It is easy (and logical) to feel despondent about our PRESENT. It is pretty shitty.
Trump runs the country. McConnell runs the Senate. And RBG seems to be in the hospital every other week.
Plus the whole “deadly pandemic keeping us in our houses” thing. That sucks.
BUT we have some many reasons to be optimistic about our FUTURE.
In just a few short months we can FINALLY vote trump out of office. It won’t be some savior riding in on a white horse making this all go away for us. Instead, it will be us — GOTV, donating money, supporting our candidates, and finally VOTING for a blue slate. **WE** will save our country. WE will save our selves. WE will save the future for our children.
And all the data suggests that we are the favored ones to win in November. The data should make us HOPEFUL!
I know many you don’t feel that way. I hear the fear and despair and hopelessness in way to many people So does the writer of this WaPo article → Democrats are in a strong position for the fall. So why all the hand-wringing?
first the article points our some good news:
- A new national Monmouth University poll shows Biden leading Trump 50 percent to 41 percent. Other polls show Biden leading by an average of 5.5 points.
- According to FiveThirtyEight, Democrats lead the generic House ballot matchup by 7.9 points. In 2018, just before they won a historic election that netted them 41 seats and control of the House, they led by 8.7 points.
- As Axios notes, “A raft of new polls from states with competitive Senate races shows momentum veering away from Republican incumbents.” If these polls are right, Democrats will take control of the Senate.
then it points out how freaked out, negative, and panicked more Democrats are even with those numbers. Why?
there are multiple reasons Democrats might think their party is screwing everything up and getting ready to lose an election they should win. First, they have plenty of experience with just that outcome, so it’s not at all hard to imagine. If you’re a Democrat, you have plenty of reason to think your party is run by idiots who will inevitably fail. Second, they turn on their TVs or check online every day and see Trump’s face everywhere, without much sight of Biden. We have a natural tendency to assume that if a politician is talking, then somebody must be persuaded by what he’s saying.
But with Trump, that just isn’t true. Democrats may find it infuriating that his approval ratings haven’t fallen to zero since the pandemic hit, but one should remember that he’s staying in place at a time when both governors and foreign leaders have all found their approval ratings shoot up. Consider this incredible fact: In every state in the union, Trump’s approval is lower than that of the state’s governor, whether they’re a Republican or a Democrat.
Yes, things can change. Over the next six months there will be campaign controversies, new developments in the pandemic and maybe even a foreign crisis or two. But right now, the 2020 election is looking a lot like the Democratic sweep of 2018.
That isn’t to say Democrats don’t have plenty to worry about. But they can’t yet say they’re losing.
We can do this. With hard work and focus we can win the House, the Senate, and the WH in just a few short months. Then we can undo A LOT of what Trump did and we change our country for the better, for all the people, for good.
Here are eight specific reasons for hope for November:
1. We Can Win the White House
Biden opens 9-point lead over Trump in Senate battlegrounds: poll
Former Vice President Joe Biden has opened up a 9-point lead over President Trump in six states where Republican senators face difficult reelection battles this fall, according to a new poll.
The survey from Hart Research Associates finds Biden at 50 percent and Trump at 41 percent among voters sampled in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Montana and North Carolina.
Trump won four of those states in 2016.
Some people are noticing that Trump’s numbers are terrible.: Carville: Trump has “No Chance” in 2020 and his Campaign Aides are Grifters
It has been a very long time since the Republican Party has seen a good 2020 election poll. Trump has consistently trailed Joe Biden by 5-10 points. And Democrats have held leads in nearly every swing state, including traditionally Red States like North Carolina and Montana.
During a Wednesday MSNBC appearance, Democratic strategist James Carville said Trump has no chance in 2020 and that he’s being ripped off by Parscale and others.
The political strategist then took aim directly at Parscale, who ran Trump’s digital campaign in 2016 and was elevated to run his national campaign in 2020. “His campaign manager’s got two condos, a Ferrari, a yacht, a Range Rover,” he said.
Carville closed his comments by saying that the aides have to only show the President good news since the real ones enrage him. “They’re all just fleecing the campaign. “It’s just about making money and they’re going in, they’re giving him fake polls. This whole thing is just like a crumbling empire right before your eyes. Everybody is trying to take everything they can get on the way out and they’re trying to prop him up so they all can make money.”
The Reade accusations haven’t hurt Biden at the polls
Tara Reade’s sexual assault accusation hasn’t made a noticeable dent in Joe Biden’s poll numbers against President Donald Trump
The presumptive Democratic nominee has “unequivocally” denied sexual assault allegations from Reade, a former Senate staffer of his, for an incident she says happened in 1993. While some are calling for Biden to step down or be replaced at the Democratic convention, polling so far shows Democrats and independent voters are still largely behind the former vice president.
Trump’s principal argument for reelection has vanished
One cannot help but recall President Trump’s infamous campaign line in 2016 to African Americans: What have you got to lose? How about tens of thousands of lives lost, record unemployment and unequal justice in the form of the hugely disproportionate number of African Americans arrested for violating social distancing laws
Never has the gap between Trump’s self-image and reality been so stark.
The jobs numbers deepen the predicament not only for Trump but for every down-ballot Republican.
'I'm not willing to sell my soul for anyone': Carly Fiorina says she won't vote for Trump in 2020
During a podcast interview with the Bulwark's Charlie Sykes, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina, who competed against Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2016, sounded off on the president for his lack of "leadership" during the coronavirus pandemic, asserting she's not confident she can vote for the incumbent in the general election.
"I cannot vote for Donald Trump in 2020," Fiorina told Sykes, later saying she is considering casting her ballot for former Vice President Joe Biden. "Depending on how he conducts himself, for the first time in my life, it's possible I will not vote, but I will not vote for President Trump."
2. We Can Win the Senate
and numbers continue to look promising for the Senate
New polling shows warning signs for GOP-held Senate seats
A raft of new polls from states with competitive Senate races shows momentum veering away from Republican incumbents at a time when doubts are also growing about President Trump’s re-election prospects.
The big picture: To win control of the Senate, Democrats likely will have to flip five of eight competitive seats with a Republican incumbent. Of the six races with recent polling, Democrats lead in five and trail by just one point in the other.
3. We Can Keep The House
House Republicans should be getting nervous about November
Generic congressional polling has shown a steady and significant lead for Democrats. The latest Monmouth survey shows Democrats leading 52 percent to 42 percent. That margin is “similar to the polling advantage Democrats held at a similar point in the last midterm election (49% to 41% in April 2018). Democrats went on to win the national House vote by 8 points that November (53% to 45%).”
4. Democrats are awesome
Instead of just fighting against Trump, we are also fighting FOR a party that actually cares about Americans.
Democratic senators propose $2,000 monthly payments to most Americans
A trio of Democratic senators are pitching a big idea: pay most American families thousands of dollars each month until the coronavirus’s economic crisis subsides.
On Friday, Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) will release their Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act. It would dramatically expand upon the $1,200 sent to Americans as part of March’s gargantuan coronavirus response bill.
Schumer, Pelosi set to unveil 'Rooseveltian' relief package
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will soon unveil a coronavirus relief package that he described as “Rooseveltian” in its scope and size.
“We need big, bold action," Schumer said in an MSNBC interview with Stephanie Ruhle, adding that he and Pelosi "are working very closely together on putting together a very strong plan, which you will hear shortly.”
“We need Franklin Rooseveltian-type action and we hope to take that in the House and Senate in a very big and bold way,” he added.
Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Ayanna Pressley have a $125 billion plan to help the smallest businesses
Despite Congress’s approval of more than $720 billion to help small businesses during the pandemic, many businesses and nonprofits have been completely shut out of receiving this support.
A new bill from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) aims to help fix this disparity: The Saving Our Street Act, which was shared exclusively with Vox, would allocate grants of up to $250,000 to businesses that have fewer than 10 employees.
Whistleblower to testify in House
Rick Bright, the former director of the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), filed a whistleblower complaint Tuesday alleging that the Department of Health and Human Services failed to take early action to mitigate the threat of the novel coronavirus.
Bright plans to testify before the House Energy Subcommittee on Health on May 14, his lawyers told reporters on Tuesday.
Lesbian Runs For Office Against The Sheriff Who Fired Her — And Wins
A lesbian in Ohio just won the Democratic primary for Hamilton County Sheriff. She beat out the current sheriff, who fired her two years ago for being openly gay.
Sheriff Jim Neil fired Charmaine McGuffey in 2017. McGuffey filed a still-pending lawsuit against her former boss, claiming that she got fired for being an openly gay woman and for raising concerns about fellow officers’ behavior.
“The current sheriff and I got into a pretty serious disagreement about the practice of him not holding officers accountable for use of force and harassment of women, female officers, and female inmates,” McGuffey told LGBTQ Nation. “He fired me. So after about a year or so of contemplating, I decided I can do a better job than him
5. We Have Great Allies
We are not alone in our battle. We have lots of reasons for hope.
Priorities USA challenges Florida voting in light of coronavirus
A Democratic super PAC filed a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials on Monday, challenging voting laws it argues could limit turnout in the nation’s biggest swing state this fall. The lawsuit joins a persistent and ongoing legal battle over voting in a state that will be key to President Donald Trump’s reelection.
Unexpected outcome in Wisconsin: Tens of thousands of ballots that arrived after Election Day were counted, thanks to court decisions
in the end, tens of thousands of mail ballots that arrived after the April 7 presidential primaries and spring elections were counted by local officials, a review by The Washington Post has found — the unexpected result of last-minute intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The surprising outcome after warnings that many Wisconsinites would be disenfranchised amid the pandemic was the result of a largely unexamined aspect of the court’s decision that temporarily changed which ballots were counted. Because of the order, election officials for the first time tallied absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day, rather than just those received by then — underscoring the power of narrow court decisions to significantly shape which votes are counted.
Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes notary requirement for absentee ballots
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday struck down a requirement that absentee ballots must be notarized to be valid.
An order issued Monday by Chief Justice Noma Gurich bars the Oklahoma State Election Board from issuing ballot forms or other election materials that suggest notarization is required.
Instead, a statement signed, dated and declared under the penalty of perjury will suffice on absentee ballots. The order from the state's high court requires the State Election Board to recognize the signed statements as proof that said voter did fill out their own ballot.
The court’s ruling gives a win to the League of Women Voters, which sued the State Election Board over the notary requirement in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The election rights group said the notary requirement was a "substantial obstacle" that absentee voters would have to face if they chose not to cast an in-person ballot due to concerns about COVID-19.
6. Biden is Someone We Should be Excited About
There is no way to get around that Biden was not the first choice of many of us. But I think that a Biden led WH, in particular with a Democratic Senate and House can make amazing changes that we can all be proud of. I get more excited about it every day!!
Biden campaign unveils "Lift Every Voice" plan for African Americans
In a new agenda for African American communities unveiled Monday, Joe Biden is calling for the Justice Department to prioritize prosecuting hate crimes, a $900 million initiative to fight gun violence, and better access to federal relief funds for African Americans struggling due to the coronavirus.
What they're saying: "This is something that has driven his entire campaign. He launched his campaign talking about some of the hate that we saw out in Charlottesville," a senior campaign official told reporters on a call. "He'll make clear that hate has no safe harbor."
- “This mission is more important now than ever before, as the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 have shined a light on — and cruelly exacerbated — the disparities long faced by African Americans," the campaign added in a press release.
Biden Campaign Organizers Ratify Union Contract
For the first time, the staff of a major party’s presidential nominee will be covered by a union pact.
Field organizers for Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign ratified a union contract that will give them a $15-an-hour minimum wage, overtime pay and a grievance process
Eric Holder endorses Joe Biden, saying he will be ‘forward-leaning’ on criminal justice reform
Former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. endorsed former vice president Joe Biden on Tuesday, emphasizing that he thinks Biden is prepared to address the issues stemming from the coronavirus and will also work to reduce mass incarceration and heal a divided nation.
Holder, announcing his endorsement for the first time, told The Fix his former fellow Obama administration official would prioritize criminal justice reform if elected.
“This is one of those issues that people are going to be surprised at how forward-leaning he’s likely to be,” Holder said.
7. Good Virus News
After Recovery From the Coronavirus, Most People Carry Antibodies
A new study offers a glimmer of hope in the grim fight against the coronavirus: Nearly everyone who has had the disease — regardless of age, sex or severity of illness — makes antibodies to the virus.
The study, posted online on Tuesday but not yet reviewed by experts, also hints that anyone who has recovered from infection may safely return to work — although it is unclear how long their protection might last.
“This is very good news,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University in New York who was not involved with the work.
Antibodies are immune molecules produced by the body to fight pathogens. The presence of antibodies in the blood typically confers at least some protection against the invader.
The Public Is Astonishingly United
Pollsters have finally found an issue that transcends partisan divides, with the overwhelming majority of Americans siding against President Trump.
The most active debate in politics at the moment—in the White House, in state capitols, and in the press—is about whether and how much to reopen the economy. President Trump has been fitfully pushing for the country to get back to work, has boosted fringe state-level protests demanding that restrictions end, and yesterday took his first trip in weeks, visiting a mask-manufacturing plant in Arizona.
But even as the national political discourse has adopted reopening as the central debate, polls repeatedly show that Americans overwhelmingly back restrictions and do not support reopening most businesses. The consensus is especially notable in an era when nearly every poll question seems to serve as a referendum on Donald Trump, with his supporters lining up against his opponents. Here, despite Trump’s pleas for reopening, Americans are remaining united—and not heeding him.
A poll from The Washington Post and the University of Maryland released yesterday finds that eight in 10 Americans oppose reopening movie theaters and gyms; three-quarters don’t support letting sit-down restaurants and nail salons reopen; and a third or less would allow barber shops, gun stores, and retail stores to operate. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll last week found similar numbers: Nine in 10 Americans don’t think sporting events should have crowds without more testing; 85 percent would keep schools closed, and 80 percent would keep dine-in restaurants shut. There is no significant difference in views between residents of states that have begun loosening restrictions and those that have not.
8. WE are amazing and will work hard to win
The best path to saving our democracy will come if we take the White House, take the Senate, *and* keep the House of Representatives.
We set up a new fund to help us do all three! Your donation will be split between the 8 closest Senate races, the 7 closest House races, and the race for the White House!
One donation can address all three of those important areas!
GNR Group Donates to Save American Democracy
Let’s do this!
Want to do something other than donate?
Want to help from the comfort of your quarantine? Of course you do. You don’t want to be the reason we lose, right?! 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. The same goes for other D candidates. Help them get positive recognition!
Also, contact your reps and senators on important issues like funding for the states and cities and for increased testing.
Finally, Some Laughs...
political funnies
for us parents:
inspired by the murder hornets:
some just plain silly laughs:
inspirational:
That is it for today. Have a great weekend. Before you go, donate to our fund to take the Senate, White House, AND House of Representatives:
Daily Kos's GNR Group Donates to Save American Democracy
C’mon give a little $$. It will make you feel better
So proud and lucky to be in this with you ❤️ ✊ ❤️
