1. I want to draw your attention to a couple paragraphs in this Hill piece on DT’s meeting with Congress on gun control. It illustrates a point I often make on the need for strategy and pragmatism to actualize civic change. thehill.com/homenews/senat… 
2. Particularly as I've seen a fair amount of squabbling about candidates in the past week. This is always an important issue, but for the #Election2018 it is absolutely crucial. We must have Congressional votes to enact the changes we want and to stop the GOP agenda.
3. Hopefully, after a year into this administration and Congress, everyone is clear on the stakes and the damage that can be done, but understand if the GOP takes control of more states it can get worse. We have no power without seats.
4. When I speak of a pragmatic approach, I mean vote with your mind, not your heart. Instead of asking if the candidate shares your personal views, ask if the candidate can win the district. Let's break that down. I live in a red state. I'm anti-gun, pro-universal healthcare.
5. Candidate A shares my belief, she's for banning assault rifles and Medicare For All. I personally really like her. Candidate B wants better background checks on guns and wants to fix ACA. Candidate B will do better in a red state. Consider the outcomes of your choice.
6. If you vote for Candidate A and she loses then the GOP has the seat. Your voice goes in favor of the GOP- pro-Gun/anti-healthcare. Even is she wins, great, she'll vote along party lines, but won't likely have enough Congressional support to pass bills deemed 'too progressive'.
7. Is it worth risking the seat because someone shares your personal views? What's the likelihood of them winning in your district and what realistic chance do they have of passing legislation on the issues they are campaigning for? These questions matter.
8. At @DemsWork4USA we rigorously assess candidates to support the races we believe Dems can win with grassroots support. It is a multilayered assessment process and has proven quite successful so far. It is not a personal or emotional approach, but a much needed strategic one.
9. When other groups give endorsements for candidates, be clear on their criteria. How important is winning the seat? Are they endorsing based on personal ideals or winnability? What is their win-rate?
10. Is winning everything? It is in civics. You can't push through bills without votes and you can't stop bills without votes. Bipartisan efforts are necessary unless they have all the votes they need without us -and that's what we're facing. Primaries matter. Votes matter.
