Election Season is heating up

Alise goes to a Harris Rally, Listeners Getting Involved

I was delighted to get a press pass to the Kamala Harris rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday. Things here in the Tar Heel State have changed rapidly over the last month; we went from an almost certain Trump victory to a real battleground that may have a deciding influence on the electoral college. With just over 50 days to go, the barrage of advertising has intensified to a fever pitch. This also means we're lucky enough to be a hot spot for candidate visits. President Trump has been in Charlotte several times already this cycle, as has Vice President Harris, although I believe this was her first rally here since winning the nomination. 

I shared my experience throughout the day with our Instagram followers, and I'll be on More to Say with Beth next week to talk about the rally and what it's like to be press for an event like this. 

Sarah and Beth discussed how to make an impact with your time and money in this year’s election based on a question from our long-time listener and friend Carol. Carol’s life and career have kept her close to the space of politics and policy, and even someone like her felt a little lost about how to take action this election year. After our Wednesday episode, she followed up with the action steps she’s settled on.

Dear Beth and Sarah,

Thanks so much for entertaining my question about my personal engagement in these critical weeks, especially on the heels of your processing of that tour-de-force presidential debate.  (I loved being counted in that first rush of contributions to Kamala Harris!)

I thought I'd let you know what I did this evening, galvanized by your thoughts:

I'm going to focus my dollars on two Senate races, knowing that the Senate map is looking quite challenging for the Democrats.  And because I greatly believe in the importance of electing women to high office--Kamala Harris being an example of where this upward path can lead--I'm going to support these admirable candidates:

Twenty-five percent of my budget will go to Elissa Slotkin in Michigan.  It looks like she has a decent lead, but I love those badass women in Michigan, and I want to be sure Slotkin succeeds the retiring Debbie Stabenow.  (Also, she spoke very kindly to me a few weeks ago at the airport in DC as we cleared security.  She's so tall!)

The remainder will go to support Angela Alsobrooks, a Black woman I admire, who is tied with the popular former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican I happen to like a lot.

I decided I wanted to use my time to write postcards.  So, I went online and found that this campaign is effectively sold out!  With people signed up for all the 36 million postcards to be written and sent for Harris and Walz!

Door-knocking isn't realistic for me as a Californian.  So I signed up to phone-bank. I'm going to be making calls in North Carolina, a state I chose because my roots are in the Deep South and I feel comfortable talking to Southerners.

I'm sure the Pantsuit Politics squad is in high gear in the countdown days of this election of a lifetime.  Now I can report that I am!

Carol Edgar

p.s. If you want more ideas for talking to your people about the upcoming election, Sarah and Beth hosted ballot clubs during the 2022 Midterms, and it was a fun and empowering way to get ready to vote - especially for the VERY IMPORTANT down-ballot races for everything from State House Representative to School Board to City Council. We have an episode about it, an Instagram Tutorial Here, and a Q&A with Beth Here.

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The one thing we want you to know this week…

The one thing we made this week we can’t stop thinking about…

Last week, there was a highway shooting after a University of Kentucky Football Game in London, Kentucky, a place very near and dear to Beth’s heart. Her husband Chad, a native of that area, joins her to discuss the shooting and manhunt that has followed.

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