12 Comments

Thanks, Dan. I think this is necessary but not sufficient, to quote someone wise. First, everyone who values democracy needs to get involved in the effort to win the midterms. There's something for everyone from social media advocacy (go to www.moreperfectdemocracy.org to get involved) to doorknocking to postcarding. I also think that it may be time to put on massive marches again, like the Women's march that was joined internationally. Sadly, I'm not the one to plan that, but I know someone is. And also,we've got to find a way to put pressure on the media to stop the BS both-sides reporting that is killing us with casual readers. We've managed to pressure several companies to leave Russia. I think a grassroots campaign to hold some of the media accountable might help the narrative. But all of this is meaningless if the criminals aren't held accountable. We gave the former confederates amnesty after the Civil War, and pardoned Nixon, and now the same general faction feels they can act with impunity. Thanks for what you do, Dan, and now let's all reach out to all of our friends and family and get them involved however we can.

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Thanks Dan.

Can't remember if it was a tweet or on the pod, but I heard you make the comment that everybody's hard work in 2020 is what is bringing KBJ to the SCOTUS - I repeated that to an acquaintance and it landed strong. I believe the same point about accountability will be motivational to a fair number of folks too. It's like the organizers' version of ASO's instruction to make the voter the hero of the story - we need to make potential activists the hero of the organizing story.

In my sphere, there is a deep sense that, to paraphrase Trump's words to Billy Bush, when you're a Republican, they let you do it. The challenge and the charge is to turn "they let you do it" to "we won't let you do it any more".

ps - Can you talk to Costa and Woodward and ask them to time their bombshells to better match the pod's schedule?

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100 percent agree we need to vote in 2022 and every election like our lives depend on it, because they do. That doesn’t eliminate the necessity of sending criminals to jail and holding corrupt public officials legally accountable.

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I read a few years ago about the "learned helplessness" of Democrats - can't remember the source, but probably the Atlantic. Seems like that is an apt expression - not necessarily for those who are active, but for many in Congress. I am not sure it isn't something more nefarious, but I always hold out hope. So much of politics is spectacle, as the KBJ hearings demonstrated, but the hopeful part is that KBJ was a beacon of grace, intellect, and just enough smack down that my sense is Republicans didn't know it was happening. I think THAT is part of the moves going forward - yes we need to call them out, but kind of in a way like Key & Peele's Obama sketches.

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Woke up this morning vowing to get motivated to help. The postcards are out on the table and ready! Thanks for this!

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The Supreme Court Ethics Act is just sitting in the House Judiciary Committee. Seems disingenuous to act like there’s just *nothing* we can do except vote six months from now. There’s an actually policy agenda we can be upping the urgency and moving the window on right now.

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Thanks for the perspective and for Opportunity to DO SOMETHING!! I have to say though... I can't light a fire under anyone who was willing to work for this in 2020. They are so tired and so complacent.... no one wants to 'go through this' again. I just can't understand. My mantra is 'we can't look away' but it falls on deaf ears. They will vote blue... but that's all they see as their role. Sigh. These are dems over 65 in blue states. They do not feel the urgency. Yet...

Suggestions?

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Hmmm… maybe Rick Scott’s agenda to sunset Medicare, Social Security, and every other federal law every five years if the GOP takes over in 2022 and 2024 might be motivating.

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Take a look at Jess Craven's Chop Wood Carry Water newsletter. There's an action every day and she makes it super easy. https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/

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Thanks, Dan. That was a helpful reminder.

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Thanks for this motivation.

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Uggghh. You’re right.

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