Thread by @billmckibben

Thread here. I'm beginning to worry about the 2020 election. There are so many Dems, and so much passion, that it seems to me great damage could be done unless real care is taken. Some of that is on the candidates, but some of it is on us, and I have a small idea that might help.

The toxicity that defines so much of Twitter--whether it comes from bots or real but entirely unrestrained people--may lead to such bitter feelings and such deep divides that Trump, despite his unpopularity, wins again. nymag.com/intelligencer/…

And if a second Trump term happens, then literally none of the things we care about--federal minimum wage, health care for all, climate laws, immigration reform etc etc etc--can possibly happen. Also, we'll all lose our minds.

So it seems to me useful for each of us to try and modulate the tone a bit. Here's what I'm going to do: find something each day that I like about one of the candidates and post it on this thread, with the hashtag #DemUnityTwitterProject

It doesn't mean I'm necessarily voting for that person. Indeed, I'm an aging balding Vermonter who thinks we need to turn the world upside down to deal with climate change, so you can maybe guess my inclination.

And it doesn't mean one shouldn't criticize presidential candidates or hold them accountable--only that you should do recognizing full well that you might need to vote and campaign for them in the end.

I hope others might decide to join in, or figure out some other better way of doing this (maybe others already have). Remember, praising someone for something doesn't mean you'll vote for them in a primary, or can't find things to object to. It means: here's a good thing.

This isn't my main obsession, obviously--most of my twitter feed will remain about climate change. And I'm a little reluctant to try it, for fear it will call out every troll in existence. Also, 20-month campaigns are too long. Still, we should remember the stakes.

So here goes. @amyklobuchar worked creatively with the trucking industry to try and stop human trafficking--much of which relies on trucks. That seems wise. minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/08/15/klo…
#DemUnityTwitterProject

#2 @CoryBooker has an interesting plan for 'baby bonds' to help address some of the inequality that kids are born into. #DemUnityTwitterProject vox.com/policy-and-pol…

#3 @PeteButtigieg wants to make every home in America a net-zero energy consumer. One idea: "Uncle Sam is going to mail you" a solar kit #DemUnityTwitterProject
news.yahoo.com/mayor-pete-pre…

#4 As mayor of San Antonio, @JulianCastro convinced voters to raise taxes one-eighth of a cent to create the city’s pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. He supports “universal pre-kindergarten” nationally #DemUnityTwitterProject pbs.org/newshour/polit…

#5 @SenWarren would ban senior federal officials from owning individual stocks, and put a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists. #DemUnityTwitterProject
warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…

#6 @JayInslee, gov. of WA, announces for president running as a climate champion. He co-wrote a fine book on the topic more than a decade ago. #DemUnityTwitterProject amazon.com/Apollos-Fire-I…

#7 @KamalaHarris has long been outspoken in her defense of DREAMers
vox.com/policy-and-pol…

#8 That guy @BernieSanders successfully pressured Amazon to raise its minimum wage to $15/hr. That meant an awful lot to thousands of workers. #DemUnityTwitterProject
businessinsider.com/amazon-raises-…

#9 @SenGillibrand has co-sponsored a tax on stock transactions that could bring in $777 billion over next decade. #DemUnityTwitterProject
commondreams.org/news/2019/03/0…

#10 @AndrewYangVFA, a former tech entrepreneur who has been starting to gain attention as a candidate, seems poised to open up the debate over universal basic income #DemUnityTwitterProject time.com/5528621/andrew…

#11 @BetoORourke has called for taking down the border wall in his city of El Paso. That's brave, and a...pretty stark contrast with the incumbent #DemUnityTwitterProject
cnn.com/2019/02/14/pol…

So, I'm going to do another round of these, because it feels like there's emerging tetchiness among the Dems, and we don't need it. Today, @SenWarren deserves great credit for her call to crack down on scofflaw execs #DemUnityTwitterProject
cnn.com/2019/04/03/inv…

#14 @SenGillibrand has worked to extend Pell Grants for short-term job training courses #DemUnityTwitterProject
waer.org/post/sen-gilli…

#15 #15 @KamalaHarris has worked to reverse the rise in maternal mortality rates in the US #DemUnityTwitterProject
latimes.com/politics/la-na…

#16 @TulsiGabbard has worked to get the nation to follow her state of Hawaii in a commitment to 100% clean energy
gabbard.house.gov/news/press-rel…

#17 and #18 @SenAmyKlobuchar and @SenGillibrand have co-sponsored legislation to automatically enroll new voters when they turn 18. #DemUnityTwitterProject
klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.c…

#19 @CoryBooker would cut taxes for working people by increasing them on capital gains #DemUnityTwitterProject foxnews.com/politics/booke…

#20 If you want to understand what Jay Inslee means when he calls himself the climate candidate, check out this great essayvfrom @drvox #demunitytwitterproject vox.com/energy-and-env…

#21 @KamalaHarris is wise to the fact that property taxes are a difficult way to fund schools
theatlantic.com/education/arch…

#22 @NYCMayor Bill de Blasio pushed to get New York City's massive pension system divested from fossil fuel, and sued the big oil companies. #demunitytwitterproject
theguardian.com/us-news/2018/j…

#23 A useful part of @JoeBiden's new climate plan is the pledge to stop all oil and gas drilling on public lands on day one. He could do that, and it's a non-trivial share of America's carbon. #demunitytwitterproject #https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060477457

#24 A slight deviation here. Willing to back any Dem candidate, but man do I dislike the @DNC. For young voters (and for the future), climate far and away the biggest issue--so why the heck not have a debate centered on it? #demunitytwitterproject
politico.com/story/2019/06/…

#25 Good for @BernieSanders to go to WalMart and demand some small measure of justice for its workers #demunitytwitterproject
cnn.com/videos/politic…

@BernieSanders Since @TomSteyer has been laser-focused on climate policy for longer than just about any political player, it's not surprising that his just-released climate policy is damned good! #demunitytwitterproject
tomsteyer.com/climate-justic…

@BernieSanders @TomSteyer #27 @KamalaHarris is working with @AOC to do the powerfully important work around climate equity. Good for her! #demunitytwitterproject
nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/…

@BernieSanders @TomSteyer @KamalaHarris @AOC #28 The climate plan that @BernieSanders just released is remarkable--it shows what simply must be done to meet the challenge physics has laid out. (And it would save a fortune by helping to keep heating under some kind of control) #demunitytwitterproject
nytimes.com/2019/08/22/cli…

@BernieSanders @TomSteyer @KamalaHarris @AOC #29 Very good to see the candidates keeping the focus relentlessly on climate. @TomSteyer's climate emergency meeting should coincide roughly with Dorian's landfall, so it may be especially intense. #demunitytwtterproject
events.tomsteyer.com/event/115723/