Anxiety-reducing activism at your finger tips
I am not alone of late in talking more about politics than lacing up my old activist boots, jumping in the trenches, and doing more nitty-gritty work. Once, I lived close enough to join various anti-war and rights protests, corral signatures at grocery stores, even walk door-to-door canvassing for underdog congressional candidates. My first campaign was San Mateo, 1968, supporting the youthful, iconoclastic anti-Vietnam War Congressional Republican Pete McCloskey (who just died in May). Then came the incredible Ron Dellums breakthrough triumph in the Oakland/Berkeley House seat.
I can’t recall a GOPer I’ve supported since McCloskey and Dellums lasted for decades. I started my “political” writing years later, with scads of letters to the editor, scoring at the local Woodland CA paper and the S. F. Chronicle, with the rare NY Times appearance. My most involved, weekly activist commitment (writing, speaking and protesting) took place in the 1990s – and that ended up producing a decent, long overdue gravel mining ordinance in my local county.
Today there are far more accessible activist plays, most available to do at home. Far less daunting, postcard activism (or more) values personal, direct contacts in your own hand, signed simply with “volunteer.” Organizations provide prescribed scripts, tested by the organization to be the most effective at reaching voters. The task is lss about explicit electioneering or exhortation, then friendly reminders to kickstart truly “populist” voting (and to offset, for example, the bizarre Ohio mandate that voters must request absentee ballots every election).
You can directly impact what are the closest, purple state campaigns, especially Congress and all-important, close Senate races in NV, MT, OH, AZ, and PA, with MD, WI and MI close behind. Some optimists think tougher contests, in FL and TX, are flippable. Most write off WV as lost to the right.
There’s no specific quantity requirement in time or names when signing up with one of the activist organizations below; you just forward a writing sample and they forward contact information of would-be voters in whatever key race you choose. Some provide postcards, some don’t and volunteers add a $.53 stamp (rate going up three cents July 14th), then find a post box or office.
There are other activist groups that may be just as effective: 1) Grassrootsdems.org; 2) Mobilize.us; and Demvolctr.org. You may also order custom postcards to your taste from Votermailbag.com or Etsy.
Anxiety-reducing activism
You are sent a specific number of Democratic voters (some less active) and scribble at home in leisure. What could be easier to motivate busy or distracted voters to honor their hard-won citizenship rights? Overall, we’re talking huge numbers of contacts, upwards of many millions, in part explaining the sustained Democratic success across the board since 2016. Of course, you may donate cash, but there’s no pressure and no mandates; you can also secure phone numbers to call or text, even canvass door-to-door, if you’re close enough to impact a critical contest.
One top group, Activate America, provides succinct, online, issue-specific talking points, for those wanting detailed support about key Biden and Democratic Party wins. That makes it easy to explain to neighbors or family why Dems are committed to improve people’s lives, not just pump out whining grievances from the nutty, staggeringly misinformed (including the RFK, Jr. contingent), even nefarious hardcore opposition.
When enough swing voters in key states are awakened, then learn what’s really happening, what’s at stake, and what each major party represents, this election IMO outcome would be promptly decided. The void of what half the electorate don’t know is shocking, whether about Biden or Trump’s menace. Here is one way to involve and educate swing voters capable of impacting decisions – all for a little time and postage. See “Voter ignorance is Trump’s superpower. It can also be his weakness.”
Join up and help offset the latest plunge into crass absurdity. Democracy will only be healed when informed voters play their important part. Send out postcards that speak your truth and motivate less committed voters to make their preferences count.
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