by Whitney Kreiling | Nov 18, 2021 | Blog
by DJ | Oct 4, 2020 | Blog
A small blast from the past: In 2016 we printed a handout at headquarters done by Issues Round table about why no should vote for Trump. Look how well they anticipated his behavior: [and, how many more can we add now! DJ]
THE TOP TEN REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP
Mr. Trump is a:
1. dangerous and reprehensible role model. Can you imagine him teaching your children?
2. divider. He ridicules minorities, stereotypes Muslims, makes fun of the disabled, and incites violence at his rallies.
3. unprepared and ignorant candidate. He does not understand how our government works, the purpose of diplomacy, or the danger of nuclear weapons nor does he appear willing to learn.
4. liar. Of the 20 candidates running for the Presidency in the primaries, according to fact checkers, Clinton erred the least and Trump lied the most (by a “huge” margin).
5. sexist. He denigrates women, appears fixated on their appearance, and boasts of his sexual exploits.
6. bully. He covers up his ignorance with bluster, sending outrageous tweets, many of which are unfounded personal attacks.
7. crooked businessman. He has stiffed sub-contractors, forced sub-contractors to take less that their work cost, threatened or engaged in frivolous lawsuits, and practiced racial discrimination in some of his housing projects.
8. sociopath. That is what his ghostwriter for The Art of the Deal, who spent 18 months with him, called Trump. That author concluded that he “put lipstick on a pig.”
9. narcissist unable to sort and judge reality. At one rally, he declared: “I know more about ISIS than the generals do. Believe me.”
10. unable to judge leadership talent. He has said he would “love” to put Sarah Palin in his cabinet. He is now on the third leadership team for his campaign.
by DJ | Oct 4, 2020 | Blog, Election Central
Dates to Keep in Mind
We all know if we come out, we win – the more people who get to the polls, the more likely it is that we win races. So here are some dates to keep in mind:
- End of regular registration October 9
- Beginning of Early Voting October 15-31
- Election Day November 3
If you know someone who has not registered to vote by the deadline, they can still do so and vote during the early voting period using one-stop voting. They will need to bring with them evidence of their place of residence. They can find what works for identification for one-stop registration by going to our local Board of Elections web site, the state Board of Elections web site, or checking out election information on our party web site (jacksondems.com).
Plan Your Vote
It’s really important to make sure you, your family, friends and neighbors have definite voting plans this time. The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 27, but that’s really late. If you intend to vote absentee (you don’t have to have a reason to do this and it can be done in the comfort of your home), request the absentee ballot now. When it comes, complete it immediately and mail it back then! Make sure you do exactly what it asks you to do. Mistakes may jeopardize your vote. You will need a witness.
If you don’t trust the post office to return your absentee ballot, you can do so in person. However, not just anyone can bring that ballot to a polling site. So, make sure you have someone who can legally deliver your absentee ballot for you, if you cannot take it yourself. One thing you definitely want to do, if you decide to mail your absentee ballot back – do it early, like as soon as possible.
If you are going to vote in person, but are afraid to be out in public with crowds, take advantage of early voting days. Our local Board of Elections has done everything possible to make sure the experience is safe.
And, if you intend to vote on election day, wear a mask, practice social distancing, and be prepared to wait. There is no guarantee you will have to be in line long, since the demand for absentee ballots is really high this year and many people will be avoiding crowds by using the early voting option.
However, be prepared anyway. What you don’t want to do is get discouraged and go home without voting; this time every vote counts. We want to deliver a very loud message to the GOP that this country has “had enough” of bully-boy tactics, We desire a return to civility and institutional norms
by DJ | Oct 4, 2020 | Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch
Get Out the Vote with Cindy
Cindy Burke is in charge of our Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign and if you haven’t seen her doing one of several hundred chores in and around party headquarters the past couple of weeks, you simply have not been paying attention. She could use volunteers and here are some of the tasks that need doing:
- Poll Greeter: Working during early voting at one of the five sites; You’ll get plenty of support: we will wear masks and socially distance, there will be gloves for handing out ballots, and there will be another person with you
- Helping distribute door hangers
- Virtual canvassing
- Working as a host/hostess at headquarters while it’s open
- Phone banking
- Placing candidate signs in your yard or along the highways
- Picking up signs after the election.
Contact Cindy Burke at cbburke123@gmail.com or at 828-507-2408 if you can do any of these tasks.
by DJ | Oct 4, 2020 | Blog
That Wasn’t A Debate
What I saw on Tuesday was not a debate. It was political theatre, verging on political pornography. It was an affront to the values, institutions and traditions of this country. Donald Trump manifested in so many ways that he is the wrong successor for the likes of George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin Roosevelt. He isn’t even an able successor to Warren G. Harding, himself a philandering resident of the White House whose administration engaged in a multitude of scandals and whose behavior is one of the prime reasons for the Great Depression. Ezra Klein, founder of the Vox web site put it best: “It’s not just that Trump is a bad President. He is a bad person.”
In spite of requests from the host of the debate, the Trump family, which wore face masks for a social media photograph and apparently into the venue, appeared in the audience without masks. Of course, those on the Biden side of the aisle had theirs on. These are careless people, in a very literal sense. They care less about other people and the country than they do their own profit and pleasure. Their highest responsibility is not to something outside themselves and their family; they hold no higher aspirations for our nation than to view it as an opportunity to maximize their incomes. Certainly they have never believed that we should love one another, act justly and walk humbly in this world, in spite of Daddy’s date with a Bible at a neighborhood church after his enablers cleared the street of peaceful protesters.
Mr. Trump apparently believes that all public service, both military and civilian is for suckers and losers. I’m the daughter of a career military man, who saw action at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. For putting his life on the line during World War II and to a lesser extent in Korea, I never thought him a loser. Yet Mr. Trump, while standing at the Pearl Harbor Memorial over the sunken USS Arizona, apparently had to ask his then Chief of Staff John Kelly, himself a former general who had lost a son in the Middle East conflict, “What’s this a tour of?”.
I’ve been a faithful reader of most of the books that have been published so far about the Trump administration. I’m almost finished with Woodward’s Rage; I have Michael Cohen lined up next. (I admit I’ve made an exception with the John Bolton book; I don’t want to contribute anything to Bolton’s bottom line.) These books have gotten almost repetitious in their revelations. Mr. Trump is a liar, a bully, and a man without empathy. He lacks even basic curiosity, is badly under-read for someone in his position, and barely works. Mary Trump’s book provides some context for how this ubernarcissist* became who he became. Even his sister thinks he’s a “clown.” It’s on tape.
If any child behaved like Mr. Trump did Tuesday night, we’d be in immediate discipline mode. Why many of his ardent supporters are today on line gleefully extolling the virtues of his performance remains a mystery to me. Here’s a guy who likes inflicting pain, is responsible for hundreds of thousands of Americans unnecessarily dying, tanked our economy and is without a recovery plan, is vengeful and mean-spirited, and has managed to drop our international standing to its lowest level in almost a century. What Kool-Aid are they drinking?
If you were undecided about how much commitment to take into November, the debate should have settled that question. We can attempt a return to decency or we can continue down this road to chaos and a new semi-privatized, but amply armed, civil war.
* Ubernarcissist Definition: So detached from reality that he can’t relate to how normal human beings think. [I had to look it up myself. DJ]
by DJ | Oct 4, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Legislative Watch, News
Joe Sam Queen Is Our Guest for the Last Meet the Candidates Session
Joe Sam Queen will be our guest for our last Meet the Candidate feature at our monthly meetings. He has served in both the NC Senate and House of Representatives and currently holds the seat to the 119th District of the House. The 119th encompasses all of Jackson and Swain Counties as well as part of Haywood.
The format will be as it has been for our previous candidate sessions: first part is a group of set questions, followed by questions from the floor, and ending with a lightning round of short answer simple queries. Our short business session will involve an update on the election, volunteer opportunities that are still open, and prospects for November. Traditionally, we do not meet in December.
Watch for the ZOOM invitation, which will go out the week of the meeting. There will also be an agenda and additional announcements in written format that goes out with that agenda. If you want to get the invitation, contact Cynthia Burke.
Joe Sam Queen Seeking Phone Bankers and Poll Greeters
Joe Sam Queen has a phone bank that is working out of the southern part of Jackson County. If you are interested in phone banking for him, contact Susan Bianchi. He’s also seeking poll greeters. The Jackson County Democratic Party will have poll greeters at all early voting sites handing out blue ballots and other candidate materials. Usually that means we have at least two people at those sites and sometimes candidates also have folks. If you aren’t working for the party and want to step up and work for Joe Sam Queen, let Penny Smith know.
by DJ | Oct 4, 2020 | Blog, News
Upcoming Events for Jackson County Democratic Party
- Shop the Streets: October 9 – continuation of what we have been doing; shop the streets in whatever ways you find comfortable. Let them know you’re a Democrat by wearing Democratic gear and wishing them well
- Film Seminar: Moonlight on October 9 – this is a great movie. If you haven’t been to the first two seminars,
consider ining the discussion for a donation of $10 (less if you find that a financial burden and still want to hear what people have to say). You’ll need to let me know, so I can send you a ZOOM invitation. We start at 7 PM and finish at 8:30.
- Fridays with Signs in Sylva – this is a low impact, easy activity that is an effort to imprint candidate names in people’s minds. We meet in the parking lot at headquarters from 4:30-5:45 and wave a candidate sign. You have your pick of what we have inside to wave outside or you can make your own with a name on it. Bring a comfy chair or use one of ours – we sit, hold signs, and wave. You must wear masks and we do socially distance.
- Volunteer Opportunities – see above under “GOTV with Cindy.” We will also be doing a final mailing event, with baggies available for pick-up next week. Watch for the notice. This is a DWJC event and we will be using blank cards and other sorts of stationary to make it really personal. There will be a pick-up date and a return date. If you supply the stamps, you won’t even have to return the cards; you can simply mail them.
- BBQ Postponed – because we would have to do this as a take-out option, because almost all of us are doing other campaign things, and because we’ve made sufficient money to cover what we promised the party for this year ($5,000), we postponing this event. The only fundraising we’ll be doing the rest of this year will be swag items.
- Loose Change Ends Monday, October 5 – we’ve held Loose Change open, because until recently the Credit Union coin counter was unavailable. It is now in business once again, so the last time you can bring any loose change for this activity is that Monday. If you want to contribute any loose change hanging around your house, do the following: count it; put it in a baggie; add your name, so we can track it on our Board of Elections report, and bring it to headquarters when they are open for business. Anything that gets there by 4 PM on Monday, October 5 will count. Currently, River Precinct is ahead thanks to Diane. However, I intend to put a bunch of coins in the contest this week, so Sylva may move ahead in the last minutes of the campaign. Any amount helps. So, if you’re dropping by headquarters, participating in the Friday events, or simply driving through town and you have some extra change, drop it off – use the blue envelopes to label the amount and your name, if you don’t have a spare baggie with you.
- Drawing for Myrtle Beach ending with the Election – we’re going to end this event with the election. So between now and the election. You can make donations for tickets any time you’re in the office. Trip availability is any time between the election and the end of December, 2021, except during the month of July. If you are in doubt about what this means, check out the posters at headquarters.
- Membership Surpasses 100! We were up to 101 as of yesterday. Thanks a bunch.
- Drive to the Polls event for anyone who can participate. We’re meeting on Tuesday at 2 PM in the parking lot by Farmers’ Market in Sylva, then driving as a caravan to the Board of Elections voting site. Wear Masks. We’ll obviously socially distance. We picked the day and time, because it’s likely to have little traffic.
- Gowns in the Town (TBA) – a variation of the Friday afternoon drive-bys, but with all the signs having judges’ names on them and a sign reminding people to vote the whole ballot, including the judges. Figure out how you can find a gown now.
by DJ | Sep 26, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog
by Heather Cox Richardson
Trump’s refusal Wednesday to commit to accepting a loss in the November election with a peaceful transfer of power continues to make waves. Today the New York Times reported that military officers are worried that Trump will try to drag them into a contested election. But while people are rightly frightened about Trump’s increasing authoritarianism, it’s important to understand that he is deploying these particular threats about the election to create an impression that he has the option to control the outcome in November. He does not have that option.
Trump and his cronies are trying to create their own reality. They are trying to make people believe that the coronavirus is not real, that it has not killed more than 200,000 of our neighbors, that the economy is fine, that our cities are in flames, that Black Lives Matter protesters are anarchists, and that putting Democrats in office will usher in radical socialism. None of these things is true. Similarly, Trump is trying to convince people that he can deploy the power of the government to remain in power even if we want him to leave, creating uncertainly and fear. By talking about it, he is willing that situation into existence. It is a lie, and we do not have to accept it.
For his part, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden recognizes that Trump’s repeated threats not to leave office are both letting him convince us that leaving is his choice, rather than ours, and keeping the media focused on him when we should, in fact, be talking about real issues. Biden is refusing to give the idea oxygen, reminding reporters that it is a “typical Trump distraction.” “I just think the people in the country are going to be heard on November 3,” he told them. “Every vote in this country is going to be heard and they will not be stopped. I’m confident that all of the irresponsible, outrageous attacks on voting, we’ll have an election in this country as we always have had, and he’ll leave.” He said: “I don’t think he’s going to get the FBI to follow him or get anybody else to enforce something that’s not real.”
While the Senate voted unanimously yesterday to commit to the peaceful transfer of power in January, it was actually Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, who gave Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power the dripping disdain it deserved. Speaking to reporters, Baker defended the mail-in ballots that Trump is saying will invalidate the election, and called Trump’s suggestion that he wouldn’t leave office peacefully “appalling and outrageous.” Baker said he would to do everything in his power to defend the results of the election.
“A huge part of this nation’s glory, to the extent it exists as a beacon to others, is the peaceful transfer of power based on the vote of the people of this country,” he said.
Trump responded with an insulting tweet, but one that suggested he was deliberately stoking the story to try to get free media coverage.
This makes sense, because there are signs that Trump and the Republicans have a real money problem. We know that the Trump campaign has run through close to a billion dollars, leaving him and other Republican candidates short of cash for the last weeks of the campaign. At the same time, Democratic fundraising in the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death has been unprecedented. The squeeze showed clearly in three highly unusual appearances by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on the Fox News Channel begging for donations.
Two new ploys to advance Trump’s reelection, one claiming to address healthcare concerns and one claiming to address coronavirus concerns, reveal both the campaign’s attempts to construct their own reality and to do it on someone else’s dime.
The president has repeatedly promised his own healthcare bill to replace the Affordable Care Act that his administration is currently trying to kill. Under criticism for trying to end the law that protects people with preexisting health conditions from discrimination in buying insurance—the ACA will come before the Supreme Court a week after the November 3 election– Trump on Thursday abruptly signed an Executive Order affirming that “it is the official policy of the United States government to protect patients with preexisting conditions.” The Executive Order is toothless; if the Supreme Court overturns the ACA, the Executive Order will mean nothing.
But Trump also suggested that he might be willing simply to keep the law and call it his own. “Obamacare is no longer Obamacare, as we worked on it and managed it very well,” Trump said of the law that continues to provide coverage for more than 20 million Americans. “What we have now is a much better plan. It is no longer Obamacare because we got rid of the worse part of it — the individual mandate.” “We’ve really become the health-care party — the Republican Party,” he said.
Trump also announced he would give $200 toward the cost of their medicines to 33 million older Americans. That’s $6.6 billion dollars that he will be putting in the pockets of key voters just before the election. Apparently, his plan is to take money from Medicare under a rule that allows the Medicare to test out new programs. Authorization for such a shift in funding usually requires a lengthy approval process, and the new program needs to be cost neutral. Ameet Sarpatwari, assistant director of Harvard Medical School’s Program on Regulation, Therapeutics and Law told NPR’s Sydney Lupkin: I think the administration is pushing the envelope in terms of classifying this as a demonstration.”
The Trump campaign is also planning a taxpayer-funded advertising blitz, costing at least $300 million, to “defeat despair and inspire hope” about the coronavirus pandemic. According to Politico’s Dan Diamond, the ads will feature interviews between administration officials and celebrities. The ad campaign was conceived and begun by Michael Caputo, the top spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services before he stepped down last week for medical leave after an infamous Facebook rant.
Caputo claimed in his video that Trump has personally demanded the advertising campaign. “The Democrats — and, by the way, their conjugal media and the leftist scientists that are working for the government — are dead set against it,” Caputo said. “They cannot afford for us to have any good news before November because they’re already losing. … They’re going to come after me because I’m going to be putting $250 million worth of ads on the air.” The White House says it is not accurate that Trump “demanded” the campaign.
To pay for the ads, Caputo requisitioned $300 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $15 million from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But he sidelined the Ad Council, which is a nonprofit consortium of advertising companies that since World War Two has worked on a nonpartisan basis with the government on public health or social issue campaigns. Instead, Caputo hired his own business partner to make the videos.
Josh Peck, the former HHS official who oversaw the Obama administration’s advertising campaign for HealthCare.gov, told Diamond that officials in the Obama administration were never featured in videos, and that the Trump administrations Covid videos sound like they are about more than Americans’ health. He said: “CDC hasn’t yet done an awareness campaign about Covid guidelines — but they are going to pay for a campaign about how to get rid of our despair? Run by political appointees in the press shop? Right before an election? It’s like every red flag I could dream of.”
Trump’s challenge to the outcome of the election is a sign of his desperation, but it is no less dangerous for all that: as they say, a cornered rat will bite the cat. While Democrats and a remarkable number of Republicans are speaking out against Trump, and while teams of lawyers are fighting his lawyers in court, ordinary Americans also have a crucial role to play in this moment. It is up to us to reject Trump’s fictions and reclaim the national conversation from the anger and hatred and fear Trump is stoking.
It is time to reassert our core American values so they dominate the public realm, demanding of our representatives a free and fair vote for everyone, a free and fair vote count, and a government of our own choosing.
—-
Notes:
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/518297-biden-predicts-trump-will-leave-office-if-he-loses-election
https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2020/09/24/charlie-baker-donald-trump-peaceful-transfer-of-power
https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2020/09/25/donald-trump-tweet-charlie-baker-criticism
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/lindsey-graham-help-me-money-contributions-fox/2020/09/25/ea2d6d14-ff57-11ea-8d05-9beaaa91c71f_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-health-care-affordable-care-act/2020/09/24/e1cd928a-fe6b-11ea-9ceb-061d646d9c67_story.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/25/917052825/what-to-know-about-those-200-drug-cards-president-trump-promised
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/us/politics/trump-military-election.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/31/hhs-contract-coronavirus-despair-hope-406361
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/25/trump-hhs-ads-coronavirus-421957
by DJ | Sep 26, 2020 | Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch, News
Tue., Sep. 29, 9:00pm – 10:30pm: 1st Presidential Debate. Moderated by Chris Wallace and showing on NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX & MSNBC (I guess they really want you to see it!).
Wed., Sep. 30, 7:00pm: Moe Davis-Madison Cawthorn Debate (#4). Airing on TV at WYMA My40 . It will also be streamed on wlos.com and carolinapublicpress.org. To submit a question to the candidates, email news@wlos.com.
Thu., Oct. 1, 7:00pm: Cal Cunningham-Thom Tillis Debate. Stay tuned.
Wed., Oct. 7, 9:00pm – 10:30pm: Vice-Presidential Debate.
Thu., Oct. 8, 7:00pm: NC House of Representatives District 119 debate. Joe Sam Queen vs. Mike Clampitt. Sponsored by SCC.. Livestreamed HERE.
Thu., Oct. 15, 9:00pm – 10:30pm: Presidential Debate.
Thu., Oct. 15, 7:00pm: Debate with NC Senate District 50, Victoria Fox vs. Kevin Corbin. Sponsored by SCC. Livestreamed HERE.
Thu., Oct. 22, 9:00pm – 10:30pm: Presidential Debate.
by DJ | Sep 25, 2020 | Blog
Are you concerned? Vote for Biden
To the Editor of the Sylva Herald:
Are you concerned about bringing the pandemic to an end? About restoring lost jobs and businesses? About being evicted? About economic survival?
Are you concerned about the future of our public schools? The safety of our children, grandchildren and teachers on every day that school is open?
Are you in need of affordable health care? Do you believe everyone should have it?
Are you concerned about high prices in the grocery store? Loss of savings, loss of investments?
Are you concerned about the future of Medicare and Social Security? Do you depend on those programs? Donald Trump has made repeated attempts to undermine them.
Do you believe a president should obey the law? Including stepping down if they lose the election? Donald Trump has indicated he may not do that.
Are you worried about gun violence in our nation’s public schools? Are you sickened by the hatred and racism that are spewed everywhere and egged on by Donald Trump?
If you are concerned about any of these things, vote – for Biden.
Never voted for a Democrat before? Maybe now is the time.
Not your first-choice candidate? Not mine either – but it doesn’t matter. That’s who we have.
Don’t know enough about Biden to vote for him? We know enough about Trump to know that we can’t take four more years of this.
No one in your family voting for Biden? That’s OK. A secret ballot is a secret ballot. Even if you vote by mail, which requires a witness, that witness is there to certify that you voted, not how you voted – they are not supposed to watch who you select. That’s why they sign the envelope, not the ballot.
Thinking about not voting? That’s only half a vote against Trump. To make your voice heard, vote for Biden. Thinking about a third-party candidate? That’s the same as not voting at all, because a third-party candidate won’t win. Vote for Biden.
Our democracy is under serious attack by a President who refuses to obey the law. Do you want to wake up on Nov. 4 to a true dictatorship? If you don’t, vote for Biden.
Vote, and vote early. If you mail in your ballot, do it early. If you do early voting, vote closer to Oct. 15 than Oct. 31. If you vote in person, vote early in the day!
If you are concerned, vote. For Biden.
by DJ | Sep 23, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Community Events
Dear Fellow Democrats,
Today I’m feeling many emotions as we mourn the death of a gentle, giant warrior, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Although I’m very sad and my heart is heavy, I’m reminded that I am not powerless.
I’m sharing with you a message from Jeff Rose, President of the North Carolina County Chairs’ Association and Chair of the Buncombe County Democratic Party. Jeff’s words are just what I needed to lift my spirits this morning, and I hope you find they comfort you, as well.
Although some links are specific to Buncombe County, please reach out to your County Democratic Party to support your candidates and Party.
We’re Stronger Together and United We Win.
Warm Regards,
Kathy Sinclair, Chair
NC CD11 Democratic Party
Here’s Jeff’s Message.
Tonight, our nation is mourning the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Justice Ginsburg was a legal pioneer for gender equality and a fierce ally of civil rights, equality, and justice during her entire career. She was an inspiration to women all across the country for decades, from her time working at the American Civil Liberties Union through her years on the Supreme Court.
As we grieve her loss, we also must work to honor and defend her legacy. North Carolina is the barrier standing between Trump and a second term. We can be the ones who elect Joe Biden, and we can be the state that flips the Senate by electing Cal Cunningham.
Tonight, Senator McConnell announced “Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the Senate.” While we cannot stop him from holding a vote, we can put pressure on vulnerable senators and show the nation we’re all watching. And we must.
That starts with you. You can talk to your friends, neighbors, and family about voting this year, no matter where they live. Together, we can connect with as many left-leaning voters in Buncombe and share information about when, where, and how to vote.
Here are some concrete steps you can take this weekend to help Democrats win in North Carolina.
- Sign up to make some phone calls during the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Weekend of Action here in Buncombe county. Click here to register for Saturday, or join County Commission candidate Parker Sloan on Sunday by clicking here
- Donate to the North Carolina Democratic Party to support winning the state for Joe Biden and electing Cal Cunningham as our next senator
- Join in the Vigil for RGB on Saturday at 6pm in Pack Square
All of us at the Buncombe Democrats are heartbroken and grieving with you. This year has been so difficult for our nation, and I know Justice Ginsburg’s passing has left many of you with less hope for the future.
I truly believe that working together, we can and will get through these next 45 days. Our work will send Joe Biden to the White House to begin to heal our nation.
Thank you all for your continued work and dedication to a better county, state, and nation.
Jeff Rose
BCDP Chair
by DJ | Sep 19, 2020 | Blog
Yesterday was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays. They culminate ten days later on Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the creation of our world. The period following it is known as the Days of Awe; it’s a time to reflect on and acknowledge transgressions. The Days of Awe end with the holiest of Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur, on which penitents ask forgiveness for their sins.
Yesterday Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Notorious RBG, died. She was 87 and lived a long and by almost all measures successful life. Ginsburg had the good fortune to share most of it with a husband she loved. She parented two children, enjoyed the company of friends, several of whom were her ideological opposite, and fought unapologetically for social justice.
To say she will be missed is such an understatement that I hesitate to even write that phrase. Her departure has initiated what is certain to be a political war, hopefully only of words and legislative deeds. The selection of her replacement will dictate the course of this country, almost as much as will the election or defeat of Donald Trump. More on that at a later time perhaps.
So, amidst what is profound sadness on my part, let me digress for a moment. In the months before my family moved from Virginia to Florida, I was the best baseball player, male or female, in the motley crew of baby boomer sandlot competitors in my post-war neighborhood. At least that was the truth I carried in my mind, knowing almost unconsciously that it would cease to be true as the local boys, as well as my brother, outgrew me in strength and size. Yet, when we got to Florida, it was my brother in the sharp Little League uniform. My position was scorekeeper, baseball’s version of secretary and the only option available.
It was that same year, when I transitioned from elementary to junior high school, that I discovered that I could not put down Key Club as an extracurricular activity in which I was interested. I was inclined in that direction, no doubt, because it was affiliated with the Kiwanis Club of which my father was a member. I hadn’t known the Key Club accepted only males.
When I was a very young child, my mother routinely gave me a doll for Christmas. I preferred playing with other toys and she made the switch to microscopes and chemistry sets once I entered the latter stages of elementary school. After Sputnik made its appearance, I announced that I intended to become a nuclear physicist. That was probably motivated by the fact that my father worked at Langley Air Force Base, the first home of our nation’s space program, and by my pre-adolescent delight at finding a word my peers didn’t know.
What I failed to realize at the time was that most science programs were geared toward, recruited, attracted, and preferred males. I should have caught on to that trend when I was applying to National Science Foundation summer programs in high school; many of the best sounding ones were restricted to young men. My generation was the last one which was consciously taught that a woman’s true profession was homemaker. If she were to work outside the home, she should consider being a secretary (never the boss), a nurse (never the doctor) or a teacher (never the principal).
The best small college in Texas, where we lived when I reached the age of attending such an institution, enrolled only male undergraduates as Freshmen. I hadn’t realized how literal such a term as “Freshman” was until then. Later I discovered many state schools also discriminated against women. Think UNC-G, known to its older alumnae as Woman’s College.
When I entered college, I discovered that women had curfew hours and men did not. As President of the female side of a school’s first coed dorm, I spent part of my time working to get women the same right to late night entry as men had. In my senior year at the University of Houston I was President of something called the Association of Women Students, an organization whose very existence seems preposterous today. As a result of that affiliation, I was also a member of Sparks, a group of women one of whose main duties included dressing in the school colors and forming a line through which our football team could run onto the field at home games. Title IX was not yet the law of the land; women cheered and men secured scholarships and played. Even though I was an English undergraduate major, a fertile ground for female students, I had only one female professor at the U of H.
Thanks in large part to the work of people like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, all of that early history is firmly, one hopes, buried in the past. Girls play on the field today. The Lions, Kiwanians, and Rotarians accept women in their ranks. Although there are still fields of science in which female membership remains small, no field of science excludes them and they currently constitute majorities entering Colleges of Medicine and Law. Few schools today would create one set of housekeeping rules for their women students and another for their men. That college in Texas that only accepted male undergraduates provided me, after the passage of anti-discrimination legislation and a few Supreme Court decisions, some argued by RBG, with a scholarship for my Ph.D. in history. (I never had a female history professor during that time, but such would not be the case today.)
Why the digression? I worry that we are at one of those hinge moments in history, when we can create something monstrous or return to a path striving for something good. I have sometimes wished that RBG had retired in time for President Obama to appoint her successor. However, I understood her rationale for staying. She worried that a GOP dominated Senate, would tolerate only the appointment of a moderate. That would mean the Supreme Court would remain cautious at a time when she believed something more than caution was required. She was holding out for a Clinton victory and a Democratic Senate. We were both disappointed.
I have become convinced that we progressive sorts suffer from our belief in fair play. We still retain a sense of shame at transgressing norms. Our default position is more likely to be decency or civility than their opposites. Although I retain some confidence that we will not develop a dystopian Handmaid’s Tale America, the ripples of unrestrained white testosterone that circulate at a Trump Rally or in Twitter Storms sometimes make me doubt equality or equal justice is an achievable goal in the United States.
Democracy is a fragile thing. We have long taken it for granted, although our founders repeatedly told us it had to be reaffirmed by each generation. Vigilance, they claimed, was a necessary partner of democracy, because without it democracy could be destroyed. Bader Ginsburg remained on the court, because she believed the times called for such vigilance in order to retain the rights for which she and her allies struggled.
My generation is a bridge generation. Parts of an older order collapsed, a little too late for me to achieve Little League glory, but soon enough for me to pursue a couple of doctorates, become a principal, and teach at a university. Exceptional women were always able to work at the edges of a male-dominated society. They were usually unacknowledged, but there all the same. What Bader Ginsburg did was make it possible for not so exceptional women like me to work there, too. And, to be there when the edges faded and we moved closer to the mainstream.
I am a member of the “You’ve come a long way, baby” generation. That’s part of the luck of the draw, of timing and placement beyond anything over which I had control. I and thousands upon thousands of women like me succeeded, for those of you with a Christian theology bent, by grace. And by the good, hard, sustained work of the Ruth Bader Ginsburgs of my world.
Jewish tradition holds that someone who dies on Rosh Hashanah is a Tzaddik, a person of great righteousness. I’ve seen allusions to that tradition in several of the essays I read this morning. Certainly, RBG was a Tzaddik. We who have benefitted from her work owe her a legacy of continuing the fight. It will be, I fear, a long, bitter and contentious one. Many of us are of the age that we will not be there when the dawn begins once again to break, but we must never, ever go back; we must never, ever give in to the exhaustion of having to fight again and again for things we thought were won. We owe Bader Ginsburg our tenacity and our outrage.
As we transition toward Yom Kippur, perhaps we need to reflect on how our complacency may have contributed to the moment we have reached historically. A majority of Americans are spoiled with riches most of the world can scarcely imagine. It is all too easy to think the fight is almost over, the journey almost complete. Yet a spoiled child is arrogant and unconscious of privilege. A spoiled child lacks the necessary empathy to recognize that there are still Americans who have been denied access to those riches today or who may be denied that access through a Supreme Court decision tomorrow. Exhaustion must not be an excuse for complacency.
Recommit, stay the course. Do what you have the will and strength to do to make this a better world, for the sake of righteousness in memory of The Notorious RBG?
by DJ | Sep 19, 2020 | Blog
2020 began with the death of my beloved father, former federal judge and civil rights champion Nathaniel R. Jones. And then the hits just kept coming, clouded in a never-ending deadly pandemic. It seems that almost every other Friday evening, we’re rocked with the news of loss of another of our great ones: John Lewis, Chadwick Boseman, CT Vivien, Joseph Lowery. And now, on the third Friday of September, we learned that our beloved champion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg took flight.
In the hours after her death, those of us who have depended on her and love liberty and democracy have been distraught, feeling like we have lost our last hope. “This can’t be happening!” “We’re screwed!” were common refrains among my friends.
But just as my father would have encouraged me not to despair in this moment but to find a way through the darkness, I believe that Justice Ginsburg, too, would urge us not to give up but to keep moving forward. In fact, she already told us how to do it: step by step.
And as I’ve pondered on their lives and legacies and lessons, I’m beginning to see a glimmer that can help us find our way, one step at a time.
Justice Ginsburg’s death has pulled full focus onto the courts, which have been little spoken of in this campaign. It’s almost as if she took flight when she did in order to disrupt us at the most critical time.
And coming when it did – just weeks before the most pivotal election in our lifetimes – Justice Ginsburg’s death has slapped us in the face and reminded us of the stakes in this contest. RBG may no longer be on the Court, but she has put the courts on the ballot.
And that, no doubt, will energize and mobilize voters even more than before, which could spell trouble for Donald Trump. In 2016, too many Democrats voted (or didn’t vote at all) as if the courts didn’t matter while Republicans voted as if the courts were the ONLY thing that mattered. And, unfortunately, in this election cycle, the courts have gotten short shrift once again with little attention and even less discussion about the Trump-McConnell takeover of the courts and what it means. Now, suddenly, the courts are front and center and likely will be a major issue for the rest of the campaign.
And voters paying attention to the courts will be even more energized and determined to vote, which could spell trouble for Trump.
Trump has been running on the POSSIBILITY he’d get another Supreme Court nomination, not the reality, dangling promises that allowed his voters to project their own vision of an ideal justice onto the fuzzy screen he held up for them. Just last week, Trump released a list of potential nominees last week, a wishlist of mostly unsuitable conservative lawyers and judges with something for everyone in his base. But if he actually PICKS someone, one real person, that’s a whole different ballgame. That nominee will surely not please everyone in his base and they will be a clear and tangible target for the opposition.
Surely Trump can try to pump up his base with a red meat nominee, but in so doing, he’ll also pump up the Democrats who will have a clear and distinct in-the-flesh nominee to rally against. If the nominee isn’t confirmed before the election, Trump will look weak. And if he and McConnell somehow manage to push through a confirmation in record time, they may win the battle but lose the war. A rushed confirmation process would further remind voters of the heavy-handed, unprincipled way this administration and its congressional lackeys have abused their power and provide even more incentive for voters to turn them out of office.
But it’s not certain that Trump would even get much help from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell prior to the election. Although he couldn’t even wait a day after Justice Ginsburg’s passing to callously promise a vote on her replacement before the election, McConnell may not be too keen on trying to move a nomination so quickly. He’s in the middle of a campaign himself and several of his caucus members are in very tight races. He surely does NOT want to have to make them walk the plank.
If McConnell forces a vote before the election, he will virtually guarantee that Republicans lose the Senate and he loses his position as Majority Leader. And it’s not a certainty that he would even have the votes for confirmation (notice his statement said he would hold a vote, but didn’t promise to secure a confirmation) since several vulnerable senators in close races may not be willing to further risk their seats by voting for confirmation.
And that leaves Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary who is locked in a tight race in South Carolina, in an even worse position than either Trump or McConnell. The last thing Graham should want or need is to have leave the campaign trail where he needs to spend every waking moment fighting off Jaime Harrison to oversee a slapped together hearing featuring Kamala Harris who, unlike Graham, would probably relish the chance to strut her stuff at a confirmation hearing just before the election.
I doubt that Graham is eager for South Carolinians to witness him playing ringleader at a circus where Kamala “I made the last Supreme Court nominee cry” Harris dazzles the crowd with flips on the high wire while he slips and slides around in elephant dung trying to avoid getting run over by the clown car.
In considering all of this, it’s clear to me that we have a path forward, but only if we remain calm, thoughtful and strategic. And we must be guided by Justice Ginsburg’s words and take this one step at a time. One. Step. At. A. Time …
First, pressure must be put on individual senators and on McConnell not to hold a confirmation vote until after the election. This is doable, especially considering the number of Republican Senators who have in the past promised not to vote on a nominee until after the Inauguration exceeds the number of Senators needed to block confirmation. That’s leverage. Use it.
Second, but just as important, if not more so, we must continue – and, in fact, ramp up – our voter protection and empowerment efforts across the county. Turnout will not only affect what happens on November 3 – it will also affect everything that happens afterward.
But we can’t worry about what happens after November 3. All of our attention and energy needs to be laser-beam focused on the work we must do NOW. What we do in the next six weeks will determine everything that happens afterward.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave us her all but finally had to lay down her burden. It is now on us to pick it up and continue fighting for her, for all of us.
Thank you, Justice Ginsburg for all you did for us, for all you taught us, and for inspiring us to never ever give up. Go to your well-deserved rest. We’ll take it from here.
by DJ | Sep 8, 2020 | Activities, Blog, Community Events
Come to a Yard Sale held at the Democratic Headquarters on September 12 from 8:30am to 12pm. All donations go to the Democratic Women of Jackson County.
All types of items will be available for purchase (except clothing) and all safety precautions will be available. They will have sanitizer and masks available.
by DJ | Sep 8, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Community Events, Election Central, Legislative Watch
A MESSAGE FROM MOE …
The first two debates are in the books and we are already looking ahead to Wednesday, when the third debate will be held at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. I hope you share my view that this race is about who can best serve the needs of the people of Western North Carolina. Who offers the policies that will allow us to grow and prosper?
After two debates, I think the answer is clear.
JOINT STATEMENT WITH NC-13 NOMINEE SCOTT HUFFMAN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DISPARAGING REMARKS ABOUT TROOPS
The President of the United States has gone too far.
According to an article in The Atlantic magazine that has been confirmed by multiple media outlets, President Trump has disparaged the troops who gave their lives for our country. As veterans and public servants, we cannot allow the words of our President to stand without forceful objection.
We served. We enlisted. We volunteered. We swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Our military service is not beholden to a single man, woman, or public official. Our service is sworn to the people and the laws of the United States of America, as outlined in the Constitution.
Some of you may call us brave heroes. We wish that you would not. The heroes are the men and women who laid down their lives in the field of battle. We served to honor them. We continue to honor them, not as “losers” and “suckers,” as the President said, but as the solemn guardians of our shores and, more importantly, our freedoms.
Make no mistake, my fellow Americans and North Carolinians, when a Commander in Chief desecrates the memory of the men and women who died protecting his freedom, it diminishes the value of every member of the military who has stood a post, here and abroad.
We served so Donald Trump could play golf on his bone spurs.
As candidates for federal office, we now stand for North Carolina so that the vicious and vile disregard for our state’s brave servicemen and women doesn’t put them in danger. We are running for office because we cannot stand silently while threats to our nation go unchecked and our military brothers and sisters go unprotected.
This is the United States of America. We honor the legacies of the devil dogs, midshipmen, airmen and Rangers who came before us and we wish to serve to protect those who stand post for us now.
His enablers amplify his dishonor. We’re here to stop them.
VETS FOR MOE!
Are you a veteran supporting Col. Moe Davis for Congress? We want to hear from you! Send us a short selfie video to VetsForMoe@moedavis.com saying why you support Col. Davis and we might highlight it on our social media.
Col. Davis met with a group of veterans last Saturday in Burnsville and hopes to have more events with veterans throughout the 11th District. If you would like to host an event, or if you know of a good location to hold one, please let us know and we’ll try to arrange a meet-and-greet.
DON’T FORGET WEDNESDAY’S DEBATE
Want to watch Round 3, Moe vs. Madison? It will be live streamed here starting at 7 PM ET. It will also be available on Moe’s campaign Facebook and YouTube pages, and Moe’s personal Twitter fee
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DEBATES
There were plenty of key moments in the first two debates. We are particularly partial to this one, where Col. Davis talked about his military record and the pride he felt in receiving the Legion of Merit, one of many honors he earned during a 25-year career in the Air Force.
His career wasn’t without controversy. It included the decision to resign his post as Chief Prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay after he was ordered to use evidence obtained by torture.
Not surprisingly, there were those who criticized Col. Davis for taking that stand. But there is no doubt who is on the right side of history. Torture was wrong then and it is wrong today.
And that’s what true character and integrity are all about. Col. Davis knew that it would cost him to make that decision. He did it anyway.
Because it was the right thing to do.
ENDORSEMENT FROM THE COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE
Leaders from Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper have stepped forward to endorse Col. Davis. And more than a dozen organizations have also “signed up” to support our campaign, representing everyone from veterans to teachers to the LGBTQIA community.
Thank you to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence for joining VoteVets, the Sierra Club, North Carolina Association of Educators, National Organization of Women PAC, Equality NC, AFL-CIO Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, Common Defense, Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Progressive Turnout Project, Patriotic Millionaires and Serve America PAC in supporting Moe Davis for Congress.
OUR RESTAURANTS NEED HELP. NOW.
LIVE IN POLK COUNTY? MAKE A VIDEO!
Every Democrat (and independent and Republican) should go to the Polk County Democratic Party website and sign up for its newsletter. It’s packed with information on absentee ballots, signs, when and how to vote and more.
This month’s newsletter features a request for selfie videos on why you are a Democrat or what candidates you are supporting (like Col. Davis!) to be used in their virtual Fall Rally on Sept. 27. Submit videos to their dropbox by Sept. 19 and don’t forget to include your pet in the video if you can!
SIGNS AVAILABLE!
We are seeing Moe Davis signs go up all over Western North Carolina! Thanks to everyone who has ordered a yard sign or a 4 x 6 banner – we’ve had to place a double-order for new ones because we’ve had so many requests.
If you would like a sign, please check at your local county Democratic Party HQ. Signs should be available at Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania HQs. We also have signs available for pick-up in Avery, Black Mountain, Graham, Mars Hill, Swain, and Yancey. (Send an email to yardsign@moedavis.com for info on those non-HQ pick-up locations.) And if you want to give another one to your friend, family member or neighbor, please consider a donation to help us defray the costs. We would really appreciate it!
Remember, you can place signs on your private property now, but you have to wait until Sept. 15 to put a sign on public property. (We wish our opponent would follow the law).
APPLYING FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT IS EASY
We have been urging voters to consider voting by absentee ballot this election cycle given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Now, North Carolina has made it even easier to apply. All you have to do to apply for an absentee ballot is go here to apply online. It takes just a minute or two to fill out the application.
Given delays at the post office, we would also urge you to do this sooner rather than later to get your ballot in on time. Remember, too, you can drop your ballot off at the Board of Elections rather than mail it.
WHEN THE SHOUTING ENDS
Our opponent is good at yelling – my goodness, we all heard it on both nights of the debate. If volume was all that mattered …
But this race isn’t about who can shout. It’s about who can lead.
If you want a leader in Congress, help us get there. Please donate.
Stay home. Stay safe. Stay healthy.
Mountain Strong
by DJ | Sep 8, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Community Events, Legislative Watch, News
by DJ | Sep 6, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Community Events, Election Central, Legislative Watch
Plan to Vote
Voting begins today, September 4th. The election is underway and starting today the first ballots are being mailed to those who have already submitted their ballot requests.
In this election you have three distinct ways to vote. First, by Absentee ballot beginning today. Second, during one stop Early Voting or third by voting on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd.
How to Register
Requirements to Register:
- Be a US Citizen.
- Live in the county where you wish to register to vote for at least 30 days.
- Be 18 years old by Election Day, November 3rd, 2020.
- Not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction, including probation, parole or post-release supervision. Once all sentence conditions are served you may vote again.
Citizens registering to vote must offer proof of their identity and residence by showing any of the following documents with their name and address:
- NC Driver’s License
- Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, provided that the card includes the voter’s name and address.
- A copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
- A college/university photo ID card paired with proof of campus habitation.
How To Register:
You may register by any of the following ways anytime between now and October 9th*:
Voting Absentee by Mail (no restrictions)
You may vote by Absentee ballot any time from now until Election Day, November 3rd. You must be registered to vote in order to vote by Absentee. The deadline for requesting an Absentee ballot is 5 PM on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Absentee ballots have to either be received by your Board of Elections or postmarked by Election Day to be counted. (Voting by Mail in NC is Safe.)
Here are the steps to vote Absentee:
Early One-Stop Voting
(Vote & Register at Same Time)
In 2020, the in-person Early Voting period begins Thursday, October 15, and ends Saturday, October 31,
During Early Voting between Oct. 15 – Oct. 31*individuals who are not registered but are otherwise qualified to vote in a county may register in person at any of their counties’ Early Voting sites during the voting period. After registering, the newly registered voter can immediately vote at the same site on the same day.
including two Sunday opportunities.
During Early Voting, you may cast a ballot at any Early One-Stop Voting site in your county. If you are not registered or you need to modify your registration you can do it at that time. (During the General Election on November 3, you must vote at your assigned precinct.)
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3rd
Know Your Polling Place:
To find your polling place, use the link
here. Once you’ve found your polling place, all you have left to do is be sure
you’re registered and
to vote. Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Any voter in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. The busiest times tend to be early in the morning and just before the polls close. Avoid longer lines by voting at off-peak times, or plan ahead and vote absentee or during the Early Voting period.
Polling Places Will Be Safe:
Significant precautions will be made to protect voters and election workers against the transmission of COVID-19. These include:
- Enforcing social distancing at polling places and Early Voting sites
- Providing hand sanitizer and masks for voters and election workers who do not bring their own.
- Providing gloves and face shields for election workers.
- Erecting barriers between election workers and voters at check-in tables.
- Providing single-use pens in counties that use hand-marked paper ballots and Q-tips for voters who use ballot-marking devices.
- Frequently cleaning surfaces and equipment in polling places and Early Voting sites.
- Recruiting poll workers who are less vulnerable to the virus.
Joe Sam’s Notes
Voting is our highest civic honor and duty.
Make yourself a plan to vote. And help your friends and family.
Don’t leave anyone behind. We’re all in this together.
Until we speak again, stay safe. If you or a loved one is concerned about your health, the numbers for each of District 119’s Health Departments are listed below:
Haywood – (828) 452-6620
Jackson – (828) 586-8994
Swain – (828) 488-3198
Sincerely,
Joe Sam Queen
by DJ | Aug 29, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Election Central, News
A Message from CD11 Chair Kathy Sinclair
Vote the Entire Ballot, Stay Safe and Make Sure Your Vote Counts
VOTE THE ENTIRE BALLOT!
Did you know that North Carolina has the 3rd longest ballot in the entire country? That means you will need to be well informed about the candidates, will need extra time to vote for every race, and even more time to double-check your work. Every race on the ballot matters, whether it’s the President of the United States, or Commissioner of Soil & Water. These elected positions affect our everyday life, so please be sure to VOTE THE ENTIRE BALLOT.
In 2016, 800,000 voters in North Carolina voted for the President at the top of the ballot but DID NOT vote for the judges. We cannot let that happen again, so please help spread the word to your friends and family members. For the sake of the election and your peace of mind, allow yourself sufficient time to VOTE THE ENTIRE BALLOT.
3 WAYS TO VOTE – IT’S UP TO YOU. WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?
- Absentee Ballot by Mail
- Early voting: October 15 – October 31
- Election Day: November 3
With all the news regarding COVID-19 and the U.S. Postal Service, many voters are justifiably concerned about choosing a method to vote and making sure their vote will count. The Board of Elections (BOE) is offering three safe options, and the choice is up to you.
Absentee Ballot by Mail. This method is completely safe and reliable, as long as your official ballot is returned to your local BOE in plenty of time to avoid any post office delays*. In fact, don’t use the post office at all. You can HAND DELIVER YOUR BALLOT to your local BOE or an Early Voting location.
* From the NCSBE FAQ: “For civilian absentee voters, the container-return envelope with the voted ballot enclosed must be returned to the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day will be counted only if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by mail no later than 5 p.m. November 6. Ballots without a postmark must be received by Election Day.”
The last day to request an Absentee Ballot is October 27th, however we strongly encourage you to request yours NOW. The sooner your ballot is received, completed, and returned to the BOE – the sooner IT WILL BE COUNTED. The great thing about choosing to vote Absentee Ballot by Mail is YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND. If you receive you Absentee Ballot but then choose to vote in person instead, you can do so as long as your absentee ballot has not yet been returned.
Another advantage to this method is if your ballot is rejected by the BOE due to deficiencies, you’ll be notified and given the opportunity to make a correction. View these helpful links for more information:
I want to know more about my options: CLICK HERE to watch a very helpful video from Andy Millard, Chair of the Polk County Democratic Party.
I still have questions?CLICK HERE for a 6-page FAQ from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
I need an Absentee Ballot Request Form: CLICK HERE to download a form.
Early Voting Early Voting takes place between October 15 and October 31, so check your local BOE for locations and times for your county. Due to COVID-19, many older workers are choosing not to work the polls this year, however the BOE is already working to make sure there are sufficient workers to staff all sites.
Although voters cannot be required to wear masks at polling locations, for your safety all poll workers will be required to wear them, and masks will be available to anyone who requests one to wear. Reasons to consider safely voting at an Early Voting site include*:
- You can vote at any Early Voting Site in Your County
- Register and Vote the Same Day
- Change Your Address if You’ve Moved
- Submit Your Absentee Ballot
*Source: Buncombe County Democratic Party
The Board of Elections wants you to know all three options are safe.
Even more helpful links:
Where to Vote in person on Election Day – Find your polling location
North Carolina Democratic Party Voter Resource Page
Meet My Candidates
Official Sample Ballot – The link to your sample ballot may not yet be active.
Other District News
Delegates Report out on the Convention
Lorna Barnett, “I had a wonderful experience being a Delegate for Joe Biden during the Democratic National Convention. We may not have had all the partying in Milwaukee but I think we got to know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris better by watching the virtual convention on TV and in Zoom and Caucus events. It was a privilege to represent North Carolina and to cast my vote to nominate the next President of the United States. Please text VOTE to 30330 and continue to be inspired daily and get a reminder when it’s time to cast your ballot.”
Andy Millard said, “It was not the convention we were hoping for, but I think the committee did a great job. I loved the hopeful message delivered by so many everyday Americans. My main delegate duty was to cast my vote for Joe, which I did via email a couple weeks prior to the convention. I did attend a few pre-gavel events. They were mostly social and/or focused on hearing from regional candidates. I enjoyed getting to know some of the delegates from neighboring states; it gave me just a taste of what a “real” convention experience might have been.”
Kathie Kline described her experience, “As a delegate, I really appreciated our North Carolina Democrat’s efficient process for casting our votes virtually. They also worked hard to include us despite these unusual circumstances, inviting us to attend virtual events, record our comments, and share our experiences. The North Carolina and Southern delegation meetings included lots of laughter and camaraderie, and of course, plenty of inspiration to keep us all working hard through November. I am so proud and grateful to be a Democrat in this great state of North Carolina!”
WLOS did a news story with our delegates shortly before the convention.
County Chairs Association
The County Chairs Association is working towards November successes in all 100 counties across our state. We know that every vote for our statewide candidates from each of our counties makes a huge difference, which is why we’re not leaving any counties behind. At our last August meeting, we were joined by North Carolina’s Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall, who gave us an update on her office and her campaign. We’re excited to re-elect Elaine and put more Democrats on the Council of State in November.
I hope you’ll join us at our next County Chairs Association Monthly Call on Tuesday, September 8th. Zoom information and an agenda will be sent to your county chairs closer to the meeting, so reach out to them if you’d like to attend.
Jeffrey Rose
Chair, Buncombe County Democratic Party
he/him/his
(828) 333-2595
Boards of Election Absentee Ballot Processing Meetings
The county Boards of Election will be unusually busy this year with processing so many absentee ballots and meeting times for this purpose are being scheduled now. These meetings are open to the public. We hope this process will be free of controversy, but we are encouraging Democratic Party volunteers to be present and to record proceedings if any questions arise regarding irregularities or procedures. Some of the meetings will allow in-person observers, others will only allow a virtual presence. We have asked all county BOE’s to provide their meeting schedule to us, and we will have that available soon on a Google Sheet if you’d like it. Just let Kathie Kline know and she’ll email that to you. She can be reached at:
kathiebkline@gmail.com
Texting Campaign a Success!
Twenty texters across the district successfully encouraged over 57,000 Democrats and mostly left-leaning Unaffiliated voters to request absentee ballots as soon as possible. They provided the state Board of Elections website and county BOE phone numbers to voters who wanted to request ballots, and urged them to mail or hand-deliver their ballots shortly after receiving them in September. For those choosing to vote in person, texters recommended Early Voting. Most of the texters enjoyed working fairly long hours and conversing with voters in a meaningful way. We hope this effort will make a tangible difference when election results roll in!
Mark Your Calendars
*note: Blue line is a clickable link..
Ronnie Chatterji with Dr. Vivek Mirthy
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Reception in Support of Senator Natasha Marcus
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Democratic Women of NC State Convention
Friday, September 25, 2020 –
Sunday, September 27, 2020
A Virtual Reception In Honor Of Senate Democratic Whip Jay Chaudhuri Special Guest Roy Cooper
Thursday September 24, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Virtual Reception with Ambassador Rich Verma and Pulitzer-Prize Finalist Author Suketu Mehta
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
2020 Defenders of Justice Awards
Sunday, October 4, 2020
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
A Virtual Reception In Honor Of Senate Democratic Whip Jay Chaudhuri
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
District 11 Hosts a Town Hall Meeting for our Supreme Court candidates
Thursday, October 15, 2020
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Visit the District 11 Facebook page for the most recent events, informative posts, and more
Moe Davis DEBATES Info!!
Moe Davis Debates Madison Cawthorne
Friday, September 4, 2020
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Moe Davis Debates Madison Cawthorne
Saturday, September 5, 2020
7:30 PM 8:30 PM
September speakers scheduled for Moe Talks will be posted on FB and the District 11 Website when announced.
Please join Col. Moe Davis for Moe Talks Live Virtual Town Hall on Zoom, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
Mondays: https://tinyurl.com/MoeTalksMondays
Thursdays: https://tinyurl.com/MoeTalksThursdays
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch
A MESSAGE FROM MOE …
I recently moved into a new house in Asheville and have been opening old boxes of memorabilia long stored away. I discovered this picture from my 25-year career in the Air Force, when I served in Saudi Arabia during Operation Southern Watch.
There are those who talk about how they’d defend America and then there are those of us who did.
Experience matters.
HOW DO THEY COMPARE?
Moe Davis doesn’t have a lot in common with Madison Cawthorn when it comes to policy proposals for Western North Carolina. Here’s a quick glance at what each candidate has said about key issues:
HEALTHCARE
Moe Davis: Supports a public option to ensure that everyone has healthcare coverage, but allows those who prefer to procure their own insurance at their own expense to do so.
Madison Cawthorn: Seeks to allow more insurance companies to compete with Blue Cross and Blue Shield to lower costs. Of course, that will do nothing for those who lost employer-based health insurance. And allowing out-of-state insurance companies would strip away the state’s authority to regulate them, meaning fewer consumer protections.
COVID-19
Moe Davis: Believes it is a global pandemic that threatens our health and our economy, and follows state guidelines on masks and social distancing to protect others.
Madison Cawthorn: Says it’s no different than the flu, that we shouldn’t shut down our economy, and rarely wears a mask or practices social distancing.
BROADBAND
Moe Davis: Supports Jim Clyburn’s HR 7302 Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, an $80 billion investment in expanding broadband to rural areas.
Madison Cawthorn: Supports tax incentives for ISPs to get them to expand their networks. (This has been tried for nearly 20 years and has ultimately failed because ISPs won’t invest in expansion to rural areas where they can’t make a profit, even if they are given incentives to do so.)
EDUCATION
Moe Davis: Supports greater investment in Title I spending to improve rural education, supports tuition assistance for technical schools and state public universities and zero-interest loan programs.
Madison Cawthorn: Seeks to eliminate the Department of Education and end government student loan programs; believes colleges and universities are “indoctrination camps.”
VETERANS
Moe Davis: Will fight to protect the VA from privatization.
Madison Cawthorn: Supports a president who is seeking to privatize VA healthcare.
JOBS AND A LIVING WAGE
Moe Davis: Attracting jobs to Western North Carolina depends on expanding access to healthcare, adding broadband capability and training students for high tech jobs in green energy and green technology that pay well and will protect our environment. We also must raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Madison Cawthorn: No mention of jobs or wages on his website.
ENVIRONMENT
Moe Davis: Believes in science and the need for policies to reverse climate change because it is our moral obligation to preserve and protect our land, air and water for our children and future generations. Will work to extend and expand federal support for commercial and consumer alternative energy programs including wind, solar, geothermal heating and cooling. Supports a return to the Paris Agreement.
Madison Cawthorn: Crickets.
RACIAL INEQUALITY
Moe Davis: Supports ending qualified immunity so that police officers can be held liable for violating the rights of people they serve. He would push to establish a federal model policing program that creates standards of conduct including de-escalation and the use of non-lethal force. He supports efforts to give back to the Black community to compensate for decades of racist economic policies.
Madison Cawthorn: Called Democrats racists and said reparations are not needed because 600,000 died to free slaves in the Civil War. Offered hydration packs to Asheville police a day after police made international news by destroying a medic station and slashing bottles of water meant for protestors.
WOMEN
Moe Davis: Supports North Carolina’s bid to approve the Equal Rights Amendment.
ENDORSEMENT FROM REP. SETH MOULTON’S SERVE AMERICA PAC
Congressman Seth Moulton’s Serve America PAC, which recruits and supports veterans and service-oriented candidates including political newcomers, has announced it is endorsing Moe Davis for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th District.
“Retired Col. Moe Davis has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unafraid to stand up for what’s right, even when it comes at his own personal and professional expense,’’ Rep. Moulton said. “Over the course of his career in the Air Force and in government service, Davis consistently challenged the status quo and stood up for his principles, and our country is better for it. I look forward to seeing him bring that sense of integrity and moral authority to Washington.’’
Serve America PAC joins veterans groups VoteVets.org and Common Defense along with the Sierra Club, North Carolina Association of Educators, AFL-CIO Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, Equality NC, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Patriotic Millionaires, Progressive Turnout Project and Moms Demand Action in supporting Davis.
“I’m grateful to Representative Seth Moulton and Serve America for their support of my campaign to represent Western North Carolina in Congress,’’ Davis said. “Like Representative Moulton, I’m proud to be a Veteran and I share his commitment to put service before self and stand up for what’s right even when doing so comes at a cost. I look forward to serving with him in the 117th Congress and working with him to get our country back on the right track. We can and will do better.”
150,000 … AND COUNTING
The death toll from COVID-19 continues to rise unabated as our country fails to take the necessary steps that other nations have committed to in order to control the spread of this deadly global pandemic.
Moe posted this video on reaching yet another grim milestone.
STATEMENT ON TROOP WITHDRAWAL IN GERMANY
Donald Trump said, “We don’t want to be responsible anymore” to explain why he’s pulling one-third of U.S. troops — about 12,000 of roughly 36,000 troops — out of Germany. He said Germany hasn’t lived up to its financial commitment to NATO; therefore, he’s cutting our troop presence.
U.S. troops are stationed in Germany and other NATO countries as a forward presence to deter Russian aggression, which is a key strategic interest of the United States … or at least it was until January 20, 2017. Trump acts like our troops are mall cops, and if store owners aren’t ponying up enough to suit him, he’ll pull his rent-a-guards out of the mall and put it at risk in order to shake down the store owners. Whether it’s through ignorance, indifference or to appease his pal Putin, Trump’s actions are feckless and reckless.
At any given point in time, about 1 in 15 of America’s 1.3 million active duty troops are overseas. We have troops in about 150 countries. There are just a few troops in many countries, often at our embassies, and tens of thousands in others where a large forward presence supports our strategic interests. Moe is a firm believer in fiscal responsibility and hasspent most of his adult life involved in military and national security matters. He understands the importance of striking a reasonable balance between spending and security. We need to continually assess where we deploy our military assets and increase or decrease them as appropriate at the time and consistent with our strategic interests. But arbitrarily yanking troops out of Germany to poke them for not paying what Trump believes they owe isn’t just foolish, it’s dangerous.
Our troops deserve a Commander-in-Chief they can trust. America deserves a President who puts America’s national security first. The world deserves an America that is responsible.
We all deserve better than Donald Trump.
SUPPORTING NURSES
Mission Hospital Nurses — Moe Davis stands with you. The decision to unionize is your decision to make. Thank you for all you do for Western North Carolina.
APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Concerned about voting in the age of the coronavirus? You can protect yourself and still exercise your right to vote using an absentee ballot, a method we are urging voters to choose this election cycle. You can go to this link for an application. Bear in mind there could be changes to the absentee ballot application. We’ll keep you updated.
Voters have until Oct. 27 to request an absentee ballot, but we would recommend you apply now and vote early so that the State Board of Elections isn’t inundated at the last minute and there isn’t any delay in getting the ballot back in time.
Reminder, you don’t have to vote by absentee ballot if you apply. But it is a great back-up if there are any disruptions and a reduction in polling locations due to the pandemic. Keep in mind that even if you apply now, you won’t actually receive an absentee ballot until September.
EXPERIENCE ISN’T ALL THAT MATTERS
We’ve said it before: Experience matters. But unfortunately, money matters, too. We need to increase our fundraising so that we can get the message out about Moe Davis’s experience.
Help us spread the word. Donate.
Stay safe. Stay home. Stay healthy.
Mountain Strong
by DJ | Jul 28, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch
by DJ | Jul 28, 2020 | Blog, Legislative Watch, News, Uncategorized
A Message from CD11 Chair Kathy Sinclair
I hope each of you are in good health, staying safe, and wearing a mask in public. Wearing a mask protects others and reduces the spread of COVID-19. We all want small businesses to re-open safely and be able to remain open. We all want workers to return to a safe workplace and unemployment rates to drop. We all want children and teachers to return to school and learn in a safe environment. We all want our family, friends and neighbors to be healthy, and safe from COVID-19. At this time, the only safe way to make this happen is to practice the 3Ws…Wear a Mask…Wait at least 6 feet apart…Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Thanks for doing your part.
November 3rd is just over 3 months away, so now is the time to provide voters with complete and accurate election information. Several reliable resources are available to voters, and here are just a few to share with your friends and neighbors.
Absentee Ballot Requests
No Excuse Absentee Voting is available to ALL voters in North Carolina. Absentee Ballot Requests are now being accepted by your local Board of Elections, and anyone receiving an Absentee Ballot will still have the option to vote in person. The first thing to do is obtain an Absentee Ballot Request Form and submit it to your local Board of Elections.
CLICK HERE to download a Request Form from the North Carolina State Board of Election. Page 1 includes instructions on how to complete your request. Page 2 is the Absentee Ballot Request which you’ll complete and return to your local Board of Elections. Page 3 is where to find the address for your local Board of Elections. Some Boards of Elections allow Request Forms to be submitted electronically, so double-check with your local BOE for your county’s instructions.
Your actual Absentee Ballot should arrive sometime during the month of September. To help prevent a backlog, it’s recommended that ballots be completed and returned as soon as possible. More information on this process will follow in a future newsletter.
Andy Millard, Chair of the Polk County Democratic Party has put together this very helpful video to address questions. Scroll down to county news to find the link to the video.
One more thing…we’d like a to ask you a favor. Once you’ve requested an Absentee Ballot Request Form please let District 11 know by emailing us at nc11democrats@gmail.com. And if you don’t mind, include your cell phone number. We’d like to touch base with you closer to the election via a text message. Thank you.
Voter Guide/Sample Ballots
Another helpful resource is the link https://slate.ncdems.civicengine.com where voters are able to obtain a personal voting guide/sample ballot. Voters simply click on the link, enter an address, and they’ll see all the candidates on their ballot. This link will be updated with Board of Education and Soil & Water Conservations candidates in the near future.
Voter Registration
Voter Registration is now available online to DMV customers who have either a North Carolina driver’s license or DMV-issued ID. At this site, voters can register, update their voter registration, registration address or update their party affiliations. There is no fee for this service. Learn more at https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Registering-to-Vote.
District 11: Executive Committee Meeting
VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM: A QUORUM IS REQUIRE
Members of the District 11 Executive Committee are required to attend or provide a proxy.
The District 11 Executive Committee Meeting is Wednesday, August 5th at 6:30 – 8:00PM. Click the link above for a proposed agenda and information on how to join the meeting. Two important agenda items include electing members to the Resolutions & Platform Committee and the Council of Review. Both current members are running for re-election, however nominations will be taken from the floor. Jeff Rose has served as our representative on the Resolutions & Platform Committee since 2018. Beth Osgaard is serving a 2nd non-consecutive term on the Council of Review.
Protecting our Vote in the 11th District!
In order to ensure everyone’s vote will be protected in November, we are:
- Communicating with staff at the Boards of Election in all 17 counties to learn their plans for safety procedures at the polls, adequate staffing, and accommodating an increased number of absentee ballots. Poll workers tend to be seniors who are at risk for Covid-19 complications, so some counties are in need of younger poll workers and staff. These are paid positions so please check with your county boards if you’re willing to work when the polls open.
- Working on a District plan for addressing any voter intimidation or irregularities that may arise. County party officials will have direct lines to our attorneys as needed.
- Informed and prepared voters are the best protection when casting our ballots. This site – www.vote.org – provides information for voters about their registration, absentee ballots, and polling locations. Please share it with every Democratic voter you know!
- Urging Democrats to consider helping their county parties as poll greeters or official poll observers representing our party at the polls. These folks will be on the front lines for reporting any problems voters may encounter.
Phone Banking is Now Our #1 Method for Reaching Voters!
Political experts agree that phone banking as one of top ways to win an election, and this year, we are even more dependent on making calls because we’re unable to knock on doors. Prior to Covid-19 about 10% of the folks we called picked up their phones, but we’re finding the pick-up rates are closer to 50% now because people are at home and eager to chat. If your county wants help setting up a local phone bank to reach voters, please contact Kathie Kline at kathiebkline@gmail.com or 828-776-3751. She can also pull lists for you if you’d prefer writing postcards.
Texting to Promote Absentee Ballot Requests
We are preparing to embark on a texting campaign to encourage over 60,000 voters in our District to request absentee ballots. Democratic and left-leaning Unaffiliated voters with verified cell phone numbers living in 16 of 17 counties will receive these texts (Buncombe County has its own texting plan and we don’t want to duplicate effort). If the response is positive and if resources allow, we may fund another campaign to Get Out the Vote when the polls open.
2020 Convention Plan Updates
Our delegates are now being instructed in procedural matters so they will be ready to fulfill their obligations as delegates during the week of August 17-21. We hope you’ll all tune in for this exciting and yes – historic event!
Mark Your Calendars
*note: Blue line is a clickable link..
North Carolina Women for Biden Launch
Monday, July 27, 2020
5:30 PM 6:30 PM
Ashley Biden and Judge Cheri Beasley
On Monday, Join Ashley Biden, social worker & criminal justice reform advocate, and special guest Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, NC Supreme Court, at the NC Women for Biden Kickoff. July 27, Biden for President will launch North Carolina Women for Biden with Ashley Biden, the daughter of Jill and Joe Biden, Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, and other women leaders who will lead a community rally about what’s at stake in the upcoming election for women and North Carolinians in November.Video Conference with Pete Buttigieg and Cal Cunningham
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
5:00 AM 6:00 AM
Register for a video conference on Tuesday, July 28th, at 5:00 pm ET, and we’ll send you all the details you need to log on and chat with Pete.
Moe Davis Virtual Fundraiser
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
8:00 PM 9:00 PM Join Joanne Kalp & Ken Kahn, Tom Maxwell & Lynn Hamlin, Greg & Amy Miller, Allison Smith and Ginny Hunneke in supporting Moe Davis for Congress. We will be joined by NC Senator Terry Van Duyn who will introduce Moe. Click link above to register.
Henderson/Buncombe Zoom with NC Judge Candidates
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
7:00 PM 8:00 PM
Henderson and Buncombe County host Zoom meeting with the NC Judge Candidates of Democratic Party! Watch http://www.myhcdp.com/Wordpress/events for details
Town Hall w/ Wayne Goodwin
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
7:00 PM 8:00 PM
Hosted by Josh Remillard for NC House 117
Pride All Summer with Judge Lucy Inman
Sunday, August 9, 2020
5:00 AM 6:00 AM
Sunday August 9 5-6PM
A virtual event supporting Judge Lucy Inman. Special guests will include Judge John Arrowood, Representative Deb Butler, and we are excited to present some entertaining surprises.2020 Defenders of Justice Awards
Sunday, October 4, 2020, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm
Pre-event cocktail reception from 5:30 to 6 pm
Online, Virtual Event
Special Presentation by NC Poet Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green
Music by Jennifer Evans
Please join us 30 minutes earlier to mingle in our virtual cocktail hour! We hope to see you there!
Every year we come together to celebrate the inspirational work of outstanding leaders in our community who are leading the fight for justice. These few exemplify our mission — they are working to eliminate poverty in North Carolina to ensure the creation of an economy that works for everyone. They are at the front-lines of advocating for progressive and inclusive policies that advance equity and opportunity in our state.
A complete list of awardees will be announced in the next couple of weeks — stay tuned!
Please contact me at Kim_marie@ncjustice.org or (919) 856-3185 with any questions.
County News
Avery Avery county’s early voting site will be moving to the new community pool in Newland. They are also putting out a 4000K mailing for Moe Davis to unaffiliated voters.
Buncombe County 100 days of action until November 3! Are you ready? On July 26, 100 days until election day BCDP along with HCDP co-hosted a Kickoff Event Guest speakers included Senator Terry Van Duyn and Sheriff Quentin Miller and other candidates.
Clay As of August 10 Clay Co. HQ is open for two masked people at a time. They are sending postcards to Democrats and left leaning Unaffiliated including a special focus on Young Dems. Their YD group has started a new Instagram (claycountydemsnc) and a new website is in the works.
Haywood Haywood has been having EXECOM meetings on Zoom since May. Their first GOTV project is a post card mailing to 4K Dems that don’t have phone numbers. The others they will call or text.
Henderson Hendersonville is working with BCDP on a July 29 Judge candidates zoom meeting noted in our Mark Your Calendars. The GOTV team is sending out postcards and precinct phone banking above. Messaging includes info on absentee ballots. There is also a group that are writing postcards for Sam Edney. They are also working on a peak hours poll greeters schedule.
Jackson Jackson had their countywide meeting via Zoom on 7/21. HQ is open 10-2 Mon-Thur. They have sent 3K postcard to Dems and Unaffiliated Dem Leaning. They are also working with NCDP phone banking and separate phone banking for Joe Sam Queen. They have a WCU intern, Zachary Wyatt who is writing articles for newspapers and reporting on demonstrations and boosting their Twitter account followers. Their communications group is writing weekly letters to the editor to the local paper. They also have a fundraiser of selling Democrat Masks at their website – JacksonDems.com.
Macon Macon’s HQ is gearing up to expand its hours Tue-Sat from 11AM – 6PM starting July 28. Macon County Hosts Moe Davis Rally at HQ Opening. ON Saturday, July 25, 2020 from 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM and repeating at 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM the NCDP hosted a very successful in-person masked, social-distanced rally and ribbon cutting event. Congressional candidate Moe Davis headlined the event. Other candidates speaking included Justin Greene, Candidate 30th District Court Judge, Betty Cloer Wallace, candidate for Macon County Commission and Emily Ritter, candidate for Macon County School Board.
McDowell McDowell has been working to fill chairs for their precincts and have fill all but 2. They have completed a mass mailing encouraging voting volunteering and the use of absentee ballots. They are also completing phone bank trainings with their volunteers. They have developed two messages for their signage “Be the Change – Vote Democrat 2020” and “Justice for All – Vote Democrat 2020”.
Polk Polk County doing an absentee ballot mailing to all their Dems and a group of Unaffiliated voters with a return envelope. They have produced a video (https://vimeo.com/439135004) about how to get an absentee ballot.
Rutherford Rutherford has just concluded their Gala-in-place event to raise funds for the year. This took place through direct mail and followed up with social media and email. Many donors made their donations in memory of Edna Michael. They FAR OUTRAISED not only last year but their goals for this year. Yay to Rutherford!!!!
Transylvania Transylvania’s EXECOM met 7/20 and selected a county commissioner candidate (Douglas Miller) for the special election this fall. HQ is now closed. They have been having Zoom meets. Training is happening to use virtual phone banking. The messaging now is to encourage people to complete the census. The next campaign will focus on absentee voting.
Yancey Thay are running newspaper and radio ads, and phone banking.
We will feature more County News in September’s Issue. Please get your info pre and post to mail to: karen@programservices.org.
Rock the Vote Signs
Be a part of helping District 11 Democrats raise money for our 2020 Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts. We have 4 exciting versions of 12″ x 12″ yard signs available for you to display and have your voice be heard during the COVID-19 era.
- EVERY VOTE COUNTS
- IT’S UP TO YOU, VOTE!
- WANT CHANGE? VOTE.
- YOUR VOTE, YOUR VOICE.
Each sign is $10 each, and available for pick-up or delivery (sorry, but shipping is not available).
Buncombe County residents are especially encouraged to order our yard signs because they can be picked up at our central location after purchase. So far, there have been no orders outside Buncombe County, but if a fair number of folks request from another county, we’ll arrange a delivery location there
Click here to order.
From 3VC: Comunications
The NC District 11 website is updated regularly. County chairs are encouraged to have their 3rd VCs (or the person in charge of communications) get in touch to coordinate communication and planning. Please visit your county page on the District 11 website (nc11democrats.org) and send any updates such as website URLs, FB, Twitter, Instagram addresses, postal and physical addresses, phone numbers and County officers names positions and contact email addresses (or phone). Please also visit the state website, NCDP.org and make sure the NCDP3VC has the correct information for your county posted there. I noted some inconsistencies so please check the state website listings. Guidelines for posting information on the District 11 website, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram are available upon request. Please forward your suggestions to the email below and we will consider your input in revisions.
Candidate Events: During the period from the NC primary until the general election in November candidates may submit posts and events for the District website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Please send detailed requests with pictures for addition to the District 11 Events Calendar. Pictures with captions of events that have recently happened in our counties are also welcome. Please try to get permission from people before taking photos. It’s respectful.
Karen Albig Smith 3VC: Communications karen@programservices.org
Special thanks to our social media assistance Grace Loftis. Look for our next newsletter in late August.
Copyright © 2020 North Carolina Congressional District 11 Democratic Party, Paid for by NC11 Democratic Party. Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
Product of NC11 Dems Communications and Public Relations Team. This NC11 Democrats Newsletter Issue was edited by Karen A Smith, District Third Vice-Chair
by DJ | Jul 27, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch
CAMPAIGN MANAGER GRAEME MCGUFFICKE HERE …
This was an important week for the Moe Davis for Congress Campaign. Col. Davis made a national TV appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and received an endorsement from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. (click on picture to see entire interview)
Col. Davis is vying with Madison Cawthorn for the seat previously occupied by Mark Meadows, now the White House Chief of Staff. That means North Carolina’s 11th District is now on President Trump’s radar as well. Moving forward, this race is likely to continue receiving national attention.
That’s good for us. The more attention this race receives, the more obvious it becomes that Col. Davis is the only candidate with the experience, knowledge and leadership ability to make a difference for Western North Carolina. With about 100 days to go, it is now a sprint to the finish line!
Thanks so much for your support, and keep spreading the word!
If you haven’t seen the interview yet, here is the video of Moe’s appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe last Thursday.
It’s all there. Knowledge. Leadership. A focus on issues that affect Western North Carolina. This is what a real representative looks like.
GOVERNOR COOPER ENDORSES MOE DAVIS!
We received notice last Monday that Gov. Cooper had endorsed Col. Davis. Just as important as national attention, state-wide recognition can only help our campaign moving forward.
Thank you, Gov. Cooper!
SHARE ME
Want to help elect Moe Davis to Congress? Here’s how you can do it without spending money. And you don’t even need to live in Western North Carolina.
All you have to do is help us spread the word on social media. Interactions with our @MoeDavisforCongress Facebook and Instagram accounts impact their algorithms and ultimately affect how many people see our posts.
So here’s how we can push Facebook and Instagram to promote Moe Davis:
1. React to a post with a like or a heart.
2. Click on all links within a post.
3. Leave a positive comment, “Go Moe!” or a hand clap emoji, etc.
4. Share the post.
5. If there is a video, click on the link and watch at least ten seconds.
6. Click on all photos in a post.
7. Invite friends to “like” the Moe Davis for Congress Facebook page.
8. Go back to old posts and like them as well.
9. And please subscribe to Moe’s YouTube channel.
Special thanks to Nate Worley for these tips that we hope will help spread the word about Moe Davis and help him win in November.
DEFENDING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Kudos to MountainTrue for joining with the Southern Environmental Law Center and 15 other conservation organizations to defend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
For 50 years, NEPA has required federal agencies to assess the potential environmental impact of proposed major actions before deciding whether to proceed. The Trump administration’s recent overhaul of NEPA regulations reduces the types and number of federal infrastructure projects and land management actions subject to environmental review.
Even more alarming, it revokes a requirement that climate change and other “cumulative environmental effects” be considered and limits opportunities for affected populations, such as communities of color, to challenge proposed projects.
Deregulation like this puts our environment — the economic engine of our economy in Western North Carolina — at risk. We need leaders in Washington who will fight to protect our environment.
Period.
Do you have a yard that faces a major road, highway or interstate? Do you want a large — 4′ X 6′ — Moe Davis for Congress sign to display? Email us at yardsign@moedavis.com and we will get a large display sign to you as soon as we can. (Use the same address for the regular sized signs and magnetic bumper stickers.)
Thank you!
COVID-19 restrictions got you locked down and bored at home? Want to talk?
How about chatting with voters in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District about Moe Davis?
We are asking for volunteers nationwide to phone bank for us, calling voters to get our message out. Calls can be made from anywhere in the country.
The more people know about Moe, his background, experience, knowledge and policy positions, the more likely they will support him. So please go to moedavisforcongress.com/get-involved/ to add your name if you can help.
Join us. Be a part of a team that flips Mark Meadows’s seat blue in November. It will feel soooo good.
MADISON’S WASHINGTON ADVENTURE
Madison Cawthorn recently attended a Trump fundraiser in Washington where he showed a video and had the opportunity to get in front of the GOP donor class. He’s already selling us out.
Those donors are going to pour millions into buying this seat. And Cawthorn’s vote.
Don’t let them get away with it.
Donate. If you can, and as much as you can. We can’t let Cawthorn anywhere near Washington.
Stay safe. Stay home. Stay healthy.
Mountain Strong
by DJ | Jul 27, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Community Events, Election Central, Legislative Watch
Join Indivisible CommonGround WNC and Swing Left Asheville to make calls on Wed. 7/29 at 6-9 pm for 6th Generation Jackson County rep, Joe Sam Queen (HD-119). Make sure he is re-elected and stop GOP Gerrymandering! Register at this link: https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/289640/
by DJ | Jul 25, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
On Saturday June 20th, the Russian town of Verkhoyansk recorded its highest temperature ever. The town located above the Arctic Circle recorded a record temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. This is another indicator of the true effects of climate change. Siberia has already been having an unusually hot year, as the region has been experiencing wildfires currently burning 680,000 acres of Siberian wilderness.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the earth’s five hottest years ever recorded, occurred since 2015. Nine out of the 10 warmest years have occurred since 2005. The average global temperature for 2019 was 1.71 Fahrenheit higher than the average for the 20th century.
Policy makers in Washington continue to be apathetic about taking any action. Some are actively trying to reverse efforts made to fight climate change. For example, President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. 187 out of the 193 UN members are part of the Paris Climate Agreement. The US has a key role in participating in the Paris Climate Agreement because the agreement is aimed at reducing green house gas admissions, and the United States is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases. Trump dismisses climate change entirely, claiming it to be a “hoax”.
Although the policy makers in Washington seem to ignore the reality of climate change, various federal agencies prepare for its future consequences. The Department of Defense released a report in July of 2015 about the national security consequences of climate change. The report stated, “that the department must consider the effects of climate change – such as sea level rise, shifting climate zones and more frequent and intense severe weather events – and how these effects could impact national security.”
The report found that two thirds of U.S. military installations are at risk of flooding, droughts, and wildfires. The authors of the report noted that the reports mostly likely underestimate the damage caused by climate change. The report predicts that these damages are for the near future, as in the next twenty years. Out of the 79 military installations analyzed in the report, about 53 currently experience recurrent flooding, 43 have been facing drought, 36 have been exposed to wildfires, and one is dealing with thawing of permafrost.
Climate change can make it too expensive for the United States to maintain its military abroad. The cost for constantly repairing expensive military equipment from the world’s most advanced military will become too high. This will cause the United States to decrease its presence and influence abroad, possibly even causing the United States to lose its superpower status in the process.
Despite all the efforts various government agencies and departments have made to urge the legislatures to act against this crisis. Many policy makers in Washington are still in denial about the effects and the existence of climate change. While policy makers in Washington remain apathetic about the effects of this manmade disaster, the unbiased technocrats within the governments various government agencies prepare for the worst.
Zachary Wyatt is currently an intern with the Jackson County Democrat Party
by DJ | Jul 24, 2020 | Blog
Immediately after declaring independence in 1776 our founding fathers adopted a motto for
the new country. That motto is “E Pluribus Unum” meaning “From many, one.” The many at that time in our history included the 13 colonies and “the countries from which these States have been peopled.”
E. Pluribus Unum—from many, one—appears on a banner carried in the beak of an American eagle on the Great Seal of the United States of America and the Seal of the President of the United States.
“United we stand, divided we fall” became prominent in the U.S. in 1768 in “The Liberty Song” by Founding Father John Dickenson which included the verse “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” In his last public speech Patriot Patrick Henry warned Americans that “United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” This line—united we stand, divided we fall—appears on state flags and throughout our culture.
Today, the United States of America is struggling with forces of disunity. The 50 States are clearly not united but on their own in fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic and economic fallout. The unifying federal government is AWOL during this crisis. As a matter of policy, the states are on their own in coping with, protecting from, preventing and treating Covid-19. Our government is AWOL regarding pressing issues of health care, social justice and economic fairness. As a result, Americans are falling: falling into disease, falling into joblessness, falling into poverty, falling into despair. Our first responders, teachers and children are in free fall. As a source of disunity in the world’s community of nations, America is falling. We’ve been divided and we are being conquered.
America and Americans have lost their unity and are suffering from division because we have the most divisive president and corrupt political party in our history. This president’s divisiveness is well known: blaming others, insulting others, withdrawing from alliances, criticizing allies, ignoring expertise, embracing bad actors, going it alone, rank nationalism and ugly populism. His political party has enabled his destructiveness and corruption.
Your vote in November can be a vote to re-establish American unity of purpose and values and a vote against the dividedness which is our current downfall. Voting against divisiveness is basic to our national character. Seeking unity is America’s deep desire and greatest hope.
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