I spend nearly all my waking hours working to defeat Trump and am literally PRAYING every morning for @JoeBiden to win.
On the last day of the #DNC, there's still a gap between where we are and where we need to be to #WinRural.
Let's close that gap: https://peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda/
On the last day of the #DNC, there's still a gap between where we are and where we need to be to #WinRural.
Let's close that gap: https://peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda/
The central assumption of @joebiden's ag plans (so far!) is that rolling back Trump's destructive trade war will fix what's wrong with rural economies and turning back the clock to 2015 is enough to #WinRural votes.
That's absolutely wrong. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/17/how-suffering-farmers-may-determine-trumps-fate
That's absolutely wrong. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/17/how-suffering-farmers-may-determine-trumps-fate
Commodity farmers (corn, soybeans, dairy) sell their products on global markets for a fraction of what they cost to produce.
The crisis is PRICES. More trade isn't the solution.
We lost 9% of US dairy farmers last year while dairy exports skyrocketed. https://twitter.com/OatesBryce/status/1296156757698330624
The crisis is PRICES. More trade isn't the solution.
We lost 9% of US dairy farmers last year while dairy exports skyrocketed. https://twitter.com/OatesBryce/status/1296156757698330624
The only winners of the overproduction for export game are the massive meat monopolies who get below cost feed and the top 1% of corporate farms who suck up all the subsidies and leave family farmers with pennies and on the brink of suicide. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/31/trumps-billion-farm-bailout-will-make-rich-farmers-richer-hasten-small-farm-failure-study-says/
We need to improve the margins in rural areas to win statewide in WI, PA, MI, IA, MN, NC, where ag is the dominant economic driver.
And despite the harm that Trump has caused, @JoeBiden's plans do not (yet!) offer a compelling alternative to #WinRural. https://money.yahoo.com/video/2020-election-could-affect-americas-214500010.html
And despite the harm that Trump has caused, @JoeBiden's plans do not (yet!) offer a compelling alternative to #WinRural. https://money.yahoo.com/video/2020-election-could-affect-americas-214500010.html
While polling looks decent now, polls will tighten and Trump and Republicans in key states have launched massive voter suppression efforts, focused on the Blue cities in swing states.
We can't afford to leave ANY votes on the table. We have to #WinRural. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/23000-absentee-ballots-rejected-wisconsins-april-primaries/story?id=72472209
We can't afford to leave ANY votes on the table. We have to #WinRural. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/23000-absentee-ballots-rejected-wisconsins-april-primaries/story?id=72472209
There's still time for @JoeBiden to #WinRural by adopting a real plan to address the crises in rural America that have been decades in the making and only made worse by Trump's trade wars and #COVID19.
We need:
Relief
Recovery
Reimagination https://peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda/
We need:
Relief
Recovery
Reimagination https://peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda/
First of all, who's we? To start, the members of @PplsAction's rural cohort who are the largest community organizing groups, particularly in swing states, who are doing the work to run massive political programs to reach out conflicted voters. They're doing the work to #WinRural.
AND some of the most important farm groups like @wifarmersunion, MI Farmers Union @FarmActionUS, & @LSPnow, @NewGAProject organizing folks in the rural Black belt, environmental groups like @sunrisemvmt, @IENearth, plus @IndivisibleTeam and @WorkingFamilies & MORE!
We're the people living in rural communities and we know what we need:
Relief: direct aid to survive #COVID19
Recovery: a massive federal jobs program to get out of the economic crisis
Reimagination: Break up corporate ag and supply management
http://Peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda
Relief: direct aid to survive #COVID19
Recovery: a massive federal jobs program to get out of the economic crisis
Reimagination: Break up corporate ag and supply management
http://Peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda
So if this agenda ( http://peoplesaction.org/ruralagenda ) is how @JoeBiden can #WinRural, why isn't it in the #DNC platform?
Well, with allies at @foe_us, we tried to send these recommendations in, but they got caught in Tom Vilsack's junk folder.
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/14155-dems-platform-seeks-net-zero-ag-emissions
Well, with allies at @foe_us, we tried to send these recommendations in, but they got caught in Tom Vilsack's junk folder.
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/14155-dems-platform-seeks-net-zero-ag-emissions
That one gatekeeper makes a big difference because @joebiden does not (yet!) have a substantial rural team (despite so many Obama-Trump counties being rural) AND the people who are on the team have close ties to corporate agriculture. https://prospect.org/power/farmers-reject-bidens-pro-corporate-rural-advisers/
Tom Vilsack, who is running the show for @JoeBiden and the #DNC on rural and ag policy left the Obama White House to make millions lobbying for corporate mega-dairies.
I don't think he should be calling the shots on how to win rural Wisconsin. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/obamas-usda-chief-mulls-move-big-dairy/
I don't think he should be calling the shots on how to win rural Wisconsin. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/obamas-usda-chief-mulls-move-big-dairy/
Heidi Heitkamp, who is the presumptive USDA Secretary for Biden, has been campaigning for the job since she lost her Senate race in 2020 by starting an advocacy organization funded by fossil fuel money and health insurance companies. https://theintercept.com/2019/05/14/medicare-for-all-opponents-one-country-project/
The http://PeoplesAction.org/ruralagenda is the OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS OF ACTUAL RURAL PEOPLE.
Farmers, environmentalists, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous, and community groups have all known what we need to #WinRural.
But a couple politicians turned lobbyists are standing in the way.
Farmers, environmentalists, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous, and community groups have all known what we need to #WinRural.
But a couple politicians turned lobbyists are standing in the way.
I started this thread saying that I am working and praying every single moment for a @JoeBiden victory, and he still has time to #WinRural!
Our recommendations are largely reflected in @BernieSanders and @ewarren's plans. Biden can still pick them up! https://civileats.com/2019/08/26/elizabeth-warren-and-bernies-sanders-both-think-this-farm-policy-will-help-rural-america-rebound-does-it-stand-a-chance/
Our recommendations are largely reflected in @BernieSanders and @ewarren's plans. Biden can still pick them up! https://civileats.com/2019/08/26/elizabeth-warren-and-bernies-sanders-both-think-this-farm-policy-will-help-rural-america-rebound-does-it-stand-a-chance/
I want to emphasize that adopting these recommendations is NOT a concession to the left (although it would make @sunrisemvmt happy).
Rural Trump voters have been SEVERELY damaged by Trump and many are looking for @JoeBiden to offer REAL solutions. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/2020-democrats-wisconsin-trump-dairy-farmers.html
Rural Trump voters have been SEVERELY damaged by Trump and many are looking for @JoeBiden to offer REAL solutions. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/2020-democrats-wisconsin-trump-dairy-farmers.html
Trump and Sonny Perdue's USDA has EXPLICITLY told farmers to "Get Big or Get Out." That is political poison.
@JoeBiden has an opportunity to #WinRural with an alternative vision: MORE *Family* farms earning a dignified living with fair prices. https://www.startribune.com/sonny-perdue-to-farmers-go-big-or-just-go/562216182/?refresh=true
@JoeBiden has an opportunity to #WinRural with an alternative vision: MORE *Family* farms earning a dignified living with fair prices. https://www.startribune.com/sonny-perdue-to-farmers-go-big-or-just-go/562216182/?refresh=true
. @joebiden can win WAY more votes by adopting the http://PeoplesAction.org/RuralAgenda (anti-trust, fair prices) instead of trying to coast on the bare bones plan he has out now (that benefits the biggest corporate factory farms by default).
See @OatesBryce analysis:
https://medium.com/@RuralPolicyDiary/thoughts-about-the-biden-tom-vilsack-rural-plan-bff0db610069
See @OatesBryce analysis:
https://medium.com/@RuralPolicyDiary/thoughts-about-the-biden-tom-vilsack-rural-plan-bff0db610069
The http://PeoplesAction.org/RuralAgenda isn't just the right policy. It's also good politics for @joebiden.
@RuralOrganizing has done the most robust polling of rural voters this cycle and they've found that anti-corporate populist messaging can #WinRural.
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/resource-march-2020-change-research-poll-brief
@RuralOrganizing has done the most robust polling of rural voters this cycle and they've found that anti-corporate populist messaging can #WinRural.
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/resource-march-2020-change-research-poll-brief
The MOST popular messages among rural voters are anti-corporate messages, according to @RuralOrganizing's polling, with 80% approval.
The problem is that rural voters don't know whether those popular messages are associated with Trump or @joebiden.
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/resource-march-2020-change-research-poll-brief
The problem is that rural voters don't know whether those popular messages are associated with Trump or @joebiden.
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/resource-march-2020-change-research-poll-brief
During a historic failure of governance by Republicans that has resulted in mass death, sickness, and unemployment, we need to draw clear distinctions.
@JoeBiden has to OWN the anti-corporate, populist message and policies in http://PeoplesAction.org/ruralagenda to #WinRural.
@JoeBiden has to OWN the anti-corporate, populist message and policies in http://PeoplesAction.org/ruralagenda to #WinRural.
Listen to us. @PplsAction groups are doing the work that's going to #WinRural and win this election.
We're making 100,000s of deep canvass calls to conflicted voters in swing states. It's the most effective persuasion intervention that we know of. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/deep-canvassing-joe-biden-donald-trump-2020-presidential-election-coronavirus-1028034/
We're making 100,000s of deep canvass calls to conflicted voters in swing states. It's the most effective persuasion intervention that we know of. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/deep-canvassing-joe-biden-donald-trump-2020-presidential-election-coronavirus-1028034/
We can't sleepwalk our way into repeating the same mistakes as 2016. Just pointing out how bad Trump is IS NOT ENOUGH.
@PplsAction is running an unprecedented rural persuasion program to #WinRural. If @JoeBiden supported the http://PeoplesAction.org/ruralagenda we'd be 2x as effective.
@PplsAction is running an unprecedented rural persuasion program to #WinRural. If @JoeBiden supported the http://PeoplesAction.org/ruralagenda we'd be 2x as effective.
We need to #WinRural to win in 2020 and defeat fascism.
On the last night of the #DNCC, @JoeBiden isn't there yet.
But he can still get there by adopting this agenda, supported by rural people, polling, and an unprecedented political program: http://PeoplesAction.org/RuralAgenda
On the last night of the #DNCC, @JoeBiden isn't there yet.
But he can still get there by adopting this agenda, supported by rural people, polling, and an unprecedented political program: http://PeoplesAction.org/RuralAgenda