General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm going to say it [View all]EffieBlack
(14,249 posts)The people Im talking about arent hanging out in online discussion groups. Theyre working two and three jobs and trying not to get profiled and shot by the police and struggling to just get through the day. Theyre not lazy and theyre not misinformed. They dont need to be convinced to vote for Democrats. Theyre solid.
But they need to be convinced that their vote matters and can make a difference. They need to be shown that, despite all evidence to the contrary, the system isnt stacked against them. They need people to help them navigate the voter registration process, make sure they dont get purged from the rolls (and if they were, how to get back on), find out what papers they need to get the right kind of voter ID so they can vote - and help them pay to get them if they cost money. They need people to help them get to the polls on Election Day or vote absentee. They need to know their vote will actually be counted. And they need believe that their usefulness to the party wont end on Election Day but that they will be listened to as a respected constituency between Election Days.
They need to know - and be treated as if - they are just as important as the people who are holding their breath til they turn blue because they didnt get a perfect candidate. They need to be catered to just as much as people who are still threatening to vote for candidates that are doing everything they can to destroy these peoples lives. They need us to appreciate that they have been holding their noses and voting for the lesser of two evils for decades but dont whine about it lor expect to get a damned medal for as a result.
You dont reach these people on DU or Daily Koz or Twitter or candidate rallies. You reach them by going to them in their barber shops and beauty salons and churches and corner stores and housing projects and car washes in neighborhoods that havent yet transitioned into the new hot spot, neighborhoods lots of people don't want to go near much less spend any time in.
Those are the people Im reaching out to and working with. These are the people who are going to put us over the top - if we start acting like we give a shit about their votes.