Kansans Got It Done. Can We?
Kansans Got It Done at the Polls: Can We?
Surprising almost every pollster and political pundit across the country, Democratic, Republican, and unaffiliated Kansans showed up at the polls on Tuesday to defeat an amendment to the state constitution designed to ban abortion in the conservative red state.
What happened??? And how can we build on this success for the midterms and in our own local political organizing in our purple and reddish communities? Here are some takeaways:
1) First, it's good to just pause and celebrate the people who did the work. To many people this may sound like it came out of nowhere, but WE know that lots of people, people just like us, did careful messaging and they did it person to person on the phone and at doors, over many weeks and months. Direct voter contact conducted by regular volunteers just like us (many of them women really mad about Dobbs) WORKS.
2) Registering more women to vote and working to increase voter turnout benefits our cause. It's been true before, but it may be especially true post-Dobbs. 70% of new voter registrations post Dobbs in Kansas were women. During the same period last year it was 50%. Voter turnout was sky high. Can we get people in Central NY as energized about candidates as Kansans were about a constitutional amendment referendum? That's the task ahead.
3) Kansas doesn't mean Democrats or even less extremist Republicans are going to win everywhere in November. Lots of MAGA candidates won on Tuesday across the country. But, there is a glimmer of hope that things look better today than they did a few months ago for Democrats in the midterm elections. The passage of key legislation by Democrats in the House and Senate is also a good sign. Falling gas prices could be a good sign. Enough to motivate us to believe that our efforts can yield fruit on Nov. 8.
Keep listening to your friends and neighbors when they talk about their fury, fear, and anxiety about Dobbs and the assaults on human rights and democracy that Republicans are planning next. But don't let the conversations end there. We are not a powerless people! We are people who can canvass, phonebank, text bank, write letters to the editor, and get people to the polls. Ask everyone you know to join you in your political action!
Finally, Indivisible shared its key takeaways from Kansas on the national activist call last night:
Strategic conflict works (that's where we message on our terms, to show that Republican/MAGA ideas are extreme).
Identify wedge issues (focus on the issues that make that contrast between us and their extremism most clear)
Want to know more about how to communicate effectively on social media, in your circle of friends, and when you are talking to voters? Try this awesome new resource (part of a new project called Give No Ground): Indivisible Unpacked - Give No Ground.
If you are want to get a head start on the overall plan to Defeat MAGA Mayhem, please go ahead and read the new Indivisible Guide on the subject. It's full of ideas and resources. The Guide is the playbook for how we will win. We'll talk more about how this guide connects to IMV at our September and October meetings.
Can we win in 2022? Just ask the politically active women in Kansas.
Castelli vs Stefanik: How You Can Help
IMV had an excellent 100 Days to Defeat MAGA Mayhem weekend of action! A bunch of us knocked doors for Matt Castelli, who is working to defeat Elise Stefanik in NY21. We met Matt at the Marina in Frankfort, and energized by his message, we went out to talk to Democratic voters in Frankfort, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mohawk, and Ilion who are likely to vote in a midterm primary.
It's easy to talk to voters at their doors about Matt Castelli. He fought in Afghanistan and has worked in counterterrorism, defending and protecting America. He has spent his whole career serving his country, while Elise Stefanik has never served anything but her only political interests. Matt is in every part of the district listening to the people he wants to represent. Elise Stefanik meets with Trump and Fox news hosts, but her constituents, the voters who elected her, have not seen her in years.
Want to help Betsy, Jill, and the rest of our NY21 IMV members in Herkimer County elect Matt and defeat Elise? Here's how you can phonebank--the phone banking happens almost every evening so you can choose a date!: https://www.mobilize.us/castelliforcongress/event/483135/
For canvassing day-to-day: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFK8lQP6SAUhWkfjEr7EuzxCqSyuVlMJBbtawTpGW60QyCUw/viewform?usp=sf_link
If you have questions or want to help in other ways, please contact: Jacob Gagnon Field Director, Castelli for Congress (315) 544-0924
Postcards to Help Matt Castelli
IMV activists also wrote postcards in support of Castelli on Monday night at Cherrywood in New Hartford (and bid a fond farewell to Joelle Taylor who is moving out of state). The cards will be sent just before the general election and have a message about Stefanik's heartless vote against making insulin affordable. Our handwritten note: "Matt Catelli cares about keeping our families healthy and safe." is short but will pack a punch when it reminds women voters in Herkimer to go to the polls for him Nov. 8th.
We still have some postcards left to write. You can pick up a pack of 50 or 100 from the Resistance box on the porch of 2 Laurelwood, New Hartford, and turn them back in at the IMV potluck picnic Aug. 24 or to the box by Aug. 30. We will need stamps or money to buy stamps, so please contribute here.
Celeste Friend Ice Cream Social Fundraiser
It's not too late to register for Celeste Friend's (3rd Ward Utica Common Council) Annual Ice Cream Social fundraiser tomorrow, Aug. 6th, 1-4 pm at her home, 37 Emerson Ave, Utica. There will be lots of ice cream, community, and fun! Register here.
Meet Sarah Klee Hood & Help Her Win NY22
Sarah Klee Hood, who is running for Congress in NY22 (includes Oneida County) has captured the enthusiasm of many IMV activists. Here are some ways to help her campaign:
You can volunteer for Sarah Klee Hood’s phone banking team. The campaign is running phone banks seven days a week in every county, town, and ward across the district. To Sign up to Phone Bank Email Matt Brush: matt@sarahkleehood.com
OR Submit this form: https://forms.gle/eeJrMA6rH4jKPA5j8You can knock doors for SKH this Sunday, August 7th between 11 am-3 pm in Oneida County: Here's the event page. For details: info@sarahkleehood.com
Meet SKH one-on-one at Utica Common Council Member Celeste Friend's house on Sunday 3-5 pm at 37 Emerson Ave. Utica. This is a meet and greet event following Celeste's endorsement of Sarah this past week. OR
Meet Sarah at IMV's CAFE Friday on Aug 12th. She'll be there to answer questions and talk about how you can help her get out the vote for her campaign for the Aug. 23rd primary.
Fran Conole Fundraiser Change
The Conole for Congress fundraiser at Daniele's at Valley View (620 Memorial Pkwy), hosted by The Oneida County Democratic Committee, has been rescheduled for September 8th, after the primary election. If you have already purchased a ticket, your ticket will still be honored for the new date. The event will begin at 5:00 PM. To buy your ticket in advance, please click on https://secure.actblue.com/donate/cfc.aug4 or reach out to Dan Nickelson (Dan@Conoleforcongress.com).
The Climate Crisis Work Ahead
IMV's Climate Crisis Working Group is our largest issue group, taking action at the local, state, and national levels. Here's an update from NY Renews, the statewide coalition:
"This summer has been a whirlwind for climate justice in the US. Over the past few weeks, NY Renews has made some key strategic shifts to respond to the changing state and national landscape. This year, we’re thinking bigger, better, and more creatively than ever.
Want to hear the details of our new plan and learn how to plug in? Join us at our Mass Call, “Where Is NY Renews Headed in 2023?” on August 11th at 6:30 pm to unpack our new strategy and learn about the plan for the rest of 2022 and 2023!
A recent article makes the point that climate bills, including far-reaching progressive climate bills in NY state, will continue to stall out, unless more people get active and participate in demanding their legislators pass those bills: "If New Yorkers want to see faster lawmaking, legislators and advocates said the public is going to have to get involved. More than half-dozen state legislators said the easiest way to move a bill is through public action and outcry. Advocates said joining rallies, protests, making calls, and writing letters to legislators is another way citizens can be involved in moving the process along."
This past week Sarah Reeske hosted an Indivisible OneNYS zoom meeting with Sen. Schumer to thank him for his work on sweeping legislation now part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Here’s the summary on the climate/energy part of the bill. He shared eye popping numbers that cover every sector that intersects the climate work we’ve been fighting for. This is a monumental investment that will reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.
There are things to celebrate, and still more work to do. Join the NY Renews call to find out more about that work ahead in New York.
Indivisible Matching Funds this August
Once again, Indivisible is offering a distributed matching campaign to double our fundraising. For every dollar contributed to IMV between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, Indivisible will match $1, up to $500. We can use the funds for:
Get Out The Vote postcards, canvassing or tabling materials
Postcards, ads, or billboards promoting or opposing federal level candidates for office (if independent of the campaign)
General group supplies like banners, clipboards, pens, snacks, sound systems and more
All you need to do is go to IMV's webpage DONATE link and contribute online using ActBlue: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisibleohc421610861. Thank you for making a contribution and getting us to our goal of $1000 total for August to support building our organizing capacity and impacting the 2022 elections from a local, grassroots level.
August Potluck Picnic!
It's almost time for IMV's summer potluck picnic at the Birch Pavilion by the playground at Sherrill Brook, New Hartford's Town Park! Join us on Wednesday, August 24th, 5:30-8:00 pm. By this date the 2022 primary elections will be behind us! We'll say hi to our 2022 candidates, talk about what's ahead and enjoy food and fresh air with activist friends!
-Bring food item(s) to share
-Bring your own place setting if you can (but we’ll have some extra disposables if needed)
-We will have water so you can fill your cup, or BYO drink
This is also IMV's August meeting, so we'll also use the time to discuss some of our overall strategies to win in November. We can't wait to see everyone!
Democracy is NOT a spectator sport.
Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.
