How to win an election
This week’s question comes to us from Caleb Sexton:
What do I say to people who tell me to shut up about Palestine until the election is over?
First of all, I would thank them for their engagement. It’s great to see people being engaged. Plus, thanking people is free.
Secondly, I would acknowledge that you both have the same goal, just different ideas of how to get there.
Thirdly, I would tell them they’re wrong.
Talking about Palestine isn’t a hindrance to a Kamala Harris victory, it’s the key to it.
It hasn’t been three weeks since Joe Biden dropped out of the race. I had to look that up because it already feels like forever ago. In those three weeks we’ve seen a seismic shift in how people are feeling about this election. People are excited. They’re engaged. They’re feeling hopeful. And there are as many reasons for this, as there are voters. But you asked about Palestine, so let’s stick to that.
I’ll speak for myself here. I wasn’t excited to vote for Joe Biden. There was a greater than zero chance I’d skip that question on the ballot. (I live in California, it would’ve hardly mattered.) The sole reason for this was because Joe Biden was funding a genocide. (I’m not going to debate this point.) And while people have different takes on the larger issue, a majority of Americans were in agreement that, yeah, it was beyond time for a ceasefire. Stupidly, Biden was dug in.
When Kamala Harris took over the campaign, I sensed an opportunity for that policy to change. I was excited that it would, and I’m still hoping it will.
People are excited. People are hopeful. People are giddy. There’s a joy! And most of that joy is coming from young people, who hadn’t been feeling great about their choices between a genocidal baked potato and a racist baked potato (who would no doubt also escalate the genocide.)
For Kamala Harris to win this campaign (which I very much want her to) she’s gonna need the youth vote. The youth of America overwhelmingly wants us to stop funding a genocide. They want to know where she stands on this, and they deserve an answer!
Look, I absolutely hate comparing government to business, but I’m about to. One thing we learned early was that you don’t sign a contract and then hope a client behaves a certain way. You get them to agree to the behavior, put it in the contract and then sign it.
It is right to ask Kamala Harris where she stands on Palestine before we put her in office. And I hope she gives a good answer because I’m really hoping to vote for her.
Talking about Palestine isn’t a hindrance to a Kamala Harris victory, it’s the key to it.
Ok, back to good vibes. After last week’s newsletter, I got this from long-time reader Brook:
A few Michigan wildlife facts. Maybe you'll go to bed a little smarter than when you woke up?
It is illegal in Michigan to rehabilitate adult deer, skunks, or bats.
In wildlife rehab, the majority of a crow's diet is moistened cat food. Raccoons eat puppy food, Cheerios, Nilla wafers, and eggs.
The study that concluded that opossums eat thousands of ticks was actually probably BS, but I don't bother correcting people just in case that's the only reason they'll let them live.
Female Virginia opossums have two vaginas, but they actually give birth through a psuedovagina, directly into their pouch, which then disappears again. The males have bifurcated penises.
Also, groundhogs love broccoli and corn.
These are my readers. (And I guess I’m printing your fun facts now.)
My friend Jason Cosper loves Tim Walz. I mean, I love Tim Walz too. He genuinely seems like a decent guy. Jason went the extra mile and made an old-school single serving site about him: Tim Walz fixed your bicycle.
For fuck sake buy a zine.
🍉 Let’s send some donations to IF NOT NOW, a movement of American Jews committed to ending U.S. support for Israel's apartheid system.
Be kind to each other.