September 21 Newsletter

Senator Susan Collins of Maine has a lot to do with Mitch McConnell’s stranglehold on the Senate. She’s up for re-election in 2020, and defeating her would chip away at that GOP lock on the Senate. Swing Left plans an intensive canvassing effort, called “Maine Matters/Mass Mobilizes” in Southern Maine to hear what voters want from their future senator. If you can help, there’s an informational kickoff/rally in Cambridge Sunday, Sept 22. Canvassing dates are Sept. 28, Oct. 13, and Nov. 2. More information and to RSVP here.

Hold Susan Collins accountable with us — the time is NOW to make election security a reality in 2020. The Senate has until Oct 1 (beginning of new fiscal year) to pass a crucial election security funding bill that the House has already passed.

The evidence is clear: In 2016, Russia targeted voting systems in all 50 states and used social media to spread disinformation and disunity among the electorate. Without a paper trail, our voting system is extremely vulnerable to hacking and foul play. In 2018, 14 states used voting equipment that had no way of verifying vote counts in the event of a cyberattack. In response, the House recently passed HR 2722, which would allocate $600 million to states so that they can update electronic voting equipment with systems that use verifiable paper ballots – the best protection against cyberattacks attempting to change the outcome of our elections.

On Monday, September 23, at 5:30 pm, Swing Left Maine and Mainers for Accountable Leadership are co-hosting a gathering to ask Susan Collins, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to include $600 million in funding for election security in their October 1 proposed annual appropriations bill.

Marie Follayttar, Executive Director of Mainers for Responsible Leadership, will be speaking. We’d like at least 40 people to attend to show Susan Collins what a big deal this is.

Learn more and RSVP here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/fund-election-security?referrer=lisa-kolarik

Thirty Swing Left Greater Boston volunteers have just returned from Union County, North Carolina, where an election redo has taught us some valuable lessons about the Republican playbook and what is needed to overcome it.

In the last two weeks of the campaign, Republicans spent over $6 million on a barrage of ads depicting “Greedy McCready” as an avaricious trickster who lined his pockets at public expense while supporting a radical socialist agenda. Many voters in the district apparently were swayed by these claims, despite the former Marine’s exemplary service record, his moderate positions, and his refusal to take special interest donations.

Many voters were unaware or did not care that the Republican contender, Dan Bishop, had invested in a hate speech website where the Charlottesville alt-right rally was planned, authored an anti-transgender bill that cost North Carolina millions in lost business, and had a voting record that reflected his cozy relationship with Big Pharma.

As canvassers, we saw the effect of the Bishop Campaign’s negative ads. Moderates who might have supported McCready became disillusioned by the negativity, which they perceived as coming from both campaigns. The ad campaign seemed to be most effective in the rural areas. Compared to 2018, the Democratic turnout was lower than Republican turnout in every rural county in the district.

So what can we learn for the 2020 races to come? Dan McCready tried to rally the district around the idea that we are all Americans with a respectful attempt to connect with voters of all political persuasions. The Republican National Committee, the Republican Congressional Leadership PAC, President Trump and Dan Bishop countered by stirring up anger and distrust. While this election is now over, Democrats have a new opportunity to learn to heal the acrimony and divisions that remain.

The thought of fundraising can scare even the most intrepid Get Out The Vote canvasser, but “Candidates and Causes” founders Chris Kane and Paula Joseph demonstrate how it can actually be pretty easy. They recently explained to Swing Left house party hosts how helping volunteers tap their personal email contact lists has helped them raise roughly $127,000 for progressive candidates for Congress and at the state level. All it takes is the willingness to become a “circle leader” and spend about an hour a month, Paula says.

She and Chris vet the candidates and causes for fundraising and provide text for monthly appeal emails that explain why certain candidates are worthy of support. This style of “friend-raising” is making a huge difference for state-level candidates in particular, according to Sister District — and may be having a much more significant impact than postcards alone. To learn more, email paula@josephemail.net.

Swing Left has launched a podcast to highlight the issues and the people behind the effort to transform our government. Hosts Steve Pierson and Mariah Craven, both seasoned political veterans, have interviewed Emiliana Guereca, founder of the Women’s March Los Angeles, and Omar Rivero, founder of Occupy Democrats, among others. Listening to Swing Left How We Win is a fun, easy way to keep informed during commuting, walking or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe to Swing Left How We Win on Apple, Spotify and Google.

Do you have a volunteering story to share? Swing Left invites you to tell your story on their show! Find a quiet spot and record a 30-60 second story about volunteering. You can do it on your phone headset, or even use your phone mic. Share a great experience you had volunteering and/or why Swing Left is important to you. Email the audio file to podcast@swingleft.org.