Did you watch the presidential debate?

 

As we're seeing tonight, Trump is more desperate—and dangerous—than ever before. On top of the bumbling bluster we heard tonight, Trump has repeatedly threatened to reject the results of the election, has suggested throwing out some mail-in ballots, and has even refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.¹

These are the goals of a desperate narcissist who knows that he can't win fair and square and who will stop at nothing to cling to power.

And that's exactly why I'm writing to you tonight—to plead with you not to lose hope or fall into cynicism and to ask that you join in me in turning anger into action.

Plain and simple, the best way to stop Trump and preserve our democracy is through handing Joe Biden a massive, unquestionable landslide victory that cannot be ignored or undermined. As I so often say, MoveOn's track record of success in powering massive get-out-the-vote efforts and winning elections is exceptional.

With only 35 days left in this election and our democracy on the line, will you chip in $3 a week to MoveOn to sustain their huge get out the vote programs in this final stretch? (MoveOn will bill your weekly donation to your credit card once a month starting today and will contact you shortly after the election to see if you want to modify or cancel your weekly donation.)

MoveOn showed me their plans for the final 35 days, and I have to tell you, I think it's exactly what we need in these final weeks before voting ends.

Here is just some of what they have planned for the final sprint toward Election Day:

• Taking their successful program to turn out voters directly to the streets! For the past few months, MoveOn has been recruiting hundreds of thousands of voters to sign pledges to ensure that three of their friends and family also vote in the election. In the final stretch, MoveOn and its allies are expanding this program by positioning canvassers at polling places in key Democratic districts to catch voters immediately after they leave the voting booth and ask them to text three of their friends or family to make sure they get out to vote. Tests have shown that this program is stunningly effective—and it could be the difference between winning and losing in swing states!
• Holding get-out-the-vote digital rallies and volunteer events. MoveOn members will be coming together every week to volunteer their time to call and text voters in these crucial final days, using people power to combat the lies from the right and building the movement we need to win across the country on Election Day.
• Continuing work to identify and inspire "high-potential voters." MoveOn has been laser-focused on identifying and turning out voters in the most important Senate and presidential swing states, via advanced analytics and digital outreach. These programs will all continue full-tilt until every vote has been cast.
• Ensuring that the GOP Senate hypocrites who are forcing through a Supreme Court nomination reap the consequences at the ballot box. Just four years ago, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and their cronies all refused to confirm a Supreme Court nominee almost a full year before Election Day, but now they are forcing through a far-right extremist after voting has already begun. MoveOn is doing everything possible to stop the confirmation, but they will also make sure that Republican senators up for re-election are given their pink slips by voters.

These final few weeks before the voting is over may be some of the most important weeks in U.S. history.

They will make the difference between plunging our nation into authoritarianism or providing a real chance to fix the democracy that Trump and the GOP have broken, rebuild our economy, dismantle systemic racism, and face the existential crisis of climate change head-on.

With only five weeks left until the election is over, it is more important than ever to start a weekly donation if you can. Will you join us and chip in $3 a week? (MoveOn will bill your weekly donation to your credit card once a month starting today and will contact you shortly after the election to see if you want to modify or cancel your weekly donation.)

I want to be clear: It's not just through despicable bluster like what we saw tonight that Trump is trying to undermine democracy. Nearly a year before Trump shocked the nation by refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, Trump and the GOP started building a massive legal network to illegitimately install Trump for a second term.²

According to a shocking report, dozens of attorneys from major corporate law firms have been hired and dispatched to battleground states where they will ruthlessly sue to try to throw out the ballots of Democratic voters—and especially voters of color—in order to hand Trump a victory.³ And a major investigation released yesterday reveals that the Trump campaign actively worked to deter 3.5 million Black voters in battleground states from the ballot box.⁴

As Trump's performance tonight and his actions over the past several years make clear, when Trump is backed into a corner, he'll try any tactic to gain back the upper hand. But we see through it—and we'll do everything in our power to ensure he does not succeed.

The antidote to all of Trump's attempts to manipulate and undermine our democracy is unprecedented, massive voter turnout. And this is exactly what MoveOn was built to do.

We've got 35 days left to finish the job we've all worked so hard for over the past four years. Just 35 more days to end the disaster of this presidency and put our country back on a path toward progress.

It's up to us now. Join me and chip in $3 a week. (MoveOn will bill your weekly donation to your credit card once a month starting today and will contact you shortly after the election to see if you want to modify or cancel your weekly donation.)

Thanks for all you do.

–Robert Reich

Sources:

1. "McConnell vows Trump's nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote, setting up historic fight," CNN, September 19, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/144283?t=8&akid=274990%2E3735812%2EaRWsTp

2. "Cruz: Trump should nominate a Supreme Court justice next week," The Hill, September 18, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/144284?t=10&akid=274990%2E3735812%2EaRWsTp

3. "Ginsburg's wish: 'I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,'" Politico, September 18, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/144285?t=12&akid=274990%2E3735812%2EaRWsTp

4. "Susan Collins says Trump can nominate a justice, but Senate vote should wait until after election," CNN, September 19, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/144297?t=14&akid=274990%2E3735812%2EaRWsTp

5. Ibid.