In case you missed the introduction to the series in February, here’s the first post: Playing to Win: An Introduction
It’s kind hard to believe that we started this series less than 7 weeks ago, in the before times. In the span of 7 weeks, our whole world has changed. Campaigns have changed, candidates have changed, organizing has changed, and the state of the presidential campaign changed when Bernie suspended his campaign. Though we are apparently still bickering and re-litigating grievances from 2016/2020.
In the meantime, here’s a quick summary of where we were when this started:
A couple of our jackals requested a daily political “action” thread, so how about if we try it for a bit and see how that goes? If you guys think it’s useful, we can keep it up, and if it ends up being more “seemed like a good idea at the time,” then we can let it go.
The goal is a poll-free, spin-free, prognostication-free, media-free, what’s-wrong-with-the-other-candidate-free-zone – a political thread where the focus is on ACTION: What can be done to help our candidates, and what are we doing to help them, every day?
The hope is that this will help provide inspiration, and encourage action, as an alternative to anger, frustration and despair.
You can find the whole series here: Playng to Win
Note for the day:
Let’s use this thread today as a jumping off point to talk about ways we can move forward to help Democratic campaigns in this new world where traditional face-to-face communication is no longer an option. (As well as anything you would normally talk about in this thread.
Going forward, I’d kind of like to highlight a different opportunity in the Note for the Day on each post. Maybe one donation opportunity and one action opportunity each time? Good idea, or not?
I would need each of you to take the lead by providing me with a short blurb for the donation opportunity and/or the action opportunity that is nearest and dearest to you. If you share that in the comments, or send it to me by email, I can feature one in each post.
If you like this idea, let me know in the comments. If not, we’ll drop it and focus on… I don’t know yet, you tell me!
schrodingers_cat
Can we also have another open thread where we don’t have these censorship rules. Thanks.
cain
My action today is to read a book – cuz I dont’ think I can take it today. I have work to do anyways.
Elizabelle
We could get Biden buttons and put them on our masks.
Also a sticker on our masks: Save Lives; Vote by Mail
Otherwise, I am kind of tuned out for a little while.
JPL
@Elizabelle: I think save lives, vote by mail stickers is an excellent idea.
Litlebritdifrnt
Reposting from downstairs Owain Wyn Evans (the most Welsh name ever) is a Weather Man for my local area (North West Tonight) posted this yesterday and it is brilliant
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/multi-tasking-forecaster-owain-wyn-18092759
joel hanes
Liberals/Democrats tend to overfocus on national office, and especially to overfocus on the Presidency.
But the statehouses are important power centers, not least because of reapportionment. This year’s blue revolution in Virginia demonstrates just how much can be accomplished when Republicans are driven from power.
If you are represented by Republicans, at any level of government, find and contribute to their opponents. Instead of starting at the top of the ballot, start at the bottom. The more local the race, the more proportional impact your donation will have — a hundred dollars given to Biden will not swing the election, but a hundred dollars given to a candidate for county supervisor or school board might.
Gin & Tonic
@schrodingers_cat: There’s an open thread right down the stairs.
Elizabelle
@JPL: Slogan works on so many levels.
(1) Vote Trump and the sociopaths out.
(2) It truly is saving lives, because their policies literally kill people.
(3) Mail — save the post office!
satby
@schrodingers_cat: jeezus, there’s plenty of other open threads.
Omnes Omnibus
@schrodingers_cat: It isn’t fucking censorship. Also, if you want to say something shitty about Warren, use the thread below.
Subsole
Love the idea of a daily donation opportunity. Really helps focus on the local stuff that we desperately need to focus on and generally gets overlooked. Also a twofer: since those might be smaller campaigns in less saturated markets, our dollars will have more impact.
zhena gogolia
I set up my weekly donation to Biden today (for some reason they don’t offer monthly! so I just made it smaller).
satby
@zhena gogolia: ot, but in case you didn’t see it, I put a link to a source for that Yul Brynner CD in John’s post thread.
gene108
@Elizabelle:
Buttons will put a small hole in your mask, which makes the mask less effective
We need Biden stickers or even iron decals
WaterGirl
Questions for the hive mind. Is it too early for postcards? Is there anything to do at this point besides donate? Was anyone serious about the save lives, vote by mail stickers? Do we have a designer who could volunteer their time? Should we wait a month or so for the next Playing to Win?
Full disclosure: I thought I had pushed this post further back in the schedule than today, but I am apparently so discombobulated that I goofed that up.
WaterGirl
@gene108: Stickers for sure, not buttons.
Mary G
Two different people on my Twitter feed are planning to use their $1200 check by donating it to Biden. I need a new wheelchair, but some of the rest is going there too, and I plan to let the president know on Twitter when I do.
zhena gogolia
@satby:
Oh, no I didn’t and I completely forgot about it! I’ll go look, thanks
ETA: Alas, it looks as if that site has the LP, not the CD.
schrodingers_cat
People yelling at me, please look at the time the time stamp of my comment it is April 8th. And we hadn’t had an open thread in a long while on that day.
Another Scott
@zhena gogolia:
Here’s a link for the CD but it says “deactivated item” which doesn’t sound promising. :-(
But if it’s not available there, maybe it will give you pointers on what to look for.
HTH!
Cheers,
Scott.
Omnes Omnibus
@schrodingers_cat: Fair enough, but it wasn’t censorship then either.
schrodingers_cat
@Gin & Tonic: Thanks that comment is from April 8th.
Elizabelle
@gene108: Good point.
Stickers on masks, not buttons.
UncleEbeneezer
Swing Left podcast is hosting a virtual letter-writing party tomorrow, for anyone interested.
Groups like VoteForward are encouraging postcards/letter writing and just asking that people bank them for mailing about two weeks before Election Day.
Geminid
Xochitl Torres-Small, (D-Las Cruces NM) is one of the most vulnerable freshman Representatives. She flipped her district by only 3000 votes in 2018. Like most freshman she makes hardly any national news and doesn’t try to, but she can be followed in state and local reporting. The right wing PAC Congressional Leadership Fund just bought $1.1 million dollars of TV time to use against her.
O. Felix Culpa
@Geminid: Xochitl is an excellent candidate to support and, as you say, she is being targeted by the GOP. Any resources thrown her way would be greatly appreciated.
Here in Santa Fe County we’re making phone calls to encourage people to apply for an absentee ballot, which needs no excuse in New Mexico. The NM Supreme Court ruled yesterday that state law does not allow us to move to mail-in voting for the June 2nd primary, but they directed the Secretary of State and county clerks to mail absentee ballot applications to all registered voters. One can also apply for an absentee ballot online, which is a quick and easy process.
Steeplejack (phone)
@zhena gogolia:
One half of the set, The Gypsy and I, is on YouTube.
rikyrah
@Elizabelle:
that is a good idea
zhena gogolia
@Steeplejack (phone):
Oh, great!
zhena gogolia
@Steeplejack (phone):
That is so great! I had checked a while ago and it wasn’t there. I’m so glad to hear it!
neldob
@Geminid: Good to know, I’ll send her some dough.
Fair Economist
Totally in on the “Save Lives, Vote by Mail” mask stickers.
Aziz, light!
@Elizabelle:
My go-to slogan for this year (which I will make into a bumper sticker) will be “Flush the Turd on November Third.”
Kattails
@WaterGirl: I will put stickers in my mental in-box, see if any designs pop up. Thinking about size, maybe 2 1/2-3″ max, round?
Mousebumples
If people are looking for candidates to support, we have an open US House seat in Wisconsin, with a special election happening next month – Check out Tricia Zunker (@TriciaforWI): https://twitter.com/TriciaforWI?s=09
Yutsano
@Mousebumples: Sounds like a good postcard opportunity! Maybe I can do some chipping in there.
Amir Khalid
@Litlebritdifrnt:
I alwys thought the Welshest name ever was Tom Jones.
WaterGirl
@Kattails: I just measured, and I am wondering if 2.5 or 3 might be too big? Maybe 2″ or 2.25″ might be better?
But I’m no expert!
I hope some designs do pop up in your head? Wolvesvalley is playing around with some designs that will work on address labels, but I think round would work nicely, also.
Nice to have some choices!