I’m a member of several groups but the one I’m most involved with is Simon Rosenbergs Hopium Chronicles which is found on Substack.
Your question is a good one IMO.
#1. ( IMO again) is the Hopium Chronicles priority for political knowledge. Read, share, analyze the political situations and learn facts vs falling for misinformation. We’re being offered a Masters Class Level of Knowledge from an exceptional experienced specialist in Political Analysis. Absorb, become knowledgeable about the challenges to democracy and the challenges against democracy from the MAGA crowd and their runners. Back issues of HC are available as educational information for all new subscribers. There are daily written updates most days and video forums every two weeks. We learn how and why to use that new knowledge.
2.Be intentional in channeling your anxieties and fears into Actions and reaching goals. The motto is: Worry less, do more! This may sound cute or catchy but this group is serious. We all worry, we all have our eyes wide open to the viciousness, chaos and toxicity around us. However, This is where we bring our ( eyes wide open!) best work attitude. Sharing resources, ideas, info to unify for the battle in front of us. We ask all not to bring hand wringing or endless negative venting to HC site. It absorbs too much energy we need to use on saving our democracy. Respectfully there are plenty of sites to vent but this is not it: we’re like the 4th quarter of a very active basketball game and we need to relentlessly focus and communicate effectively towards our goals. We’re here to win through our effort. Are there distractions? Differences of opinions? Sure; however we somehow always stay on track.
Communicate, support, clarify, celebrate.
In Nancy Pelosis words: we don’t agonize, we organize!
3.Be information “ Warriors”- Counter the MAGA/PUTIN/FOX misinformation war constantly. Instead forward facts, truths, ideas endlessly to friends and neighbors and family members. Present at meetings and conferences. Use our voices LOUDLY to counter disinformation. Use the knowledge we learned in step one to fight the waves of lies.
4. Do whatever you can do: Postcard, Speak, Donate, Canvass, Voter Registration, Internet services, voter rides, contact your representatives over and over again. If you can’t be involved, support those who can be actively involved. If you can’t be boots on the ground, support groups on the ground. One of our subscribers has postcarding parties where they complete 600-1000 PC in an evening; then go on individually to do more almost daily. They’ve learned to “ just DO SOMETHING”
5. Educate: your family, your friends your neighbors to all you are learning. Influence them to become involved.
6. Be available as a group to mobilize resources to a needed area: Ohio? Yes!
Va, Yes! Ny 3? Yes! Az? yes! On and on….
7.Amplify efforts: So many of our members are parts of much larger groups. This means coalitions are actively being built. Organically. We work to unify our efforts while keeping our individuality as a group. We’re just learning of the work of many, many other grassroots groups. And we’re all benefiting from the power of many.
This post is extremely validating. I've been slowly figuring this stuff out. Hopium Chronicles is a great antidote to the naysayers, and action is the best antidote to worrying. This work can be frustrating and exhausting some days, but the suggestions in your post, and the resources I'm finding in this substack, give me great hope and new energy.
So glad to hear some of this is helpful to you. I reread it to spell check and was kinda amazed to see how much I’ve learned from our leader and our great community group in one short year. I’m amazed at his patience and generosity! By the way- Urgency is our name too! We just put our heads down and work bc the goal is so so darn important.
Whatever you’re doing to help save our democracy, well, it’s more than worth it!
Thank you for all your work. We’re in this together🙏🏻 🇺🇸
Thanks for your note, Irene. Actually, I scan a number of democracy-related newsletters each day, and Grassroots Connector is definitely my favorite. There's no one talking about the latest outrageous thing that Donald Trump just did, no panicky warnings. It's just how can we reach more voters and build relationships and be more effective in listening and communicating.
You may want to look up Ben Wexler and read about Michigans 10 year plan to make change! He’s amazing. Mi got rid of the stranglehold the GOP had on them. Another state role model that shares their granular work ( forms, educational materials, etc) and turned themselves around is New Mexico. And even now Arizona is in a battle for their political souls. There are probably more but these are the ones I’m most familiar. Whoops: Plus Anderson Clayton the new head of state Democratic committee in NC. She’s just starting out too.
I’m a new reader of this newsletter, and this is the first I’ve heard of DON’T WAIT. Thank you for this opportunity to share and learn with other grassroots activists.
I’m writing from southern Oregon, an increasingly red area of a state whose national political profile has been dominated by Democrats for over 20 years. I am the chair of the Jackson County Democratic Party. What happens in our part of the state is pretty much the opposite of what most of your readers probably imagine about Oregon politics.
No Democrat has been elected to our county commission since 2006. Electing Democrats to the legislature is a long shot. Finding candidates for these positions is difficult. There are 7,000 more Republicans than Democrats in our county, while non affiliated voters (NAVs) and third party voters – by far the biggest voting bloc – lean Republican. But many are also moderate and progressive.
We feel the road to victory here is a long-term proposition, and that the journey starts with 1) Voter qualification – using door to door and telephone surveys to identify those NAVs and third-party voters who align with Democratic Party values and invite them to become involved in the political process, and 2) focusing on city councils and school boards, where our electoral chances are much better. In doing so, we can build our bench of candidates, some of whom may try for higher office someday, and make us more competitive.
So far we’ve identified more than 2,000 NAVs who lean Democrat, and we’ve been including them in our GOTV efforts. It’s a drop in the bucket when you consider that our county has 60,000 NAVs, but it’s progress. In May 2023, the local Republicans fielded a slate of MAGA candidates for local school boards. Low turnout in these elections actually helps us, because we have a robust Neighborhood Leader Program which gives us an advantage in turning out our base. In a low turnout election, just a few additional percentage points on our side can make the difference. And last year, the difference was huge: All of our candidates won handily. All of theirs lost.
With voter qualification and local campaigns as our top priorities, it means recruiting canvassers and finding candidates are our biggest challenges. I was very interested in your recent issue about the collaboration going on between the California Democratic Party and various grassroots organizations to create a major canvassing operation. I’d like to learn more of the details of how they went about that. A lot of grassroots groups are understandably leery and even cynical about political parties, plus as a PAC we have certain limitations on who we can collaborate with. I’d like to know more about how to find opportunities for collaboration.
I welcome other suggestions as well. Thanks again for this opportunity to share and learn together.
Susan,
I’m a member of several groups but the one I’m most involved with is Simon Rosenbergs Hopium Chronicles which is found on Substack.
Your question is a good one IMO.
#1. ( IMO again) is the Hopium Chronicles priority for political knowledge. Read, share, analyze the political situations and learn facts vs falling for misinformation. We’re being offered a Masters Class Level of Knowledge from an exceptional experienced specialist in Political Analysis. Absorb, become knowledgeable about the challenges to democracy and the challenges against democracy from the MAGA crowd and their runners. Back issues of HC are available as educational information for all new subscribers. There are daily written updates most days and video forums every two weeks. We learn how and why to use that new knowledge.
2.Be intentional in channeling your anxieties and fears into Actions and reaching goals. The motto is: Worry less, do more! This may sound cute or catchy but this group is serious. We all worry, we all have our eyes wide open to the viciousness, chaos and toxicity around us. However, This is where we bring our ( eyes wide open!) best work attitude. Sharing resources, ideas, info to unify for the battle in front of us. We ask all not to bring hand wringing or endless negative venting to HC site. It absorbs too much energy we need to use on saving our democracy. Respectfully there are plenty of sites to vent but this is not it: we’re like the 4th quarter of a very active basketball game and we need to relentlessly focus and communicate effectively towards our goals. We’re here to win through our effort. Are there distractions? Differences of opinions? Sure; however we somehow always stay on track.
Communicate, support, clarify, celebrate.
In Nancy Pelosis words: we don’t agonize, we organize!
3.Be information “ Warriors”- Counter the MAGA/PUTIN/FOX misinformation war constantly. Instead forward facts, truths, ideas endlessly to friends and neighbors and family members. Present at meetings and conferences. Use our voices LOUDLY to counter disinformation. Use the knowledge we learned in step one to fight the waves of lies.
4. Do whatever you can do: Postcard, Speak, Donate, Canvass, Voter Registration, Internet services, voter rides, contact your representatives over and over again. If you can’t be involved, support those who can be actively involved. If you can’t be boots on the ground, support groups on the ground. One of our subscribers has postcarding parties where they complete 600-1000 PC in an evening; then go on individually to do more almost daily. They’ve learned to “ just DO SOMETHING”
5. Educate: your family, your friends your neighbors to all you are learning. Influence them to become involved.
6. Be available as a group to mobilize resources to a needed area: Ohio? Yes!
Va, Yes! Ny 3? Yes! Az? yes! On and on….
7.Amplify efforts: So many of our members are parts of much larger groups. This means coalitions are actively being built. Organically. We work to unify our efforts while keeping our individuality as a group. We’re just learning of the work of many, many other grassroots groups. And we’re all benefiting from the power of many.
This post is extremely validating. I've been slowly figuring this stuff out. Hopium Chronicles is a great antidote to the naysayers, and action is the best antidote to worrying. This work can be frustrating and exhausting some days, but the suggestions in your post, and the resources I'm finding in this substack, give me great hope and new energy.
Hi David,
So glad to hear some of this is helpful to you. I reread it to spell check and was kinda amazed to see how much I’ve learned from our leader and our great community group in one short year. I’m amazed at his patience and generosity! By the way- Urgency is our name too! We just put our heads down and work bc the goal is so so darn important.
Whatever you’re doing to help save our democracy, well, it’s more than worth it!
Thank you for all your work. We’re in this together🙏🏻 🇺🇸
Thanks for your note, Irene. Actually, I scan a number of democracy-related newsletters each day, and Grassroots Connector is definitely my favorite. There's no one talking about the latest outrageous thing that Donald Trump just did, no panicky warnings. It's just how can we reach more voters and build relationships and be more effective in listening and communicating.
David,
You may want to look up Ben Wexler and read about Michigans 10 year plan to make change! He’s amazing. Mi got rid of the stranglehold the GOP had on them. Another state role model that shares their granular work ( forms, educational materials, etc) and turned themselves around is New Mexico. And even now Arizona is in a battle for their political souls. There are probably more but these are the ones I’m most familiar. Whoops: Plus Anderson Clayton the new head of state Democratic committee in NC. She’s just starting out too.
I’m a new reader of this newsletter, and this is the first I’ve heard of DON’T WAIT. Thank you for this opportunity to share and learn with other grassroots activists.
I’m writing from southern Oregon, an increasingly red area of a state whose national political profile has been dominated by Democrats for over 20 years. I am the chair of the Jackson County Democratic Party. What happens in our part of the state is pretty much the opposite of what most of your readers probably imagine about Oregon politics.
No Democrat has been elected to our county commission since 2006. Electing Democrats to the legislature is a long shot. Finding candidates for these positions is difficult. There are 7,000 more Republicans than Democrats in our county, while non affiliated voters (NAVs) and third party voters – by far the biggest voting bloc – lean Republican. But many are also moderate and progressive.
We feel the road to victory here is a long-term proposition, and that the journey starts with 1) Voter qualification – using door to door and telephone surveys to identify those NAVs and third-party voters who align with Democratic Party values and invite them to become involved in the political process, and 2) focusing on city councils and school boards, where our electoral chances are much better. In doing so, we can build our bench of candidates, some of whom may try for higher office someday, and make us more competitive.
So far we’ve identified more than 2,000 NAVs who lean Democrat, and we’ve been including them in our GOTV efforts. It’s a drop in the bucket when you consider that our county has 60,000 NAVs, but it’s progress. In May 2023, the local Republicans fielded a slate of MAGA candidates for local school boards. Low turnout in these elections actually helps us, because we have a robust Neighborhood Leader Program which gives us an advantage in turning out our base. In a low turnout election, just a few additional percentage points on our side can make the difference. And last year, the difference was huge: All of our candidates won handily. All of theirs lost.
With voter qualification and local campaigns as our top priorities, it means recruiting canvassers and finding candidates are our biggest challenges. I was very interested in your recent issue about the collaboration going on between the California Democratic Party and various grassroots organizations to create a major canvassing operation. I’d like to learn more of the details of how they went about that. A lot of grassroots groups are understandably leery and even cynical about political parties, plus as a PAC we have certain limitations on who we can collaborate with. I’d like to know more about how to find opportunities for collaboration.
I welcome other suggestions as well. Thanks again for this opportunity to share and learn together.
Dave, thank you for writing. I would be happy to help make connections for you. Could you email me at grassrootsconnector@substack.com?
Just sent you an email. Thanks!