Another Head-Scratching Poll
New polling again underscores the significant disconnect between President Biden's accomplishments and voter perceptions. The administration is being blamed for the chaos in Washington, and the attacks of the GOP and its leading 2024 presidential candidate are taking a toll --- despite the President's demonstrable achievements. If you feel like you are down a rabbit hole, you are not alone.
Polls, however, do not determine the outcome of elections -- voters do. And there is evidence that voters will respond IF we get the word out about what President Biden has done for this country at home and abroad. New research points to the impact of breaking through the noise:
David Frum reminds us that Biden's current poll numbers are reminiscent of those experienced by Obama during the third year of his presidency. It took an intentional strategy to cut through the negativity and successfully win a second term. Fortunately, the DEMS have a plan for doing the same in 2024.
The GOP, thanks to gerrymandering, has implemented policies and passed laws that are vastly unpopular with wide numbers of voters. They have a record to run on --- and so does Biden. Pick one --- economic recovery, job creation, climate action, sensible gun policy, diplomacy and foreign relations, or health care --- and make a point of sharing the good news with a skeptical friend or family member this week. The red wave predicted by the polls never materialized in the mid-terms. We can make a difference in 2024!
Honor Our Veterans by Taking Action
Veterans Day is this weekend, November 11th. Here are two ways you can honor the men
and women who served this country: AL GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville continues to block 370 military promotions over a Pentagon policy he says supports abortion. Despite significant pressure from fellow GOP senators, Tuberville objected last week to approving individual nominations, something he promised not to do in the past. Tuberville's actions are in protest of a Pentagon policy that pays for travel expenses for service members who must leave the state to obtain an abortion and other reproductive care. Now, Senate leaders are contemplating a rules change that would create an exception and allow the nominations to move through the process.
Contact FL Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. Tell them you want them to vote in support of a Senate rule change that will make it possible to end Tuberville's blockade of military nominations. Remind them Tuberville's action is irresponsible in the face of the serious conflicts happening in the Middle East and Ukraine. His actions threaten the country's security and international standing. He deserves to be censured! The Senate must act now. You can reach Scott's office in Jacksonville at (904) 479-7227, and Rubio's Jax office at (904) 354-4300.
And finally, help the Duval DEMS register voters at Jacksonville's Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 11th at 11 a.m. The parade is the largest in the state and features military officials, veterans' groups, floats and much more. Our veterans protected democracy, what better way to honor them than by signing people up to vote!
Click here to volunteer with the Duval DEMS.
We the People Presents Priorities to Delegation
BAM joined more than a dozen advocacy organizations and community groups in a rally organized by the We the People coalition last week prior to the annual hearing of the Duval Legislative Delegation.
More than 35 representatives from groups working for voting rights, gun violence
prevention, public education, housing and other issues presented their priorities for improving the lives of Jacksonville residents. Find the Resource Guide provided to local lawmakers here, and a summary of issues and solutions adopted by the coalition here.
Down to the Wire: Help Cure Petitions!
More than 55,000 petitions to get the abortion access amendment on the 2024 ballot have been reviewed by the Duval County Supervisor of Elections (SOE). Sadly, 22,000 of them have been rejected --- because they were filed in the wrong county, signed by people who were not registered to vote, and for a variety of other reasons. Duval has one of the highest petition rejection rates in the state. Significantly, more than 5,000 petitions were tossed because of "mismatched signatures," meaning the SOE could not match the signature on the petition to the signature on the voter's file. This includes over 200 petitions signed by residents of the Beaches. Jax NOW is designing a multi-prong strategy for reaching out to these voters so they have a chance to re-submit their petitions. If you'd like to get involved and help cure rejected petitions, email Jax NOW.