Swing Blue Alliance Tidbits for Talking about Election Issues PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY - WHAT HAS SUPREME COURT DONE?
Let’s just call it what it is - MAGA Justices ruled that Trump has “some” presidential immunity. Justice Sotomayor dissented “With fear for our democracy”. She gave examples of what’s now possible: “Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.” THE ECONOMY If the United States’ economy were an athlete… …right now it would be peak LeBron James. If it were a pop star, it would be peak Taylor Swift. America’s post-pandemic economic performance has left other countries in the dust: Growth rate is high, unemployment is at historic lows, household wealth is surging, and wages are rising faster than costs, especially for the working class. How Trump’s policies will impact inflation: What’s going to happen to the price of a whopper if you deport 20% of people who work in meat packing plants? Nobel Prize winners on Trump & Inflation 16 Noble Prize-winning economists say Trump policies will fuel inflation Trump’s business support Not a single Fortune 100 chief executive has donated to Trump this year Economy under Democrats Contrary to popular belief, the economy its always better under Dems CHURCH AND STATE - Separation of Church and State is a founding principal of our country, but this is where we are and an omen of where we are going: • Overturning Roe v Wade • Louisiana governor passed law that 10 Commandments must be posted in schools • Oklahoma schools superintendent says the Bible must be taught in classrooms THIRD PARTY VOTING • If deciding between Biden & a third party, a third party vote is a vote for Trump • It would be great to have ranked choice voting where third parties can actually compete. But until then, third parties are spoilers. FOR MILLENIALS AND YOUNGER VOTERS Dumbledore is old and wise but doesn’t debate well these days so I think I’ll vote Voldemort? Are wisdom, expertise and morality worth something these days? MESSAGING ON TRUMP People who worked for Trump What 17 of Trump’s best people said about him What’s Trump message? Revenge, divisiveness and lower taxes for the rich and corporations, which he has been promising them in exchange for donations to his campaign. Trump’s favorite game: Monopoly - running for President gets you the “Get Out of Jail Free” card. But seriously, Trump is likely running to stay out of jail and has already talked about not leaving office when his term ends. Trump’s Un-American promises that will subvert democracy: 1 Refusing to agree to abide by election results in 2024 2 Terminating part or all of the constitution 3 Weaponizing Justice Department to take revenge 4 Sending federal troops into Democratic cities 5 Being a dictator a Day 1 6 Not leaving office at the end of his term The Big Lie - Alleged Election Fraud 62 cases contesting the election results were filed - Trump did not win any. Nearly all were dismissed/dropped outright and the rest were defeated. One only ruling in PA, about ballot-curing times, was initially in Trump’s favor, but later overturned by the PA Supreme Court. For knowing that the election fraud was false and lying about Dominion Voting systems, Fox News agreed to pay $800 million. At the Lincoln Project, we found that one of the most effective weapons against MAGA was asking voters, “Is this who we are?” Hold up a picture of Marjorie Taylor Greene, red-faced and screaming. Is this how we see ourselves? Do we want our kids to think that being found liable for sexual abuse, committing fraud and being a felon are presidential qualities? MAGA has opened “the door to a level of extremism and malice in Republican politics” that hasn’t been encountered before - David French DEMOCRATS Biden’s accomplishments With one hand tied behind his back (not having enough votes in Senate/House), Biden has rivaled the legislative accomplishments of FDR and LBJ Democrats’ Freedom Agenda means freedom to: - Control your body - Vote - Protect kids from gun violence at schools - Practice your religion - Love the person you choose Talking Points: Swing Blue Alliance Talking Points for Talking to People about Election Issues THE BIG PICTURE THE ECONOMY/INFLATION **First acknowledge the pain voters feel about inflation** What’s fueled inflation? • Pandemic • War in Ukraine • Bird flu • High employment • Corporate greed Trump’s policies will make inflation much worse: • Deporting Immigrants: Immigrants fill jobs. We are at full employment. Deporting millions of people will mean much higher prices. What do you think the price of a Big Mac will be when 20% of meat-packing workers are deported? • Raising taxes on imports: Taxes on goods we import will make those goods more expensive and encourage American companies to raise prices. Other points: Our economy is in the best shape of any economy in the world Stock market is the highest ever Under the Biden admin, we have seen the fastest growth of Black-owned small businesses in 30 years ABORTION • Trump appointed the Supreme Court justices who rejected 50 years of established law when they gutted Roe v Wade • Abortion is being criminalized and womens’ lives and fertility are at risk • The government has injected itself into what should be a private decision between a woman, her family and her doctor • What freedoms are next? Republicans are aiming for abortion medication, IVF and contraception. IMMIGRATION • Trump told Republicans to block desperately needed immigration reform • We are all immigrants - this is my family’s story…what’s yours? THE DETAILS President Biden and the Democrats are putting taxpayers' dollars to work all over the U.S. to improve Americans’ lives by: • Reducing unemployment to the lowest level in 50 years; 15 million new jobs created so far • Lifting 2.9 million children out of poverty through the Child Tax Credit • Enabling 4.3 million Americans to benefit from student debt relief, so they can use their earnings for rent, to help their families, or save for higher education • Rebuilding our roads, bridges, tunnels, and expanding high-speed internet • Revitalizing American manufacturing to compete in the new global clean energy economy • Making solar, wind, and other green technologies affordable through incentives and investment • Bringing revitalization and economic growth to communities across the U.S. • NY received $24M from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to modernize the state’s electric grid to withstand extreme weather, natural disasters • PA received nearly $17M to repair 7,000 miles of state roads, bring high-speed internet to over 100,000 Pennsylvanians in 42 counties, and replace toxic lead pipes • With tax credits for lowering CO2 emissions under the Inflation Reduction Act, two companies are creating a mega-scale green hydrogen plant in Wilbarger County, TX This election is a choice for the future. Here’s what Democrats will do: • Keep fighting for blue-collar middle-class families and higher paid American jobs • Support union rights for workers because unions ensure workers get breaks, paid time off, health care, and retirement. • Pass the child tax credit again so parents pay less in taxes and fewer children live in poverty • Protect women’s rights and freedom to control their bodies – while Republicans want to make abortion a crime and treat women and their doctors like criminals • Protect Medicare and Social Security, because this money came from taxpayers and should be returned to them when they’re eligible for Social Security and Medicare. • Make the biggest corporations pay their fair share of taxes • Protect your voting rights What’s the MAGA Republican platform? • Revenge, violence, and the right to run over protesters with your car in Florida • Taking away your right to vote • Taking away your right to IVF, contraception and criminalizing abortion • Giving tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations • Ending Obamacare • Drastically reducing Medicare and Social Security • Preventing government from negotiating drug prices • Preventing immigration reform KEY ISSUES ABORTION: Protecting Women’s Reproductive Rights and Freedom Over Their Bodies • Women and their partners and doctors should make these decisions together • Government dictating what women should do is a massive breach of privacy • Biden ordered federal agencies to protect access to abortion, medication abortion, IVF, and emergency care for miscarriages or other urgent health situations • Will fight for a Constitutional amendment legalizing abortion • Republicans are criminalizing women’s health care and want a national abortion ban THE ECONOMY: Raising Incomes and Lowering Costs to Help Working Families • Democrats are working to grow our economy by raising incomes and lowering costs so working people have what they need to build a good life. • Obama & Biden gave Trump a great economy - but Trump gave Biden a terrible economy. • Stock market is at an all-time high - people who pay a lot of attention to this think our economy is on the right path. • Biden has overseen: • Longest stretch (2 yrs) of unemployment under 4% since the 60s • Strongest economic recovery from the pandemic of any country in the world INFLATION: A Global Problem Due to Covid Pandemic, Putin’s War in Ukraine, Corporate Greed • Biden brought inflation down to pre-pandemic levels (2.5% in Jan 2019, 3.1% Jan 2024) • But working families continue to face financial distress because many corporations have kept prices high • Example: Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark control 70% of the US diaper market. Prices have increased more than 30% since 2019 from $16.50 to nearly $22….And they anticipate $800m in windfall profits in 2024 due to lower costs, suggesting they won’t bring down prices. CLIMATE CHANGE: Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Climate Action is Improving Our Health • New clean air standards - reducing toxic pollution and reducing asthma and cancer risks • New coal and oil plant requirements - reducing air and water pollution from mercury, carbon, toxic coal ash, and arsenic • First national standards to protect communities from PFAS pollution in drinking water • Rejoined Paris Agreement to work worldwide to avoid catastrophic global warming VIOLENT CRIME DECLINE: Determined Action Has Lowered the Crime Rate • $15 million in Justice Department funding is keeping law enforcement on the beat and investing in community violence prevention • Nearly 50-year low in violent and property crime rates in the US • Murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery rates all dropped significantly in 2023 HEALTH CARE: Protecting Access and & Cutting Out-of-Pocket Costs • More Americans than ever have health insurance due to Obamacare. MAGA Republicans want to kill it. • They want big cuts in Medicare and Medicaid funding. Democrats won’t let that happen. • Biden and Democrats capped insulin at $35 per month and gave Medicare the OK to negotiate lower prices with drug companies • Biden worked closely with health care experts, physicians, and researchers to safely shepherd the country through the COVID pandemic. He did not suggest people inject themselves with Clorox. IMMIGRATION: Biden Wanted to Sign the Immigration Law. Trump Told Republicans to Vote No • Biden supports a new law to break the gridlock on border security and immigration. • He planned to sign the Bipartisan Congressional bill. Trump told House Republicans to block it. • Trump wants to deport millions of people – which will drive up inflation – because businesses that rely on immigrant workers will have to pay far more to attract workers. SOCIAL SECURITY: Protecting Social Security from Republican Privatization Plans • Under Biden, Social Security payments rose 8.7% in 2023, the largest increase in 40 years. • Democrats will protect Social Security. Republicans want to end Social Security as we know it. • Trump has called for privatizing Social Security and House Republicans want major cuts. ISRAEL AND GAZA: Biden Understands the Complexity of the Longstanding Struggle **Acknowledge the common feelings of despair about loss of life on both sides, ongoing devastation for Palestinians and continued imprisonment of Israeli hostages** What Biden has done for Israel, Gaza and the peace process: • Has always supported Israel and asserted his unwavering support following October 7. • Won Congressional approval of additional military support for Israel • Has worked closely with Middle East leaders to broker a ceasefire – Trump lacks those relationships • Continues to call for protecting Gaza’s civilians and to push ahead towards an extended cease fire, return of hostages and an end to hostilities • Supports a 2-state solution Trump is a Netanyahu ally who will tell Netanyahu “Do whatever the hell you want” – as he boasted about Putin & Ukraine FOREIGN POLICY: Has Restored the US to a Position of Trusted Leadership • Gave Ukraine crucial military support to stop Putin and contain the threat to Europe. • Restored the alliance with our European allies and mobilized NATO support for Ukraine. • Strengthened our alliances in Asia to counter China as a regional threat. • Restored US participation in global efforts – rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, the World Health Organization, and re-establishing US leadership on climate diplomacy. GUN VIOLENCE: Biden Got Congress to Pass 1ST Major Gun Safety Law in 30 Years • Over 360,000 students have been exposed to gun violence since the 1999 Columbine shooting. • 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: expanded background checks, disarming domestic abusers, cracking down on gun trafficking, and making more mental health services available • Biden has called on states to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
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