10 years ago, I wrote an article titled “Note to Progressives on Hostage Taking: Don't Knock It 'til You Try It” which was about the (racist) Tea Party’s use of its voting block to risk default on debt and other mayhem. Some lessons for current battle…1/x cliffnotesfromthesouth.blogspot.com/2011/08/note-t…
In article, I discussed the Tea Party’s willingness to cause GOP loses in elections actually strengthened their position: “Although many observers took these losses & widespread criticisms as a sign that the TP would decline in strength, the truth has been quite the opposite.”
I continued: “Today, Speaker Boehner’s biggest fear is that the Tea Party will “primary” some of his key members, or even worse, that Tea Party candidates will split the vote in the general election.” But here come the tricky part…
“Progressives are usually a lot more attached to getting a win. Possibly it’s because we generally represent interest that don’t get to win much, so we become more willing to compromise in order to get a moral victory…
“Or possibly it’s because we care so much about those we serve, often society’s most vulnerable, that we can’t stand the thought of the collateral damage that would accompany a strategic loss. Regardless of the source…
“progressives are going to have to become more willing to lose a couple of battles in order to win the larger war.”
—-August 2011

#HoldTheLine

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More from @cliff_notes

7 Jul
The TX special session is literally a smorgasbord of hate: everything from voter suppression, #CRT and anti-immigration to transphobia and anti-abortion. They even seem to be privatizing foster-care 😳! We may need to call this the #GOPHatesEverybody special session. What say U?
A buffet of white supremacy w/ a dash of patriarchy & transphobia. Noticeably missing: anything to solve energy crisis which has folks rotating from freezing to burning. @BlackVotersMtr @OrganizeTexas @MOVE_texas @NextGenAction @unitehere23 @TXCivilRights @fixsapd @rolandsmartin
Join our friends @OrganizeTexas to put pressure on House Speaker @DadePhelan. organizetexas.org/call-out-house…
Read 4 tweets
4 Apr
Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to... white privilege.

There’s SO much wrong with this @nytopinion article, it’s hard to know where to start. But to begin, Cohn could have tried speaking w/ people who actually specialize in voter turnout.
If he had, he might understand the point below, which is from a longer thread that I recommend. Just looking at turnout data w/ no understanding of the forces that shape that data leads to dangerous conclusions 👇🏾
But when you start your analysis by stating you will ignore issues of origin, intent and election administration, perhaps you weren’t ready trying to draw accurate conclusions to begin with. There’s nothing scientific about ignoring the origins of a thing.
Read 7 tweets
3 Apr
Soooo, let’s talk about “canceling”. The GA law “literally” cancels TWO weeks of early voting during the runoff. Please note the text of the law 👇🏾. In lines 1490/1491 they literally *cross out* the 3 weeks of early voting!
Lines 1495/1496 establish ONE week of early voting for runoff, and DOES NOT include weekend. STOP allowing him to say he has expanded early. Some media, local and national (@washingtonpost), is *failing* on this point.
How about canceling drop boxes? Yes, they coded drop boxes into the law, but for purpose of LIMITING their number, locations and hours. Kemp has literally CANCELED the hours and locations where drop boxes can be available. He has targeted large counties, like Fulton. Wonder why?
Read 5 tweets
11 Mar
If you’re someone who cares about #VoterSuppression in Georgia, but you’re not sure if we have power to stop it, let me introduce you to Hancock County, where activists just struck a major blow against one of the leading voter suppressors! @rolandsmartin 13wmaz.com/mobile/article…
GOP State Rep. Barry Fleming has been intimidating and suppressing Black voters for YEARS! In addition, he has served as the attorney for the county and from that position he defended the county sending armed polices to homes of almost 200 Black voters.
Well, after his latest voter suppression attempts, Black activists & allies demanded that he be fired as County attorney, and they won!
Read 8 tweets
6 Jun 20
Allow me to introduce you to Donalsonville, GA. Population 61% Black, where 2 candidates are running for mayor: 1 Black, 1 White. Thread 1/
White candidate, Mitzy Moye, allegedly created a fake facebook page of a fake Black person named “Shanice Williams”... 2/
... to give the impression she has Black support.
The fake page includes candidate Mitzy having a whole conversation w/ “shanice”. 3/
Read 11 tweets
6 Nov 19
After tonight, there will be a lot of talk about KY & VA, and rightfully so. But let me tell you bout a place called Plymouth, NC. 1/
Plymouth: population just <4,000
At least 63% Black, but has never had a Black mayor. Nor has its city council ever been majority Black. 2/
Both of those facts changed tonight. In gaining their first Black mayor, voters in Plymouth had to defeat an 18 year incumbent. 3/
Read 8 tweets

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