We give a **** about saving our democracy
By Leah Greenberg, Indivisible Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director
Following recent polls showing Biden down in some swing states and neck-and-neck nationally, you’ve probably seen a lot of commentary about the 2024 election being ‘a coin flip.’
And on one level, that’s fair — we have to be clear-eyed that this election could go either way. It is quite possible Trump could get reelected. But I have to tell you, I can’t STAND the coin flip metaphor, because it suggests that result is a matter of chance, totally out of our hands.
Obviously, that’s not the case at all. The polling (not to mention our big wins in last week’s elections and commonsense itself) tells us there’s actually a LOT we can do to win over voters and win back our trifecta in 2024. The biggest threat we face isn’t MAGA — because we know that we can beat MAGA. The biggest threat we face is apathy.
Let’s be clear: We CAN win back disaffected voters, we CAN rebuild our 2020 coalition, and we CAN get people energized about 2024. I know it’s hard to believe right now when polls — even conversations with friends and family — paint a picture of an unenthusiastic electorate, unexcited about a Trump/Biden rematch, turned off from national politics.
But we have a story to tell. We have a contrast we can draw. We have two possible futures for our country that we can help voters visualize, and we’ve got a democracy that hangs in the balance.
First things first though. Before we can start getting voters energized about defeating Trump and saving our democracy, we’ve got to tap into that energy ourselves. We’ve got to commit to fight — and fight hard — for our democracy in 2024.
That’s why we’re launching the “Giving a Sh*t Tuesday” campaign, starting today and running through midnight on Tuesday the 14th. You’ve all heard of Giving Tuesday, which we normally use as a big fundraising moment for our organization — but in light of what’s happening in the world, we’re going to use our energy and reach on Giving Tuesday this year to raise funds for humanitarian relief instead.
“Giving a Sh*t Tuesday” isn’t about raising the most dollars we can — but showing how much this movement gives a, you know, about winning in 2024, and setting ourselves up to do it. Instead of a dollar goal, we’re setting a goal of 1,000 donations toward our 2024 election work.
As you know, fundraising has been down across the board for progressive organizations this year, at a time when we’re planning all the work we need to do to defy the polls and restore our trifecta in 2024.
And if you aren’t in a position to give today, we absolutely understand. You can also commit to volunteering right here.
My colleague Sarah recently recorded a nifty TikTok video warning her followers (you should be one, if you’re on TikTok) about emails promoting all these bad polls and declaring the world is ending… unless you give all your money right now. Before you give a penny, she said, you’d better hear their plan for overcoming those polls.
And we’ve got a plan. I wouldn’t want Sarah putting us on blast on her TikTok, after all.
A) We’ve got a record of Biden accomplishments to sell, and we’ve got to sell them. Historic investments to fight climate change. Infrastructure projects that impact damn near every community across the country. Overcoming Republican lawsuits and shutdown threats to forgive huge amounts of student debt. JOBS. Standing with unions to empower working families. Going toe to toe with Big Pharma and prevailing to lower prescription drug prices.
All of these things are massively popular, but few voters have heard about them.
B) We’ve got to make the contrast clear. This election is about two visions for America. Biden’s vision? Protecting reproductive freedom. Expanding healthcare. Making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Passing gun reform and voting rights.
And Trump’s vision? Extremism. A national abortion ban. More tax breaks for billionaires and less of a safety net for families. Rolling back climate protections. Ending the independence of the Justice Department and using the government to prosecute his rivals. Replacing career government officials with MAGA hacks. And oh yeah — he’s talking about turning the US military on protesters on day one in office.
Now, as the election really gets underway, voters are going to be reminded of the Trump extremism that turned them off in the first place. But that’s not necessarily enough. We have to tell the story of how much worse a second term would be AND present a positive vision of what’s possible if they deliver us a real Democratic trifecta.
And as this week’s elections proved once again, we have to make it absolutely clear that abortion is on the ballot. We called this a long time ago: When we lean in on reproductive freedom, we win. (If you want the longer version of that argument, it’s here).
C) We have to deliver these messages to the voters, via messengers they trust. That’s the most challenging part — but it’s also where Indivisible is most prepared to make the biggest difference.
The recent polling tells us there are a lot of folks that currently dislike Trump and Biden. They are the storied “double haters” and they’re going to be a key to winning in 2024. These voters are persuadable, but they’re not paying close attention to political news and they’re also more likely to be distrustful of messaging from politicians (they’re double haters, they don’t like the politicians!). The way we reach these folks is through 1 on 1 conversations — ideally with folks in their own communities, and better yet with people they know.
That’s why we’re going all in on innovative new voter contact strategies, dedicated to reaching people where they are, with a messenger they trust. Our Neighbor2Neighbor program will empower Indivisibles in swing states and districts to reach out to the most crucial target voters in their own neighborhoods, armed with persuasive messages and resources to get those folks to the polls.
We’re excited to get going on this work — and we’re asking you to get excited with us. Let’s defy the fatalistic, depressing articles about the enthusiasm gap and show just how much this movement gives a sh*t about winning in 2024.
Can we reach 1,000 donations between now and Tuesday night? I’m sure of it. Chip in to help us get there. (Or, if now is not a good time to donate, sign up here to volunteer).