Cville Dems

The Charlottesville Democratic Committee

Dr. Ivy Hinton: We Need to Vote!

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Headshot photo of Dr. Ivy Hinton

[Dr. Hinton, our co-chair 2015-2020, posted this on Facebook yesterday]

It’s taken me a while to say this, I think because I can’t fathom the need to do so, but it’s not too late to say: we need to vote.

Not voting puts almost everything we value at risk. We’ve heard over and over the Republican plans for our future: impeach Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Schumer, even Dr. Fauci (yes, they don’t value Dr. Fauci’s good work keeping most of us alive and well during a pandemic). These are not serious solutions to real problems.

We need to vote.

I too feel the concerns about the price of gas and food, but those are short term things; I feel an even greater distress about our democracy being at risk, and that’s not short term, that’s something we may not get back if we lose it. Racism and sexism are also on the ballot. We need to do better than shake our heads and shrug our shoulders: we need to vote.

The Democratic candidate Josh Throneburg is an ordained minister and owner of a small business, a husband and father. He said, “As the father of two young girls, and both of them are young women of color, you want to make sure that they’re going to have a future that is happy and healthy.” I believe him. I trust him. I want his way of thinking to represent me in Congress.

For that to happen… we need to vote.

Larry Sabato said that “VA-5 is a safe Republican seat this year”. But it doesn’t have to be a safe seat! The 5th District is the third most competitive district in the state; if we have a big turnout of Fifth District Democratic voters, Josh will win.

It may be asking a lot for everyone to go vote, but there’s a great deal at stake:

• Please make a plan for when you’ll vote (Early Voting is now through Saturday, polls open on Tuesday 6am-7pm).
• Please take a friend or two or three.
• Please save our democracy.
• Please: go vote.

Eyes on the Prize, not the Polls!

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Long-time Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg was on MSNBC the other night saying the polls this year (especially 538) are understating how well Dems are doing, and that early voting (which is very encouraging) is a better indicator.
Victor Shi, iGenpolitics Strategy Director, says the same thing.
In any case, we should ignore polls and just focus on turning out the vote these last few crucial days!
Screenshot of Simon Rosenberg 20221101 Twitter post initial Early Voting numbers are promising for DemsVictor Shi 20221103 Twitter post initial Early Voting numbers are promising for Dems

People-Persons (People-People??) for the Polls on Tuesday

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Photo of two Democrats, a black woman and a white man, in front of their tent outside a polling placeWe still need one or two friendly Dems to represent us at each polling station for just a few hours on Election Day, to share a sample ballot (marked for Josh!) and encourage people to take part in our local Democratic activities. We’ll provide the info that you’d need (it’s not hard!), please email us at cvilledemschair@gmail.org if you might be able to help with this very important final opportunity to influence people who will be voting in 20 seconds!

​​Josh Throneburg Campaign: Pushing on to Election Day!

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If you (rightly) think that Bob Good is a horrible extremist and a terrible Congressman, please invest a few hours to be the change you want to see!Bob Good photo with "No" Slash mark across circle symbol over it

 

Josh Throneburg campaign poster showing Josh, his wife, and two children standing in a meadowYou have lots of good ways to pitch in during the Get Out The Vote (GOTV) push that makes all the difference: 

  • Wednesdays: Virtual Phone Bank (6:30-8:30pm)
  • Thursdays: “Turn Out the Vote Thursdays” (4:30-6:30pm)
  • Thursdays: Virtual Phone Bank (6:30-8:30pm) led by J4VA & Generation Ratify Virginia
  • Saturdays: Canvassing in Charlottesville (10am-Noon, 1-3pm) — meet at Josh’s Pantops office at 302 Hickman Rd. in the parking lot at the back of the building, where the office entrance is! Before you arrive, it’s a big time saver if you download the “Minivan” app we use to take down and input our canvassing data! It also helps if you sign up in advance
  • Sundays: Canvassing in Charlottesville (1-3pm, see Saturday above for details)

Any time: contact Josh for Virginia’s Kelsey Cowger if you might be willing to write a Letter to the Editor (Daily Progress) highlighting some aspect of why Josh is good for our District.

Biden/Dem Accomplishments the Past Two Years

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There’s been quite a lot, we thought this partial alphabetized list might be helpful when talking to voters:
Abortion Rights Defense (contraception and in vitro fertilization may be the next rights on the Republicans target list).
Civil/Voting Rights (vs. Republican voter suppression limiting mail-in ballots, closing polling places in poor neighborhoods, removing people who haven’t voted from the rolls, voter ID, striking down Voting Rights Act protections, eliminating affirmative action and diversity measures). Appointment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson vs. Brett Cavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, etc. And don’t forget that Youngkin made Critical Race Theory the main (false) issue of his campaign for Governor.
Environment/Climate Change biggest investment ever, $369 billion, for climate change amelioration in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, rejoined Paris Agreement, and VA Dems support staying in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Governmental Integrity restored (vs. the corruption of Trump retaliatory firings of Comey and McCabe and Vindman, Barr incorrectly characterizing Mueller Report findings, etc.)
Gun Safety commonsense measures in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, over decades-long Republican opposition, that will save lives: enhanced background checks, closing the “boyfriend loophole”, and providing funding for youth mental health.
Inflation (a worldwide problem caused by pandemic supply chain and Russia invading Ukraine), Dems are fighting it via release of strategic oil reserves, Medicare drug price negotiation, Affordable Care Act prices reduced by $800, pressure on corporations to reduce pandemic windfall profits.
Infrastructure Modernization ($1.2T package to create jobs and improve America’s highways, bridges, and airports and also make broadband Internet more widely available).
January 6th Attack on the Capitol pushed for and created a bipartisan committee whose investigation has uncovered a tremendous amount of new information about the seditious insurrectionists, hate groups prosecuted (vs. Republicans closely allied with Steve Bannon, Proud Boys, etc.).
Job Gains lowest unemployment rate in 50 years and 6.6 million new jobs created, the most by any US President, signed CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen American manufacturing and innovation.
LGBTQ Rights (vs. Youngkin and other Republican culture war battles over transgender accommodations and LGBT rights in general).
Medicare Protection (McCarthy and Republicans want to cut/change it), $2,000/yr cap on prescription drug prices for seniors, new authority for Medicare to lower drug prices through negotiation
Social Security Protection (McCarthy and Republicans want to cut/change).
Student Loan Debt many are eligible for tens of thousands of dollars in debt forgiveness (Republicans have sued to block it)
Tax Reform new 15% Alternative Minimum tax on large corporations.
Ukraine Support (remember Trump impeachment #1?) via sanctions on Russia.
Veterans Support passage of the PACT Act to address harmful effects of burn pits and other toxins.
Women’s Issues Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, support for Abortion and other reproductive rights, “boyfriend exception” included in gun safety bill Dems passed.