC and Demcast USA, a non-profit organization that empowers people to use social media to fight MAGA disinformation and motivate people to vote are partnering and hosting a Debate Rapid Response event so we can be well equipped to spread and amplify Biden-Harris’s messages on social media during the debate.
The shift will begin at 8:00 pm with a brief Zoom meeting where you will learn and be trained on the process for rapid amplification, and learn what to expect during the debate. We will then move into a communication channel and push out content in real time with the debate. Use this link to sign up: https://mobilize.us/s/MCYLuP
Simon or fellow Hopium members: Does anyone prominent plan to do live fact-checking of tomorrow’s Presidential Debate? I know e.g. Brian Tyler Cohen has previously done a great job demolishing the lies in various Republican speeches.
Also curious about Live Caption – whereby Trump’s incoherent utterances are transcribed into incoherent text strings. Any ideas?
Hi Simon! This is Stuart from the battleground state of Nevada. Once again another great presentation! I was at work yesterday (Tuesday) so I missed the live part. Hope you can do one on a Wednesday or Thursday when I'm off. Anyways, I wanted to share this observation with you and the rest of the Hopium community. I've been watching a lot of right-wing tv in anticipation of the debate (namely Newsmax, which is to the right of Fox!), not because I like watching them but mainly to gather "intelligence" on what the right is thinking. And I tell you they are running scared. So much so that on this show that I watched they were doing a hit-piece on the moderators--Jake Tapper and Dana Bash--as being biased towards the left! Why? Have they so convinced themselves that their guy is going to flop so badly on Thursday night that they have to create this narrative that the game was rigged against them (like the 2020 election) in order to keep their guy (Trump) looking good? This is lunacy! I like to hear what you think about that. It's going to be interesting to see what these right-wing pundits have to say before, during, and after the debate Thursday night. Take care all of you and keep up the good work!
Simon, just watched your video above. Always an inspirational message that stays on point for Biden, and reminds me of our many strengths. I really like your advice for Biden in the debate, spot on. Show the tiger, yet reinforce the love he has for our country. T has none of that going for him. I’ll be having a little cocktail watching the debate, a necessary detail, and we all need to not forget to breathe during it!!
I have one more piece of advice, which I share from Trump staffer Barbara Res, who was an executive vice president at the Trump Organization: Goad him, taunt him, ridicule him and Trump will lose it. Then he will show America what kind of lunatic he really is.
an interesting instance illustrates how that strategy backfires with Biden. Sarah Palin "slipped' and mentioned the tragic death of Biden's first wife and daughter, presumably to throw him off. Biden then spoke about the accident, caring for his sons and things most voters had never heard him speak of. It was very moving and showed qualities in him most would not have seen at that time.
I'm taking this post down. We don't just fire off posts like this here. The sentiment is inappropriate and not constructive. Take a deep breath, and come back with a more constructive version of this post or choose not to engage at all.
That's fine. The attempted sentiment was that the Q poll has to be an extreme outlier with that amount of swing. Understand though, and will be more careful in the future to avoid reactionary comments.
Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger endorses Biden for President!
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/politics/video/adam-kinzinger-endorses-president-joe-biden-cnntm-digvid
I hope Kinzinger will inspire other prominent democracy-defending Republicans to do the same. Senator Romney and quite a few others need to find their spine, step up and do the right thing for America.
Very inspired by this !
I had just heard Mona Charon ( full disclosure I have never been a fan ) talking with David Rothkoff about reaching out to Rs who oppose trump, especially from his cabinet, and wondering why he hasn't done so. I have mixed feelings about this; I'd rather they come to us with their endorsement, not that Biden go begging to them. I'm always leery of advice that comes from conservatives; she, as well as Kos and many others, have ceded the immigration argument, and report that trump will go full Willie Horton with the recent murder of the 12 year old girl by two undocumented immigrants, and are scouring the country for other examples. Lucian Truscott says Biden shouldn't even try to argue about it. I disagree. He had a border plan, and republicans torched it. Everyone, it seems, has advice for Biden. Everyone is worried he won't do well, whereas everyone knows trump is an idiot and has a low bar. Me, I'll be watching the USA-Panama match, and hopefully will be able to celebrate two wins tomorrow night. The game should be over before the debate starts. Let's roll.
USA-Panama match? Real football beats American carry-ball any day! For starters, almost 90 minutes of ball-in-play compares very favorably to the mere 11–13 minutes of ball-in-play for an average Superbowl game.
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/football-games-have-11-minutes-of-action
(Ducks to avoid hurled tomatoes.)
No argument here! I don't put down other sports, if people like watching other stuff that's great. They are all kids's games when you get down to it. Too bad the US will never be a world power in the sport, but it is still fun to watch and there are more players at a higher level than ever. Yes, I know the women have been stellar, but different circumstances, and the rest of the world's women are rapidly catching up. I'll be watching them as well at the Olympics, to see if they have improved; unlike the men's side; the women's Olympic soccer is high level.
I agree Fisher. Details aren’t required. The President
should plainly say that he had a border-plan that was bipartisan, thank the people who negotiated it and
state what happened to it.
Literally all of the criticism about the border from magas are lies for the purpose of appealing to racists and fear mongering to appeal to those who
are insecure and afraid of anyone who isn’t exactly like them.
For a number of the House candidates I could not find their positions on LGBT rights. I’ve been a Democrat too long to assume their support. If you get a chance to mention it to the candidates and/or their staff please do.
Simon, your messages keep me very hopeful. I think we're on the cusp of a good election in November. I was also happy to see Bowman defeated and Avlon winning. I think the Dems in the new House are going to be excellent. Keep up the good work. I am also fighting the Trumpists in Michigan where I live.
Democratic Leadership backed Bowman, as they did Cuellar. Leadership always backs incumbents, particularly in swing districts (which this one isn't).
A general reminder that when folks come on here to comment please make sure you do your homework, have backup, etc and do not fire off hot takes. We are the antidote to hot takes here at Hopium. Measured, data filled discourse.
Fair enough I will delete my comment.
That is fine but in my opinion, the Democrats will do better if they are more moderate and not extreme. Let MAGA be the ultimate in extremes.
Time for Hopium to get behind John Avlon! We can turn our NY CD1 blue again. Take a look. Lots of Indies here and he can Catt them.
Carry them
Very happy Bowman is out. Go figure why he had so much national democratic support.
I think a lot of people who are plugged-in to politics *in general* don’t always know how *a particular district* operates. Bowman was not a good fit for his district. Sensible Democrats know you have to run moderates like Jon Tester in states like Montana; you can’t have Elizabeth Warren or Brian Schatz in every *state*, but, for obvious reasons (more House districts than states), I think it can be harder to grasp how Representatives and districts fit together.
Also I seem to recall that Bowman’s district got redrawn in 2022 and he was a better fit for the old district than the newly formed one.
In any event, I support Democratic candidates vs. Republicans. So I will cheer on George Latimer versus whoever his R opponent is.
The only sane party now is the Democratic Party so any of their candidates are better than Trumpublicans.
I beg to differ. It's not that democrats are 'running' these candidates, these candidates originate in the district in which they are running and their positions are in tune with their constituents, that's why they are strong candidates - e.g. Jon Tester in Montana and all the condidates we Hopium ppl are supporting. Districts differ; Bowman was supported by his pre-redrawn district.
Thank you for firing up AZLD18 last night. It was great to be reminded of all we have accomplished in AZ and the important role we will play this year. Larry Bodine’s (LD18 Chair) is an outstanding leader and his encouragement was key to the grassroots Worry Less Do More Postcard Project targeting AZCD06. If anyone reading this comment lives in Southern AZ, I still have some postcards left … all will be mailed on Sept 30…contact me at jcmarcotte@gmail.com
Partner with FT 6. https://www.fieldteam6.org/partner
Will do
Thank you for all you do. I just subscribed
In anticipation of the impending Biden/Trump debate on June 27, I urge you to familiarize yourself with the concept of the "Gish gallop." It'll bring much clarity to what goes on when Trump talks. Here are some resources (a Google or DuckDuckGo search will turn up more):
> Gish Gallop - http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gish_Gallop
> Gish Gallop - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gish+Gallop
> Duane Gish - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Gish
> The Gish Gallop - http://www.skepticink.com/smilodonsretreat/2012/12/04/the-gish-gallop/
> Gish Gallop and Goal Post Shifting - http://www.skepticink.com/smilodonsretreat/2014/08/24/gish-gallop-and-goal-post-shift/
> Gish Gallop (fallacy of the day) - http://blogs.bu.edu/pbokulic/2013/11/18/gish-gallop-fallacy-of-the-day/
> Gish Gallop: When People Try to Win Debates by Using Overwhelming Nonsense - https://effectiviology.com/gish-gallop/
> Gish Gallop - https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/gish-gallop.html
> Journalists and the Gish Gallop - https://nonsequiteuse.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/journalists-and-the-gish-gallop/
> Trump's Gish Galloping Campaign Makes It Hard to Hold Him Accountable - https://washingtonmonthly.com/2015/11/22/trumps-gish-galloping-campaign-makes-it-hard-to-hold-him-accountable/
> Mehdi Hassan, "How to Beat Trump in a Debate" - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/donald-trump-debate-strategy-gish-gallop/673061/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share or https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/donald-trump-debate-strategy-gish-gallop/673061/
> Gish Gallopers: Dry Up the Firehose - https://successfullawyer.substack.com/p/gish-gallopers-dry-up-the-firehose
> How Joe Biden Broke The Gish Gallop [from 2012] - http://www.nationalmemo.com/how-joe-biden-broke-the-gish-gallop/
> Point refuted a thousand times (PRATT) - http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/PRATT
> One single proof - http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/One_single_proof
> Not even wrong - http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Not_even_wrong
> Gish Gallop - Romney Style - http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2012/10/gish-gallop-romney-style.html
Interesting point. I didn’t click on all the links, but enjoyed re-watching Biden’s 2012 debate demolition of Paul Ryan. Priceless!
https://www.nationalmemo.com/how-joe-biden-broke-the-gish-gallop
I am so glad that you posted this. I read about the Gish Gallop somewhere (cannot remember where) last year. It was a phenomena that I had noticed yet did not have a name for. IMO, the person who pioneered this nonsensical, skippity pap of bull-dookey-claptrap is Kelly Anne Conway (can't write here what I actually call her). That monotone skipping stone of infinite lies (or as that harridan calls them — alternative facts.) The two things the Grovelers of Putin do so well — convince working class folks to vote against their own best-interests and lie artfully. V*O*T*E
I call her “Kelly Anne ConJob.” When it comes right down to it, everyone in the Trump administration was a con artist of some kind or another. The biggest one of all sat at the Resolution Desk.
Re: "convince working class folks to vote against their own best-interests and lie artfully"--
Much akin to Bruce Springsteen's lyric in "High Hopes":
Coming from the city, coming from the wild
I see a breathless army breaking like a cloud
They're gonna smother love, they're gonna shoot your hopes
Before the meek inherit they'll learn to hate themselves
https://springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics.php?song=highhopes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGdNarT90hk (audio from album)
Watching now!
All of this is good news. However we do have a communication problem. In Joy Vance's substack today she shared a survey that showed that 75% of racial minorities have never heard of Project 2025. There are African-American and Hispanic voters who are thinking of voting for Trump who have absolutely no idea what they would be voting for. The Democrats should be repeatedly talking about Project 2025 and what it would be like to be governed under its agenda. Biden's campaign and other progressive get out the vote organizations should write up bullet points from Project 2025 and spread that throughout social media. MSNBC has talked about it a little but they need to be talking about it much, much more. Uniformed voters make very poor choices when going to the polls. We need to make damn sure they are very well informed.
Probably a good idea to perform very targeted digital advertising to any group of the coalition currently wandering. On Project 2025, but specifically how it will change their lives for the worse. Especially focus on what Trump has said recently, coherently. When he explicitly stated he wants to cut education spending in half, mostly eliminate DoEdu; celebrating the two year anniversary of Roe ending, contrasting with proj 2025 goals of ending abortion nationwide, ending IVF nationwide, etc.
Stress that this is the playbook all Rs will be using for the next 30 years. Until the boomers and half of my cohort, genX, are gone.
Yes to all of what you say Angela.
We all need to keep in mind that Project 2025 isn’t
Trump’s plan, it’s the republican party’s plan. It’s
their platform and their vision for the future. Whether Trump wins or not is immaterial as far as
the GOP’s “vision” is concerned. They will keep
trying to destroy Democracy and they’ll continue
trying to establish a national religion—do not believe for 1 second that the current Supreme Crt majority
won’t allow infringement of the 1st amendment.
The majority has already demonstrated their contempt for our Constitution and for our rights granted by the Constitution. We are not safe if
democrats aren’t the majority in both the House and
the Senate. If we do have Dem majorities we can pass legislation that will make it much harder for
republicans to keep undermining our democracy.
Yes, that’s my point.
I see that Congressman Jared Huffman is heading up at task force on Project 2025. He has full participation from all the major groups within the Democratic Caucus. His plan is to have public hearings late in the summer to explain Project 2025-- similar to the Jan6 Hearings. I think Ted Lieu is also involved. I signed up for a DNC live event that will go over the details of Project 2025 on July 11 (Happy Sentencing Day, for those who celebrate). More after that.
This is great news! But there also needs to be an outreach on the social media platforms that are used by parts of our coalition that are wandering. We need to saturate all forms of media with information about Project 2025.
"Project 2025" was written by The Heritage Foundation. Succinctly put, the core goal of their project is "to institutionalize Trumpism". That should terrify any rational human being.
The big difference between 2016 and now is that this time they are prepared. For instance, they are already drawing up a Blacklist of which federal employees to purge. And Stephen Miller is assembling a team of lawyers whose only litmus test is loyalty to Trump; they care not one iota about democracy of the American Constitution – quite the contrary, these are obstacles to overcome.
Does anyone have a good resource to share with a group about how to talk to people who may be disinterested, disenfranchised and a bit lackluster about the election. Not just talking points telling them what Biden has done... but HOW to engage someone not interested in engaging or just on the fence. I think listening to them is a first step. And... what about the fact that people in the stock market KNOW the economy is booming because their returns keep coming in, but those who are not in the stock market and have to keep spending TOO much at the grocery store? They are not as convinced and it is difficult to convince them. How do we best do that?
Check out opportunities for training on Deep Canvassing - it can be used on strangers but is equally applicable to friends and family. Here are the results that came back from a search on Mobilize:
https://www.mobilize.us/?is_virtual=true&q=deep%20canvassing
Thanks,,I will look at that site!
Living 90 percent of my life in red states, and red areas of those red states, I understand the grievance culture. The press acts like this is new, but it’s been as plain as the nose on my face as far back as I remember. Yes, definitely active listening is step one, but figure out something they hate that you also dislike. An example that works well in the Midwest is Monsanto. Nobody’s fooled now that they are Bayer again. I was astounded by their sheer arrogance in grad school in the 90s when their PhDs paid big money to make presentations at universities and science conferences would be yelled at by very older, normally very polite PIs for lying to us. We knew everything they were proposing would lead to bad ends. And so did the farmers. I never even need to interject once I can get someone onto talking about Monsanto, because so far I’ve agreed with everything anyone has stated.
Yeah, it’s a negative identification with someone, but this is what a lot of people have been trained to think their whole lives, many close relatives of mine included. They are mistrustful of joy, happiness and kindness, initially. In a 5 to 10 min conversation with a stranger, I let them know we’re on the same side about things we both dislike.
Maybe I’m a terrible person, but this is my approach. I ignore anything they say that offends me or is just crazy, and find common enemies so to speak. If I see them again I will work on finding something positive we agree on, and build from there. Have I convinced anyone? Who knows. But they understand no one will see them voting.
Addendum: Make sure your common dislike(s) is something you are well versed on, because everyone knows when people are pretending. And sometimes I can use local R politicians and policy they are passing to make a point. Education for some is a hard sell because they are convinced that the local schools are woke. I just skip over it at first or say one sentence about how when I taught kids for a few years the only thing I ever had time to do was making sure they could read and do simple math (especially from my 1 semester teaching 6th graders). The local laws being passed that hurt them directly are at least planting seeds of change in their minds. Again, in the near term, no clue if it helps. But I guess I’m looking at this as a lifetime goal. Because I’ve been doing this since the early 80s.
Sounds sensible. Common complaints, common enemies *is* a bonding device. Gossip is friendship glue, even if the wisest people start to ultimately wonder about you if you sossip about people too close to yourself.
I am wondering where I might find the Canvassing 101 webinar? All I see is the Deep Canvassing one. Is there a recording of Canvassing 101 that I could listen to before jumping off into the Deep Canvassing? I am planning an organizing meeting and I want some substance/content to our meeting/discussion of how to talk to people and I thought a video would be helpful. I want some basics for people to hold on to.
I think you sell yourself short to some degree. Monsanto's actions are a genuine grievance for family farmers. Ag issues that impact family farmers and ranchers are strong issues for Biden, whose ag. department has done much to address the problems of family farmers.
Thank you. Monsanto was so obviously nefarious in every aspect in the 90s. Everyone involved in genetics, plant bio, agriculture, farming, soil health, etc. knew this was going to end horribly. And honest to god, we don’t know when or where this is going to end. Not every predictable negative outcome was reached…or not reached yet. We really don’t know.
For the uninterested, keep this Martha Gellhorn quote ready:
"People often say, with pride, 'I'm not interested in politics.' They might as well say, 'I'm not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.' ... If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics."
https://hubpages.com/community/forum/345858/quote-of-the-day---martha-gellhorn
Hi Robin,
Wanted to share advice from an activist friend who has literally talked to thousands and also advises candidates at the state and local level. I’ve learned so much from him.As you stated, listening is key! Hope this helps…
“Everyone has some issue they care about. It is best to start with whatever they care about to engage them in a conversation about any issue. That means you have to discover what that issue may be. I always suggest to those canvassing or candidates not to start by delivering a spiel of talking points. Instead, start with open-ended questions. It is often best to focus on local issues as it avoids pushing people into political bias corners. It may be an issue about zoning, water, managing local development or growth, eminent domain, schools, or any local issue that is currently a hot button in your community. Almost everyone has some local issue they care a lot about. That often provides a great starting point for a conversation where you can both find points of agreement. Opening conversations on points of agreement breaks down barriers, allowing the conversation to move to other topics. Try to find several local issues where you can find common points of agreement before moving immediately to reproductive healthcare. Once you have established a rapport with whomever you are speaking with, it may be possible to ask a “did you know” question that provides a starting point for a conversation on reproductive healthcare. I usually try to avoid using the term abortion in the conversation opener. Instead, I might focus on my concern for timely healthcare being denied in pregnancy emergency treatments. I might express a concern about closing a local rural hospital obstetric ward. I might express a concern about a rise in maternal and infant mortality rates. Being armed with real information and data on those issues opens a conversation to explore why that might be happening and what can be done about it.
If those approaches do not work, at least you will have established an opening with that individual in the initial portions of the conversation that may allow you to interact with them in the future. However, I always advise people not to make an enemy of anyone and always leave the door open for future interactions. But do not waste your time on someone who refuses to listen or engage. Time and attention you spend on that individual is time and attention you do not have to spend on someone unwilling to engage in a civil conversation.”
Robin - I don't have a resource to share - great ones below. But I have this antidote.
I was canvassing once in rural Maine and I went to the door of a college student who wasn't home. I talked with her dad who told me he was a Republican as he gave me the side eye. He walked with me to my car and we talked about his hound dogs - fox hounds, coon hounds - etc. I grew up with them so was well versed. It was a nice conversation with lots of laughing. I think that can be a good start. Our political environment doesn't promote seeing someone else as a real person. I think starting with something like this helps to make the conversation a little more friendly.
For anyone hunkering down in the heat and looking for some indoor activist activities, here are some suggestions:
Field Team 6 (www.fieldteam6.org) has added a bunch of new voter registration campaigns since the last time I checked, including some legislative district races in AZ.
Postcards to Swing Swing States still has lots of postcards to distribute in most of the 11 swing states that they are targeting. (MT is fully distributed). Per a recent update, they have distributed 71% of their AZ postcard allotment, but only 43% for NC. (These postcards are to be written and then held until their mid-October mail date). So if you haven't gotten your postcards yet and would like to join in, sign up here: https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
They will also be launching a second postcard program to key swing House districts in states without a full state program. This program will launch July 9 and will use a common "America Votes" postcard design for all these campaigns. Of Simon's 12 key house races, the two AZ races are coverered by the current AZ postcards. But the other 10 races will each have their own postcard campaign for that House district -- along with a bunch of other House races not being followed by Hopium.
Grassroots Democratic HQ (https://grassrootsdems.org/) has lots of phonebank and postcard opportunities (including some I haven't seen elsewhere for postcards).
Activate America (www.activateamerica.vote) is writing postcards mostly to key CA and NY House districts as well as AZ and OH.
Blue Wave Postcard Movement (https://shop.bluewavepostcards.org/pages/write-postcards) has started mailing out their postcards for WI, but still have some available for purchase.
Postcards to Voters (www.PostcardstoVoters.org) has returned to writing Vote by Mail postcards for FL. They are working their way through the various FL counties.
Cheryl this is great, please continue to share a version of this every few days, so people who miss this one, can see it in the future. I know so many people are still figuring out how the can help. FYI, I did some texting with Black Voters Matter yesterday. They are taking the month, but will be back and force and need help starting in August.
Grassroots Dems also have a lot of textbanking opportunities this summer. I just signed up for one. https://mobilize.us/s/AVwT7m
Tomorrow evening, The DNC and Demcast USA, a non-profit organization that empowers people to use social media to fight MAGA disinformation and motivate people to vote are partnering and hosting a Debate Rapid Response event so we can be well equipped to spread and amplify Biden-Harris’s messages on social media during the debate.
The shift will begin at 8:00 pm with a brief Zoom meeting where you will learn and be trained on the process for rapid amplification, and learn what to expect during the debate. We will then move into a communication channel and push out content in real time with the debate. Use this link to sign up: https://mobilize.us/s/MCYLuP
LIVE FACT-CHECKING?
Simon or fellow Hopium members: Does anyone prominent plan to do live fact-checking of tomorrow’s Presidential Debate? I know e.g. Brian Tyler Cohen has previously done a great job demolishing the lies in various Republican speeches.
Also curious about Live Caption – whereby Trump’s incoherent utterances are transcribed into incoherent text strings. Any ideas?
Hi Simon! This is Stuart from the battleground state of Nevada. Once again another great presentation! I was at work yesterday (Tuesday) so I missed the live part. Hope you can do one on a Wednesday or Thursday when I'm off. Anyways, I wanted to share this observation with you and the rest of the Hopium community. I've been watching a lot of right-wing tv in anticipation of the debate (namely Newsmax, which is to the right of Fox!), not because I like watching them but mainly to gather "intelligence" on what the right is thinking. And I tell you they are running scared. So much so that on this show that I watched they were doing a hit-piece on the moderators--Jake Tapper and Dana Bash--as being biased towards the left! Why? Have they so convinced themselves that their guy is going to flop so badly on Thursday night that they have to create this narrative that the game was rigged against them (like the 2020 election) in order to keep their guy (Trump) looking good? This is lunacy! I like to hear what you think about that. It's going to be interesting to see what these right-wing pundits have to say before, during, and after the debate Thursday night. Take care all of you and keep up the good work!
Stuart,Jay Kuo had a post about this yesterday:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-145981571?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Simon, just watched your video above. Always an inspirational message that stays on point for Biden, and reminds me of our many strengths. I really like your advice for Biden in the debate, spot on. Show the tiger, yet reinforce the love he has for our country. T has none of that going for him. I’ll be having a little cocktail watching the debate, a necessary detail, and we all need to not forget to breathe during it!!
I have one more piece of advice, which I share from Trump staffer Barbara Res, who was an executive vice president at the Trump Organization: Goad him, taunt him, ridicule him and Trump will lose it. Then he will show America what kind of lunatic he really is.
I still remember "Will you shut up, man?" T-shirts!
an interesting instance illustrates how that strategy backfires with Biden. Sarah Palin "slipped' and mentioned the tragic death of Biden's first wife and daughter, presumably to throw him off. Biden then spoke about the accident, caring for his sons and things most voters had never heard him speak of. It was very moving and showed qualities in him most would not have seen at that time.