The events of this week have been heartbreaking and distressing not because they were unusual, but because they were all too usual.
There is no simple solution to the cancer of 400 years of inequality. There is no magic pill that will stop Black men, women, girls and boys from dying in the streets and in their own homes.
There are many individual acts and actions that we can all take in our own lives to confront the toxic inequality that lurks and destroys in our county. We should each look hard at our own lives and take those actions.
But there is one act that we can all work on together that will make a huge difference in how we deal with this as a nation. This act will determine whether we move forward to progress and increased equality or continue to slide backwards toward increased hatred, violence, and division.
The election of November 3rd 2020.
Our nation simply cannot take four more years of this racist, callus, awful man. He is a cheerleader for the worst of this nation. He is a role model for hatred and inequality.
Nothing is more important than getting rid of him.
We have to get Donald Trump out of office. We have to take the Senate so we can install judges who care about basic human dignity.
The good news is that we can do those things. We have the wind at our backs and we have lots of time to mobilize.
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing is more important than winning in November. Nothing. Because if we don’t win in November, none of our other important goals can be accomplished. Getting Trump out of office won’t magically solve our problems — there will still be much work to do. But that work can’t even begin until we get rid of him.
What can you do?
First, we set up a new fund to save our country. Your donation will be split between the 8 closest Senate races, the 7 closest House races, and the race for the White House! This is a way to make one donation that will help in the most important areas.
Click Here to Save Our Country!
One donation can address all three of those important areas! Here is the link again:
GNR Group Donates to Save American Democracy
Second, you can donate your time from the comfort of your own home. Here are things you can do:
(click on the links):
Get involved with Postcards to voters. Postcards to Voters are friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast.
Register voters in key battleground states. Vote Forward has active campaigns going in 8 key states to encourage under-represented (potential) voters to register. In 6 of them, the packet you send to each potential voter will include the actual voter registration forms and instructions with pre-paid postage for that state. The folks at Vote Forward have collected data on this technique and determined that it does, indeed, appear to increase voter registration.
Text voters in key Senate races Payback Project has a comprehensive, four-pronged approach to make sure Republicans Senators are held accountable for their actions, their votes, and their enabling of Donald Trump.
Organize your community online The Democratic National Committee’s digital organizing team put together a list of ways you can keep organizing in your community online.
Do whatever we can to promote Biden in tweets and posts and emails and wherever. Bots and Russian trolls are working overtime to amplify negative messages about Joe. The media will do so as well (2016). Do all you can to counteract it. You are obviously online. Make it useful.
Also, contact your reps and senators to insist on mail in ballots for November. Already called? Do it again.
Now onto the good news ❤️
With Hard Work, We Can Beat Trump
whenever we see polls showing Biden as winning, there is a tendency to want to ignore them and assume that he will lose like HRC did because she was also ahead in polls. However, her poll numbers were never this consistent:
Biden is running ahead of Clinton's 2016 pace
What's the point: Almost any time I explain that Biden's leading Trump, someone will inevitably bring up "but what about 2016." That's why this week marks an important milestone for the Biden campaign.
It's one of the first times during the election year that Biden was clearly running ahead of Hillary Clinton's 2016 pace in the matchup against Trump.
Four years ago, Trump closed the
national gap quickly with Clinton as he was vanquishing Republican rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich from the presidential race. Clinton's average lead shrank from 10 points during the first half of April to 6 points in the second half in April to 4 points in the first half in May to a mere 1 point in polls completed four years ago between May 16-May 23.
In terms of individual high quality polls, you needn't look further than Fox News. Clinton trailed Trump by 3 points in a
Fox News poll out four years ago between May 16-May 23. Now, Biden's up 8 points in that same poll.
Biden notably hasn't trailed in a single live interview poll this entire year.
Something very interesting is happening in Wisconsin
To get reelected, President Trump must win Wisconsin. If he doesn’t, he has all but certainly also lost Pennsylvania and Michigan, and with those three states, the electoral college. But if he does, he can still potentially hang on even if he loses those two other states.
That actually might not harm Trump — the evidence does not necessarily show that vote-by-mail benefits Democrats — but Trump thinks it will. And so, in doing this, Republicans in Wisconsin have bucked his wishes.
And that’s good news for democracy. It probably means higher turnout amid conditions that are highly unpredictable, given the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus.
Lots of worry early on that young people won’t turn up for Biden, but it turns out that old people (who vote way more consistently) WILL turn out for Biden.
Some Pa. seniors are turning on Trump. That could be a problem for his reelection.
Trump, who needs to win states like Pennsylvania and hopes to hold onto supporters like Banion, may have a lurking problem. National polling averages show he’s in a relative dead heat with Joe Biden among voters over 65, a group he won by 10 points in 2016. In recent polling of Pennsylvania voters, Trump comes up a few points short of Biden with voters over 45, according to an April Fox poll. (Pollsters use varying age groupings.)
In crucial Florida, some senior voters cast a skeptical eye toward Trump’s reelection
While Democrats have worried about Biden’s struggles to excite younger voters, older voters who are upset with the president are poised to be potentially more influential in November, especially in swing states whose populations skew their way, like Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin.
“We have the ability to sway this election,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo declared as she opened an online town hall with fellow seniors earlier this month, which included a tutorial on voting by mail. “Trump has failed us and it is now our turn.”
Sure those swing states look good, but it isn’t like Biden looks good even in red states….
Trump and Biden statistically tied in Utah poll
A Utah poll found former Vice President Joe Biden and President Trump in a statistical tie, with the president leading by just 3 points in the Republican stronghold.
Georgia is a swing state in 2020
Democrats have Georgia on their minds. When former Vice President Joe Biden's team presented their electoral strategy in mid-May, Georgia was one of three states, along with Arizona and Texas, that they believed they could compete in, even though those places haven't voted for a Democratic presidential nominee in at least 20 years.
A look at the statistics tell us that Biden's team isn't bluffing. Georgia is definitely in play in the 2020 presidential election, even if it isn't as strong a pickup opportunity for Democrats as some other states.
Over the past few months, a number of polls have come out of Georgia. Many of
these polls have been from Republican leaning groups, raising alarms to fellow Republicans. Looking at all the polling shows a race within a point, and Biden already topping Hillary Clinton's share of the vote from four years ago with plenty of undecided voters. Clinton earned 45% of the vote and lost Georgia by 5 points.
The polls indicate a state that Biden can win, which is what electoral trends suggest as well
Even Trump’s evil buddies are scared
Why are you not burying him?’: Trump allies fret over rising Biden threat
Some of President Donald Trump's political allies and donors are starting to get antsy.
These Trump supporters worry the campaign’s myriad lines of attack on Biden this spring — from his age to his work with China as vice president to the Obama economic record — are failing to dent the presumptive Democratic nominee. Recent polling shows Trump trailing Biden in key swing states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, with the Republican control of the Senate increasingly up for grabs due to a depressed economy and nationwide angst about the coronavirus pandemic.
“Donald Trump has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Joe Biden since the day he entered the race, using recycled nicknames, outright lies and even disinformation to try and brand him as something he's not,” said TJ Ducklo, national press secretary for the Biden campaign. “It failed miserably — VP Biden saw record turnout during sweeping victories this spring and united the Democratic Party around a nominee faster than in 2016 or 2008. Why? Because voters know Joe Biden, they know his character, and it's going to take more than cheap marketing tricks perfected at Trump University to bring down a true public servant who has fought for middle class families for over 45 years.”
and we have a chance to bring down not only Trump, but also the GOP Senate:
GOP operatives worry Trump will lose both the presidency and Senate majority
"Put it this way, I am very glad my boss isn't on the ballot this cycle," said one high-ranking GOP Senate aide.
Republican strategists are increasingly worried that Trump is headed for defeat in November and that he may drag other Republicans down with him.
Seven GOP operatives not directly associated with the President's reelection campaign told CNN that Trump's response to the pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout have significantly damaged his bid for a second term — and that the effects are starting to hurt Republicans more broadly. Some of these operatives asked not to be identified in order to speak more candidly.
"Put it this way, I am very glad my boss isn't on the ballot this cycle," said one high-ranking GOP Senate aide.
Republican strategists are increasingly worried that Trump is headed for defeat in November and that he may drag other Republicans down with him.
Seven GOP operatives not directly associated with the President's reelection campaign told CNN that Trump's response to the pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout have significantly damaged his bid for a second term — and that the effects are starting to hurt Republicans more broadly. Some of these operatives asked not to be identified in order to speak more candidly.
New poll shows Sara Gideon leading Susan Collins by 9 points
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins losing 51 percent to 42 percent to House Speaker Sara Gideon
If I were on Team Collins what I would find most concerning is that Gideon is winning by 20+ points among women and seven points among independents, usually her backstop.
Trump brags about getting Republicans elected. Research suggests his endorsements cost 15 seats.
It’s certainly true that Trump’s endorsement is valuable in Republican primaries, as we’ve reported. His popularity with Republican voters and willingness to bash those who cross him has made him something of a kingmaker within his party. In the 2018 midterms, though, his track record on general election matchups was spottier. By our tally, his endorsed candidates won only about half the time.
New research published in Legislative Studies Quarterly offers an even grimmer assessment of Trump’s effectiveness that year. Far from delivering seats for his party, the analysis by Andrew O. Ballard and Michael Heseltine of American University and Hans J.G. Hassell of Florida State University indicates that Trump actually cost his party seats, 11 in the House and four in the Senate.
Trump is losing even the mask war
Moreover, mask defiance is losing its hold on the right-wing media, a vital part of Trump’s political life-support system. None other than Fox News and Trump sycophant Sean Hannity scolded partyers in Missouri who crowded in and around a pool with no masks
Hannity is not alone in refusing to add his voice to the mask-defying chorus. By their own conduct, mask-wearing Republican governors and senators who otherwise have supported Trump effectively communicate that they are not following Trump’s example on this one. Trump’s lonely mask defiance is a powerful symbol of his political and cultural isolation.
Trump is so weak even Rubio isn’t carrying his water…
Marco Rubio zeroes in on Russia — not Obama
Donald Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill are pushing aggressive new investigations targeting the president’s political opponents. Marco Rubio isn’t joining the fray.
As Rubio assumes the acting chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Florida Republican is distancing himself from a GOP-led probe targeting Hunter Biden. He has declined to embrace Trump’s “Obamagate” claims. And he is warning the Republicans spearheading the Biden investigation not to promote Russian disinformation in the process.
Meanwhile, on our side, I get more and more excited about Biden every day!
Joe Biden is Awesome
Biden campaign names national director for voter protection
Joe Biden has hired a national director for voter protection, a role his campaign says will focus broadly on voter rights, including the disenfranchisement of people of color amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign said Rachana Desai Martin will join its legal team, serving also as senior counsel. Martin, who has a strong background in voter protection work, previously worked as chief operating officer of the Democratic National Committee and as the DNC’s director of civic engagement and voter protection.
Biden names Julie Chávez Rodríguez, César Chávez's granddaughter, as top Latina on team
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Julie Chávez Rodríguez, granddaughter of the late farmworker union leader César Chávez, to shore up his support among Latino voters six months before the presidential election.
Chávez Rodríguez, who will be senior advisor, will be the highest ranking Latina on the campaign, as Biden's team told Noticias Telemundo in a Spanish-language exclusive on Tuesday. Among her objectives will be to strengthen operations in key states and join efforts with related coalitions.
Joe Biden Unveils 2 Separate Proposals To Help Americans With Disabilities
More than a year after he first announced his presidential bid, former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday released two separate plans to support Americans with disabilities — one detailing his proposals for ensuring full equality for the disability community, and another focusing on supporting disabled Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.
The first plan includes a wide-ranging list of issues that the presumed Democratic nominee plans to tackle as president, including recruiting disabled policymakers to play key roles in his administration, promoting inclusive education, ending abuses of power in the pharmaceutical industry, expanding access to equal employment opportunities, protecting economic security for disabled people and providing affordable housing and accessible transportation.
Joe Biden has a chance to make history on climate change
Biden asked his campaign “to commence a process to meaningfully engage with more voices from the climate movement, including environmental justice leaders and worker organizations, and collaborate on additional policies in areas ranging from environmental justice to new, concrete goals we can achieve within a decade, to more investments in a clean energy economy.”
the Biden campaign is being exposed to the new policy alignment, urged to visibly put climate at the top of his priority list, and promised that, if he does, he will be rewarded with youth enthusiasm.
And the campaign is listening. “It seems clear that the Biden campaign is committed to rallying Democrats around a climate agenda,” one source familiar with the discussions told me.
Joe Biden wins AFL-CIO endorsement as organized labor targets working-class voters
The AFL-CIO, the country’s largest coalition of labor unions, endorsed Joe Biden for president Tuesday, with the organization’s top official vowing to wage an aggressive effort to help him defeat President Trump by reaching out to working-class voters.
Union officials cemented their support for the former vice president in a vote of the organization’s general board, joining a long roster of influential labor groups backing the presumptive Democratic nominee. In an interview with The Washington Post, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said his group will be “playing hard” in about a dozen battleground states where it plans to urge members to support his candidacy.
“Joe Biden has demonstrated his character,” said Trumka. “We look forward to helping him get elected president and changing the direction of the country.”
Biden campaign staff expands to mimic Obama’s coalitions effort in 2012
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has hired two aides to helm a new coalitions department modeled on President Barack Obama’s reelection strategy, a campaign expansion that adds more racial diversity to his effort to win the White House.
Ashley Allison, a veteran of the Obama White House who is African American, is joining the Biden campaign as national coalitions director. Her deputy will be Jason Rodriguez, who served as the national deputy Latino vote director for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has worked with the Congressional Black Caucus.
The new department Allison will helm is modeled on a part of the Obama 2012 campaign that was called “Operation Vote,” said O’Malley Dillon, who served as deputy campaign manager on that team. “Operation Vote” was designed as a large, centralized department for reaching ethnic, religious and other voter groups.
Biden: 'None of us can be silent' on race after George Floyd killing
"It's a list that dates back more than 400 years: black men, black women, black children. The original sin of this country still stains our nation today," Biden said. "And sometimes we manage to overlook it. We just push forward with 1000 other tasks in our daily life, but it's always there. Weeks like this, we see it plainly that we're a country with an open wound. None of us can turn away, none of us can be silent. None of us can any longer can we hear the words, I can't breathe and do nothing."
While Biden's speech mainly focused on Floyd's death, Biden added that it is "no time for incendiary tweets. It's no time to encourage violence," an implicit criticism of President Donald Trump.
"This is a national crisis and we need real leadership right now," Biden said. "Leadership that will bring everyone to the table so we can take measures to root out systemic racism. It's time for us to take a hard look at the uncomfortable truth."
Biden added that the leadership he called for would mean justice for George Floyd and police reform that "holds all cops up to the high standards that so many of them actually meet — that holds bad cops accountable.
Biden Blasts Trump for ‘Calling for Violence’ Against Americans During ‘Moment of Pain’
Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden slammed President Trump on Friday morning, accusing him of “calling for violence against American citizens during a moment of pain for so many.” “I’m furious, and you should be too,” he added, also condemning the arrest of a CNN news crew and declaring “enough.
Trump just threatened to have looters shot. Biden urged calm. That says it all.
Joe Biden offered another approach. At a fundraiser, he appealed for calm while also calling for justice for the Floyd family and acknowledging the legitimate grievances of the protesters about systemic racism and police brutality.
Biden noted that Floyd’s “final words” were “Let me breathe, I can’t breathe,” and added that this has “ripped open anew” the “wound” wrought by racism. Biden continued:
I urge the protesters to exercise their rights peacefully and safely. But people all across this country are enraged and rightly so. Every day African Americans go about their lives with constant anxiety and trauma of wondering, “Will I be next?” Sounds like an exaggeration but it’s not. These tragedies, these injustices, cut at the very heart of our most sacred of beliefs: that all Americans, equal in rights and in dignity, are part of an ingrained systemic cycle of racism and oppression...throughout every part of our society.
If we’re not committed as a nation, with every ounce of purpose in our beings — not just to binding up this wound in hope that somehow the scab once again will cover things over — but to treat the underlying injury, we’re never going to eventually heal.
Steps towards justice
Minneapolis ex-officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck is in custody and faces a murder charge
The former Minneapolis police officer seen in a video with his knee on George Floyd's neck has been arrested and faces charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.
Federal judge guts Florida law requiring felons to pay fines before they can vote
A federal judge has gutted a Florida state law requiring felons to pay all court fines and fees before they can register to vote, clearing the way for thousands of Floridians to register in time for the November presidential election.
Supreme Court won’t stop Ohio order for prisoners to be moved or released because of coronavirus
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to shelve a judge’s order that hundreds of at-risk inmates at a federal prison in Ohio be expeditiously moved because of an outbreak of coronavirus.
Finally, on the lighter side….
Before we go, here is my dear friend Ryan Aitcheson playing Buffalo Gals along with the band Yellow Jacket. Us Buffalo gals look forward to when this is all over and we can come out!
That is it for today. Did you donate yet to our fund to save democracy? If not do it now.
Fund To Save Democracy
It will make you feel better and it is the right thing to do
So proud and lucky to be in this with all of you ❤️ ✊ ❤️