Optimism and Enthusiasm

February Potluck and General Meeting Tomorrow

Our next General Meeting will be tomorrow at 7 PM. Our potluck dinner begins at 6 PM. Bring a dish to share - whether homemade or store bought - and enjoy some quality time with your fellow Dems before we settle down to business at 7. And don’t worry, if you’re not a good cook and don’t have time to shop, we’d still love for you to stop in and enjoy some food and conversation.

You do not need to be a member to attend our monthly meetings, and we would welcome your attendance.

IN PERSON: The meeting will be held in-person at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton.

REMOTE ATTENDANCE: Remote attendance is via Zoom. Email readers can click the button below at 7 PM on Wednesday to be connected to the Zoom session.

Optimism and Enthusiasm

We Democrats have a lot to be optimistic about, while the Republicans look to be lacking in enthusiasm

There are things about the Presidential race this year for Democrats to be disappointed in - from the situation in Gaza to our President’s percieved lack of popularity and the repeated emphasis by the press on his age (rather than his experience).

But there are so many reasons for optimism. Here’s a few:

The Economy - it’s booming. Inflation is down, though certainly not perfect. The unemployment rate is down and new job creation is through the roof. There are currently 1.3 available jobs for every unemployed person. We are living in the strongest labor market since at least the 1960s, and average wage growth is exceeding inflation.

The US has had the strongest economic recovery from COVID of any of the G7 nations. The stock market has been breaking records on a regular basis. Consumer sentiment is improving from its COVID lows. Domestic oil production is on track to set records. Obamacare signups set a record last year, and we currently have the lowest uninsured rate ever measured in the US.

We Have a Good President - No President is perfect, but under Joe Biden a tremendous amount of good has been achieved for the American people. From getting us past COVID, to passing the most comprehensive climate legislation ever, to record investments in infrastructure this President has produced. He’s been so successful in his first term that recently a group of historians ranked him the 14th greatest President ever - ahead of Reagan, both Bushes and Donald Trump (who was ranked last).

Elections - We Democrats must be doing something right, because we have won the popular vote in 7 out of the last 8 Presidential elections, the longest such streak of any party in US history. Democrats at every level have outperformed expectations in every election since 2016. We took back the White House in 2020. We beat back a supposed Red Wave in 2022. We have outperformed the pundits and polls in special elections in 2023 and again this year.

So we Democrats really do have cause for optimism. Meanwhile, Republicans seem to be suffering from a lack of enthusiasm. It’s pretty easy to understand why when the head of their party is campaigning from the courthouse not the White House. How do we know the Republicans are not revved up this year? Here’s a few signs:

Low Energy Iowa - After losing in Iowa and withdrawing from the Presidential race, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis complained about the lack of enthusiasm amongst Republicans in Iowa.

Parties In Trouble - From state Republican parties in Michigan, Arizona and Florida to the Republican National Committee (RNC) there seems to be more energy for infighting than for organizing to win elections. All of those parties are also in serious financial difficulties. The Michigan Republican Party is essentially broke while the RNC was recently reported to have only $8 million on hand - a small sum considering that we are already well into Presidential primary season.

Trump - The former guy is not drawing the large crowds to his rallies nor getting the positive press attention that he did in 2016. More importantly he’s not drawing the money. As discussed on Morning Joe small dollar contributors to Trump’s campaign are down by over 200,000 people from his 2020 campaign. Which means that the enthusiasm for what Trump is selling is down considerably this year, even among the MAGA Republican base.

To sum it up - Democratic voters are engaged and showing up to the polls, while Republican voters sure seem unenthusiastic and are literally not buying into their leading candidate’s campaign.

The bottom line is this: Polls may show the Presidential race to be neck and neck, but if we continue to put in the work this year, we have every reason to expect that we will continue to outperform those expectations.

College Dems @ MTU Host State of the Union Watch Party on Thursday

The newly organized College Dems group at Michigan Tech is hosting a State of the Union Watch Party. 

Pizza and sodas will be delivered. HCDP members are welcome to stop by, grab a slice, meet the new College Dems, and see if Biden can get the Republicans to give another standing ovation by promising not to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Stop by March 7th, 9pm at Fisher Hall Room 138 on the Tech campus.   

A Primer on Running for Local Office

Considering running for local office but not sure where to start? 

We can help.

On March 16th we’ll host our Running for Local Office Workshop.

Noon to 2:30 PM

323 Quincy Street in Hancock

The goals of the Workshop are:

• Know what the local elective and non-elective positions are

• Know what you need to do to get on the ballot

• Know the core components of a campaign plan and how you can start preparing to run for office now

• Know the resources available to local Democratic candidates

• Hear from candidates who have done this

• Opportunity to ask questions

Who should attend:

• Anyone thinking about running for local (county, city, township, school board) election, either partisan or non-partisan

• Anyone who wants to help a candidate who is running for local office

Additional information:

• Please let us know if you will attend so we can plan accordingly (food, handouts, seating). Email [email protected]

• Pizza will be served

Spring Fling Tickets Available

The annual Spring Fling is in the planning stages, so please mark your calendars for Saturday, April 20th, from 5 to 8 PM. We’ll again be at the Bonfire at the Continental Fire Co. in Houghton.

Tickets are now available through ActBlue.

The event is also posted on Facebook. Feel free to share the event with your Facebook friends - the link to purchase tickets is available on Facebook as well.

Ticket prices this year will again be $50, with Student tickets available at $40.

The Spring Fling is a great way to meet up and converse with fellow Democrats and progressive voters while listening to elected officials who represent you, and learning first hand about candidates who are looking for your support.

The Fling is also one of our largest fundraising events each year, and in an election year your support is especially important.

Details on speakers and more will be forthcoming as the planning firms up.

Registrations Now Open for the Michigan Rural Summit

The Rural Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party is now accepting registration for the 2024 Michigan Rural Summit. The Houghton County Democratic Party is a sponsoring organization for the Rural Summit.

The first annual Rural Summit was held in April 2023. Over 150 rural activists attended the Summit from 45 Michigan counties. These activists attended work sessions designed for sharing ideas about the work that has been previously done and ideas for moving forward with coordinated strategies.

On April 11-13, 2024 the Rural Caucus will bring together even more rural activists, candidates, and elected officials, along with other organizations working in the rural organizing space to learn, discuss and collaborate to improve the lives of our rural neighbors in Michigan.

For more information, and to register for the Summit and book hotel rooms, click the button below.

Next Monthly Meeting

HCDP Monthly Meetings: Unless otherwise communicated our monthly meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. Potluck at 6 PM, Meeting at 7 PM. In the conference room at the Houghton Super 8, and by Zoom (starting at 7 PM).

NEXT MEETING: MARCH 6TH

Community Events

Governmental meetings are scheduled throughout the month by bodies from the County Commission to City, Village and Township boards, committees and commissions; as well as local School Boards and the Copper Country Intermediate School District.

Check by phone or on the particular governmental website for meeting notices in your community. Your participation in local government meetings lets your elected and appointed officials know you are interested in their work, and can provide you with the opportunity to speak about your concerns during public comment periods.

THUR MAR 07

The South Range Village Council meets Thursday at 6 PM in the South Range Community Building. For more information contact the Village at [email protected] or (906) 482-8833