Hi james,
We’re wading through dangerous tides right now. Campaign season has been going on long enough for burnout to set in for many, but we’re still far enough away from Election Day that we can’t afford to flag in our efforts. It is absolutely crucial to the survival of our democracy that we maintain enthusiasm and bang the drums for Joe Biden loud enough for undecided voters to hear in droves.
(To listen on Spotify, CLICK HERE. To listen on Apple Podcasts, click HERE.)
Maintaining that enthusiasm can be particularly hard when bad news strikes, like the recent announcement by the MAGA-controlled Supreme Court that they’ll be reviewing Trump’s absurd claim to “absolute immunity.” This blatantly partisan move has delayed Trump’s election interference case and all but ensured that he won’t be convicted before the election.
In the end, the court will almost certainly reject Trump’s immunity claim. Obviously, a president can’t be allowed to commit crimes with impunity — that would transform him into an omnipotent tyrant overnight. It would mean, for example, that he could drone strike his political rivals without consequence. The seeming inevitability of the court rejecting this idea just makes their decision to even consider it all the more egregious. This is a political handout to Trump from a conservative-leaning court, plain and simple.
Demand term limits for the Supreme Court!
So yes, it’s natural to feel frustration. But frustration is all that we can allow ourselves. Despair is out of the question because there is simply too much on the line. Instead, we should see this decision by the Supreme Court as a call to action to fight even harder. It underscores the necessity of giving Joe Biden another term. If we can keep Democrats in power, or better yet hand Biden a powerful majority, we can make real strides towards righting the ship of state. The solution to our warped reactionary Supreme Court isn’t to throw up our hands in defeat, it’s to stock it with more liberals.
If we zoom out a bit here, the picture gets even rosier. Trump’s court issues are important, but at the end of the day what really matters is voting and in this area Democrats hold the clear upper hand. We’ve managed to win every important election since 2018, including surprising victories in places like Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia. Americans by and large do not want a fascist MAGA future for their children and abortion remains a potent motivating issue.
The best thing for all of us to do at this juncture is tune out the noise, ignore the doom and gloom prognostications that the mainstream media makes money off of, and keep our noses to the grindstone. Stay vocal in your support of Joe Biden. Tell your friends and families how important it is to vote blue this election — and then tell them again. Victory is not an accident nor a fluke of fate, it’s an attainable result earned through a long, hard-fought process. Knowing that, I’m ready to keep fighting, are you?
Stay focused, stay energized.
Brian
Interview
Brian interviews former Obama speechwriter and Pod Save America host Jon Favreau about how our strategy should change given the Supreme Court’s decision, the warning signs for Trump in the Republican primary contests, and what to look for as we await Biden's State of the Union address.
The Legal Breakdown
Glenn Kirschner discusses the possibility of the Florida classified documents trial happening BEFORE the November election.
Democracy Watch
Marc Elias discusses the newly enacted New York congressional map.
DON'T BE A MITCH FUND
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