For Oct. 10, 2022
What’s MDP saying this week? We continue to hit the GOP from different angles every day, while simultaneously lifting our party and our ticket.
First let me say that the GOP targeted Wes Moore this week regarding water bills. Those bills have been paid but if you’re part of the coordinated campaign and you get any questions regarding attacks on Wes or any of our candidates, you direct them to me or Saif, and we’ll handle it or we’ll work with the individual campaign to handle it.
We’re officially less than a month from the Election and you all have been doing amazing things. There are zero ounces of complacency. The energy and passion in the campaign from top to bottom is unmatched. If you have any questions on policy, candidates, messaging, or our party, please never hesitate to call/text/email me.
Clearly, the big news this week was President Biden’s decision to pardon all prior federal offenses on marijuana possession and his call on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses. As a party, we released a statement applauding this decision. Some key details from that statement and our stance on the topic are below.
Polls show that roughly 75 percent of Americans agree on which direction our nation needs to go in terms of legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana. For far too long, too many young Marylanders have seen their lives changed for the worst because of charges on their record for these simple offenses. We were proud to support our President and take a stance on this issue.
This is a long-awaited and long-overdue step in the right direction to correct an outdated and harmful policy. As the president said, too many lives have been upended by our nation’s failed approach to marijuana, especially the lives of countless young black and brown men in our state who have suffered and been jailed at a much higher and unjust rate, and all those who have carried this burden with them while trying to obtain jobs or secure homes or student loans.
Our voters here in Maryland will have the opportunity to make their voices heard on the legalization and taxation of adult recreational marijuana use in November. And while we cannot right the wrongs or heal the wounds of the past with one proclamation, we look forward to continuing a more equitable and reasonable path forward for the next generation of Marylanders.
What do we say to voters who think we have this election in the bag (This was included last week but is still relevant): Voters might see poll numbers or they might hear how we’re a blue state and assume this election is wrapped up. That kind of indifference won’t work and we don’t want that kind of complacency. The recent poll numbers are reflecting the Democratic momentum of our candidates and the campaign. Good news for us, but we have to remind them that polls have been wrong before, specifically in this same race in 2014 and 2018. We can’t get lost in the temporary snapshot of 700 Marylanders’ enthusiasm about this election, we need to continue to build on this momentum and give a decisive victory to our whole ticket. The only poll that matters is Nov. 8. Additionally, we remind voters that reproductive freedom is on the ballot. Safety and equity are on the ballot. Economic and educational advances are on the ballot. A Maryland led by Dan Cox with a QAnon flag hanging outside the Governor’s Mansion is the biggest threat to democracy our state has seen. We’ve also seen how slim majorities in Congress lead to gridlock and we can’t afford that in Maryland if we want Governor Moore and our ticket to have a chance to make real change. This new era will need a supermajority in the General Assembly and as many Democrats in office as possible.
From the DNC:
The DNC is focusing talking points on jobs this week –
- Our economy has added 10 million jobs since President Biden took office. He ran for President to rebuild the middle class – there’s more work to do, but we are making significant progress for working families.
- During our economic transition, instead of adding a record-breaking number of jobs every month – in the realm of 500-600,000 jobs on average per month – we expect job growth to slow to a steadier and more sustainable rate.
- As the President said earlier this year, fewer jobs added isn’t just expected, it’s appropriate.
- This is a sign of the success of our transition, as this kind of job growth is consistent with a low unemployment rate and a healthy economy. Today’s unemployment rate matches its lowest level in 50 years at 3.5%. More people are working than at any point in American history, and Hispanic unemployment is at its lowest rate in history.
In the News:
- President Biden visited Hagerstown alongside our Congressman David Trone. This was POTUS’ second trip to MD in the last few months!
- Despite appeals from Dan Cox’s team, the courts upheld their ruling that ballots can be counted in October
- Our next Comptroller – Brooke Lierman – debated Barry Glassman in a virtual forum
- Mayor Brandon Scott (D-Baltimore City) wrote an editorial yesterday on MD’s fight with drug addiction
Stat of the Day: Young Americans were polled and ranked women’s rights, climate change, mental health, gun safety, and reproductive freedom as the top five social issues facing the next generation of Americans
On the campaign trail:
Our outstanding comms advisor, Ernest Bailey, has put together a weekly talking points doc on our gubernatorial opponent – Dan Cox. A few key ones are below:
- Last week, Maryland’s highest court, The Court of Appeals, upheld lower court rulings allowing state election officials to begin counting mail-in ballots ahead of the November elections.
- Cox hinted he might try an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if he lost.
- After the ruling, Cox called on local jurisdictions “to do the right thing and count mail-in votes according to Laws of Maryland, as written.” He had the audacity to “implore the remaining localities to follow the law” as if the court ruling were illegitimate, laying the groundwork for future grievances.
- Cox worked for Trump’s legal team in Pennsylvania after the 2020 election and used the late counting of mail-in ballots as an excuse to attempt to undermine the electoral process. Cox still claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen and is clearly utilizing the same playbook in this year’s election.
Also:
- Wes Moore is running a campaign garnering incredible attention, this week alone he was endorsed by the Baltimore Sun, Giffords, and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.
- Wes is traveling across the state hitting issues that voters really care about, this week a poll was released showing over 70% of Marylanders support legalizing marijuana, then Wes visited a local dispensary as President Joe Biden announced federal marijuana pardons.
- Wes Moore and Aruna Miller also attended several events together and Aruna received an endorsement from Emily’s List.
- Wes has also been in national news as a result of his campaign to “take back” patriotism from Republicans, which has landed him in the Washington Post, the Guardian, and several other outlets.
- On MSNBC’s The Sunday Show, Moore spoke about standing up to Republicans and their fake claims of patriotism.