John,

I have served my country and visited some of the poorest places on the planet, and I can tell you without any hesitation that the children living there have a brighter future than some of the kids in my hometown of Logan, WV. I don't say this lightly, and I’m not exaggerating.

To realize this damning truth, and then to see every election cycle the same crooks get reelected over and over because they scream “God, babies, and guns!” and now, “Trump!” That's it, that's the magical recipe, and it disgusts and frustrates me.

People often say to me, “Why didn't you run as a Republican? With your experience and your charisma, you would have been elected easily.”

While I appreciate the compliment, I'm never really sure how to take that one, to be honest with you. I always reply the same way: “How could I ever join up with a party filled with nothing but hypocrites, liars, cheats, and scoundrels?”

In my view, that is the Republican party, and that is the kind of person is currently representing most of the Midwest and South here in America. But they don’t represent the majority of Americans who live in those areas … they just represent the majority who vote.

As Thomas Jefferson said long, long ago: “We don’t have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”

What it comes down to is this: We as Democrats need to show up in these so-called “red states” – not just during election season, but all the time.

That's why groups like No Dem Left Behind are so vital to our democracy – we work year-round, never taking any days off. We’re not funded by the government, major party donors, or corporate PACs.

We are able to do the work that we do and reach the people that we do only because of YOU! Our average donation is just $19, and I am so proud of that.

This election cycle I have only one job: To register as many new voters across the country as humanly possible.

You want a better life for you and your family? Vote for a Democrat. You want to do everything you can to protect the environment? Vote for a Democrat. You want to make sure everyone has the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies? Guess what – vote for a Democrat! You want to live in a country where the filthy rich pay their fair share so the rest of us can finally catch a break? You guessed it: Vote for a Democrat!

In other words: Vote BLUE in 2022, no matter who! Hey, I like that, it sounds catchy. I’m going to have to talk to the team about putting that on a t-shirt!

Sappers clear the way, Airborne all the way!

- Major Richard Ojeda USA (Ret.)

P.S. Can you support No Dem Left Behind’s mission by matching our $19 average donation today?

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If you can spare more than $19 right now, we could really use it – but if you can’t afford $19, then anything you can do, even just a few bucks, will really help.

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