New York Times: Major election shake-up

The New York Times reports that a populist progressive in South Dakota—of all places—could decide control of the Senate!

The New York Times reports that in the race for control of the U.S. Senate, Rick Weiland—a guitar-strumming, Citizens United-slamming, honest-to-goodness progressive populist from South Dakota—could be the tiebreaker. We're only $55,960 short of the $200,000 we need to enter the race. Can you chip in $3 to help us save the Senate by electing Rick Weiland? Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

This is, as Joe Biden might say, a BFD: The New York Times reports that a populist progressive in South Dakota—of all places—could decide control of the Senate!¹

This is a huge opportunity that's fallen into our laps. What happens in South Dakota could determine who controls the Senate. And we are agonizingly close to raising the $200,000 we need to expand our election program there. But we're still $55,960 short—that's less than a penny per MoveOn member. Will you chip in?

Yes, I'll help MoveOn expand into South Dakota.

It's incredible that a guitar-strumming, Citizens United-slamming, honest-to-goodness progressive populist could determine whether or not the Senate falls into Republican hands.

This is a once-in-an-election opportunity—and the kind of campaign MoveOn was meant to run. A campaign proving that progressive values can win elections—even in a deep-red state like South Dakota.

You can help save the Senate and send a message that progressives can win—even in deep-red states. Can you chip in $3 to make it happen?

Yes, I'll chip in.

Rick Weiland's race could be the tipping point for control of the U.S. Senate. Right-wing Republicans are banking on a win in South Dakota in order to take control of the Senate. But without South Dakota, it becomes virtually impossible for them.²

We saw how much right-wing craziness was unleashed when Republicans seized just one arm of Congress. We have to stop them from taking another.

Plus, if we win this, we'll get a genuine progressive as part of the bargain—not a Democrat-in-name-only. We can keep the Senate out of Republican hands—by electing a progressive!

That's why we're getting ready to go all-in. To start, we're rushing a six-figure ad buy onto the air—our ad has already been covered by the Times.³ Next, with your help, we need to shift volunteer resources to the state, run more ads, and make this election a big referendum on money in politics—one of Weiland's core issues. Are you in?

Yes, I'll help MoveOn expand into South Dakota.

We need your help because we didn't budget for South Dakota—at all. This is late-breaking news that no one was expecting. (The Republican candidate has been bogged down in scandal, there are multiple candidates on the ballot, and Weiland is running a strong campaign.) We've already made commitments in other states, and we can't afford to scale back the rest of our get-out-the-vote program in any case. Not with control of the Senate so close—because it's not enough to elect strong progressives, yet lose control of the Senate to Mitch McConnell.

The good news is, we don't have to make hard choices like that. Thanks to generous support from MoveOn members over the past week, we need only $55,960 more to campaign in South Dakota—and keep the rest of our program going. Will you help put us over the top?

Yes, I'll chip in.

This is the kind of race MoveOn's best at running—and winning. An audacious, Elizabeth Warren-style progressive who's fighting for the little guy and striking back against Citizens United. So if we go in, we go in big:

• MoveOn members will hit the phones—we'll make a blitz of phone calls to South Dakota voters to increase turnout. We'll be using our new tools—our secret combination of technology and targeting that we're keeping hidden from Republicans—which will make MoveOn members' phone calls into South Dakota roughly six times more effective than the calls we made in 2012.
• We'll run TV and online ads emphasizing the issue of money in politics—which is consistently MoveOn members' top priority when we ask our membership to vote.
• And we'll support in-state MoveOn members who are ready and eager to help.
  

If you believe we should do all of this—and more—then will you chip in $3 now and put us over the top?

Yes, I'll chip in to elect Rick Weiland and help save the Senate.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Kate, Milan, Stephen, and the rest of the team

P.S. This race could determine control of the Senate—and it's also a big referendum on money in politics. Are you in?

Yes, I'll chip in and help send a guitar-strumming, Citizens United-slamming, honest-to-goodness progressive populist to Washington.

Sources:

1. "Senate Contest in South Dakota Is Free-for-All," The New York Times, October 13, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=301256&id=103337-10220574-5JPyZrx&t=1

2. Ibid.
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=301256&id=103337-10220574-5JPyZrx&t=2

3. Ibid.
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=301256&id=103337-10220574-5JPyZrx&t=3

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