Good morning, Activists!
272 DAYS TO THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
“The best thing to do with outrage is to turn it into action.” Leah Greenberg We know we’re in a moment. After last week’s votes, so many of us are furious, disgusted, frightened and a whole lot of other emotions. But know this – we know how to fix the situation we’re in. Our country has come back from similar problems before and we will do it again. But we have to no joke work for it. And we will. You may have seen Sunday’s opinion piece by Will Bunch in which he first identifies and laments the state of our politics and country after last week’s votes. But the end of the piece does give us hope and the path forward: “There is still an opportunity to vote on November 3 in such numbers, and with such unity of purpose, that a president’s ability to cheat won’t matter. And Friday night’s vote did not silence your ability to speak out, or shackle your ability to march for justice, not yet. Keep remembering that whatever you think you would have done to fight slavery or segregation or the worst horrors of the 20th Century is exactly what you are doing to fight tyranny today. Also remember that the American Experiment has been powered for 244 years by this one initial spark: Our hatred of monarchy. On Friday night, 51 senators all but voted to crown King Donald I, and with that vote a flame of democracy was effectively snuffed out. But the second American revolution begins today. Join us.” And with that, you can start with one of our actions below and come to our February 19th meeting to learn how we will win in 2020. Buckle up!
FEBRUARY MEETING 2020 KICKOFF – OUR PLAN TO WIN!
This meeting will be all about our strategy for 2020. Bring your questions and thoughts! We have a great lineup of speakers. Kevin (Vin) Arceneaux, PhD. from Temple University – Dr. Arceneaux will discuss the best strategies to get out votes and why these strategies work. His research focuses on how people make political decisions. This will be a super interesting talk.Andrea Koplove from Turn PA Blue – Andrea will speak about the successes we’ve achieved in the past two years and our big plans for 2020. Three candidates for state House seats in Bucks County – Marlene Katz (HD 29), Gary Spillane (HD 144), and Ann Marie Mitchell (HD 178).When: Wednesday, February 19th, 6-8 pm Where: Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Sign up to come here.
TONIGHT CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR DEMOCRACY
This vigil will be at Independence Mall. On the eve of the historic vote on impeachment in the Senate, we will gather to bear witness to the power of democracy in the birthplace of democracy. Though it feels like dark times, let's shine a light on our continued commitment to stand up for a government of, by, and for the PEOPLE. Where: Across from Independence Mall, 520 Chestnut Street When: 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm More info in the Facebook event here.
TONIGHT – PETITION PARTY
Drinking Liberally's Petition Party is tonight from 6-8 pm. You'll hear the candidates' positions on the issues and you can sign their petitions so they can get their names on the ballot. We are a co-sponsor of this event. When: Tonight from 6-8 pm Where: Upstairs at Frankie Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor Street, Philadelphia 19107 RSVP: Facebook Event here
VOTER REGISTRATION
We are in the process of building out quite a few voter registration opportunities for all you registration enthusiasts! In 2018 you really showed up to register voters in huge numbers, and we’re at it again this year. So check out our events below and stay tuned for many more.
Also, do you live in an apartment building in the city? If so, let us know here if you could talk to us about your building with an eye toward registering voters there.
Apartment Building Registrations -
It’s convenient, and during this cold weather, it’s warm!
1. When: Wednesday, February 5th, 5:30 – 7:30 pm Where: Tower Place Luxury Apartments, 1400 Spring Garden St. Sign up here. 2. When: Wednesday, February 12th, 5:30 to 7:30 pm Where: Park Towne Place, 2200 Ben Franklin Parkway Sign up here. Kensington Derby & Arts Festival This is the coolest festival and you should check it out. It's a Philadelphia-wide attraction where people experience the parade of sculptures and shop with artists and food vendors. You can sign up for a voter registration shift and then go and enjoy the festivities. Or the other way around. When: Saturday, May 9th, noon to 4:00 pm (pick from two 2-hour shifts) Where: Trenton Ave. from York St. to Norris St. – Exact registration location TBA Sign up here for a 2-hour shift.
POSTCARDS
This week we’ll be writing postcards for Harold Hayes, who is running in the March 17th special election for the District 18 PA House seat. HD 18 encompasses Bensalem Township and other neighborhoods in Lower Bucks County. This is our first HUGE opportunity to flip a state house seat this year, and you can help!
Remember that the county just flipped to Democratic control in 2019 for the first time in 36 years, so the timing to flip this seat is perfect. HD 18 has a significant Democratic voter registration advantage, and Democrats at the top of the ticket have won in this district starting with Obama in 2012.
All you do is come with your writing hand and good humor. And bring a friend!
* If you sign up and then find you can’t make it, please email us and let us know. We depend on having the right count!
* Would you like to start your own satellite postcard event? We can set you up with everything you need to have a postcard party at your home or a coffee shop nearby with family and friends. For more information just let us know here. The more the merrier!
CARDS & COFFEE Where: OCF Coffee House, 2100 Fairmount Ave. Signed up but can’t make it? Email us here. If you can, bring $5.00 to help defray the cost of postcards. When:
Wednesday, February 5, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. RSVP here.
Wednesday, February 12, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. RSVP here.
Wednesday, February 19, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. RSVP here.
Wednesday, February 26, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm RSVP here.
CARDS & COCKTAILS Where: Vicki Miller’s house (Graduate Hospital area). The exact address will be at the bottom of the confirmation email under “Additional Information.” Signed up but can’t make it? Email us here. If you can, bring $5.00 to help defray the cost of postcards. When: Thursday, February 6, 6-8 pm. RSVP here.
Thursday, February 13, 6-8 pm. RSVP here.
Thursday, February 20, 6-8 pm. RSVP here.
Thursday, February 27, 6-8 pm RSVP here.