Sunday, October 16, 2016

Kiss the Senate goodbye?

I know, I know—it's hard to pay attention to anything in politics other than Trump's implosion. It's our century's Hindenburg. Tragic ... Dangerous … You can't look away.

Dear MoveOn member,

I know, I know—it’s hard to pay attention to anything in politics other than Trump’s implosion. It’s our century’s Hindenburg. Tragic ... Dangerous … You can’t look away.

But that’s exactly what Karl Rove and the Koch brothers are counting on.1,2

This year, the biggest mega-donors on the Republican side aren’t giving to Trump—instead, they’re pouring cash into Senate races, to advance a strategy of obstructing a future President Clinton every bit as viciously as they worked to obstruct President Obama.3

And it’s working. The election data wizards at FiveThirtyEight say that even as Hillary Clinton pulls ahead in the polls, “down-ballot Democrats are losing ground.”4 The chance that Democrats win the Senate is essentially a coin flip—only 56%, according to The New York Times.5

The best way to beat them? Organize. And that’s exactly what MoveOn is doing. They’re organizing tens of thousands of volunteers to go door to door in states with critical Senate elections (which also happen to be presidential battleground states). The goal? Make sure every progressive votes—up and down the ticket. Can you chip in to make sure MoveOn reaches its goal of knocking on one million doors?

Yes, I'll chip in $2.70.

In most polls, Clinton has pulled ahead, and I absolutely love that. But here’s the danger: If progressives stay home on Election Day because they think we’ve got the White House in the bag, we’ll definitely lose the Senate. In fact, if we take victory for granted, we could still lose the White House too.

A Republican-controlled House and Senate would more or less guarantee that the most important issues on the progressive agenda don’t turn into law. Debt-free college for middle-class families? Comprehensive immigration reform? Action on climate change? Forget it. The GOP would be too busy conducting their umpteenth Benghazi investigation.

And I shudder to imagine how long the empty seat would stay unfilled on the Supreme Court.

All of that sounds awful to us. But it’s precisely what the Kochs and their billionaire friends, who don’t want government to work on behalf of the rest of us, have planned. Can you chip in to help MoveOn save the Senate?

Yes, here's my $2.70!

I know what it’s like to be in a Democratic majority in the Senate. And I also know what it’s like to be in the minority. Four words: The majority is better.

If you like partisan bickering and gridlock, sure, don’t chip in. But if you think of politics as a way to make a positive difference in people’s lives, as I do, then I hope you’ll join me and do everything you can to not only stop Trump, but to give Democrats a chance to govern.

Thanks for all you do.

–Al Franken

Sources:

1. “Karl Rove: My PAC is focused on Senate races,” Fox News, October 10, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/6279?t=17&akid=171598.10220574.oQivj2

2. "Koch brothers donor network to focus on Senate, not presidential race,” Fox News, July 31, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/6268?t=19&akid=171598.10220574.oQivj2

3. “Major Republican Donors Spend Big on Senate Races, Not Trump,” Bloomberg, September 21, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/6280?t=21&akid=171598.10220574.oQivj2

4. “Senate Update: Clinton Is Surging, But Down-Ballot Democrats Are Losing Ground,” FiveThirtyEight, October 13, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/6269?t=23&akid=171598.10220574.oQivj2

5. "2016 Senate Election Forecast," The New York Times, accessed October 16, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/5411?t=25&akid=171598.10220574.oQivj2

Want to support our work? Senator Elizabeth Warren says, "I'm so enthusiastic about MoveOn's smart and targeted plan to hire a network of organizers in key battleground states to mobilize and train volunteers to knock on hundreds of thousands of doors. It's bold and ambitious—and exactly what is needed to help swing Senate races, resoundingly defeat Donald Trump, and give Democrats a fighting chance to take back the House." Will you chip in to help make it all possible?

Click here to chip in $2.70, or whatever you can afford.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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