24. September 2024 · Comments Off on Move On – September 24, 2024 · Categories: Affinity, Announcements

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

Right now, many of us are obsessively refreshing polling data, analyzing every small fluctuation, and treating forecasts as if they were set in stone. I know the temptation.

But polls are just snapshots—they’re not predictions of the future. And the fact is that with the pro-Republican bias in the Electoral College, the 2024 election is a toss-up. The reality is that we’re still the underdogs.

Remember 2016? There were favorable polls for Hillary Clinton—and what looked like a strong and clear lead. But that led to complacency, with catastrophic results. We cannot afford to make the same mistake again.

It’s time to stop looking at the polls and start taking action. And when it comes to taking action, MoveOn is one of the most effective grassroots organizations out there. MoveOn is uniquely terrific at mobilizing inconsistent voters who need to be engaged on the issues they care most about, convinced that their voice and vote matter, and helped in getting to the polls.

With exactly six weeks left until the final vote is cast, your support is urgently needed today. Will you join me and donate $7 a week through Election Day to power MoveOn’s critical voter turnout work?

Yes, I’ll chip in weekly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a weekly donation.

MoveOn is leading the charge by:

  • Mobilizing voters: MoveOn’s top-notch data analysts are working around the clock to ensure that the organization is focused on precisely the people who MUST turn out to vote if we’re going to defeat Donald Trump and MAGA and elect Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz. These are people in battleground states with progressive values but who do not regularly vote. MoveOn’s work connecting with, engaging, and motivating 1.5 million of these voters could not be more important.
  • Empowering volunteers: MoveOn has thousands of volunteers working right now, making phone calls, sending texts, and engaging in community outreach to reach those infrequent voters in battleground states.
  • Combating misinformation and disinformation: MoveOn is working to provide accurate information to counter the flood of misinformation and disinformation designed to confuse and disenfranchise voters.
  • Always advocating for progressive policies: Unlike political campaigns, which pack up and go home the day after an election is won or lost, MoveOn is there as a 24/7, 365-day-a-year organizing powerhouse, pushing to convert electoral wins into policies that address systemic injustices and promote a fair and equitable society.

Already, MoveOn members have made more than 483,000 phone calls, sent 73,000 postcards, and hosted 550 election events to help elect Kamala Harris. And, if Vice President Harris wins, MoveOn will be there to do the hard work to push for progressive policies. But with the election fast approaching, MoveOn needs our support to scale up their efforts.

Your contribution to MoveOn isn’t just a donation but an investment in our shared future. Will you donate $7 a week to MoveOn through Election Day to fuel this essential work?

Yes, I’ll chip in weekly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a weekly donation.

Throughout my career, I’ve made fighting for the common good my top priority. I’ve fought to raise the minimum wage, expand health care, safeguard Social Security and Medicare, and challenge the stranglehold of Big Money on our politics.

These fights have required collective effort, grassroots organizing, and a relentless commitment—even when things got tough.

In the long run, I remain optimistic about the future of America and the American people. But our society—and democracy itself—faces unprecedented challenges right now.

And I fear that if we lose this election, we will lose a generational chance to make progress on tackling inequality, addressing climate change, and stopping the backslide on basic rights and freedoms, including bodily autonomy and voting rights.

That’s where MoveOn’s sophisticated and highly strategic campaign comes in to get out the vote in battleground states.

Please join me in donating $7 a week through Election Day to support MoveOn’s much-needed and extremely effective work.

Yes, I’ll chip in weekly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a weekly donation.

For decades, I’ve sounded the alarm about an economy increasingly rigged for the rich. And I’ve watched both Republicans and Democrats do the rigging. In 1994, while I was secretary of labor, I warned about a two-tiered society, composed of a few winners and many more Americans left behind.1

It was not until the Biden-Harris administration that we finally began reversing this trend! President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris initiated a silent revolution in American economics, fundamentally reshaping our economy to benefit working people. Through landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS Act, and a historic infrastructure package, we got a resurgence in American manufacturing and the creation of good jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.

Now, a Harris-Walz administration has the potential to build on this progress and push it even further. And they’ve announced plans to do just that, which includes continuing to strengthen unions, taking on monopolies that stifle competition, building millions of houses to address our nation’s dire housing crisis while creating millions of jobs that do not require a college degree, continuing to transform America’s energy grid, and ensuring that economic policies prioritize workers over corporate profits.

We must address climate change—it’s an existential threat that demands immediate action. Catastrophic storms, wildfires, and rising sea levels are not distant threats—they are our current reality. If we hope to address this crisis, we must elect leaders committed to aggressive climate action.

Recently, Scientific American made only the second presidential endorsement in its 179-year history, urging Americans to support Vice President Harris.2 The editors highlighted that our nation faces two distinct futures: one where the president relies on science and evidence to tackle critical issues like climate change, and another where disregard for facts endangers public health and safety. Their message was clear: Electing Harris is essential for a future where we value science, address the climate crisis, support education, and promote policies that benefit all Americans.

We must protect the right to bodily autonomy, because lives and self-determination for more than half of our country are on the line. People are dying because abortion bans prevented them from getting the medical care they needed.3 This is the direct result of Trump stacking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and then Republicans passing profoundly immoral abortion bans that put health and even lives at risk. Trump bragged that he was “able to kill” Roe.4 Now, he’s voting for Florida’s extreme abortion ban and refuses to say if he’d veto a national abortion ban.5

And we must remember: The very foundation of our democracy is at risk. Voter suppression, gerrymandering, the Electoral College, and attacks on the free press together undermine the foundation of our republic. Our democracy thrives when every voice is heard and every vote is counted. Consider that Trump has said that he doesn’t even care if you vote. He doesn’t need your vote because he is more focused on a narrative that the election is rigged and on using the courts—or extremist mobs—to challenge any election that he doesn’t win.6 He also told white Christian nationalists, “In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not going to have to vote.”7 Which means we need to win decisively to have hopes of a peaceful transition of power.

We have the power to address these challenges—but only if we act, right now, to elect the Harris-Walz ticket. Please donate $7 per week to MoveOn through Election Day to support their absolutely crucial work in this election.

Yes, I’ll chip in weekly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a weekly donation.

Remember: Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires participation, dedication, and sometimes sacrifice. But the rewards—a more just, equitable, and compassionate society—are worth the effort.

So let’s turn off the poll trackers and roll up our sleeves. There’s work to be done, and each of us has a crucial role to play.

Thanks for all you do.

–Robert Reich

Sources:

1. “A Warning from 1994 of a Two-Tiered Society | Robert Reich,” YouTube, November 21, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnd0eSuxu84

2. “Vote for Kamala Harris to Support Science, Health and the Environment,” Scientific American, September 16, 2024
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vote-for-kamala-harris-to-support-science-health-and-the-environment/

3. “Afraid to Seek Care Amid Georgia’s Abortion Ban, She Stayed at Home and Died,” ProPublica, September 18, 2024
https://www.propublica.org/article/candi-miller-abortion-ban-death-georgia

4. Post by Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 17, 2023
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110384051064378318

5. “Donald Trump says he will vote against Florida’s abortion rights ballot amendment,” USA Today, September 3, 2024
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/30/trump-says-he-will-vote-no-on-floridas-abortion-amendment/75014015007/

6. “Trump Says He Doesn’t Need Votes Again—With a Weird New Twist,” The New Republic, September 6, 2024
https://newrepublic.com/post/185672/donald-trump-need-votes-weird

7. “Trump Declines to Back Away From ‘You Don’t Have to Vote Again’ Line,” The New York Times, July 30, 2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/us/politics/trump-christians-vote-ingraham.html

Want to support MoveOn? The MAGA right is declaring war, and Project 2025 is their battle plan. Project 2025 threatens our rights, attacks communities of color, hurts middle- and working-class families, and undermines our democracy. But we will not back down or let Trump steamroll our nation.

Will you start a monthly donation to power and sustain MoveOn’s election plan, stop Trump, and ensure Project 2025 is never enacted? 

Yes, I’ll chip in $5 a month.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.