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John,
Welcome to The Blue Wave Weekly!
Every week I’ll be sharing insights, updates, and ways for you to get involved and help us build the Blue Wave. This work takes serious resources, so if you’re able, please make a donation to support Blue Wave California today. [[link removed]] Here’s this week’s edition:
A Horrific Week — and a Cracking Coalition
I’m greeting you today after a brutal week with a series of tragedies and a morally repugnant response from Trump. But this week brought something else, too: a visible shift in how people are reacting to the Trump regime, including Republicans who are usually too scared and feckless to criticize him.
It definitely feels like something is cracking in the MAGA coalition that we’ve never seen before.
The “Have You No Decency?” Moment
I’m not going to repeat Trump’s despicable and heartless comments about the tragic deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner. They don’t deserve amplification. But the moment revealed a deep, public disgust that felt almost like a national reflex, a wave of people speaking up who don’t usually speak up, and swift condemnation, including from Republicans who normally (always) stay silent.
Kathryn Grody (Mandy Patinkin’s wife) posted a video invoking that famous line from the McCarthy era: “Have you no decency?” And it stuck because it captured what a lot of people are feeling right now. This crosses party lines because it’s not about politics, it’s about basic human morality. History has shown us, when a society reaches the point where decency becomes the dividing line, alliances change fast.
And that brings us to the issue that could define 2026.
Health Care: They’ve Been Trying to Kill the ACA for 15 Years
This week we got more confirmation of what Republicans have been telling us (out loud) for a long time: they’ve been trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act for 15 years, and they still have no replacement. Meanwhile, the ACA subsidies are set to expire which means that premiums are going up, people will get kicked off coverage, and private insurers will benefit while working families pay the price.
Democrats in the House pushed a discharge petition to force a vote on extending the ACA subsidies (one of the only tools available to force votes Mike Johnson doesn’t want). They got four vulnerable Republicans to sign on but Speaker Johnson maneuvered to punt the vote into January, which effectively guarantees pain now and makes it easier for him to kill it later.
It’s cruelty as a strategy designed to kill the ACA and create profit for private insurance companies. Everyone knows it’s a losing issue for Republicans which is why 4 vulnerable Republican Congressmembers signed on to the Democrat’s petition. Health care is going to be central in the midterms.
Reasons for Hope: California + Kentucky
In the middle of all this, there were two genuinely hopeful signals:
1) California stepped up on public health.
As federal leadership retreats from science, California hired former CDC leadership and launched a new public health initiative to keep evidence-based guidance alive, not just for our state, but as a model for the country. In a moment of measles outbreaks and rising risk, that matters and I’m proud of our Golden State for taking action once again. This science guided agency will save lives.
2) A shocking election result in Kentucky.
In a special election for Kentucky State Senate, Democrat and Army veteran Gary Clemens overperformed by more than 42 points in a district Harris won by 6. That wasn’t even on most people’s radar. A swing like that isn’t just good news, it’s a flare in the sky and shows us that we can organize and win all over the country.
You Can’t Vote Your Way Out of Authoritarianism Alone
Our guest this week on The Practivist Pod [[link removed]] was communications strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio. She is one of my very favorite people working in this space and knows how to craft messages that are inclusive and effective.
One thing that struck me from our conversation is that voting is essential, but it’s not sufficient. Authoritarianism feeds on people feeling powerless. The antidote is agency: boycotts that work, community action that works, protests that build relationships and courage, solidarity that’s visible and contagious.
As we move into the New Year and campaigns start to ramp up, it’s important to remember that a movement grows a voting bloc. Not the other way around.
The Message Frame Going Into 2026
Anat’s guidance is always spot on, and here are some quick hits:
* Don’t call it an “administration.” Call it what it is: a regime.
* Name them with economic truth: bullies for the billionaires.
* Don’t just warn people, give them agency.
* Use ridicule and courage: authoritarians hate being mocked more than being debated.
* Build something magnetic, not scolding. “If you want people to come to your party, throw a better party.”
Her organizing frame to meet this moment is simple and powerful:
Brave of Us.
Brave of us to tell the truth.
Brave of us to stand together.
Brave of us to protect our neighbors.
Brave of us to fight for a country that actually lives up to “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
What We Need Now
As we head into the holidays and into 2026:
* Share your health care story. Bills, premiums, deductibles, care delayed — it cuts through everything.
* Push for the ACA subsidy vote in January. Keep pressure on the Republicans who signed on, and recruit more.
* Stay engaged locally. Community action builds courage, and courage builds turnout.
* Support our work at Blue Wave California. [[link removed]] If you can donate or volunteer [[email protected]] , it’s how we scale what’s working.

I hope you have a wonderful and peaceful holiday. You deserve it and fuel up because we’ve got a lot of work to do in 2026!
Hope isn’t passive.
Hope is an action.
— Steve
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