Well, you guys are ** ROCKSTARS ** !!! You put our NO KINGS: RALLY AND VOTEFEST on National TV!! In addition to being on the local news that night, our Rally was on The Rachel Maddow Show on Monday evening!! You can see a photo below. Well done!
Not only that, but the No Kings: Vote Early event nationwide seems to have boosted early voting dramatically, especially in critical swing states. The morning of No Kings, some 8 Million people had voted early. By Wednesday it was over 21 Million! And in swing states, early voting numbers are double what they were at this time in the last midterm election. We have the power. When we use it collectively, we can “change the political weather”!
So remember to come out this afternoon to our every FRIDAY DEFEND DEMOCRACY RALLYat 4:00 in South Hero, near the Worthen Library. We have to keep the energy going and remind people to VOTE! And remind them of the hundreds of reasons it is so very important to vote in this Midterm Election. Remember, a lot of people do not consider the midterms (not a Presidential race) to be very important, so they do not bother to vote. THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. THIS YEAR IS CRITICAL. THE POWER OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MUST BE CHECKED.
Only 11 days until the Election! Now is the time to get out and do everything you can to help Democrats take control of the Congress away from the GOP. Republicans have failed at every critical moment to stop the Trump Administration from doing unimaginable harm to our country. The only way to fix that is to give control to the Democrats. Period. If we miss this chance, we are going to live under the fascists, possibly for a long time.
ELECTION UPDATE:
There is so much good news on the Election front, you cannot help but feel excited.
The polls and enthusiasm on the ground suggest that the House will most likely turn Blue. And the critical Senate races are showing slim margins for Democrats/Independents. And the price of gas at the pumps went up 32 cents in MI, and 39 cents in OH, in just the last two days! This will likely be “the final straw” for many on-the-fence voters.
But we have to be realistic. A 2 or 3 point lead in a poll with a 3% or 4% margin of error, IS NOT A REAL LEAD. And almost all of the Senate races are within the margin of error. This means that, yes, we could win all of them. But we could also lose all of them. There is plenty of reason for hope, but it is just too close to call. Except for Roy Cooper in NC. He is probably going to be a Senator. Democrats need a net 4 seat gain to win control of the Senate. But there are 2 currently Blue Senate seats that are in danger. New Hampshire and Minnesota (of all places!). If either of those two were to flip to GOP, that means that even more of the too-close-to-call races have to go Blue.
And the forces trying to interfere to boost GOP candidates are ramping up. More money. There are now ICE agents at many polling places in Florida to crush the Latino vote. Trump is offering to give lots of money to voters (it is their own money he is offering! Not his) if they vote GOP. He is also threatening to withhold money for soldier disability and for FEMA, etc. if they do not elect a GOP congress. The DOJ is trying to force states to purge large numbers of votes on the basis of suspected “voter fraud”. The Russians are suddenly unleashing AI ads of Democratic candidates saying things they would NEVER really say. There is no way for a voter to know that these ads are fake, and META and X are refusing to block them.
I am very optimistic about the outcome of this election. We need a win that is “too big to rig”. But I am also very afraid. I know they will do everything possible to prevent the Republicans from losing control of the Senate. We cannot relax until every vote is cast and counted. So, if you can, find a place to canvass for the Democratic candidates in NY-21 or NH Senate. Set aside a couple of hours to do phone banking or texting to get “sometimes” voters to actually go out and vote. There are numerous opportunities outlined in our Newsletter or website.
And write a Letter-To-The-Editor. Pick an issue that is important to you and say why someone should vote because of it. Send it to the Islander, or Seven Days, or a newspaper in Minnesota. Put it on FPF or FB. Send it to your relatives in FL or AK and ask them to post it. Send it wherever you can think to. There is no excuse to remain silent at a moment like this.
WE have so much power, if we only choose to use it. Just 11 days left.
See you in South Hero at 4:00.
Cheers,
Marilyn Lagrow
“Of the People, By the People, For the People”
Indivisible Champlain Islands