Let’s run against the #SCOTUSsix and WIN

A new way to educate and mobilize voters around the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court’s MAGA majority continues to live rent-free in my head. This week marked two years since the Dobbs decision – and a flurry of rulings from SCOTUS. We also got a warning from Justice Sotomayor in one of her dissents, marriage equality could be next on the chopping block. In yet another dissent related to the Idaho abortion decision, Justice Brown-Jackson wrote: “Storm clouds loom ahead.”

It’s hard not to be demoralized by everything to do with SCOTUS, especially as Clarence Thomas boldly enriches himself while taking away our rights and Justice Alito feels comfortable expressing his support of Christian nationalism in a semi-public forum. (And let’s not even go into Ginni and Martha!) We have six unelected public servants tearing apart the fabric of our American society in their rulings, and sometimes it feels like there’s no way to stop them.

But I’m sick of feeling demoralized. We know the way to get a better court: a Democratic president and Senate majority who will nominate and confirm liberal justices. And should we get that majority we can also pressure Congress and the White House to hold sitting justices accountable. Even a code of ethics that Justices actually had to follow would be a real improvement.

In January, I wrote a newsletter encouraging Democrats, particularly outside groups, to run against the six right-wing Justices, a call I’ve renewed a couple of times since. This week my prayers were answered when Stand Up America launched a 7-figure digital campaign to educate and mobilize voters on the impact the next president will have on the future of the U.S. Supreme Court. I was excited to see this effort and knew my readers would be interested as well. So I sent the press team a few questions and Stand Up America’s executive director, Christina Harvey, was kind enough to answer. 

CARD: Can you offer any insights from the polling or focus groups on what messaging around SCOTUS resonates with voters?

Harvey: We found that talking about the Supreme Court stakes in this election and the Court’s impact on issues Americans care about can move voters to vote for Biden and help win this election. The top-performing message was:

“In 2025, when the next president takes office, four of the nine Supreme Court justices will be in their 70s and could retire or die. That means Donald Trump could ensure MAGA control of the Court for decades to come, which could have a huge impact on upcoming cases concerning abortion, marriage equality, gun safety, and the climate crisis. We need to vote this year to prevent Donald Trump from picking more MAGA justices who will threaten our fundamental freedoms for decades to come.”

Voters also responded to backward-looking messaging focused on abortion, specifically on Trump killing Roe v. Wade, highlighting that about one in three women now live in states where they cannot access care.

We asked voters what issue most convinced them to vote for Biden as it relates to the Supreme Court and presented them with messaging about the impact of the Supreme Court on five different issues. Across all demographic groups, the largest number said abortion, followed by gun safety and voting rights. Black voters ranked gun safety almost on par with abortion when it comes to their concern about the Supreme Court, and AAPI voters were even more likely to rank abortion first than the average registered voter.

CARD: What role do content creators, influencers, and celebrities play in your strategy?

Harvey: Working with content creators, influencers, and celebrities will help amplify our message around the stakes of this election, energize the progressive base, and turn out voters in key battleground states. These trusted messengers will help reach millions of potential Supreme Court voters who may not be energized currently by the top of the ticket.

As part of the campaign launch, we partnered with celebrities, influencers, and major public figures like Andy Cohen, Hillary Clinton, Raven Schwam-Curtis, George Lee, Jr., Asha Rangappa, and Dr. Jenifer Lincoln to talk to their followers about the stakes of this election for the Supreme Court and encourage them to visit our new site, CourtVoter.com, to pledge to be a Supreme Court voter. 

CARD: What advice do you have for engaged citizens who want to help explain how SCOTUS figures into the election to their friends and/or amplify helpful messages?

Harvey: Visit courtvoter.com and take the pledge to be a Supreme Court voter. Then use our tools to spread the word on social media and ask your followers to become Supreme Court voters too. 

I believe abortion will continue to galvanize voters and turn them out at the polls. You can’t talk about abortion without talking about the court that took our rights away, the behavior of its worst Justices, and how winning a Democratic majority come November can start to turn things around. (Not to mention how a second Trump term could make the Supreme Court even worse.) I’m pleased that Stand Up America stepped up to the plate and put actual resources into making the case to voters.

You can sign up and learn more at courtvoter.com.

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Netroots Nation

Netroots Nation, the largest conference for progressives in the U.S., is just around the corner! This year’s conference is July 11-13 in Baltimore and might just be our largest event ever with 400 speakers, 140 sessions, and more than 3,000 attendees.

There’s still time to register. Ctrl Alt-Right Delete readers receive a 15% discount on admission. Just use the code ctrlaltright at checkout.

Register to attend Netroots Nation. CARD readers get a 15% discount using this link.

I’m proud to serve on the Netroots Nation board. The conference is my favorite political event, and I’ve made it almost every year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see old friends, make new ones, and build community. The trainings and panels are perfect for sharpening your skills and Netroots always has amazing keynote speakers, from rising stars to sitting Senators.

If you plan to be in Baltimore, be sure to find me and say hello. I love meeting readers. I hope you’ll join us!

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ICYMI

Instagram Doesn't Want You to Watch the Presidential Debate (FWIW)

My fellow COURIER contributors at FWIW broke news and got a win from Meta. 

Why Won’t Media Sound the Alarm That Trump is Unhinged? (Stop the Presses)

Mark Jacob, another COURIER colleague, has become a must-read. His analysis of media coverage around the election is always insightful, always spot-on. 

What Happened to Stanford Spells Trouble for the Election (NY Times)

Renee DiResta, out with a new book, pens an op-ed about the attacks researchers like her have faced from the Right for years now. And how institutions are caving to the pressure. 

Neo-Nazis Are All-In On AI (Wired)

I’m not surprised that the same movement that has exploited every other tech platform is now exploiting AI tools as well. I’m even less surprised that Tech hasn’t seemed to learn anything from the last several years.

Vermont State Rep Admits Secretly Pouring Water in Colleague's Bag for Months (USA Today)

I don’t even know what to say about this one. On the one hand, it seems too strange to be real, but it is. On the other hand, it feels commonplace. Republican elected officials have just gotten weird, and generally don’t seem to think the rules of decorum apply to them. Our tolerance for elected officials behaving like this continues to amaze me but here we are.

Want even more links? Subscribers receive a special ICYMI edition of CARD on Fridays. 

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Coda

No newsletter next week as it’s the 4th of July holiday and I’m taking some time off to visit family. The week after that we’ll have a guest editor who longtime readers will remember: HOPE not hate’s Joe Mulhall with an update on electoral politics and far-right activity across the pond. I’ll be back on Sunday, July 21. 

Special shout out and thank you to our paid subscribers. Ctrl Alt-Right Delete will always be free but your contributions help me keep it going. I appreciate you. If you’d like to become a subscriber, click the button below.

That’s all for now. See you in a couple of weeks!