I want to keep this relatively brief because we are just a week away from the election (11/5) and we should be spending our time getting active In politics, rather than reading emails about politics. However, to motivate you, and inspire activity I want to give you three reasons to get out the vote this election, and three ways that you can still get involved in the election and make an impact.
First, as much as they leave to be desired, politicians like Kamala Harris, as well as Democratic Senators, Congresspeople, local officials, judges, etc. are nearly universally more in support of popular policies than their Republican counterparts. This isn't to say that Democrats get these policies passed, or even always fight for them, but their constituency and power-base support most of the popular policies in America. This includes everything from Healthcare and raising the minimum wage, to abortion rights and more robust climate policies. All of these policy areas fall short of the expressed wants of the American people, but they are still far closer to the American public then the Republican ticket across the aisle.
Second, although elections are a critical moment in time, they represent but a snapshot of the political power landscape. We can see the snapshot, but the moments before and after the election are when power is created. The very act of organizing in your own local community making connections with other voters and citizens over common issues and values helps create the first strands of coalition building that can be nurtured after the election into real solidarity and collective power.
Third, as so many people harp on constantly but correctly during this election the stakes here are more fundamentally about thriving of the democratic process than any particular policy issue. On that stage there is little debate that Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and the constituencies that support them are far more interested in abandoning democratic norms for the sake of taking power than their Democratic party opponents. Voting is a strategic exercise in power, but one that must exist in the context of organizing, coalition building, and pressure campaigns every day outside of the election. In other words, politics doesn’t start or stop with elections or on election day (11/5/24), but it does involve voting in them. So here are three activities that you can do to get involved and can still make a big difference:
In the lead up to the election: make phone calls; knock doors; and canvas the streets to help encourage people to vote. These actions are of course especially important in swing States like Pennsylvania (links included) and North Carolina. You can help with ballot curing of mail-in ballots to make sure everyone’s vote is counted, and small clerical errors don’t rob someone of the right to vote.
On election you can help with “vote tripling” by encouraging people exiting the polls to text their friends to go vote, or you can bring people to the polls.
Finally in the days after the election stay active and nurture the contacts that you have made throughout your get out the vote efforts. No matter what happens on November 5th, and the days after, we will need a growing coalition people, united in political and economic solidarity, in order to either protect ourselves from a rising neofascist state, or to force a corporately controlled, anemic Democratic Party to live up to the promise of a truly representative government.
So, join us each Tuesday in growing solidarity, next Tuesday to vote, and each one after to create connection, community and grow our power.
Next Week- Vote/ Get folks to the polls/ Hand out literature for candidates and issues
And show collective and united economic power.
Don't shop on Tuesday!
Comments