Welcome to our first postcard writing party and music thread of this election cycle!
If there is enough interest we wlll be having combination postcard writing & music threads on Saturdays and Tuesdays – 8 pm blog time.
Not writing postcards? Not a problem, you can share some music and maybe even some encouragement with the writers.
I would like to collect information about all the opportunities for VA and OH all in one place, so if you know of a campaign please share the information! And if any of the information below should be edited, or if you know of additional opportunit9es, chime in with those, too, please.
OHIO Opportunities
Ohio Indivisible
This is the group that wrote for us using Voces addresses for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and other races. Let’s return the favor and write for them for Issue 1! I have addresses – just send me email, include your nym, and let me know how many addresses you would like to start with.
Dear [VOTER NAME],
Let’s amend Ohio’s constitution to protect reproductive freedoms! Decisions about your health should be in your hands.
Vote YES on or before Nov. 7 to protect abortion rights in Ohio. Early vote begins Oct. 11 – find details here: voteohio.gov1
Thank you for being a voter!
Sample postcard from Mousebumples
PtV has a 3-day window to write, and a minimum of 4 addresses.
PostcardsToVoters.org currently has OH addresses. To sign up, use their email option first: their text option may be temporarily out of order. They’ve also got a Slack option. Link tree here: https://linktr.ee/postcardstovoters
For anyone who’s interested in signing up:
FAQ page is here:
VIRGINIA Opportunities
Vote Forward – Virginina Turnout 2023
Mail as soon as Sun, Oct 1 (in 8 days) but no later than Tue, Oct 31 (in 38 days)
Overview: Write letters to turn out voters in key swing districts in Virginia before the November 7 state legislative elections
Background: Every seat in the Virginia state legislature is up for election this year under newly drawn maps. We’re writing letters to encourage Democratic-leaning voters in the most competitive districts to cast their ballots and make sure their voices are heard.
Targeting: Fellow citizens who are unlikely to vote but likely to vote for Democrats when they do cast a ballot.
Goal: This campaign seeks to increase voter turnout.
Virginia GOTV: Reproductive Freedom
Send as soon as Sun, Oct 1 (in 8 days) but no later than Tue, Oct 31 (in 38 days)
Labs Question: Help us learn more about the effectiveness of letters focused on specific issues
Overview: Write letters to young voters in Virginia with messages focused on reproductive freedom
Background: Abortion and reproductive freedom are critical issues on the minds of youth voters, and their votes could make a big difference in Virginia’s statewide elections this year. In this campaign, we’ll encourage these voters to turn out by writing letters that focus on this important issue.
Targeting: Fellow citizens who have historically been underrepresented in the electorate.
Goal: This campaign seeks to increase voter turnout.
Open thread!
H.E.Wolf
Woo hoo!!!! Thank you for recommencing these communal GOTV parties.
WaterGirl
@H.E.Wolf: Let me know if there are any changes or additions to the Postcards to Voters section?
delphinium
Starting the night off with some theme music for Ohio and Virginia:
Pretenders: My City was Gone (live version)
Head and the Heart: Virginia
I’ll email you WG to get addresses.
H.E.Wolf
Quick correction: the final VA link is for Postcards4VA.
PostcardsToVoters.org currently has OH addresses (see Mousebumples’ postcard image). To sign up, use their email option first: their text option may be temporarily out of order. They’ve also got a Slack option. Link tree here: https://linktr.ee/postcardstovoters
H.E.Wolf
@WaterGirl:
We were typing at the same time, but my typing was slower. :-)
piratedan
@delphinium: building on your theme of using music from those states…. some of Ohio’s favorite sons, Devo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_HH_jher3c – Through Being Cool
H.E.Wolf
Heading offline for a little while – back later, because everyone’s comments lift my spirits and reconcile me to the frequent need for White-Out (Ink Splotch Central over here).
BlueGuitarist
@H.E.Wolf:
Thanks for your link the other day to the awesome later Fired Up, Ready to Go video!
WaterGirl
@H.E.Wolf: I edited but I’m not sure it’s exactly right.
FYI, Mousebumples is writing for the Ohio Indivisible peeps who sent so many postcards for us using Voces Addresses.
BlueGuitarist
Speaking of fired up,
https://politicalwire.com/2023/09/23/mark-meadows-smelled-like-burned-documents/
delphinium
@piratedan:
Nice! I didn’t remember that Devo was from OH.
Sure Lurkalot
Are there postcard writing options for Virginia? Letters would be time consuming.
BlueGuitarist
@delphinium:
i remember your awesome postcards this spring and that you shared a link to Groove is in the Heart!
delphinium
@BlueGuitarist: Aw-thanks : ), will send WG a sample for the OH referendum for the next Postcard post on Tuesday. I really like seeing what everyone does-very inspiring!
WaterGirl
@BlueGuitarist: Was that a different Fired Up video than the one I put up top in a post?
WaterGirl
@BlueGuitarist: Oops!
Another Scott
@Sure Lurkalot: https://postcards4va.com/ seems to be a good group. They list 16 House of Delegates and 8 Senate candidates they’re supporting with postcards.
All they do is write postcards – they don’t do fundraising, etc.
(I have no ties with them.)
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Sure Lurkalot:
There is Postcards4VA but I don’t know anything about them.
Would you want to sign up to check them out? Make sure they look legitimate? Make sure they are writing to Democrats? :-)
edit: oh, I was hoping someone from VA would chime in, and I see that Another Scott chimed in just above this comment.
I will add them to the list of options up top.
dkinPa
Thanks for setting up the party, WaterGirl! I took a break in August, but I’ve just started back writing for Postcards to Voters in Ohio. Also, thanks for the info on writing to Virginia. I grew up in VA, so I’ll try to send out a few postcards to them, too.
Mousebumples
Yes, I adapted their text slightly – and might make more changes as I write more postcards.
I appreciate the opportunity to return the favor since they were so helpful with electing Justice Janet Protasiewicz in April.
Anyhow, I’m here. Busy day, and just got the kids to bed/finished dinner. Now for more postcards!
Alison Rose
“Cradles” – Sub Urban
“NeverStop” – Alison Goldfrapp
“Another Minute” – Cause & Effect
“Monster” – Big Data
“Maid” – Stella Rose
BlueGuitarist
@WaterGirl:
In the Merrick Garland thread a few days ago, Wednesday, before the one in which you posted the link at the top
https://balloon-juice.com/2023/09/20/merrick-garland-is-tired-of-their-bullshit/
I posted the same link you used
and H.E. Wolf used one described as
with this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23nnrp9e8VI
both are awesome!
(a couple of people commented in the Garland thread that the link we used moved them to tears.)
WaterGirl
If anyone wants to send me an image of a completed postcard, I can put them in the post for inspiration, like I did with the one from Mousebumples.
eclare
@delphinium:
Wow that version of “My City Was Gone” was amazing, especially for a live version.
delphinium
@eclare: Yeah, Chrissie Hynde still kicks ass.
WaterGirl
Wowser. This postcard from dkinPa is amazing. Click the image for a bigger version.
“There’s a wave of change building because of Democrats like you.”
That’s really powerful. Is that part of a script, or did you come up with that?
H.E.Wolf
Thanks for the edit on PTV OH (looks okay to me), and for the correction re: Mousebumples’ cards.
The more streams the better – we’re collectively going to be like the mighty Mississippi of GOTV for the next 6 weeks.
eclare
@WaterGirl:
That is awesome!
WaterGirl
@delphinium: I am embarrassed to say that I had never seen a photo of The Pretenders and had never seen a video. I had no idea that there was a woman in that band, let alone appearing to lead it. I need to get out more!
H.E.Wolf
@BlueGuitarist:
@BlueGuitarist:
Thanks very much for re-linking to both videos! Glad you liked the retirement celebration for Edith Childs – what a role model for all of us: never give up, and bring others along with you.
H.E.Wolf
@Alison Rose:
Great music!!
Mousebumples
@WaterGirl & dkinPa – those look great! 🤩
H.E.Wolf
@dkinPa:
Your postcard is inspiring! [Image in WaterGirl’s comment, below]
@WaterGirl:
H.E.Wolf
Guilty confession time: I’m still finishing my batch of postcards to FL, reminding folks who’ve been enrolled in Vote By Mail to RE-enroll for the coming election cycle (through 2024).
As soon as those are completed, I’m jumping in for the OH pro-choice “Yes on Issue 1” campaign with Postcards To Voters. My measly little 5-at-a-time batches aren’t much, but they’ll add to the river.
eclare
@WaterGirl:
You had never heard of Chrissie Hynde? She is in her 70’s now and still kicks ass.
dkinPa
Aww, thanks, guys! PTV give you a number of optional lines to use and “There’s a wave of change….” seemed appropriate for Ohio. Those guys are kicking ass!
WaterGirl
@eclare: Sad to say!
WaterGirl
@dkinPa: What are the other optional lines? I can’t imagine they are as good as that one. :-)
But maybe they are!
delphinium
Some more music from Ohioans:
Boz Scaggs: Lowdown
Twenty One Pilots: The Hype
eclare
@WaterGirl:
Check out “Brass in Pocket”, my friends and I obsessed over that song. As did a lot of kids.
It was played a lot during “couples skate” at the local skating rink.
WaterGirl
@H.E.Wolf: Thanks for confirming that the PtV blurb looks right!
delphinium
@dkinPa: Great post card!
WaterGirl
@eclare: I always loved that song, but I never knew the name of it or that it was by the Pretenders.
prostratedragon
Strings for dinner: “Quarter Chicken Dark,” Goat Rodeo Sessions
WaterGirl
@delphinium: I know. I look at *that card and think “I’m not worthy.” :-)
*and some of the other cards we’ve seen on these threads in the past.
WaterGirl
At 10 pm I’m planning to close the laptop, so if anyone wants to send a photo or needs addresses tonight, you have 15 minutes. :-)
dkinPa
@WaterGirl: PTV has a bunch of different options to use. These are the generic ones. (Wasn’t sure how to cut and paste, but I think this is working, LOL.)
prostratedragon
Strings to the nightclub: “Michealangelo 70” take 2, Pablo Ziegler Quartet with Regina Carter
Mousebumples
No mail pickup until Monday, so addressing could always wait until tomorrow too. 😊
mvr
@eclare: Happy to have seen them in the 80s though not in their very first incarnation. This was the “Middle of the Road” tour and they were still good.
There is something about a singer with impeccable timing and Chrissie Hynde has it.
WaterGirl
@dkinPa: Thank you for that!
Boy, I don’t think any of the others even come close! The only other one that speaks to me is your vote = your voice
One thing Balloon Juice teaches me is that we are all different!
WaterGirl
@Mousebumples: So true!
H.E.Wolf
see y’all Tuesday night. Jackal writers (and music purveyors and blog post put-uppers) are the best!
WaterGirl
@H.E.Wolf: See you on Tuesday, 8 pm blog time, if not before!
mrmoshpotato
🎶 Everybody dance now!🎶
Alison Rose
@H.E.Wolf: Thanks! 😊
NotMax
Eine kleine Postkartemusik.
Why not? Mamma Mia medley.
Compilation of conductor Rainer Hersch having a good ol’ time.
sab
@delphinium: Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.
prostratedragon
@mrmoshpotato: So there are two C&C fans!
WaterGirl
I have added a new section in the sidebar.
Political Action
Postcard Writing Information
All the information in this thread has been added to the information page linked above.