Yes, There's Still Something You Can Do Today Besides Voting

We all want Trump and his servile, enabling Republicans to lose control of Congress. But many of us feel the Democrats are nothing more than the lesser evil, with a leadership that pursues opportunism and careerism rather than the party's values and principles. How do we change that? One way is to elect as many members of Congress we can who are not beholden to the corrupt party leadership. For example, these are progressive candidates who won their primaries and who the DCCC and Nancy Pelosi have refused to support:

• Randy Bryce (WI-01)
• Ammar Campa-Najjar (CA-50)
• Audrey Denney (CA-01)
• Kara Eastman (NE-02)
• Kendra Fershee (WV-01)
• Jess King (PA-11)
• Nate MuMurray (NY-27)
• J.D. Scholten (IA-04)
• Mike Siegel (TX-10)
• Dayna Steele (TX-36)
• James Thompson (KS-04)

Instead, the DCCC and Pelosi are spending tens of millions of dollars on New Dems and Blue Dogs from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, consciously shifting the congressional caucus in a sharply rightward.corporate direction-- in the opposite direction the Democratic base wishes it to move.

Today we have to deal with an existential problem-- Trump and his GOP enablers. But we should concentrate on making sure the progressives running for Congress today have every chance possible to win. Think back to when you were in school or the military or at summer camp. Did you have any pals back then who like in Omaha? Can you call them and ask them to vote for Kara Eastman? Sunday Kara told her supporters that her race "is one of the most closely watched in the entire country. Everyone’s eyes are on this district, waiting to see what happens on election day. If we can win here, it’s proof that our common-sense progressive platform can work around the rest of the country as well. We have grown this small grassroots movement into something bigger than all of us. We are ready to make history and create meaningful change in our country. Your vote matters. This race will be incredibly close, and we need you to show up and be counted on election day. Make sure you have a plan to get to the polls on Tuesday, November 6th and make your voice heard. Your vote would be the best birthday gift I could get this year." And her win would be a gift for every progressive in America. Think again... maybe you have a cousin in Omaha? No? Perhaps an old chum you haven't talk to in years who lives in Gretna or La Vista or Papillion? Today, only phone calls can help, not checks; too late for that.



How about someone who lives in Racine or Kenosha or Janesville, Wisconsin? Those are the 3 biggest towns in Randy Bryce's district. A persuasive GOTV call to someone you know, is worth more than any financial contribution right now. Maybe someone who moved to Elkhorn or Burlington? Lake Geneva? Muskego? Or maybe the suburbs south of Milwaukee-- Oak Creek, Franklin, Greendale, Caldonia? This is going to be a close race. Every vote counts.

In western New York, there's a big space with lots of suburbs and small towns between Buffalo and Rochester. Anyone you know up there who you could talk to about Nate McMurray. Most people who hear that Chris Collins is an extreme Trumpist and that he was arrested for corruption charges and is out on bail, are very open to hearing reasons to vote for Nate McMurray.

Same in Escondido, Ramona, Lakeside, Santee and the other suburbs east and north of San Diego. And Temecula... and the eastern parts of El Cajon-- that's all Ammar Campa-Najjar's district, where the incumbent, Druncan Hunter, is also an extreme Trumpist out on bail after being arrested by the FBI.

And on the exact opposite end of California, up in the northeast... maybe you know someone with a phone who moved to Grass Valley? Oroville, Redding, Chico, Paradise, Yreka, Red Bluff? Someone living on a houseboat in Lake Shasta or Goose Lake? That's all part of CA-01, where Berniecrat Audrey Denney is making tremendous headway against Doug LaMalfa and can use every vote she can get.

Don't tell me you don't know anyone in Austin. Everyone does... just think. Mike Siegel's district includes lots of Austin neighborhoods-- The Triangle, Rosedale, Ridge Top, Coronado Hills, St Johns, Broadacres, Brentwood, Oakmont Heights, Balcones Park, Abercrombe, Skyview, Crestview, Allandale, Wooten, North Shoal Creek, Mesa Forest, Quail Hollow, Gracywoods, North Oaks, up into Pflugerville and then out towards Houston in towns like Bastrop, La Grange, Brenham, Sealy, Weimar, as well as towns like Tombatt, Cypress, Prairie View and Fairfield on the outskirts of Houston. Mike's race to replace the Trumpist incumbent-- who helped formulate the babies in cages policy-- is going to depend on getting people to come out to vote today in those Austin neighborhoods, Houston suburbs and everything in between. Know anyone there you could call?

And on the other side of Houston... maybe you know someone from a past life who went to work for NASA? Dayna Steele's race is going to be decided tonight by voters in Seabook, Deer Park, Channelview, Sheldon and Crosby on the outskirts of Houston-- as well as by folks living in La Porte, Baytown, Beach City and up in Lumberton, Liberty, Livingston, Jasper, Bon Wier (right on the Louisiana border), Kirbyville, and in the Beaumont suburbs like Vidor and Rose City.

Maybe you know people in Lancaster, Pennsylvania or up in Ephrata or Elizabethtown or down in Hanover in York County. Call them and persuade them to vote for Jess King.

Is it possible you know someone teaching at Iowa State in Ames? Steve King's district isn't 100% farmland. Anyone in your phonebook from Sioux City? Mason City? Forest City? Rockwell City? How about Fort Dodge or Pocahontas? For J.D. to win today, he's going to need votes from all those places. Think! Anyone? A sister's old boyfriend? The coach of your high school basketball team?

Maybe coach moved to Kansas, not Iowa. James Thomson's district is mostly Wichita and Sedgewick County but he's going to need whatever votes he can pick up in Eureka, Howard nd Sedan in the east, Kinsley, Greensburg, Goldwater in the west and towns like Kingman, Medicine Lodge and Winfield in between.

That leaves us with the toughest district we're trying to flip this cycle, WV-01 (PVI R+19), where Kendra Fershee is running a progressive campaign in a district where Bernie did incredibly well. It includes Wheeling, Parkersburg and Morgantown (West Virginia University's Evansdale campus). Maybe an old babysitter? I used to volunteer at a People for the American Way office and I met a young woman there who helped me figure out what I was doing. She lives in that district now. In fact... she's the candidate!




A friend of mine, Richard Foos, worked with his wife and Ted Lieu and another friend of ours, Jody Uttal, and me, to put on a fundraising event for Ammar Campa-Najjar and Randy Bryce. We raised them each some money but that didn't feel proactive enough for Richard. He wanted to do something way more visceral. So... he called a dozen friends, printed up some voter guides and called up Katie Hill's campaign manager and offered to stand outside a dozen polling places and hand out the guides. He's done it before-- and it works, especially well for down-ballot candidates and propositions on the ballot. I asked him to explain what it's like doing this kind of volunteer work. He told me he believes "that the most effective thing we can do today is to work at a polling place with a three fold plus purpose.

1) hand out voter guides for the congressional Dems (not as important for the congressional race, but very important for down ballot candidates, non-partisan candidates and propositions.
2) Catch any voter irregularities by ensuring all Dems successfully voted on the way out of the polls.
3) Check the voter roles which are posted inside the polling place every couple hours and tell headquarters who has not voted yet so that they can get their GOTV team to remind the ones who didn't vote to do so.

I am going to be doing it for Katie Hill’s campaign and if interested email jake@katiehillforcongress.com/ Otherwise call your local Dem office or congressional candidate’s campaign headquarters."

Voter Suppression by Nancy Ohanian