Deirdre

Today, something weighs heavy on my mind. With so much at stake, we need young people to be involved, more than ever. With just over 200 days before the election, how can we cut through the noise and get them to the polls in November? Here are a few suggestions: First, let’s start by having a conversation. If you are a young person, let us know what matters to you and what will get you to the polls. If you know young people who are questioning the relevance of their participation, leave us a comment about why. I recently saw a heartening statistic: More than 8 million Americans have turned 18 since 2020. That means 8 million young Americans are eligible to cast a ballot for the first time. This is great news for our democracy. During the last presidential election, an increase in young voters was credited with helping to send a former president packing. Young people can save our democracy. To the rest of us, it’s up to us to repeat what’s at stake. We need to spread the word with messages like this: “Donald Trump is the greatest threat to democracy in modern times. America is a great country where more unites us than divides us. It deserves saving, and it needs your help. Please register and please vote.” As President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” The youth can save democracy. Let’s help them do it. ↓

Forgive my language, but this stood out to me: As Peter Navarro entered prison, he told reporters, “I’m pissed.” No doubt a similar sentiment many felt when he refused to tell investigators what he knew about the plot to overthrow the 2020 election.   And there’s even more: reports indicate that Paul Manafort might help the Trump campaign after spending time behind bars. Surely, you’ll remember Manafort was convicted of tax and bank fraud. Perhaps it makes sense Manafort would find a commonality with a certain someone who was found guilty of the civil business fraud variety. By any reasonable analysis, it’s difficult to imagine how Manafort’s presence on the campaign benefits Donald Trump. The so-called “Haley voters,” all of whom Trump needs, support NATO, democracy, and the rule of law. Should those voters break for Biden, then Manafort, Navarro, Steve Bannon, George Papadopoulos, Roger Stone, Rick Gates, and perhaps others could hold on to their mugshots, instead of a White House pass. Truly, you can’t make it up. ↓