Thread by @DavidPepper

A THREAD as we end ‘21

Sometime in late April/early May, aghast at attacks on democracy happening in OH & statehouses across the US, I drafted a tweet that said something about how statehouses were behaving not as Laboratories of Democracy, but as Laboratories of Autocracy

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But I never pressed “tweet”.

As soon as I typed the words on my phone, it occurred to me that what’s happening in this country—what people in Ohio and others are going through—is so disturbing, it merited more than just a tweet.

Maybe an op-Ed.

So I started writing more.

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Which became a chapter. Then another. Then another.

As I wrote, I grew more disturbed by three things.

First, how things kept getting worse over the course of the year.

Second, how similar what’s happening now is to the darkest moments in our nation’s history.

And…

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Third, how too few people are focused on the dire threat these statehouses have become.

While many appreciate the overall threat to democracy, we spend too much time focused on the wrong things, and not appreciating how deep and wide the assault on democracy really is.

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But that third concern—that people gloss over state houses—also worried me about what I was writing. That while they’re the root of the problem in so many ways, that people don’t pay attention to them.

So of course, a book about them also risked getting no attention.

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That’s why I decided to make the book about story-telling

So I dove deep into Ohio and other states to show just how warped and dangerous and corrupt the politics in these statehouses have become. And in the end, how undemocratic

Tried to make it as raw and real as I could

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And by showing how damaging what’s happening is in bellwether or recent bellwhether states like Ohio, and Michigan and Wisconsin, i wanted to make the point that it can happen everywhere.

And is. As we speak.

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But I also worried that this book would end up like so many I’ve read—I read them, like them, but when I’m done, I put them down and move on to the next one

So I spent another month putting together a guide of concrete things people could do to get involved and fight back.

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Think of it as a user’s manual of concrete steps and best practices we ALL can/must take if we’re going to have any chance of stopping this relentless assault on democracy.

How we can all make protecting democracy part of our personal and organizational mission statements.

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I finished drafts of the book in mid-summer, & had some incredible help from friends editing and fact-checking it all.

Then released it in early October, on the longshot hope that a book about a topic as ignored as statehouses could actually capture the necessary attention

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And…to my surprise, it worked.

So I’m writing this thread to say THANK YOU.

As we end ‘21, this out-of-the blue book on a topic too few know or care about stands as Amazon’s #1 book on “campaigns and elections.” And was the #5 book on “Democracy” only a few days ago.

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And it’s only done that well because so many people have lifted it up. And lifted me up.

So everyone who tweeted about it, retweeted about it, hosted a meeting about it, interviewed me about it, wrote about it….thank you!

That includes:

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@RexChapman @HillaryMueri @HillaryClinton @ShannonFreshour @OlgaNYC1211 @meiselasb @MeidasTouch @ninaturner @AdamParkhomenko @NickKnudsenUS @reedgalen @ProjectLincoln @Alyssa_Milano @MalcolmNance @harrisonjaime @CoryBooker @RepSwalwell @chrissmithnymag @paulwaldman1

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@RexHuppke @cliffschecter @EricDKoch @MattLRobison @Will_Bunch @mtomasky @BetsyRaderOH @RobertMcCollist @MelissaJPeltier @jennycohn1 @CapehartJ @JonLemire @JohnAvlon @PoppyHarlowCNN @NicolleDWallace @cspanwj @SharonCoolidge @jwilliamscincy @917wvxu @ryangrim @DavidShuster

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@SignalBoostShow @ZerlinaMaxwell @jess_mc @ruthbenghiat @amandacarpenter @staceyabrams @LOLGOP @MiVecinoFlorida @Thom_Hartmann @ridgewood_jolt @RickSmithShow @BrettPransky @mehdirhasan @DeanObeidallah @DeadlineWH @MattMcNeilShow @StevenBeschloss @NormOrnstein @KamenIntheLoop

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@MoniqueCamarra @JessicaEMiranda @MollyJongFast @ForwardFalcon @joncoopertweets @MaraLiasson @Lis_Smith @meiselasb @NormOrnstein @ohioaflcio @SubodhChandra @VanHoAdam @MK_McMaster @TheYoungTurks @M_Hornish and so many others.

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I can only hope that one reader, tweet/RT, interview, newsletter, column, podcast & whiteboard at a time, we’re all raising the alarm that needs to be raised, and preparing a powerful reisistance in ‘22 and beyond…every year, everywhere, engaging in democracy at all levels.

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And I must say, when I look at the ideological breadth of those who’ve amplified what I’ve written and spread the word, it inspires me.

That breadth could be a mighty army for democracy if we all United in one focused, relentless effort.

Which is what it will take.

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So thank you to all my friends, supporters, amplifiers, interviewers & fellow democracy advocates for all your help and support in ‘21

And as we hit tomorrow, let’s get to work to protect our country and its democracy with as much strength and passion as any Americans have

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And of course, if you have yet to get Laboratories of Autocracy, this is as good a day as any to do so.

Then spread the word.

Happy New Year!

And let’s go!!!

END

amazon.com/Laboratories-A…