The Song That Said It All
On July 17th, we honored the birthday of the late, great Congressman John Lewis. And in his spirit, Activists did not sit still. Across the country, tens of thousands took to the streets in anti-Trump protests. That’s what Good Trouble looks like.
To kick off our show, we chose just the right anthem, Crys Matthews' “Call Them In.” It’s powerful. It’s unapologetically clear about who we are and what we’re fighting for. Be sure to watch the end of the video—Ms. Margaret always inspires us.
The Power Chat – Protest with Heart
and Katherine gave us a front-row seat to how they were feeling. Their reflections on the week’s protests remind us that standing up can be joyful, sad, a little scary and takes a lot of courage, especially when the stakes are this high.
Listen for Carri’s playful jab at Rachel Bitecofer and Rachel’s instant, hilarious comeback. But really, even with the laughter—this was a serious chat. These women show up when our democracy needs them the most. When it all seems impossible. See the full chat here.
Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts – With Rachel “the Doc” Bitecofer
Can we just hit them where it hurts? I beg every Democrat to read book. I will never ever say that there is only one way to do anything or that it should be either, or. But what I will say is today it should be AND! As Rachel says, “It is time to modernize our election strategy.” We must fight against the crap the “Republicans” and by “Republicans” I mean MAGA since Republicans haven’t figured out yet that their old party does not exist. We know, so, we must fight back differently.
If we’re serious about protecting democracy, we can’t keep recycling outdated tactics that consultants drum up, while MAGA Republicans are out here playing hardball with cruelty, precision and destroying everything good in this country.
If you haven't read Rachel’s book yet Hit Em Where it Hurts—do it. It’s a wake-up call. And a roadmap to what ails us.
Rachel Has Moments too!
When Hope Feels Distant Rachel and also opened up about uncertainty—the kind we feel when the future seems too dark to navigate. That’s what inspired Rachel’s latest Substack essay: “To Save A City Under Siege…The Sky Bridge.”Read it. Share it. Let it remind you: Others have been here before. They didn’t know how it was going to end. It was impossible at that moment. But history shows us the ending. We are in that space right now.
The impossible isn’t impossible. It’s just not done yet. See the Rachel Bitecofer full segment here. It’s worth every minute.
The Power Packs. Building the Big Win!
Everyone who knows anything about politics knows what’s at stake for Virginia’s 2025 election. We are running candidates in all 100 House of Delegates districts. That’s no small feat. It’s historic. It’s a BFD and has not been done in my lifetime!
Getting all those candidates didn’t happen by accident. It happened because a coalition of organizers, candidates, and everyday people who refused to settle. And now, we have a chance to give the 🐦🔥 to MAGA!
Enter the Power Packs. These are our organizing engines—designed to share tools, strategy, messaging, and muscle. We grassroots people can do big things! No one gets left behind. No candidate has to go it alone.
It really is smart politics. Because even the reddest district deserves to hear our values spoken out loud. Because margins matter. Moving a margin can be the difference between winning or losing, even in a red district. Investing in every voice is what we ought to be doing! When a candidate puts him or herself out there, they deserve help, support and a team of people cheering and supporting them. See segment on what Power Packs are here, and the Va Grassroots Coalition’s awesomeness.
This week, we introduced the Power Pack from Williamsburg/Peninsula—a powerhouse crew. Support them. Boost them. Believe in them. They are our Fantasy Team!🏈
Here they are:
Jessica Anderson HD-71 Our Purple District
See Jess’s full segment here.
Dr Mark Downey aka Dr. D “ We Need a Doctor in the House HD-69
See Mark’s full segment here.
Virgil Thornton Sr. HD-86 Another toss up District
See Virgil’s full segment here.
Be sure to watch all of the candidates in the Williamsburg/Peninsula PowerPack. Support them however you can. They will appreciate it. We are grateful to them for being in this fight. virginiagrassroots.org
The After Chat- It just keeps getting better and better…
Of course Rachel Bitecofer the Doc stayed the entire time and provided a road map for us in Virginia to win! Yep, that whole modernized strategy, she talked about it...she told it to us and our candidates. She is even going to do something special for all our candidates. Being part of a Power Pack is pretty awesome. Just know that special programs with Rachel and our other partners will be offered to all candidates.
There was also team coaching from Jess Anderson. We will make that available because it is too awesome to keep to ourselves. Stay tuned.
Next week…
Come meet another amazing PowerPack, Chesterfield. They will have a lot to say. Maybe even a little tea to spill. It’s all good and we can’t way to talk them. We have other surprise guests that we will tell you about on Tuesday!
Just remember, We are not backing down. We’re doubling down. We’re in the streets. We are on all 100 ballots. And we’re bringing the Power Packs to kick butt . Stick with us and as always…Bring a friend and get lifted!
Show Messenger- Finale Norton
In solidarity,
Finale, Carrie, Katherine
Link to full video below
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