NedNotes (not blog): 31aug20 Letter from Anti-Trump G.O.P. group led by ex-Governor Weld (R-MA)

 

https://www.shiningcityc4.com/

As I write this, voters in Detroit, MI, are receiving this robocall on their phones:

“This is [inaudible] 1699, a civil rights organization founded by Jack Burkman and Jacob Wool. Mail-in voting sounds great. But did you know that if you vote by mail, your personal information will be part of a public database that will be used by police departments to track down old warrants, and be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debt? The CDC is even pushing to give preference for mail in voting to track people for mandatory vaccines. Don’t be [inaudible] into giving your private information to the man. Stay safe, and beware of vote by mail.”

We don’t know who is behind this vicious  vote suppression effort -- the Michigan Secretary of State and Attorney General are trying to find out, but we DO know a couple of things. 

Michigan is an absolutely key state in the presidential election, and it doesn’t take a degree in political science to know who benefits if the vote is suppressed in Detroit. 

Regardless of who is behind it, this is a shameful dirty trick. I fear it’s just beginning. In fact, we KNOW it’s just the beginning.

And, this kind of vote suppression is what we are up against in key states all across the nation.

That’s why [Shining City Upon a Hill] is launching a targeted campaign immediately after Labor Day to 1) inform voters as to their options for casting ballots safely and securely and 2) encourage them to do so -- early and correctly, whether by mail, absentee or in-person.

Every vote is important, but the reality of the presidential election is that it will come down to 13  key battleground states. Thus, our efforts will be focused on:

State	Trump 2016 %	Clinton %
Michigan	48	47
Wisconsin	47	46
Pennsylvania	48	47
Ohio	52	44
Arizona	49	45
North Carolina	50	46
Georgia	51	46
New Hampshire	47	47
Maine	45	48
Colorado	43	48
Florida	49	48
Nevada	46	48
Minnesota	45	46

As you can see, Michigan was already at the top of this list. It appears they know we’re coming.
And in each of these states, the race is tightening -- and will remain tight until Election Day.

Shining City’s campaign will consist of:

Earned Media - News releases, media appearances, interviews, and editorial board visits to raise voter awareness of how to vote and the critical importance of doing so.

Paid Media - Digital advertising, radio ads, print ads, and, funds permitting, cable and broadcast TV advertising.

Advocacy - Working with legislatures and state election officials to ensure that all voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots safely and securely.

The budget?  Each state is different, of course, but the cost to execute this plan is $50,000 to $125,000 in each state. At that level of funding, we will reach tens of millions of voters in the weeks ahead. To launch on Labor Day, we need to get started NOW.  Early voting in some states is beginning in September, and in almost all of them, absentee ballots can already be requested.

It’s time. We have the plan. We have the data. We have the expertise. All we need is YOU. We need the financial support of people, like you, who agree with us that good government and fair elections happen when people vote. And when people are kept from voting, democracy is at risk.

-Bill