There’s something really fulfilling about seeing a message that you’ve been yammering on about for more than seven years finally take off. So you can imagine my delight when, over the past few weeks, I’ve seen multiple stories, emails, and social media posts about the need to run everywhere – and the benefits of doing so.
And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere – especially the rural parts of states that are dismissed as “lost causes.” I’m talking about the places where it’s hard to find someone willing to publicly declare they are a Democrat, let alone get them to run for office.
These are the places where “the news” is synonymous with Fox News, and the churches proudly preach politics from the pulpit.
With our siloed society, these rural areas are hard for outsiders to reach. And frankly, when outsiders to manage to break in, they often screw up the message.
So, just as a purely practical matter, we need folks from those areas to sit down and have sometimes uncomfortable but necessary conversations about democracy with their neighbors.
As you know, I read Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters to an American every morning. And this morning she noted a study by the Congressional Management Foundation, which studies how Congress works. It will not surprise you that even congressional staffers do not think Congress is behaving appropriately, right now. I suppose that’s not especially newsy.
But she included a quote from one staffer that I found particularly interesting:
“[W]ith the nation being in a self-sort mode, it is easy to never hear a dissenting opinion in many areas of the country. People in DC, who work in the Capitol, generally have a collegiate approach to each other. The American people don’t get to see that—at all. From the outside it appears to be a Royal Rumble and bloodsport. It’s reflected in the [way] people, regular citizens, now view one another.”
That’s the truth – and the cage match atmosphere is bolstered by Trump, who fans the flames with his own ALL CAPS, and threatening, social media posts.
But we also reinforce this self-sorting cycle – unintentionally – by refusing to run or support candidates in these rural areas. We have created the void that they are filling.
So for just about seven years now, I’ve been hammering at this point: local Democratic candidates are the organizers that we need in rural America. They make a national message personal – and can help folks question the rhetoric they see on the news or social media.
After all, it’s easy to point to Democrats on the television and say they’re out of touch and don’t understand where you’re coming from. It’s harder to do that when the Democrat you’re talking about grew up in your neighborhood, or taught in the local public school, or has that cute shop down on main street.
It’s a message that I’ve been sharing for a while – and supporting through our work at Every State Blue. (We’re at https://everystateblue.org/)
But in the last few weeks, it’s almost as if a dam broke.
Suddenly what has been really obvious to me – that in order for us to make progress in rural areas, we need to actually talk to people in rural areas – is becoming clear to everyone else, too. That is … amazing.
Progress is progress, after all.
And, as the old saying goes, the best time to start to make progress was yesterday. The next best time is today.
The bad news is that yesterday is … well … yesterday. But the good news is that we (hopefully) have a lot of tomorrows in front of us, and every day that we greet the sun, we have a new opportunity to make a difference.
And of course, I’m grateful that we’ve got today.
I’m also grateful that the message I’ve been spreading for years, now, is finally having its moment.
Today is exactly the right time, I think.
So let’s get to work.
Actions for the Week of April 2, 2024
TWO Great-Sounding Big Tent Events This Week (Including one Today!)
Big Tent is hosting two events this week that both sound super-interesting and worth checking out. Here’s what’s on deck:
Tuesday at noon eastern (register quickly!):
On April 2, Big Tent is hosting: “a conversation with Galvanize Founder and Executive Director Jackie Payne and renowned journalist Bonnie Fuller. They will dive into what is happening with the moderate white woman voter and what role could they play in the 2024 election. Register HERE. (https://www.bigtentusa.org/event/galvanize/)
“Galvanize Action connects with moderate women to build a broader base for progress and an America that works for everyone. There are millions of women—most living in rural, small town, and suburban communities—who want progress on things like access to healthcare and climate, but whose civic impact does not always reflect those goals. Galvanize uses research-backed approaches to support this group of women to vote in line with their values and play an active role in promoting social welfare in their communities.“
Wednesday: Immigration Reform and Next Steps with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Political Strategist Lis Smith
“Senator Murphy was the lead Democratic negotiator of the breakthrough bipartisan border reform agreement. He had a firsthand view of both Republicans coming together for immigration reform and then Republicans’ stunning about-face on border security. The bill was filled with tough, conservative policy, including an ability for the President to shut down parts of the border to asylum claims when the system is overwhelmed. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol Union, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.”
“Lis Smith has been hailed as a “next-gen gunslinger,” “not your grandfather’s political consultant,” and “the hard-charging New York operative [who] helped turn an obscure Indiana mayor into a national name.” She is one of the most in-demand strategists in today’s political environment. Named to Fortune’s “40 under 40 in Government” and Crain’s “50 Most Powerful Women in New York,” Smith continues to work as a strategist and regularly contributes opinion pieces to publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Vanity Fair, in addition to appearing as a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.””
Register here: https://www.bigtentusa.org/event/immigration-chris-murphyt/
MOC Call: Support Family Planning With the Access to Family Building Act
Friend, I’m working on a whopping two hours of sleep, so I’m quoting Indivisible’s call to action here verbatim. It’s a good one!
The Alabama Supreme Court recently issued a radical ruling endangering access to in vitro fertilization (IVF). This cruel decision has plunged the state into legal and medical chaos as IVF services are halted, patients scramble to understand their treatment options, and families grapple with what the decision means for their futures.
This anti-family court ruling is the result of the decades-long campaign by Republican anti-abortion extremists to not only overturn Roe vs. Wade, but to also ban contraception, IVF, gender-affirming care, marriage equality, and more. They must be stopped.
We need to pass the Access to Family Building Act, a bill introduced by Sen. Tammy Duckworth that would create a federal right to IVF and related services and protect patients and doctors from being criminalized for trying to start or grow a family. Specifically, the bill would:
- Establish a statutory right to access assisted reproductive technology services, such as IVF, without government interference
- Establish a patient’s right to have control over their own reproductive genetic materials, including their embryos
- Allow enforcement by the Department of Justice or through a private right of action for individuals and doctors
Reproductive freedom means the power to decide for yourself whether, when, and how to build a family. This shouldn’t be controversial. But MAGA Republicans love to weaponize the judiciary to change policies that would be too unpopular to enact through the legislative process, and that’s what happened in Alabama.
Tell your senators to cosponsor the Access to Family Building Act to protect IVF and urge them to call for a vote on the bill.
Indivisible Truth Brigade Deep Dive Into AI (Wednesday, April 10):
Register for Powering Progress’ Truth Brigade Big Truths: Deep Dive into AI and Social Media on Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT. What in the world is happening in the social media world, and how will AI impact the spread of lies in 2024? Most importantly, what can grassroots volunteers do to make a real difference in an unregulated social scene? Join the Indivisible Civics Truth Brigade with special guest Tim Chambers of Dewey Square Group/Dewey Digital to learn about identifying and countering online disinformation.
WHEW! GO TEAM!
P.S.: Why don’t you make someone’s day and send this pep talk to a friend or two? I bet they need it.
If you’d like to sign up to get this pep talk and action list in your in-box each week, you can do that here. Welcome, friend!
P.P.S.: If you want to help support this work you can do so via Patreon at
https://www.patreon.com/smalldeedsdone or via paypal at https://www.paypal.me/smalldeeds
My deepest gratitude in advance.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for writing. I read and respond to every email! We’re in this together. Don’t you forget it.
Small Deeds Done 