By annie annieasksyou . . . Angry Bear lacks a woman writer. In the past we had several excellent writers. They offer a different perspective than my writing gymnastics or Joels for that matter. I am happy to have Joel offer up his words on other topics. If you are bold enough to plunge into Angry Bear’s environment, we would love to have you aboard. Meanwhile, enjoy Annie from Annie Asks You on this Sunday morning. ~~~~~~~~ And JUST IN: very strong statement from the Biden campaign about tonight’s special election results. Republicans keep making the lives of women harder by restricting basic bodily autonomy—& voters see right through it & are kicking them out. https://t.co/lfOUuGwH2x — Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) March 27, 2024
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Angry Bear considers the following as important: Healthcare, politics, polling
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By annie
annieasksyou . . .
Angry Bear lacks a woman writer. In the past we had several excellent writers. They offer a different perspective than my writing gymnastics or Joels for that matter. I am happy to have Joel offer up his words on other topics. If you are bold enough to plunge into Angry Bear’s environment, we would love to have you aboard.
Meanwhile, enjoy Annie from Annie Asks You on this Sunday morning.
~~~~~~~~
And JUST IN: very strong statement from the Biden campaign about tonight’s special election results. Republicans keep making the lives of women harder by restricting basic bodily autonomy—& voters see right through it & are kicking them out. https://t.co/lfOUuGwH2x
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) March 27, 2024
I’d like to pull together the messages from my two recent posts, “We Have to Be a Nation That Trusts Women” and “About Those Polls,” which are linked even more clearly since the Alabama special election.
I think it’s important to reiterate that although this will likely be a close election, it can and will be won if enough of us believe that’s the case and act accordingly.
ON REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
My husband and I felt a bit of pride that the postcards we wrote on behalf of Marilyn Lands may have contributed to her astonishing victory in Alabama’s District 10 state House election. Centering her campaign on reproductive rights, Lands defeated her Republican opponent 62% to 37%.
I heard her say in an interview that there is “no going back.” She believes her win will be a spark that begins a change in Alabama.
Law professor and former prosecutor Joyce Vance, an Alabama resident, had this to say in these excerpts from her Substack column.
“Lands won by arguing against a total abortion ban, supporting IVF, and making sure voters understood that birth control could be on the chopping block next if Alabama voters don’t put a stop to the madness.
“Alabama hasn’t had an overnight shift. The message is more subtle than that, but incredibly important. It’s that when Republicans go too far—and they have on this issue—Democrats can win, even in the most unlikely of places. Roe v. Wade was a compromise, one that gave both sides less than what they wanted but didn’t strip either side entirely of what it sought.
“Dobbs altered that balance and put the issue back on the table for women who had become complacent after fifty years of Roe. Last night proved that’s the case, even in Alabama. Democrats can run and win on the message that Republicans have gone too far.” (emphases mine)
Vance also wrote that:
“Marilyn Lands was a strong candidate with strong local backing. She lost in 2020 by about six points. Part of the message her victory in this election sends is that we have to stop thinking about just the next election; we have to stop viewing elections as one and done. They are, especially in red states, a process of building support for candidates and issues across as many elections as it takes. Lands could have given up. She didn’t, and she won.”
In addition,
“A win like this should give Democrats everywhere a shot in the arm. Democratic legislator Phillip Ensler, whose district is in Montgomery, Alabama, told me how Lands’ win was affecting other Democrats who are in and running for office: ‘Her victory and presence in our caucus gives many of us hope and a jolt of energy to keep fighting the good fight in our state.’ That’s an awfully big deal in a state that doesn’t have a single statewide elected Democrat in office. We have to be willing to build support across multiple elections.”
Vance points out that hard work lies ahead. Lands’ win in this special election will mean she’ll have to run again in 2026 in a regular election, when voters will have the option to click on the ballot for a straight Republican slate.
Vance concludes:
“The challenge will be for Lands and other Democrats to continue to connect with the message that voters should select their representatives carefully in light of concerns that, with a supermajority in Alabama, Republicans have gone too far. Nothing is certain in politics, but there is certainly reason for optimism.”
ON POLLING
A few examples among many that have been posted on Twitter by serious people who harbor serious questions about the value of the polling that’s been inundating us.
Larry Sabato is a respected political scientist and political analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He indulges in some snark in the tweet below.
WARNING: These are just real election results, not headline-worthy polling data certified by the New York Times. Respected network pundits will disregard these actual votes and await the next batch of contrived polls. https://t.co/CGF8eJLR6C
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) March 27, 2024
Here’s a very serious article written by a young Harvard Crimson journalist that is gaining kudos. She questions why Harvard continues to lend its name to the now-discredited Harris poll. (James Fallows is a former national correspondent for The Atlantic.)
Yet again, wisdom from student journalists at @TheCrimson. https://t.co/Uahk2kIVbL
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) March 26, 2024
Moral: Don’t let the polls upset you. This election is clearly in the hands of us, the voters; if we are sufficiently determined to protect our nation from Trump and all those far-rightists who want a very different America, we can succeed.
Talk to your friends, neighbors, and family members, ensure they know what’s at stake. The recent Supreme Court hearings about mifepristone may have indicated that this case will not result in banning the drug, but the radical majority are not giving up their quest.
In addition, Justices Thomas and Alito asked repeatedly about the plaintiff lawyers’ invoking the Comstock Act of 1873, which banned the transport of birth control information and devices. Many court-watchers believe this injudicious pair intend to challenge the legitimacy of contraception before long.
Make certain you’re registered, and encourage anyone you know who isn’t registered to do so. Donate if you can–even small amounts help. And volunteers are needed from the Biden/Harris campaign to campaigns for candidates running in your states and communities.
Annie