Keeping you connected to what’s happening at The Union and sharing news about our ongoing work to oppose anti-democratic forces in American elections.

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The Soapbox - The Union's newsletter for our 60,000+ volunteers
We have resolved to join forces to help preserve our Union,
our Republic, and our democracy.

December 13, 2022
John,

THE SOAPBOX seeks to keep you connected to what’s happening at The Union and share news about our work to oppose anti-democratic forces in America.

STATE OF THE UNION: As The Union closes out 2022, we can be proud of what we accomplished. Together, we defeated election deniers up and down the ballot and across the country. Senator Warnock’s win last week secured a critical 51st seat in the U.S. Senate and a governing majority that includes independents Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Angus King (Maine), and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.).

While Democrats lost the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, we stopped the predicted red wave. With only a razor thin majority, MAGA extremists, led by Trump acolyte Kevin McCarthy, are already proving to be dysfunctional as expected. Their anti-democracy agenda will reveal how dangerous they are and help us define the choices voters will have in 2024.

We begin the 2023 / 2024 election cycles stronger than we were a year ago. And together, we will strengthen The Union even more for the ongoing fight to preserve democracy.
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THE PLAYBOOK: Please get some rest during the next few weeks. We will. Soon, our attention will turn to the 2023 elections. We can be sure that the Trump crazies will try to subvert democracy in the shadows of these out-of-the-headlines local contests. But The Union will call them out early and often. There is no place for them to hide. Our job will be to frame these contests as a critical choice for voters, pro-democracy, or chaos.

2023 Election Outlook ([link removed])

THE PULSE: Much is being said about this year’s midterms. There’s good news in the results. We gained a Senate seat. We gained gubernatorial offices and flipped some state legislatures. We defeated a countless number of election deniers. And in the House, even with the loss of nine seats and the majority, it’s worth noting that since World War II, Democratic presidents have lost an average of 40 House seats in their first midterms.

In historical terms, Biden’s first midterms were a success ([link removed])

A win in Georgia is a victory for American democracy: Volunteers with The Union played a decisive role in Sen. Warnock’s victory last week. Our Action Center saw a 130% increase in traffic. At its peak more than 1,000 volunteers were engaged in GOTV actions. We partnered with RideShare2Vote, Mi Familia Vota, Working Families Party, and They See Blue GA, among others. Another partner, the New Georgia Project reported 26 phone banks, 500,000 texts sent, and 800,000 doors knocked. Wow.

The people have spoken in Georgia ([link removed])

We all have a voice: Warnock, in his victory speech said, “I believe that democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea. The notion that each of us has within us a spark of the divine. . . We all have value. And if we have value, we ought to have a voice.” Our calling for 2023 and beyond is to protect democracy and all the voices the MAGA extremists want to intimidate and silence.

Warnock victory speech ([link removed])

While they keep doing the crazy, we keep doing the work: While we’re unsure if The Lincoln Project’s Joe Trippi will publish a country music hit with this refrain, it sure proved to be a winning campaign strategy. The fight for democracy is far from over, and we’ve got a winning game plan.

Election deniers overwhelmingly lost in 2022 ([link removed])

Family feud inside the House Republican Caucus: If anyone wants a look at dysfunction, look no further than the House Republican Caucus and the upcoming vote for Speaker. Frustration and anxiety are boiling among House Republicans as a group of hardline Trump extremists threaten to derail House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for Speaker.

MAGA extremists threaten McCarthy speakership ([link removed])

Spineless cowards: Trump’s recent call to terminate the U.S. Constitution in a fool’s wish to return to power was met with silence from too many Republicans in Congress. It is a disappointing but familiar response from politicians who are terrified of the former president and unwilling to speak the truth about the danger he poses to America. Let’s not forget how the oath they took begins: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States…”

Silence from Republicans as Trump calls to terminate Constitution ([link removed])

Political power grab: You have likely heard of the Supreme Court case, Moore v. Harper. It is a threat to American democracy. Oral arguments were heard last week. It involves something called the independent state legislature doctrine that could dangerously reshape how federal elections are conducted. If accepted by a majority of the Supreme Court, it could grant state legislatures nearly unchecked authority over all sorts of election rules.

Power grab over election rules ([link removed])

Republican self-inflicted harm by rejecting early voting: Many Republicans acknowledge that they hurt themselves by rejecting early and absentee voting. They are struggling to come to terms with their lackluster performance in the midterms but are frustrated by Trump’s unending conspiracy theories and rants about how Americans should, and should not, vote.

Trump is harming Republican election performance ([link removed])

Two sentenced in voter intimidation scheme: Two right-wing conspiracy extremists were sentenced in a Cleveland, OH court for their scheme to threaten and intimidate black voters. Well known for their prior political dirty tricks, the two were found guilty for their robocalls targeting black voters in low-income neighborhoods.

Right-wing extremists sentenced for voter intimidation ([link removed])

Invite a friend: Remember to invite a friend to Join the Union today ([link removed]) .

We are grateful for your work to preserve democracy and wish you all the best in this Holiday Season.

Together,

The Union
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The Union is a single issue, pro-democracy coalition. While the Union is supported in its launch by The Lincoln Project and the reach of their 7 million followers, we are an independent, volunteer-driven, self-organizing force of people, partners, and actions aligned in defense of our democracy.

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