ndn

Biden In Ukraine – President Biden’s surprise trip to Kyiv is a reminder of how central our battle to ensure freedom and democracy prevails here and abroad is to center-left politics now. This fear of rising authoritarianism is what drove Joe Biden to run for President in 2019, and is likely to be a much more important area of focus of the next two years, particularly if House Republicans refuse to work with Democrats to legislate.

In our newly update With Dems presentation (learn more, watch) we talk about how the building of the global liberal order is perhaps the Democratic Party’s most important achievement; and that a new generation of Democrats are being called to defend this global system which has FDR’s 4 Freedoms as its foundation. In a new Spanish language essay Univision anchor Leon Krauze quotes Simon extensively about the dangers of the GOP's descent into illiberalism here in the US, and the need for the American people to understand the nature of the conflict we are now in.

Fri, 1pm ET – Simon’s Monthly Political Briefing – This Friday at 1pm Simon will be holding his live monthly political briefing and discussion (RSVP here). He will offer about 15 minutes of opening remarks and then take questions for 45 minutes. Am sure we will be talking Ukraine, the big jobs report, the outing of Fox News as a fake news network and the coming NDN transition. Some of our current thinking about the natl political landscape:

There were two elections in 2022 – a bluer one inside the battleground, a redder one outside. Dems gained ground from 2020 in AZ, CO, GA, MI. MN, NH and PA, and head into 2024 in very strong shape. This new Short Take video explains a bit more about how muscular Dem grassroots has become in recent years, and what it means for 2024.
Biggest Dem political priority in 2023 is to win the big economic debate with Republicans. Despite years of strong stewardship of the economy, Dems still trail Rs in polling on most economic issues. Dem Party can’t get to where it wants to go in 2024 without getting ahead of the Rs on the economy. Big priority.
We also need a party wide effort this year and next to get louder, turn our supporters into information warriors. This Short Take explains this idea a bit more.

In the briefing Simon is also likely to discuss the recent front page NYT story, The ‘Red Wave’ Washout: How Skewed Polls Fed A False Election Narrative, which chronicles NDN’s battle against right-wing election narratives in the 2022 election. Simon’s work in fighting the red wave is featured in a Daily Beast story about Nate Silver and 538. You can learn more about this important work here.

New Jobs Report – 12m Biden jobs, US economy continues to lead the world

In a new thread and post, we review the remarkable February jobs report – 517,000 new jobs! It’s a reminder of how much better the economy is today under Joe Biden, despite COVID, global inflation, Russia’s aggression, supply chain challenges, domestic insurrection and extremism here in the US. Some data:

Under Biden US is seeing its lowest unemployment rate in 53 years, lowest poverty/uninsured rates ever
GDP growth is 3.4% - 3x what it was under Trump
US economic recovery from COVID better than any other G7 nation
Almost 2 jobs for every unemployed person, new business starts/wages at elevated levels
Deficit and trade deficit lower, energy prices and inflation also continuing to drop
Deficit went up every year of Trump's Presidency, has come down every year of Biden's
Of 48m jobs created since 1989, 46m- 96% - have been created under Dem Presidents
Domestic crude oil production will set record this year (mythbuster!!!!)

NDN/Future Majority Host “Get Louder” Event with MeidasTouch, Courier Newsroom, Resolute Square and DSR Network – A few weeks ago NDN and Future Majority hosted a remarkable live gathering of innovative media leaders. We brought together bringing four organizations we think are doing exemplary work, and need greater attention in DC and across the country. We were joined by:

Ben Meiselas, The MeidasTouch
Tara McGowan, Courier Newsroom
Joe Trippi, Resolute Square
David Rothkopf, DSR Network

You can learn more, swatch a recording here. Simon has also posted a new essay about why this event is important, and a new video about how stronger and louder the Dem grassroots has become. This was a really terrific discussion and well worth your time.

On His Way to Mexico, Biden Kicked Off An Important Immigration Debate Here in the US – On his way to meeting with the leaders of Mexico and Canada, President Biden offered an intelligent new plan to address the unprecedented flow of migrants to the our southern border. It would accept an elevated level of asylum seekers with fiscal sponsors from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, while using temporary authorities to turn back those who don’t fit these new requirements. An important new debate about immigration and the border has begun, and NDN is hopeful, given the GOP’s obvious concern about these issues, that a bi-partisan legislative package to modernize our immigration system could get to the President’s desk this year.

Two recent op-eds, Farah Stockman in the NYTimes and David Ignatius in the Washington Post, provide helpful context. In a Washington Post essay, Greg Sargent cites Simon on how the President should approach this debate:

As Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg points out, the four border states are represented by five Democratic senators and only two Republican ones — and by three Democratic governors. Big gains in the Southwest are one of the party’s biggest political success stories. Shouldn’t the immigration debate reflect this?

“It’s important that these voices become much louder,” Rosenberg told me. “Democrats have to stop allowing the debate to be dominated by Republicans and extremists.”

Onward - The NDN Team

Contributions or gifts to NDN are not deductible for federal tax purposes. Contributions or gifts to The New Policy Institute are tax-deductible.

800 Maine Avenue SW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20024

www.ndn.org @NDN_NPI

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.