I know something about toss-ups

I know something about toss-ups: my first race, back in 2008, was one of the closest campaigns in American history. I won by a 0.01% margin—just 312 votes.

Dear MoveOn member,

This election is getting so incredibly close that calling a few progressive voters in key states could stop Republicans from taking over the Senate.

So I could ask you to click here to make get-out-the-vote calls for that reason alone.

But actually, that's not just what I'm writing to you about. What I've been thinking about is how incredibly important it is to elect progressives this year... no matter which party wins the majority.

Game this out with me.

If we Democrats keep the majority, we'll have a fight on our hands from day one. We'll have to beat back the extremists in the House and fend off another shutdown... and another, and another. And we're pretty much guaranteed to lose some seats, so in these battles, every progressive will count.

So even if (unlike me) you're somehow positive that Democrats will keep the majority, you should click here to make get-out-the-vote calls to elect progressives to the U.S. Senate.

But if the Republicans win—I know, not a pleasant thought, but bear with me—well, a Republican majority dragging the debate to the hard right will mean that progressives in the Senate are even more important. If the far right is setting the agenda and forcing votes on terrible bills, progressive voices in the public debate will be the best weapon we've got.

So even if (also unlike me) you're utterly convinced that the GOP will take over the Senate, you shouldn't waste a single moment moping around—it's time to click here and make calls to help elect some Democratic senators who will keep fighting the good fight no matter who has the majority.

But maybe you just don't know for sure which party will win the Senate this fall. Welcome to the club! You and I and every professional pollster in America know that key states are so close, there's no way to tell what's going to happen. This whole thing is one giant toss-up.

Well, as it happens, I know something about toss-ups: my first race, back in 2008, was one of the closest campaigns in American history. I won by a 0.01% margin—just 312 votes.

And I'll tell you something. If just a few people who received an email like this one in the weeks before that election had decided not to help—if grassroots volunteers made just a few fewer get-out-the-vote phone calls... well, I wouldn't have won, and I wouldn't be writing you this message today.

But those people did click through and sign up to make get-out-the-vote calls, I did win, and here I am, running for reelection, and reminding you that every single call you make counts. You could help us stay in the majority, and, whether or not we have the majority, every seat is crucial.

That's what I'm writing to you about. And in case you didn't realize it, everything you see underlined (like this sentence) is a link that you can click to make calls to elect progressive Democrats in must-win campaigns right now. So, are you in? 

Yes, I'll sign up to make calls from home.

Thanks! I'm counting on you.

Sincerely,

–Senator Al Franken 

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on November 3, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.