DNC Convention Offers Hope, Enthusiasm & Fun!
The DNC pulled off a near-flawless nominating convention for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz last week with a unifying message of hope and a dose of pure joy. Harris's acceptance speech (60-second version here) outlined the stakes and threats posed by a GOP victory in November. More than 100 speakers -- from party superstars to everyday people impacted by the bad policies of the previous administration -- helped the DEMS reclaim five important words: Freedom. Patriotism. Family. Masculinity. Normalcy. And they had fun! From the state roll call dance party to President Obama's mischievous hand gesture mocking Trump's preoccupation with crowd size, the party renowned for its love of mind-numbing policy papers gave voters a lot to smile about.
The excitement and enthusiasm of the gathering was a counterpoint to the disappointing results of last week's primary election here in Duval. While there was some good news, it was overshadowed by the victories of Moms-for-Liberty candidates who won two hard-fought races, giving them a 4-3 majority on the school board. Thankfully, Jacksonville was an anomaly statewide.
As we look toward the November election, we have our work cut out for us. The key lesson to take from last week's primary is a familiar one: People who don't vote can't win. Turnout was less than 20% overall (22% DEMS, 25% GOP, 6% NPAs & Others). With a little over two months left before the Presidential Election, getting out the vote is critical. Time to embrace the momentum of the convention, roll up our sleeves, and get busy turning Duval Blue again this fall:
Saturday Brunch-Time Phone Bank: Grab a cup of coffee and join the Beaches Dems & BAM as we call Duval Democrats and help them make a plan to vote. We had a great group last week - but locals were outnumbered by folks from other parts of Florida! It's time to show up! Every Saturday THROUGH November 2nd let's Get Out the Vote together. Training starts at 11:00 a.m. and we get down to it from 11:15 through to 12:30 p.m. Fun guaranteed! Click here to register.
Over the Fence: Sign-up for Neighbor 2 Neighbor and talk to 10 like-minded people who live near you! Contact Nancy Staats if you have questions. N2N, a proven tactic for increasing voter turnout, is getting rave reviews from BAM members who have signed up!
Flip State House District 16: Canvass for Rachel Grage this week in Atlantic Beach (Wednesday, October 28 4:15 p.m.) & Neptune Beach (Sunday, September 1, 9:15 a.m.) Click on the event for more info and to RSVP.
Join the SWIFT Call Tuesday: National Indivisible Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Ezra Levin will talk about the 2024 Election, Project 2025, Kamala Harris/Tim Walz, and what we can do to make a difference in this election on the August 27th monthly ZOOM meeting of the Statewide Indivisible Florida Task Force (SWIFT). RSVP here.
Be an Influencer: More and more voters get their political information from social media. Be an influencer by following BAM on Facebook and Instagram, and sharing posts of interest to your networks. Let's go viral!
Save State Parks from Development
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection unveiled The 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative last week, a plan that would allow, under the direction of the Governor's Office, the development of golf courses, pickleball courts, and resort-style hotels within state parks throughout Florida. Close to us, Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine is on the list of parks to be developed. Public backlash forced FDEP to postpone hastily-organized hearings scheduled around the state to the week of September 2. The agency also set up an online form to gather public input.
"State parks, are in some places, the only remaining vestiges of Florida's unique and varied ecosystems," writes The Florida Wildlife Federation. Use this customizable email to tell the Governor, Secretary of FDEP, and our state Representatives to keep Florida parks free from development!
Florida is in PLAY!
New polling showing DEMS within striking distance in races for President and the U.S. Senate has put Florida in play in the November general election! Postcards to Swing States, Field Team 6, and other national groups have added Florida to their lists of targeted states. We moved from deep red to pink on election maps --- but we face an uphill battle in November. But as Florida's roll call anthem reminds us: We Won't Back Down. Make a difference! Find out more about promising races across the state and get involved in these
GOTV efforts:
Floridians for Democracy will host Dahnny Roman of America Votes and veteran Political Consultant Bob Schaeffer for a discussion of flippable seats in the state and the U.S. Senate race Thursday, August 29 at 7 p.m. Register here for the ZOOM meeting.
Field Team 6, a national outreach effort to register new voters, is sponsoring a million texts a week initiative in swing states. On Saturday, September 7th, 2 - 4 p.m. EST they are focusing on Florida along with several other states. Sign up here to help register voters. Training provided.
BAM and Beaches DEMS are partnering to send 5,000 postcards to warm DEMS and left-leaning NPAs across the state to urge them to vote in November! We are using postcards provided by Postcards to Swing States based on tested messages and a data-driven approach. Two events are planned for the beach! Other opportunities are being organized by Indivisible Mandarin, Indivisible Jax Riverside, and other partners (email us for details). RSVP for Beach events below.
September 12 @ 7 p.m. Adele Grage Community Center
716 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach.
September 17 @ 6:30 p.m. Neptune Beach Senior Center
2004 Forest Avenue, Neptune Beach.
Comments