From the Inbox
“I’m not excited about the New York campaigns. When will we do more of the Vote by mail campaigns? Or other campaigns where there isn’t another democrat on the ballot?”
Since we started 18 months ago, New York volunteers have written hundreds of thousands of #PostcardsToVoters in places like Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa. We have some incredibly prolific New York postcarding groups.
When I first became aware of the IDC, (the 8 Democrats who have been trading their votes to give Republicans majority control of the State Senate), I took my time to research the situation. I spent months reading and asking locals about it.
To a person, every Democrat I asked had the same sour opinion of these turncoat Dem incumbents. I even spent a week in NY expressly to meet with and interview the challengers.
There’s a power to being an incumbent running for re-election. And in majority Democratic districts, there’s a historical low turnout in closed Democratic primaries. Challengers don’t just have an uphill battle. It’s more like they have an uphill battle while wearing roller blades and carrying a trunk full of petition signatures.
Knowing how these Democratic incumbents have betrayed their constituents again and again by running as Democrats only to vote as Republicans, I could not also turn my back on our Democratic brothers and sisters in New York.
I knew that writing for this many state candidates in a row this close to the midterms was already “risky” as far as managing volunteer happiness. But that it was a Democratic Primary made it an even tougher sell for all the non-NY volunteers.
So be it. Swimming against the stream is par for the course when you accept your role as an activist. If it’s important to see a “blue” state like New York finally pass protections for women, immigrants, the elderly, and the ill, then we will apply our resources and join this righteous battle.
Rescuing the New York State Senate isn’t hyperbole to me. It’s the reality of what must be done to get another state fighting to resist the Trump agenda with their full force.
Postcards to Voters will keep writing for NY until the last possible day so that we can say we did everything in our power to boost winning turnout. All of the campaigns lined up for our help in their November elections admire that about us. About you. It’s what makes us different than other postcard activism programs.
If you’re still not interested, come back in a few days and write double for our first midterm candidate. You’re always welcome and valued as a volunteer.
Thanks and write on!
~Tony The Democrat
I came, I saw, I wrote. I think this is very important. I’m retired but I spend a little on postcards and contributing a little because it’s IMPORTANT! Write On.