Happy Thursday all. Tomorrow is my daughter’s graduation from high school so will be a little lighter than usual over the next few days. Got family in town!
Now, let’s get to it on this 80th anniversary of D-Day:
Here is an excerpt from the President’s remarks in Normandy today, via Aaron Rupar:
New NYT Poll Has Biden Gaining 2 Points - I expect that Trump’s convictions will not shift polls all that much in the short term. It’s rare for public opinion in the US to move rapidly. Changes in an election take time to move through an electorate where tens of millions don’t pay close attention to the news. So in my view we won’t really know if these verdicts are changing the election for a few weeks. But I think these guilty verdicts can and will erode the integrity of Trump’s brand, making future negative information voters receive about him more believable, and damaging. For a guy who excels in negatives, this is a very big electoral problem.
In fact, the polls this week have continued to show what we’ve seen over the last few weeks - it is a close, competitive election, with neither candidate leading outside the margin of error in the national popular vote or states getting to 270. Nothing much has changed. So it is a bit of welcome news this morning that when the New York Times called back voters they had polled earlier this spring Biden had gained 2 points. In a close election, if it is both true and it holds, this shift could be early signs of meaningful movement in the race, and something we’ve long believed would happen as voters woke up to the ugliness of Trump 2024:
By the time former President Donald J. Trump was convicted last week on 34 felony counts, the vast majority of people had made up their minds about him.
But a small sliver of Trump-ambivalent voters is out there — and in a close presidential election, they matter a lot.
For days, The New York Times has been listening to those voters process the news of Mr. Trump’s conviction, trying to measure the small shifts that could alter the contest between him and President Biden. Will Trump-leaning voters move firmly into his camp? Will Biden-leaning voters get off the fence?
A New York Times/Siena College Poll study of nearly 2,000 voters found modest good news for Mr. Biden. While the vast majority of people had not changed their position on the two men, more voters moved away from Mr. Trump than toward him.
Here’s 538’s new chief, G. Elliot Morris, on Twitter about the new NYT findings:
I talked to Lawrence O’Donnell last night about this encouraging NYT poll. We also talked and the contrast we are seeing this week between a successful President, Joe Biden, a clear and proud American patriot, standing up for our interests abroad and making things better for us here at home, and the rapist, fraudster, traitor, felon who has worked so hard to undermine America abroad and make us weaker here at home:
For more on my current take on the 2024 election, please watch my new 20-minute video presentation and check out these recent Hopium posts:
Biden’s Strenght With Likely Voters Matters - encouraging new data about the state of the 2024 election
Why I Am Optimistic - An overview of recent polling released yesterday
Trump Is A Rapist, Fraudster, Traitor, Felon - We need to get very loud and make the case for Joe Biden and the Democrats now
Joe Biden Is a Successful President, The Country Is Better Off - The data is clear - America is far better off today under Joe Biden and the Democrats
Trump Is A Bad Man, A Serial Criminal. His Agenda Is Far Worse - Trump is running on a far more dangerous and extreme agenda this time
Keep working hard all. 5 months out, in every way imaginable, I would much rather be us than them:
Making June Count - The Hopium community is bringing it and making June count! Together we’ve raised almost $400,000 for our candidates and states in the last two and a half weeks! Incredible stuff, thank you all.
On Wednesday I sat down and talked to my old friend and Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, Jane Kleeb. A recording of our talk is above. Jane is one of the best in our business, and I think you will see why in our discussion. She does a great job explaining the importance of winning Nebraska’s 1 Electoral College vote, flipping NE-2’s House seat, and where the money we’re raising for her will go. Please watch the interview, share with others, and consider donating or volunteering for Jane and the Nebraska Dems today!
Here’s a fundraising update with our progress toward our June 30th goals:
Biden Harris - goal of $400,000 goal, at $353,000 today - Donate Now
Winning The House - goal of $300,000, at $248,000 today - Donate Now
Arizona/Ruben Gallego - goal of $300,000, $181,000 today - Donate Now
North Carolina - goal of $300,000, at $230,000 today - Donate Now
Nebraska/Blue Dot - goal of $100,000, at $32,000 today - Donate Now
You can use this link to learn more about our battleground candidates and states, and this one will help you get to know our 12 courageous House candidates. All links include information on how to volunteer. This is a huge month and we just need to leave it all out there on the playing field - thank you, everyone!
As a token of my gratitude for all that you are doing, I am now offering a 10% discount on annual paid subscriptions for new subscribers through the end of the month. Click on this link to subscribe today. I hope we will get to 10,000 paid subscribers by June 30th - we are over 9,000 today - which will put Hopium in a financial place to close this election strong.
June Events, Hopium Hits The Road - I’ve added some new events to the schedule - check ‘em out! Note there is an “Upcoming Events” tab on the Hopium website’s navigation bar where you can always find our latest schedule.
I am starting to accept Zoom-based speaking invitations for July and August. Please use the paid subscriber chat to make speaking requests as my assistant, Lincoln Cooper, has moved to Phoenix and is working with the Arizona Democratic Party for the election (yes, this is where he should be!). I am prioritizing speaking opportunities where Hopium is focusing our energies and in the broader battleground. I can only consider events that can guarantee 150 people or more.
Tue, June 11, 230pm PT - I’ll be in Seattle, Washington for a conversation with Luis Miranda and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard to celebrate Luis’ new book RELENTLESS: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America. The event will take place at El Centro de la Raza’s Centilia Cultural Center, 1660 S Plaza Roberto Maestas Festival Street in Seattle. It’s free and open to the public and after the event concludes there will be a small gathering for Hopium Chronicles subscribers. Learn more, register here.
Thur, June 20, 5pm CT - I’ll be in Madison, Wisconsin for an in-person at a Wisconsin Democratic Party Fundraising event with the great WI Dem Chair Ben Wikler. Please register and donate here. Excited to be heading back into the 2024 battleground!
Tues, June 25, 730pm ET - The monthly Zoom gathering of the entire Hopium Chronicles community. Register here.
Thur, June 27 - 1st Presidential Debate on CNN
Sat, June 29 - I’ll be speaking in person at Network NOVA’s 8th Annual Women’s Summit in Tyson’s Corner, VA - More info, register here. One of my favorite events of the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sun, June 30 - Last day to Make June Count!
Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you - Simon
Winning The Blue Dot With Jane Kleeb, Making June Count, Biden Gains 2 In New NYT Poll