Michigan Presidential Primaries: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Hatred is bad for Political Aspirations and our Country!
The “Great Replacement Theory “espoused by racists and perpetrators of mass violence in churches, synagogues, Charlottesville, grocery stores, schools—is everywhere. Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) has actively promoted this on social media while he also espouses his Christian beliefs and the role of immigration and interracial relationships- or just not being a White Christian. Fittingly Schriver has been stripped of his committee assignments, funding and staffing but should he remain in a position of power within Michigan?
His downfall, in addition to Governor Whitmer. includes two Michigan leaders of color. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, the state’s first African American to hold that post stated that “Racism is dark, dangerous and disgraceful. What is equally as abhorrent is the fact that this rhetoric has not been condemned in any serious way by Rep. Schriver’s Republican Party counterparts. The silence is deafening.”
One Michigan Republican did respond. State Rep. Donni Steele (R-Orion Twp.) is quoted as saying “As elected officials, we are the voice for our communities. We are held to a higher standard and must answer to all comments we make, including all social media posts. Hateful rhetoric goes against everything I believe and distracts from the positive work we’re trying to accomplish for the people of Michigan.”
House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit), Michigan’s first African-American speaker, described Schriver as being “blatantly racist…spreading hate.”
It is up to all of us, the voters, to call out racism, antisemitism, and all forms of hatred, and discrimination loudly and clearly. – Michigan Advance
Events and Opportunities
442,000 likely democrats in Michigan need to be registered to VOTE
And you can help!!
Field Team 6 has been successful in registering 31% of the people it has identified as likely progressive voters and PEG, along with SWIM, Distill Social and others, are partnering with them to see that it happens in Michigan too. With your help, we will register over 100,000 voters who could make the critical difference in November.
Participants in these phone banking events will be supported with training, scripts and supportive systems.
| SWIM and Field Team 6 Protect the House Project Participate in this comprehensive program to protect the state legislature from going backwards. SWIM and Field Team 6 will be working hard to get as many voters who share our values, registered and voting! Join us for the first phase of this exciting program. There are several ways in which you can help with this. Pick your preferred interaction and sign up. Monday, February 26. Michigan Mondays Phone Bank. Here is the link. 4–6 pm ET Monday, March 4. Sign up to do Michigan Text Banking here: 6–8 pm ET Field Team 6 Events Thursday March 14. Join Field Team 6. Register Democrats Summit 2024 Register here. 9 am ET – 5 pm ET Saturday, March 23.Join Field Team 6. 7–8:30 pm ET “This meeting of like-minded folks will leave you feeling refreshed, regenerated, and with the tools you need to get back to full strength… so you can get back out there, and kick some a$$ from a place of joy as we head into the 2024 election cycle!” Register here and with the Democratic National Committee. Check out a lot more opportunities with Field Team 6. Click here! |
| Friday, February 23. Happy Hour with Representative Carrie Rheinghans State Representative Rheinghans (D-47) is hosting a happy hour at HOMES Campus to share what is happening in the district and in Lansing. HOMES Campus, 112 Jackson Plaza, Ann Arbor. Learn more here. 4–5:30 pm |
| Saturday, February 24. Coffee Hour with Representative Jason Morgan Hear about issues that matter to you! Register on Facebook for Coffee Hour at Starbucks, 222 S. State St, Ann Arbor. 11–Noon |
| Saturday, February 24. Coffee Hour with Representative Jimmie Wilson, Jr. Join State Representative Wilson (D-32) either via zoom (email jimmiewilson@house.mi.gov for the link) or in person at the Ypsilanti District Library, Superior Branch, 1900 N. Harris Road, Superior Charter Township, 48198. 1–2 pm |
| Ballot Cure Phone Bank: Help voters correct their Mail Ballots – Make their votes count Virtual Phone Bank Now through March 1, Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. In Michigan, when a voter’s returned absentee ballot is rejected, the voter has until the end of the day on election day to correct any errors or vote a new ballot. Contact voters to help correct their mistakes. Make their vote count. Register here |
| Empower Young Voters with NextGen America Primary season is upon us! Join NextGen America as we contact young voters in preparation for the 2024 primary elections. We know that building the power of the youth vote is crucial to our democracy, and that starts by providing youth with the information they need to get out and vote. Text young voters. Sign up here. Through February 28 from 1-3 EST Social media team! Sign up here. Through February 29 from 3—4 pm If you’ve never texted with Nextgen or want a refresher, sign up for this week’s text training. February 28 from 4—5 pm Call young voters. Sign up here. Through February 27 various times. |
| Wednesdays at 8 pm. America at a Crossroads Virtual Series February 28. Political analysts and pundits Bob Shrum (D) & Mike Murphy (R) in conversation with Patt Morrison: “2024 Election Year Update: It’s Anything BUT Business as Usual?” Register here. |
Sunday, March 10. FREE Ann Arbor Climate Teach-in
The annual A2 Climate Teach-in provides an easy and meaningful entry point for those who want to get more involved in climate action. You will have the chance to build your own Climate Action Toolkit. Various workshops and discussions throughout the day culminate in the keynote address, “What We Can Do Together for Climate Action,” delivered by United States Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Michigan’s 6th District. Genesis of Ann Arbor, 2309 Packard St, Ann Arbor. Register here. 1:30—5:15 pm
More things to do, read, watch, and listen to
ACTION: Vote Election Deniers OUT of Office
Michigan is one of several highly contested battleground states with a large proportion of election deniers on the November ballot including AZ, Wisconsin, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Statewide candidates here and elsewhere would have direct power over the certification.
Two prominent election deniers in Michigan includes Kristina Karmano running for Secretary of State and Tudor Dixon running for Governor of Michigan. Karmano has already declared “rampant fraud” to block the election results in the 2020 election:she was as a poll watcher. Now she wants to repeat that denial as Secretary of State in Michigan where she would be responsible for co-signing the certificate of electors with the Michigan governor. She expects that to be election denier Republican Dixon Tudor will be the governor.
Every four years, Congress, holds the power to finalize or contest the electoral college. Among 419 Republican nominees for the U.S. House, 230, or 55 percent, are election deniers. And the vast majority of those, 147, are running in safely Republican districts, with another 29 in competitive races, according to ratings as of Oct. 5 by the Cook Political Report.
Immigration Boosts the US Economy According to Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
The issue of an immigration “problem” is frequently the headline in news broadcasts and social media. It appears to be an intractable issue with claims of too many immigrants seeking to establish a new home in the US. There are those who are promoting closure of our borders to immigrants. However, a new nonpartisan (CBO) report explains that there are important benefits to immigration that will add trillions of dollars to the US economy over the next 10 years! Numerous economists have noted that the surge in immigration has helped the US to avoid a recession. “One of the benefits of the strong immigration is it has helped to increase the supply of labor,” Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody’s Analytics, told HuffPost. This in turn increases tax revenue.
The CBO said that a large portion of immigrants coming to America are in the prime-working ages of 25 through 54, which tends to benefit the economy significantly as they continue to work for years after their arrival. This should also result in continued demand for new homes. (-Business Insider)
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former CBO director and president of the conservative American Action Forum think tank, said, “When combined with a surge in productivity growth, this supply-side expansion permitted inflation pressures to ease without a dramatic loss in output growth,” he wrote…..So, there you have it. The way to solve an inflation crisis is to endure an immigration crisis.”
Undoubtedly, the immigration crisis is desperate for resolution. As the nation awaits political solutions, the words of Ronald Reagan resonate: “Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost. (-Washington Post)
Good Great News
A Multi-Million Dollar Gift to Planet Earth
“Earth is now our only shareholder,” said Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, when he announced the transfer of ownership of his $3 billion company to a trust and a nonprofit organization. This will ensure that all its profits, amounting to $100 million a year — will go to combat climate change and destructive development around the globe.
2024: A Banner Year for Black Women Senatorial Candidates
This year, three Democratic black women are running for the US Senate. In its 234 history, only two black women have been elected to the Senate—Carol Moseley Braun and Kamala Harris.
The first of these three women,, Barbara Lee, representing California, has been a member of the US House of Representatives for the last twenty-five years with a distinguished record of progressive voting.
The second, Angela Alsobrooks is an executive from Maryland’s Prince George’s county and a former state attorney general. She would be the state’s first black woman elected statewide in Maryland and only the second woman senator from that state.
The third, Lisa Blunt Rochester, is the first woman and the first African-American to represent Delaware in Congress. If elected to the Senate, she’d be the first woman Senator from that state. As the only representative to the US House of Representative from that small state and, thus, already occupying a state-wide position, she has an excellent chance of becoming the first black woman Senator from that state.
All three black women candidates understand the historical significance of their bids for a US Senate seat, Says Barbara Lee, “Even though there are no African American women in the United States Senate, we won’t let that stop us either.”
Mayor kicks off early voting in Ann Arbor. Here’s how it works
Ann Arbor has a new ‘ballot on demand’ system for early voting now underway. “I’m just so grateful that we have early voting this year,” said Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor. Taylor said he’s doubly grateful for all the great work done by City Clerk Jackie Beaudry and her team of election workers who are helping people vote early and ensuring the experience is swift and efficient for everyone.
The new ballot-on-demand system makes it possible for voters to vote at any early voting site in the city regardless of their precinct, Beaudry said. Once someone votes anywhere, that’s communicated through the system in real time so other sites know the person has already voted, she said. Read More
Download & Share these Graphics with friends!
More Michigan GOTV Resources:
Link to FT6: Field Team 6
Link to Registration guide “Voter Drive In A Box” to set up in person voter registration drives in your area Link to FT6 Store – POSTCARDS
Postcards to Voters Etsy Store
Into Action Labs allows you to download and add your own message(s).
MI Right to Read offers this toolkit of graphics.
Demcast Michigan also has rich, sharable content.
Field Team 6 takes the fear out of posting on social media with this fun video explaining simple step-by-step simple instructions to social storming – at whatever level you want to dive into!
FT6 also has a Field Team 6 Current Storm page with prepared posts that can be one-click shared across many platforms.
Indivisible’s Trainings-to-Go include materials such as slides, handouts, or discussion questions, as well as facilitation notes/directions for the person leading the space. Start with a pilot batch of 3 Trainings-to-Go: Recruitment 101, Indivisible 101, and Tools for Building Inclusive Groups – and will add more in 2024. These are located in the Support Hub along with lots of other support for you! If you have questions or suggestions, please email training@indivisible.org
