Kamala Harris for President! How to help shape the future of America, in the next 19 days ... !

The best, fundamental interests of our constitutional democracy are at stake. The promise of a healthier, safer, more secure, and prosperous America is on the line.

And the political noise is deafening. Uncertainty, anxiety, and emotions are sky-high.

How can we focus on what benefits the candidacy of Kamala Harris right now?

Here are a couple of tips for continued sanity (if not calm) and impact in the waning days:

First, let's keep your eyes on the ball -- individual action in swing states -- and follow Ezra Klein’s advice to ignore the polls (and all the other distractions).

. National presidential surveys are unavoidable. But the electoral votes in only the swing states -- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin -- are everything. Some combination of these seven states’ electoral votes will produce the necessary 270 (a majority of the 538 total). If anything, look to state polls measuring ’s ability to Kamala's win a swing state’s electoral votes.

See below for specific Individual actions. (In the meantime, don't ignore family, friends, dogs, cats, the World Series, etc.)

Second, it's about the centrists, stupid.  Getting to 50.1% of the vote in any of the seven target states requires winning the votes of residents in the middle of the political/philosophical spectrum. These highly coveted centrists, who will determine whether the US continues to progress or careens into a chaotic, perilous canyon, are moderates, Republican women, independents, and voters who make their choice very late in the race.

They exist in a narrow ideological band -- the political center, the center-right, and the center-left. Trump, who appeals only to his rabid MAGA devotees, alienates moderates. Conversely, Harris has worked hard from day one to broaden her support beyond core Democrats. Of late, she has committed to appointing a Republican to her cabinet.

Third, many Republicans are (can be) us.  The sizeable bloc of one party's moderates declaring their support for the other party's candidate has never been seen before. This growing cohort is critical to the battles in the swing states. The number and prominence of GOP leaders, public servants who have long governed in bipartisan and nonpartisan ways, makes a powerful statement that centrist voters notice and may emulate. Consider, recently:

·      100 Republican national security officials formally back Harris, including former Defense Secretaries Bill Cohen and Chuck Hagel, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, former FBI Director William Webster, and retired Army General Stanley McChrystal.

·      Jeff Flake, former Republican senator from Arizona, in endorsing Vice President Harris: “I served with Kamala in the United States Senate. I’ve also served with Tim in the United States House of Representatives. I know them. I know firsthand of their fine character and love of country."

·      Robert Orr, a Republican who served as an associate justice of the North Carolina  Supreme Court: “I have never in my life seen the number of prominent members of one party come out and oppose the nominee of their party and publicly endorse the nominee of the other party.  I think it’s unprecedented historically."

·      Dale Schultz, former Wisconsin Republican state senate majority leader: “I tell people, ‘Look, I didn’t leave the party. The party left me. This is a critically important race, and … Donald Trump should never be allowed in the Oval Office again.”

·      Roger Katz, former Republican Maine state senator and mayor of Augusta, in an open letter to his grandchildren:  “Stopping Donald Trump and the risk he poses to our country is more important than party politics.”

·      Mickey Edwards, former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma and longstanding member of the House Republican leadership: “Kamala Harris is someone Western leaders will acknowledge as a peer -- not a boastful, unread, unserious seeker of applause … we need a serious person with the intelligence to keep the West united in defense of democracy and who, unlike Trump, will put America first."

Finally, the ball you're keeping your eye on: Take action in pursuit of the moderate and open-minded voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Find a way to assist in these decisive places. Here is the link to the Harris campaign's volunteer team:

·      Increase favorable turn-out by donating time or money to a Democratic state party or a candidate race (bolstering turn-out for the top of the ticket). Every get-out-vote operation has highly targeted calls to be made, postcards to send, and doors on which to knock.

·      Be in touch with people you know who might be among the moderates or the undecided in the swing states. The most powerful force in politics is a trusted personal relationship. Kindly offer to listen and discuss the merits of the Vice President’s candidacy and the stakes of this election. (Easy for me to suggest, right! But I practice what I preach.) And, as best you can, keep your good humor.

·      Use any social media platform to post or re-post your and other opinions that may resonate with the folks in the political middle. Advance the cause with your dedicated, informed, compassionate voice.

·      On Election Day, volunteer to assist your or another Democratic Party in any of the many ways that optimize turn-out for Harris. (For instance, on November 5 I will be poll watching for the Pennsylvania Democratics in a priority county that they select - and I am a resident of Virginia.)

The presidential choice that we make in the coming weeks is as dramatic and consequential as any in our history. All shoulders to the wheel, for just a bit longer. Bravo to all!

Kamala Harris for President in 2024!

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#Arizona #Georgia #Michigan #Nevada #North Carolina # Pennsylvania #Wisconsin