Good morning

I am going to try to put two thoughts out here today and bring them together at the end to encourage you to continue believe in the power of elections and get your friends to vote.

Hungary made history Sunday with Peter Magyar’s Tisza party achieving sufficient support at the polls to cause Viktor Orban to concede defeat. This is no small thing since losing an election and then declaring fraud in the results, is an authoritarian trick that Trump tried.

Orban, in his 16 years in power, was able to capture the media so that it was almost impossible for Hungarians to hear any news but that which the government wanted them to hear.

But Magyar spent two years touring the country, speaking to citizens where they were.

His party, Tisza, translates to Respect and Freedom. Autocrats are quick to promise freedom, from whatever the “other” is. It’s the respect they have trouble with. Magyar was able to prove that his party respected Hungarians and they threw out Orban, who by his thieving and lying, showed his disrespect.

Magyar convinced the Hungarian people that their vote is their voice and each of their votes counts.

Now my second thought. Thursday night we saw 3 very different candidates explain how they would represent us in Washington, but just as important, that each of them respected us.

Brian Mast does not respect us nor faithfully represent us. We must vote him out. So we must continue to listen to what Pia, James, and Bernard have to say and decide who we think can do it better. Vote for that person in the primary in August. Get every person you know to register to vote in the primary. Make them realize that their vote is their voice to reclaim our democracy. Elections still work. We can beat Mast. We just have to work at it.

Thanks for hanging in there. And don’t forget our rally at his office tomorrow. Neither Ginger or I can be there, so please go in our place. Let’s continue to show him we mean to kick him out.

Barbara & Ginger