• The Sister District research project on different ways of reaching voters is here. We had some discussion about the difference between what is most effective, versus what’s more or less comfortable.
• Judy went through one recent phone session without a single valid response.
• The Vote Forward letters appear to be one effective technique. We can help with printing and envelopes. Since the letters are not going out until October, this is a slow but steady operation. The box on our porch has postcards in packets of 25.
• Bruce reported that the California Indivisible calls are informative, and the national calls less so. He’s been particularly impressed with the Movement Voter Project, which supports a number of organizations with different emphases, some technically non-partisan. We’ll be linking our ActBlue donation page to them.
• EBAA’s three races in Michigan all overlap Haley Stevens’s CD. EBAA is also going in on a North Carolina Assembly race that became more difficult as a result of redistricting.
• As my pick for Chart of the Fortnight, I chose the CDC on excess all-cause mortality. It’s the instant visual representation of the right-wing suggestion that we’ve just relabeled the flu.

• These two weeks we want to grow our membership. In the virus era, there is no reason to restrict ourselves to Elmwood and environs. I will make an announcement on my social media. Let me encourage you particularly to invite friends who are not in any group, who are most at risk for despondency.

During the May 20 state Indivisible call, Aram Fischer hosted a presentation on the MVP, a national group funneling investment into social justice work and grass-roots democracy. It hit home with us.

It’s frustrating to live in a deep blue corner of a deep blue state and have few outlets for activism. We’re tired of sky-is-falling emails from campaigns warning that all will be lost without a midnight cash infusion.   We know that money sent to a campaign can evaporate in TV ads or consultant fees.  We’d like to see donations to a political group actually reach the grass roots and have a lasting impact. And we think there’s an alternative approach worth considering—the Movement Voter Project or MVP at https://movement.vote/

 The Movement Voter Project “works to strengthen progressive power at all levels of government by helping donors – big and small – support the best and most promising local community-based organizations in key states, with a focus on youth and communities of color.”

 “Sometimes very simple ideas are the most brilliant ones,” writes Arlene Avakian.  “The idea behind MVP is to connect the dots between grassroots activism and electoral politics. MVP does what no other group does. It seeks out, vets and supports progressive community-based organizations around the country, particularly in communities that are most affected by economic and racial injustice. Based in their communities, these groups know their neighbors, know the issues people care about. They are successful in engaging people to make real change in their communities year round. At election time they turn out votes up and down the ticket.”

MVP-supported local groups helped elect Maggie Hassan to the Senate in 2016, helped mobilize the voters to elect Doug Jones in 2017, and helped Virginia Democrats win state elections across the board in 2019.  In 2018, MVP directed $14 million to 354 groups in 42 states for mobilization and engagement. 100% of donations to MVP go to the grass roots, an investment in the critical infrastructure of democracy. This could be the key to the November election and many more to come.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83328098130?pwd=OXlDOEtCaExhYnRZcDNQMFVPa1A3dz09

Action link 1: Join us for a texting lesson Saturday (tomorrow) at 3:00. Sign up here: https://www.openprogress.com/texting-schedule

Action link 2: Educate yourself with a Webinar by a prominent pollster

https://www.flipthewest.com/bentulchinwebinar

AGENDA:

1. Effective action: Naomi will report on Sister District’s recent summary of its study comparing various forms of political action.
2. Judy will update us on her texting adventures and lessons learned.
3. Bruce will update us on Indivisible national/state.
4. We have gathered materials to support a big push in Vote Forward letters. We’ll review how to get this moving.
5. We’ll launch our action thermometers and discuss our current fundraising campaign with a short report from Andy on wise use of your $$.

Next two campaigns are for Alaska. I’m convinced that Dr. Al Gross (yes, another M.D. running) is the sleeper Senate race of the cycle. Alaska has only one House seat: we also have Alyse Galvin, who is making her second try at ousting Dean of the House Don Young. With Young, anything can happen.

For those of you who would like a complete explainer for the Flynn faux-scandal, legal blogger Marcy Wheeler has it.

There isn’t enough data yet fully to understand Christy Smith’s loss in CA–25, not until the mail ballots are finished and we see how much ground she makes up, and who voted at the last minute. She won’t, however, make up her Election Night deficit of over 11 points. (I’d guess when it’s all over, she loses by 4 to 6.)

Preliminary indications are that (1) Democratic falloff from 2018 was more then Republican, (2) fewer Republican defections and worse showing among non-party independents. (1) we can fix in November. (2) is a consequence of a somewhat stronger Republican candidate—Latino, veteran, no previous record of Trump fluffing—that will be the same in November. I’ve read that Garcia’s TV ads were both more widely played and better than Smith’s, and that the DCCC decided to hold its fire in this district for the general election.

Hey DCCC: Let’s not make this a trend.

UPDATE [May 15]: Smith does not appear to be narrowing the gap in any meaningful way. Current totals (with no indication how many ballots are left) have her about 14½ points behind in Ventura County, which is a small part of the district, and a little over 8 behind in LA County. That is, the result is (even) worse than it first appeared to be. I hope the Smith campaign is reviewing its messaging. They didn’t lack for virtual canvassers.

UPDATE [June 7]: Final result seems to be loss by 9.8.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 818 1454 0379
Password: 081536

This is it. What we are doing today is what we are going to do in the future. Given that, how do we organize and map our efforts?

1. Postcards. We have 1000 postcards in our living room. Distribution ideas. Andy’s comments on the most important campaigns.
2. Texting. Did Committoflip help? What else can we do to get those who want to text, texting?
3. Phone calling. The psychology of letting it ring. How did today go and who wants more for the future?
4. Letter writing (including Indivisible’s support). Should we have a group goal?
5. Fundraising. Time to shift our website campaign. What next?

I made some calls today! It felt great. Please join us on the phone tomorrow

Swing Left virtual phone bank link.

Then at 5:00 for a short meeting to bring everyone up to date on postcards, calls, texting and politics in general.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 818 1454 0379
Password: 081536

In the past two days I have read three outstanding essays on the role of race—which is always present in American politics, especially when we pretend it isn’t—in the conservative response to COVID–19.

Ibram X. Kendi, in The Atlantic

Adam Serwer, also in The Atlantic

Jamelle Bouie, in the NY Times