Don’t Get Distracted (10/1/23)
The past two weeks had a month’s (maybe a year’s) worth of news.
A government shutdown temporarily averted at the 11th hour
The death of a pathbreaking, long-serving U.S. Senator and rampant speculation about the person the Governor would appoint in her place
The Republican frontrunner called for the execution of an Army leader while the rest of the Republican party, including his rivals, remained silent
A U.S. Senator indicted and his colleagues called for his resignation
A sham impeachment inquiry opened in the House
An outlier poll had Democrats freaking out . . . again
A devastating ruling against the Trump businesses in NY
Another “once-in-a-century” rainstorm flooded NY, making clear that climate change is accelerating
And these are only some of the stories that made the headlines and the cable news shows in recent days.
It’s hard to stay focused in times like these but focus we must.
We have 38 days until November 7th and we know there will be more distracting stories in the news including more speculation about 2024. Try to ignore the stories about 2024 and focus on what we can do right now to bring Democratic victories in 2023. As we have learned in our 5 years of activism, there are no off years in politics. This November there are critically important elections in Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and in our own backyards, whether in New York City, Suffolk County, suburban Pennsylvania, or elsewhere.
The actions we take in the next 5 weeks could make the difference between a Republican trifecta in Virginia, and a Democratic majority in the General Assembly which would protect the rights of Virginians and put a damper on Governor Glenn Youngkin’s presidential ambitions. They could make the difference between Ohioans having reproductive freedom enshrined in their state constitution and having 10-year-old rape victims travel to other states for abortion care. They could make the difference between having school boards in Pennsylvania and Virginia banning books and distorting history and having school boards that prioritize education, open inquiry, and not right-wing ideology. They could make the difference between the people of Suffolk County having leadership that prioritizes clean and safe water and leadership that puts politics ahead of health and safety.
Our actions can also make the difference between a media narrative of Republican victories in November 2023 as a bellwether for more Republican victories in November 2024, or a narrative of the Democrats continuing their streak of victories in 2023 – from multiple special elections for state legislative seats in Pennsylvania to Judge Janet Protasiewicz’s strong victory in Wisconsin in April to the defeat of Referendum 1 in Ohio this August to Hal Rafter’s win in a September special election in New Hampshire. A strong performance by Democrats this November will help to give us the momentum we need to re-elect President Biden, hold the Senate, and flip the U.S. House plus a few more state legislatures next November.
Check the postcarding section of our newsletter for campaigns for New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Join our Slack and find phonebanking, textbanking, and canvassing opportunities. Consider inviting friends who are concerned about the future of our country but haven’t been active to join you at your home or a local coffee shop to write postcards. Reach out to us if you need help in accessing our postcard campaigns, our Slack, or our virtual postcarding sessions. Join our Giving Circle to help Democrats in Virginia finish strong. Democracy is not a spectator sport, so join us!