have you been watching the conventions?
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Hi Friend,

 

I’d like to begin Three Things this week with a question: 


Have you been watching the conventions? 


I personally don’t have the stomach for them. What started as an opportunity
for party delegates to come together to discuss and debate the platform of
their party and pick their candidate has long since become a four-day
collection of performative theater for the press.


Right now, the American people aren’t concerned with convention soundbites.
They’re busy evacuating their homes as a hurricane makes landfall, worrying
about their neighbors as wildfires sweep their state, protesting in the streets
to ensure justice for all, and yes… still waiting on Congress do its job and
pass additional economic relief measures.

 

Our politics are about so much more than the parties’ parties. Our politics is
supposed to be about solving problems for the people. (“Supposed to” being the
operative term).


Country over party should be more than a phrase. 


Here are three things:

The battle for racial justice starts at the ballot box.
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Some of the most important decisions about representation in government happen
behind closed doors, without any media or public present. Legislative maps hold
an incredible amount of power, yet in many states, how those maps are drawn is
left up to the very legislators who stand to benefit. Partisan gerrymandering
is all too real, and so often has the effect of minimizing minority voices in a
community. 


With a census coming up, the fight to control who draws these maps is already
kicking into gear. As The Hill’s Reid Wilson writes, “The Democratic
Legislative Campaign Committee and the Republican State Leadership Committee
are both raising record sums, and each side has an outside group dedicated
solely to redistricting: The National Democratic Redistricting Committee on the
left, and the National Republican Redistricting Trust on the right.”


How you can fight back: independent redistricting commissions
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out of the hands of self-interested politicians, and instead empower an
independent commission of citizens to draw fair maps that represent the people,
not the parties. Right now, Fair Maps Virginia is fighting to ensure that
Virginians get a chance at fair representation.Check out their video
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why Virginians need to vote #Yeson1!



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LaRose should make Ohio proud.
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: pulling off an election in the
middle of a pandemic is no small feat. In our polarized climate, we should call
out those leaders who are brave enough to cast aside their partisan ties to put
voters first — and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) is one such leader. 


Under LaRose’s guidance, Ohio has become the seventh best prepared state
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to vote at home — trailing only the six states that already had vote at home
systems. He’s led a Ready for November Taskforce designed to help local clerks
ensure their preparedness ahead of the election.LaRose has embodied putting
voters first by making sure all voters will have the ability to cast votes
securely and safely by mail, early, or in person on Election Day. 


This week, Unite America’s Tyler Fisher and The R Street Institute’s Marc
Hyden break down what exactly has made Ohio’s leadership on vote at home so
special and how the state can go even further before November.Check it out here
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.



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Remember, reform unites.
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Finally, if you haven’t already, check out The Swamp this week on HBO. The
film, which follows three GOP congressmen working in DC, isreviewed this week
by our own Beth Hladick
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film as such:


“While many of the underlying themes in the film aren’t new, the pressure to
fundraise, conform to the party platform, and cede power to lobbyists and
special interest groups is no less shocking. But looking past the toxic
partisanship lies a glimmer of hope:in an increasingly divided Congress,
bipartisan consensus on how to fix the system exists.”


In one powerful exchange, Rep. Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) go back
and forth to articulate a reform agenda that includes a lifetime ban on
lobbying for members of Congress, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, term
limits, and a ban on lobbyist contributions to candidates. They’re right to
believe they could unite the country and run on that agenda, together.



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If you’re in the path of the hurricanes, stay safe. If you’re in the path of
the wildfires,stay safe. If you’re out in the streets, stay safe. 


Remember, we’re stronger united.

 

Brett

__
Brett Maney
Senior Communications Manager
Unite America
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