09/17/2024
A Vote Is Not a Valentine
Voting Is a Chess Move for the World You Want to Live In
by Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology newsletter
Sep 17
KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT
I urge you to join me in doing everything possible to ensure that Kamala Harris is elected president.
Though I disagree with her on a few issues, I mostly share her worldview. I also think she is a smart and compassionate leader who will serve the best interests of the most people.
In addition to that, the alternative would be horrific — the election of the worst human being to ever appear in American life and the foundation of a theocratic fascist state.
Read a preview of what Trump’s ugly, repressive regime would be like.
Read about The Special Dangers to Women If Trump Is Elected.
This is an unprecedented emergency. Millions of people's lives are at risk of being decimated by a second Trump presidency — especially women, People of Color, immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQIA+ people, marginalized people, and people of lower financial means.
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The winner of the election will either be Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. That's the 100%-guaranteed reality.
A vote for Jill Stein is a vote for Trump. A vote for Cornel West is a vote for Trump.
Abstinence from progressives who disagree with Harris on a few issues (even though they share her views on many, many others) are votes for Trump. A non-voting Blue voter is a vote for Trump.
This is the most consequential election of our lifetimes. We get one chance to protect Democracy, and it is on November 5th.
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DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE
The second most crucial action we can take between now and November 5 is to ensure the election of Democratic majorities in the Senate and House.
The Democratic Party is far from perfect, but it is far, far better for the long-term health of the American experiment and the vast majority of American people than the grotesque and toxic Republican Party.
Have you seen the document called Project 2025? It is a monumentally long manifesto detailing all the ghastly plans the GOP has for turning the US into a theocratic fascist state. Find out more about Project 2025, which mentions Trump 300 times.
No, the two parties are NOT the same. Not even close.
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PRACTICAL ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE
What specifically can we do to ensure the election of Kamala Harris and Democratic majorities in the House and Senate?
The most important act is to VOTE Democratic and encourage others to VOTE DEMOCRATIC.
Are you registered to vote? Are you absolutely sure you're registered to vote? Some states are engaging in nasty shenanigans to purge people from voting rolls. Texas is especially questionable
Here's an online organization that can help you be sure you're able to vote in the most important election of our lifetime: https://iwillvote.com
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Consider voting early, before election day. Get help here: https://www.usa.gov/early-voting
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Mass purges are the new voter suppression. Election deniers are trying to get huge groups removed from voter rolls. More info: https://tinyurl.com/SuppressionOfVotes
Other important actions we can do to ensure that democracy survives the unprecedented attack it’s under:
1. Contribute money to Democratic candidates. There’s more information below on how best to do that.
2. If you can't spare cash to donate, you could volunteer. There are ways to volunteer that even introverts can do. Don't let anxiety or shyness get in the way!
You can send postcards to voters, participate in phone banks to connect with voters, or knock on doors to talk with voters — with special emphasis on reaching voters in the seven swing states that have so much power in deciding the outcome of the Electoral College. Those states are Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia.
If you feel called to do this work, here are resources I trust:
https://votefwd.org/
https://linktr.ee/grassrootsdemhq
https://protectthevote.net/
DONATING
Donate directly to Kamala Harris: https://tinyurl.com/ElectingHarris
Donate to elect Democratic Senators: https://tinyurl.com/ElectBlueSenate
Personally, I am donating money to key Senate races in which Democrats have a slight edge right now. Those races are:
Nevada
Arizona
Michigan
New Mexico
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
Ohio
Maryland
I am also donating money to key Senate races that are leaning Republican but which could, with the right effort, go Democratic. They are:
Montana
Florida
Texas
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An app called Oath helps people donate to races strategically. They rank races by competitiveness, stakes, and financial need. The app will make recommendations based on your interests, and it keeps your name off donor lists so you don't get bombarded with endless funding appeals:
https://app.oath.vote/
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Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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