Election Commission of Pakistan Vote

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Election Commission of Pakistan Vote Election commission of pakistan vote Continue You can find information about the availability of early voting in our New York polling center. Still needing help? Contact us for the last time on April 3, 2020. Still needing help? Contact us for the last time on August 20, 2018. Still needing help? Contact us Contact us Last updated May 19, 2020 Skip Navigation! In the fight to oust far-right Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, there are two very different leading candidates in the Democratic primaries: Amy McGrath and Charles Booker. McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot, works as a centrist war hero, seemingly gift wrapped in a shiny, blue bow. Proped by establishment figures like Senator Chuck Schumer, McGrath, who has never held political office, raised $41 million, a huge financial advantage - though it's notable that the vast majority of those funds come from outside the state. From the progressive wing of the party, Booker is a 35-year-old state legislator who supports Medicare for All and Green's New Approach; it was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. While McGrath has had an early lead in the race in the past few weeks, Booker has received a firestorm of momentum ahead of tomorrow's primary, and is now polling 44% to McGrath's 36%. A recent headline proclaims: Things don't go well for Amy McGrath. The differences between the two candidates run deeper than their platforms. Booker is the candidate who inspires you to donate money even if you are broke. He's running like himself, not as a candidate filtered by a focus group. As a black man who grew up in the poorest part of Kentucky, Booker's experience resonates deeply with many voters, especially in this era of racial injustice. So it's no surprise that in the weeks before the primaries he received several key endorsements, and that enthusiasm at the grassroots level for him is growing rapidly. McGrath, on the other hand, made several mistakes that were caused by progressives, including her address to Trump supporters in which she said McConnell had not done well on Trump's promises - implying that she would. Booker, who has been active in the Black Lives Matter protests, criticized McGrath for not attending any and let alone Kentucky WINNER Breonna Taylor - whom police killed as she slept in her bed - by name in a recent ad. Beating longtime Republican McConnell - in a state where Trump won by 30 points, no less - is a long way off, there is no reason to think that the way to do this is to nominate a centrist democrat. And Booker's recent surge in the polls is a sign that, even in the The state is growing in appetite for progressive politics and vision - and that this electoral strategy may be what it takes for Democrats to win in the future. There are still many primaries ahead, especially since some of them have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Enthusiasm around candidates like Booker shows that it's incredibly important to show up at these races. The primaries help voters decide what their party will look like; For Democrats, that means deciding whether he's full of progressive, diverse candidates working on their own experience, or elected candidates with unwrapped downward messages - some of whom might as well be Republicans. Also, for those dissatisfied with Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee, primaries give chances of making their voices heard in Congress and other races down the run. The 2018 midterm elections have become a testing ground for progressive primary challengers to mainstream Democrats, with new organizers and groups such as The Democrats of Justice and Brand New Congress. This election has given us politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who ran on progressive issues and who are not afraid to take on the fight for wealth inequality and racial justice that their predecessors never did. Their elections have changed Congress and political conversation, and, at least in some districts, they have flipped the idea of which Democrats can win upside down. The primaries are of paramount importance. They are a means for voters to create a framework for who they want to see on the ballot for the general election, Seinab Day, communications director for Brand New Congress, who helped elect the AOC, said Refinery29. That's where we can really make a difference. No seat in Congress is guaranteed. There can be no such attitude that the employee should not be in the first place, because he is already in power. But, primaries are one of our vehicles as voters that we can use to hold our representatives accountable. If they don't do the job then they should be challenged. In 2020, Brand New Congress supports a diverse list of progressive primary contenders: for the U.S. Senate, Paula Jean Swearengin, who won her primary in West Virginia; Booker in Kentucky; and Betsy Sweet, who challenges Sarah Gideon in Maine, among others. For U.S. House, Lauren Ashcraft in NY-12 (call Carolyn Maloney), Jamaal Bowman in NY-16 (challenge Eliot Engel), Lindsey Boylan in NY-10 (call Jerry Ndler), Corey Bush in MO-1 (call William Lacey Clay), Cara Eastman in NE-2 (challenge Don Bacon), Gagarin in NY-6 (Challenging) These candidates on themselves longtime democratic staffers who are believed to have gotten too comfortable in their seats, and who did not do enough to real community issues. In 2018, new congressional candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, Corey Bush and others have embraced the call to challenge entrenched Democratic candidates, Day said. Representatives who were in office at a time when the House, Senate and presidency had majorities and still didn't make changes that could really make a difference, like robust criminal justice reform, universal health care, and nodable legislation to combat climate change. So far, it's been a year of mixed results for major contenders, starting with Marie Newman's big march victory in Illinois, when she defeated Dan Lipinski - a Democrat by name only. But other progressive candidates, such as 26-year-old Jessica Cisenros in Texas, who backed Bernie Sanders and the AOC, lost. It seems the Sisneros district, which ultimately backed longtime incumbent Henry Cuellar - a pro-ANTI, anti- abortion Democrat - was not quite ready for her progressive policies, despite a long and vigorous campaign that saw money poured in from progressive groups and voters across the country. Regardless of these notable victories and defeats, there are undoubtedly more resources and enthusiasm being invested in progressive applicants than ever before, and the electorate, especially young people, are more and more excited about issues such as Medicare for All, Green New Graduation, tuition-free college, and ending nonprofit institutions such as prison and immigration detention systems. People are also increasingly talking about police repeal and defunding, issues that some mainstream Democrats are afraid to touch - Joe Biden recently said he doesn't support defunding police. The Trump era has helped many to see that voting blue no matter who is not enough, especially now that some Democratic officials are not responding to the challenges of this moment, when many are questioning the power of police and officials handling the pandemic. The events of the past few weeks have made it all the more clear that warm policies won't do in this day and age, and some believe that changes around racial justice and police violence will help encourage more young voters around progressives. Booker, in particular, has lost family members to gun violence and has been active in criminal justice issues and loudly about police violence. Corey Bush, whose Missouri primary on August 4 - she's running for the second time since losing in 2018 - is a Black Lives Matter activist who has been at the forefront of the Ferguson protests, where she's had tear gas and a gun snug to her head. What many of these candidates have in common is that they are in this moment of widespread Uprising - and as Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, told Refinery29, they understand that this is a movement. Three or four weeks ago, Booker Booker long shot, Albright said. But as these issues that we see spilling into the streets have raised the debate about defunding the police, that inevitably should lead more people to participate and participate in supporting his candidacy. We've already seen some evidence that he's getting hit and getting more attention. This issue may be a defining issue in some of these primaries. Albright said he sees an increase in excitement around voting among young people who joined the protests but may not have thought about voting in the primaries. For some voters, especially in the South, Albright noted, the reality is that the Democratic primary is an all-and-end-all for many races, especially locally, where Republicans are expected to win eventually. In these races, the primary is becoming its own game - and it's still incredibly important for voters to exercise their rights. There are communities that are fighting literally for some issues of life or death in the primaries, and when they don't see support and investment in states, it sends a signal to them that these issues and these races are not important, and that all we see is black voters to come out in the general election - hoping that we will save the country, Albright said. These primaries are very important.
Recommended publications
  • REPRESENTATION, POLITICS and MONEY: a SCREENING GUIDE “I’M Running Because of Cori Bush
    REPRESENTATION, POLITICS AND MONEY: A SCREENING GUIDE “I’m running because of Cori Bush. I’m running because of Paula Jean Swearengin. I’m running because everyday Americans deserve to be represented by everyday Americans.” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 About the Film 5 Letter from Director, Rachel Lears 6 Using the Guide Tips for Leading Conversations Pre-Screening Discussion Questions 9 Post-Screening Background and Context Who Knocked in 2018? Representation: Who is in Congress and Why it Matters How Money Works in Elections The Politics of Elections 25 Get Involved Share the Film Spark Conversations Across Party Lines Vote and Get Out the Vote Support a Candidate Run for Office 33 Resources for Further Learning 3 ABOUT THE FILM Knock Down the House is the story of four working-class women who embraced the challenge of running for Congressional office in the 2018 midterm elections. They are four of the record numbers who organized grassroots campaigns, rejected corporate PAC money and challenged the notion that everyday people can run successful campaigns against sitting incumbents. Collectively these candidates herald a cultural and political shift to transform the process of running and electing our representatives. Such changes do not occur in a vacuum, nor are they about a singular issue. Rather they about changing the attitudes, behaviors, terms, and outcomes of existing and entrenched norms and building towards a more inclusive and representative government. 4 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR, RACHEL LEARS I’ve been making films about politics since the days of Occupy Wall Street. After having a baby in 2016, I thought I might take a break from political filmmaking—but the day after the election, I knew I had no choice.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Our Revolution' Meets the Jacksonians (And the Midterms)
    Chapter 16 ‘Our Revolution’ Meets the Jacksonians (And the Midterms) Whole-Book PDF available free At RippedApart.Org For the best reading experience on an Apple tablet, read with the iBooks app: Here`s how: • Click the download link. • Tap share, , then • Tap: Copy to Books. For Android phones, tablets and reading PDFs in Kindles or Kindle Apps, and for the free (no email required) whole-book PDF, visit: RippedApart.Org. For a paperback or Kindle version, or to “Look Inside” (at the whole book), visit Amazon.com. Contents of Ripped Apart Part 1. What Polarizes Us? 1. The Perils of Polarization 2. Clear and Present Danger 3. How Polarization Develops 4. How to Depolarize a Cyclops 5. Three Political Traps 6. The Crime Bill Myth 7. The Purity Trap Part 2. Charisma Traps 8. Smart People Get Sucked In 9. Good People Get Sucked In 10. Jonestown: Evil Charisma 11. Alex Jones: More Evil Charisma 12. The Charismatic Progressive 13. Trump: Charismatic Sociopath Part 3. Populism Traps 14. What is Populism; Why Should We Care? 15. Trump: A Fake Jacksonian Populist 16. ‘Our Revolution’ Meets the Jacksonians 17. Economics vs. the Culture War 18. Sanders’ Populist Strategy 19. Good Populism: The Kingfish 20. Utopian Populism 21. Don’t Be the Enemy They Need Part 4. Mythology Traps 22. Socialism, Liberalism and All That 23. Sanders’ Socialism Myths 24. The Myth of the Utopian Savior 25. The Establishment Myth 26. The Myth of the Bully Pulpit 27. The Myth of the Overton Window Part 5. Identity Politics 28. When the Klan Went Low, SNCC Went High 29.
    [Show full text]
  • Biden-Like House Candidates Beat Those to Their Left
    MEMO Published March 25, 2021 • 7 minute read Biden-Like House Candidates Beat Those to Their Left David de la Fuente Senior Political Analyst @dpdelafuente Regardless of how you look at it, President Joe Biden did better than House Democratic candidates in the 2020 elections. Yet while House Democrats across the board underperformed the top of the ticket, and challengers did worse than incumbents, the data is clear that moderate non-incumbent House Democratic candidates fared much better than their leftwing counterparts—by a signicant margin. In fact, leftwing nominees lost more than double the amount of support than moderate Democrats on average compared to Biden, due to some combination of ticket-splitting and under-voting. Let’s look at the national picture of House Democrats general underperformance. Biden defeated Trump 51.3% to 46.9% (4.5 points with rounding), while House Democrats defeated House Republicans 50.8% to 47.7% (3.1 points). That means House Democrats underperformed Biden by a margin of 1.4 points across the country. 1 You can also compare how many Congressional districts Biden won compared to how many House Democrats won. By that measure, House Democrats only underperformed Biden by two districts: Biden won 224 and House Democrats won 222. Of course, there were some split-ticket districts, but not many, with nine choosing Biden and a House Republican and seven choosing Trump and a House Democrat. Generally speaking, House Democratic incumbents did better compared to Biden than non- incumbent candidates. All seven Democrats who won Trump districts were incumbents who had been able to build their own brand.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Revolution” Meets the Jacksonians (And the Midterms)
    Chapter 16 ‘Our Revolution” Meets the Jacksonians (And the Midterms) Whole-Book PDF available free At RippedApart.Org For the best reading experience on an iPhone, read with the iBooks app: Here`s how: • Click the download link. • Tap share, , then • Tap: Copy to Books. “Copy to Books” is inside a 3-dot “More” menu at the far right of the row of Apps. For Android phones, tablets and reading PDFs in Kindles or Kindle Apps, and for the free (no email required) whole-book PDF, visit: RippedApart.Org. For a paperback or Kindle version, or to “Look Inside” (at the whole book), visit Amazon.com. Contents of Ripped Apart Part 1. What Polarizes Us? 1. The Perils of Polarization 2. Clear and Present Danger 3. How Polarization Develops 4. How to Depolarize a Cyclops 5. Three Political Traps 6. The Crime Bill Myth 7. The Purity Trap Part 2. Charisma Traps 8. Smart People Get Sucked In 9. Good People Get Sucked In 10. Jonestown: Evil Charisma 11. Alex Jones: More Evil Charisma 12. The Charismatic Progressive 13. Trump: Charismatic Sociopath Part 3. Populism Traps 14. What is Populism; Why Should We Care? 15. Trump: A Fake Jacksonian Populist 16. ‘Our Revolution’ Meets the Jacksonians 17. Economics vs. the Culture War 18. Sanders’ Populist Strategy 19. Good Populism: The Kingfish 20. Utopian Populism 21. Don’t Be the Enemy They Need Part 4. Mythology Traps 22. Socialism, Liberalism and All That 23. Sanders’ Socialism Myths 24. The Myth of the Utopian Savior 25. The Establishment Myth 26. The Myth of the Bully Pulpit 27.
    [Show full text]
  • Justice Democrats' Alexandra Rojas Wants to Rewrite Politics
    Justice Democrats’ Alexandra Rojas Wants to Rewrite Politics There’s no denying Latinas are making serious moves across the political map. But the real power players are not always in the spotlight. Alexandra Rojas is one Latina working to change the face of politics thanks to her role as executive director of Justice Democrats, which helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other history-making women to Congress. Rojas talks about her political awakening, how she stays centered amid the chaos, and why she believes the future of the country depends on electing a new wave of leaders. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Clip (Alexandra Rojas): In a country of 330 million people, there are young women, like myself, there are working class people that deserve to be in the halls of power. Alicia Menendez: In 2018, a young Latina named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in modern political history, beating a 10-term incumbent from the same political party. A group called Justice Democrats helped engineer her victory and others. Now, they're hoping to replicate that success by running candidates against democratic incumbents they believe are not progressive enough. At the helm of Justice Democrats is another young Latina, Alexandra Rojas. Alex, thanks so much for being here. Alexandra Rojas: Thanks so much for having me. Menendez: Take me back to the moment in 2015 when you decided to drop everything and join the Bernie Sanders campaign. Rojas: Yeah, it feels like a lifetime ago. It hasn't even been four years yet, so let's set the stage a little bit.
    [Show full text]
  • EB Green New Deal
    Green New Deal Not Originally About Climate This article is from the “Edifying the Body” section of the Church of God Big Sandy’s website, churchofgodbigsandy.com. It was posted for the weekend of Aug. 24, 2019. A version of the article was posted at washingtonpost.com on July 10. Mr. Chakrabarti announced his resignation as chief of staff for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Aug. 2. By David Montgomery WASHINGTON, D.C.—On a Wednesday morning in late May, emissaries of two of the strongest political voices on climate change convened at a coffee shop a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Saikat Chakrabarti, chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) [until Aug. 2], was there to meet Sam Ricketts, climate director for Washing- ton Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who is running for president almost exclusively on a platform of combating global warming. Complimented Inslee campaign A newly released plank of Inslee’s climate change agenda had caught the atten- tion of Chakrabarti and his boss, who had tweeted that Inslee’s “climate plan is the most serious and comprehensive one to address our crisis in the 2020 field.” Pleased by the positive reception from the demanding Green New Deal wing of the climate struggle, Ricketts had set up this meeting with Chakrabarti to establish a personal connection and share approaches to climate advocacy. “Congrats on the rollout,” Chakrabarti told him as they sat down. “That was pretty great.” “Thank you again for the kudos you guys offered,” said Ricketts. “We wanted to be pace-setting for the field, and I think we’re there now.
    [Show full text]
  • Voters' Pamphlet General Election 2020 for Multnomah County
    Voters’ Pamphlet Oregon General Election November 3, 2020 Certificate of Correctness I, Bev Clarno, Secretary of State of the State of Oregon, do hereby certify that this guide has been correctly prepared in accordance with the law in order to assist electors in voting at the General Election to be held throughout the State on November 3, 2020. Witness my hand and the Seal of the State of Oregon in Salem, Oregon, this 21st day of September, 2020. Bev Clarno Oregon Secretary of State Oregon votes by mail. Ballots will be mailed to registered voters beginning October 14. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE ELECTIONS DIVISION STEPHEN N. TROUT BEV CLARNO DIRECTOR SECRETARY OF STATE 255 CAPITOL ST NE, SUITE 501 SALEM, OREGON 97310 (503) 986-1518 Dear Oregon Voter, The information this Voters’ Pamphlet provides is designed to assist you in participating in the November 3, 2020, General Election. I know it is hard to know what information to trust with all the information and misinformation we experience in our lives today, especially during a presidential election. Yours is a difficult job to sort through it all to make an informed decision. And while I know it is hard, I know you can and will do it. We recognize that with unlimited sources of information it can be challenging to find informa- tion that is accurate and trustworthy. Fortunately, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself to help identify misinformation: 1) Is there any data or evidence presented to support the information? 2) Does this information seem designed to push my political buttons? 3) Is there something about this information that doesn’t seem right or too bizarre to be true? 4) Who is sharing this information? 5) Does this individual or group have an agenda? Be an informed voter and don’t believe everything you see or hear.
    [Show full text]
  • MAPPING the RESISTANCE Insurgence and Polarization Between 2016 and 2020
    MAPPING THE RESISTANCE Insurgence and Polarization Between 2016 and 2020 By Ethan Young Table of Contents Up Against Trump: From Fragmentation to Unity..........................................................................1 Mapping the Resistance Insurgence and Polarization Between 2016 and 2020.............................................................2 By Ethan Young Power and Resistance..................................................................................................3 Political Anatomy of the Resistance..........................................................................................5 Center-right and Centrist Democrats..........................................................................5 The Democrats and the Left: Social Movements.......................................................8 Finding a Focal Point....................................................................................................13 The Union Dilemma.....................................................................................................14 The Democrats and the Left: Political Action...........................................................15 The Socialist Dilemma.................................................................................................18 Political Problems of the Resistance........................................................................................20 What Workers’ Movement?.........................................................................................22 United Front
    [Show full text]
  • (NCAS) - Nadine Ordaz Pbcc in S Tudenttransfers! Nadine Ordaz Was Selected to Attend the NCAS Virtual Experience, March 1 –11, 2021
    ” @berkeleycc @berkeleycitycollege @berkeleycc #WeAreBCC NEWS FOR THE BOARD A publication by Berkeley City College March 23, 2021 Dr. Angélica Garcia, President NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) - Nadine Ordaz pBCC in S tudentTransfers! Nadine Ordaz was selected to attend the NCAS Virtual Experience, March 1 –11, 2021. Her successful completion of a five-week online NCAS course earned her a spot to participate in this virtual experience, as one of 104 community college students from across the country! Nadine expressed, “I have always wanted to pursue a career in space exploration and the NCAS program was the perfect first step for me.....I’m thankful to know that being a community college student does not make me any less or keep me from pursuing amazing opportunities.” Berkeley City College is honored to have Nadine represent the very best of our college community. We wish her all the best as she not only completes this virtual experience, but continues to push the boundaries of women in STEM. Please visit the full story at Peralta GEMS. Celebrating Ms. Loretta’s Retirement – 46 Years of Service! Women’s History Month – Student Activities & Campus Life Women’s Leadership Club’s Movie Day: We will be watching the documentary, Knock Down the House. It revolves around the 2018 congressional primary campaigns of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin, four progressive Democrats endorsed by Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress who ran in that year's midterm elections. March 11, 2021 (12:20 PM - 1:20 PM) Event Zoom link: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/92523863843 Women’s Leadership Club’s Trivia Thursday We will be playing a Kahoot game about Women's History Month! Most of these trivia questions will be about the women we spotlight for the first week of March and refer back to the documentary as well! March 18, 2021 (12:20 PM - 1:20 PM) Event Zoom link: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/92523863843 Women’s Leadership Club’s Panel Our panel will be featuring a varying group of women leaders from different fields of work.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Historic Win and the Future of The
    7/22/2018 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Historic Win and the Future of the Democratic Party | The New Yorker Our Local Correspondents July 23, 2018 Issue Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Historic Win and the Future of the Democratic Party Come November, Ocasio-Cortez is almost certain to become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Will her democratic-socialist identity push the Party to the left? By David Remnick “I smoked this race,” Ocasio-Cortez says. “I didn’t edge anybody out. I dominated. And I am going to own that.” Photograph by Mark Peterson / Redux for The New Yorker 0:00 / 38:40 Audio: Listen to this article. To hear more, download the Audm iPhone app. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/23/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-historic-win-and-the-future-of-the-democratic-party?mbid=nl_Daily%200… 1/19 7/22/2018 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Historic Win and the Future of the Democratic Party | The New Yorker his is the summer in which the Presidency of DonaldDonald TrumpTrump has begun to T cohere. Disdain for voting rights, for women’s rights, for the protection of the environment, and for our alliances abroad is becoming American policy. There is nothing Trump will not do or say to flaunt his primacy. Not long ago, at a tense G-7 gathering in Quebec, he reportedly tossed a couple of Starburst candies at the Chancellor of Germany, AngelaAngela MerkelMerkel, and told her, “Don’t say I never give you anything.” By then, Merkel and the other Western allies had grown accustomed to the President’s contempt and his preference for autocrats, and so the moment passed as unremarkable, another paragraph in the story of the Trump era.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 1: the Two Congresses
    1 THE TWO CONGRESSES ongress is too old, they don’t have a stake in the game,” said 28-year-old “C Democratic primary candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.1 A Congress in which the average House member was nearly 58 years old, she argued, pays insuf- ficient attention to issues affecting young people and futuredistribute generations, such as climate change and the rising costs of higher education and housing. “They won’t have to deal with 20-foot storm surges, but we will,”or she noted, referring to cur- rent members.2 Ironically, Ocasio-Cortez’s opponent, Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., was him- self seen as a member of a youthful, next generation of congressional leaders. At age 56, Crowley was more than two decades younger than any other top leader of the House Democratic party. Firstpost, elected to Congress in 1998—when Ocasio- Cortez was eight years old—Crowley had risen to the number four position in the Democratic leadership hierarchy, on track to make a strong bid for House Speaker should those above him in the ranks retire or be edged aside.3 No doubt with this prospect in mind, Crowley had launched a national travel schedule in 2018, with April appearances in Cleveland, Seattle, and Chicago and plans for further stops throughcopy, the summer to raise party funds as well as his own national profile. But Crowley’s ambitions were cut short at the end of June 2018 when he lost his Democratic primary election to Ocasio-Cortez. The outcome surprised almost everyone.not Only three weeks before the primary, Crowley’s team had shown him a poll where he led his rival by 36 percentage points.4 As a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Crowley had no shortage of campaign Domoney.
    [Show full text]
  • The Democratic Strategist List of Progressive Organizations That Support: A
    A Journal of Public Opinion & Political Strategy www.thedemocraticstrategist.org GETTING READY FOR 2018 AND 2020: The Democratic Strategist List of Progressive Organizations That Support: a. Democratic Candidate Recruitment and Training, b. Democratic Political Campaign Operation and Management c. Pro-Democratic Grass Roots Voter Organizing By James Vega and J. P. Green One of the most powerfully encouraging events since Donald Trump’s election has been the dramatic emergence of a new generation of energetic progressive candidates and new political organizations that seek to seriously challenge Republican incumbents at every level of American politics. The reason this is so vitally important is that anemic progressive and Democratic political participation in non-presidential years and at every level below the race for the oval office has been the Republican Party’s greatest single political asset, allowing it to maintain its dominance in both houses of Congress and in state legislatures and governorships across the country even as Democratic presidential candidates won the popular vote in four of the last five presidential elections. In far too many districts across America the Democratic Party has not supported serious challenges to Republican candidates for some time or maintained robust local offices and staff to carry out continuing efforts at voter contact, persuasion and mobilization. To successfully challenge incumbent Republican officeholders, new Democratic candidates will need a restored progressive political base and infrastructure. GOP candidates now have a deep local network of conservative grass roots organizations to rely upon – the NRA, right to life groups, Tea Party organizations and so on. Democrats will need comparably powerful neighborhood and community level political organizations to even the playing field.
    [Show full text]