I’ve been following Mokurai’s October Surprise Series each day and wondering when this year’s actual October Surprise actually will arrive, if ever.
Then I remembered the email (above) I received from the Social Security Administration at 1:17 pm last Saturday informing me I will be receiving an 8.7% Cost of Living Adjustment (“COLA”) in my Social Security checks. And so will 70 million people receiving any kind of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits. That’s an average benefit increase of $1,827 per year in 2023. It’s the largest COLA since 1981.*
Now maybe this by itself isn’t an October Surprise. But combine it with Republicans’ plan to destroy Social Security by holding the debt ceiling hostage (as Joan writes today), and there’s your October Surprise, and a non--treasonous one at that.
As Ian Reifowitz writes in a great story today, reality on economic issues has a Democratic bias, yet many voters “feel” the opposite. It’s a long-term project to remedy this, so when there’s a very simple message, Democrats need to jump on it.
My most common recent topic here has been the power of young voters (See, e.g., yesterday’s Report: More than 30% Increase in 18-yr-old Voter Registration in Just a Month in Phila. Area), even though I am a few years from being one. But all ages of voters benefit from Social Security, as FDR and the New Dealers wisely knew. Funding the elderly and the disabled keeps money in the pockets of younger workers and students for education, housing, and everything else.
Now as endless media types constantly whine, “Democrats are poor at messaging.”**
OK. I’ll give it a try:
Social Security is putting an average of $1,800 into 70 Million People’s Pockets Next Year.
Who created Social Security?
Who opposed its creation?
Who is still trying to kill Social Security?
- Republicans running for Congress this year.
Don’t Let Them. Register and Vote for Democrats.
Too simple? Too complex? I’m open to any suggestions in the comments.
Imagine this message or a variant being circulated relentlessly over the next three weeks by all of us on social media, and maybe even the Democratic Party itself?
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* Let them try to say it’s because of inflation. If they do, they’re the ones trying to explain it, which means they’re losing. And also, they’re the ones trying to kill it.
** My view is it’s not the message but the lack of real messengers. The right has Fox and a thousand Rush-ghosts on hate radio, Sinclair, and ad nauseum. I don’t count MSNBC, which gives four hours every AM to a Republican and spends a lot of time echoing MSM talking points and using scare tactics. But we have an army of social media to spread the message.
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Update: Some activism suggestions:
1. "Voter registration closes in Pennsylvania in EIGHT DAYS, on October 24. Please check your registration or register to vote ASAP. TurboVote makes it easy for you.
2. Fill out or circulate this form from TurnUp.US to receive info on conducting a HS or college registration drive — still possible in some states.
3. Commit to Vote with Civic Influencers’ Motivate.US App
4. Take action with NextGen, which has great programs for calling, texting or using social media