I thought I’d get this out now, before tonight’s debate, because if it is run as badly as it was last night, (Heckuva job CNN), odds are CNN will create more smoke and confusion than light. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is considered a long shot (more on that below), but she’s definitely worth listening to.
I spent several hours on Sunday June 28, 2019 at an event for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. It was her annual upstate barbecue, held at a facility in rural Rensselaer County, New York. It was relatively intimate — no tv camera crews, a fairly small crowd of friends and supporters, and some of Gillibrand’s family as well. It was a chance to meet with the Senator and listen to her unfiltered.
Gillibrand spent some time moving through the crowd, giving people a chance to get selfies, and exchange greetings and other remarks. The menu was burgers, hot dogs, salad, and watermelon, with a cash bar. I’m a constituent. I’ve been involved with Gillibrand since phone banking for her first Congressional run and more recently through my work with Solutionary Rail.
To meet one on one with Gillibrand is to be impressed with her confidence. She’s assured in person, attentive, and responsive. She's managed to get bills passed and signed by Trump (although, she joked, he didn’t realize it.) Her senate website is here. Her presidential campaign site is here.
I’m going to pass on a few points from the event. Disclaimer: I’m working from memory, not notes, so any errors of fact or inadvertent misrepresentation of Gillibrand’s statements are my responsibility, not hers. Here’s some of the things that got my attention; YMMV.
Gillibrand spent some time talking to people before taking the mike to make a short speech and take questions. She started by saying the three questions she (and presumably the other Democratic candidates) hear all the time are this:
1) Can you beat Trump?
2) Can you beat Trump?
3) Can you beat Trump?
Needless to say, the crowd appreciated that. She then proceeded to make a case for her candidacy.
Gillibrand comes from a line of strong women. Her grandmother was very active in New York State politics, having run the Albany Democratic Women’s Club among other things. (There’s a lot of history there.) It’s one reason why Gillibrand is very involved with women’s issues. She’s seen women can make a difference — and she knows what they have to put up with to do it.
The first question she took went right to the One Thing everyone seems to key in on: Al Franken and her role in his resignation. It’s mandatory to mention it whenever her campaign is discussed in the news — and it’s often the only thing that gets mentioned at all. (More on that too.)
She made no apologies for calling for his resignation. How could she? She has made this kind of thing one of her signature stands, such as her efforts to address sexual assault in the military. There were 8 credible accusations against Franken. While the initial accusation was a right wing hit job, the additional accusations were another matter. There were 34 Senators who joined her. Some of them have since expressed regrets, but it’s Gillibrand who is the one taking the brunt of anger over the loss of a Senator who was very effective at holding Republicans to account.
Gillibrand raised several points that often get overlooked. Franken may have been pressured to resign, but he could have held to his right to an ethics hearing to rule on the matter. He could have left the matter up to the voters in his district by standing for re-election. Regardless of the content of the accusations against Franken, and his effectiveness as a Senator, he bears some responsibility — it was his decision to resign after all. Why he didn’t fight harder is a question only he can answer.
There is this. Trump is a self-confessed sexual predator who has been accused multiple times of rape, has committed serial infidelity, and has paid porn stars for sex. No one can accuse Gillibrand of giving Democrats a free pass when it comes time to talk about Trump’s own record and that of the party that supports him.
Gillibrand went on to make an important point. She noted that every Democratic candidate has some vulnerability, some point on which they can be attacked to divide Democrats about them. Franken is hers. Trump and the GOP will seek to divide Democrats and country every way they can — as will the Russians. They will exploit every weakness they can find or fabricate. They will attempt to make it all about whatever they can use, to drown out anything the candidates may have to say. They are doing it now, 24/7.
Gillibrand made no bones about the need to push back, on social media and elsewhere. We are under attack; we had better be prepared to defend ourselves and do it vigorously. Politics ain’t bean bag, as the saying goes — but Republicans made it a blood sport even before foreign interests started taking an active hand. For all of his intelligence, Franken didn’t have the life-long experience of politics Gillibrand grew up with. She knows how hard it can get and what it can take.
Gillibrand made a number of additional points and answered more questions from the crowd. To get back to the three questions about beating Trump, she pointed out she has been running — and winning — in red and purple areas all along. She was told she had no chance to win her first Congressional race given the nature of her district. She won. In her last Senate race, she won counties that had gone for Trump, counties that are red and purple as well as blue. Her point is that although she’s from a blue state, NY is not solid blue. Of the current candidates, she is one of those who have been able to get Republican votes as well as Democratic.
She says the surest way to get her to do something is to tell her it can’t be done (like her first run for Congress). She cited repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, taking it on against Democratic establishment reluctance. She was one of the movers behind the initial push to get compensation for 911 victims and first responders, as well as helping push the recent bill through making it permanent.
Other positions she touched on include strong support for the Green New Deal, and action on Climate Change. She strongly supports Women's Reproductive Rights, including (If I recall correctly) 1) nominating only judges who will uphold Roe V Wade, 2) making Roe codified into law, 3) repealing the Hyde amendment, and 4) access to reproductive health care in all 50 states.
Gillibrand has been working to get Democrats elected at all levels. While she needs a certain level of poll support to qualify for the debates from around the country, it also a fact that all Democrats need to pay attention to state and local contests. Gillibrand has been out there.
Judging by the mess CNN aired last night, they will be asking more “Gotcha” questions and trying to stir up attacks on Biden by the other candidates on stage. They’re more interested in spectacle than informing the public. (How this guy got so much air time says loads about CNN.)
If you think Gillibrand deserves to get a fair shot at being heard, that may not happen — which is why she is asking everyone to make a contribution to her campaign to keep her there for the next round. All it takes is a dollar. (Just hit the donate button).
To get on the stage...
In terms of polling support, candidates must receive 2% or more support in at least four national polls, or polls conducted in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and/or Nevada. Each poll submitted must be publicly released between June 28 and August 28 and be must be sponsored by a major polling organization recognized by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
In terms of fundraising and donors, candidates must have received donations from at least 130,000 unique donors over the course of the election cycle, with a minimum of 400 unique donors per state in at least 20 states. Qualifying donations must be received by the DNC by 11:59 p.m. on August 28.
Gone are the days of meeting one requirement or the other. For the third debate, candidates must meet both thresholds to earn a spot on the debate stage.
The catch phrase for her campaign is “Brave Wins”. There’s still a ways to go, but Gillibrand deserves to be in the running. She has the skills, she has a track record, and she has the confidence. Keep an eye on her tonight.