Volunteers gathered for the Canvassing launch on Saturday at the Milwaukee Coordinated Campaign Office (Photo/Karen Stokes)
By Karen Stokes
On Saturday, Wisconsin Democrat volunteers gathered at the Milwaukee Coordinated Campaign Office, 8405 W. Lisbon, to make phone calls and knock on doors in the area, to meet with voters encourage voter turnout.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined the volunteers, encouraging them to engage voters in real conversations about important issues and concerns.
“My election has been overshadowed by the presidential election for many months. Rightfully so because every year we talk about what’s on the line,” Crowley said. “We talk about how this is the most critical election in our lifetime. Let’s be honest, this is literally the most critical election of our lifetime. We’ve never seen as many attacks on people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community. This is the opportunity that we have come together to lock arms and make sure that we reelect President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.”
The upcoming election is crucial for both the presidential race and local and state elections.
Milwaukee County Executive, David Crowley (Photo/Karen Stokes)
“When you think about having the largest push for affordable housing in Milwaukee County, we can thank the Biden-Harris Administration. When we think about the dollars that went into the opioid crisis and the harm reduction vending machines that we have in Milwaukee County and really tackling the issues of mental health, we owe that to the Biden-Harris Administration,” Crowley said.
The County Executive cautioned volunteers about criticisms of Biden’s age, emphasizing the need to focus on his achievements.
“When people say Biden’s too old, ask them if their loved ones need $35 insulin because that’s what he’s doing,” Ellison said. “Talk to people in the construction trade and they’ll tell you they’re busier than ever because of the Biden Administration.”
There’s many Americans that are negative on the economy and blame Biden for inflation.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
“What we have is corporate driven inflation. During earnings calls. If you own stock in a company they’ll have quarterly meetings on the phone and tell everybody what the stock is doing, if it’s up or down. When prices go up, they can raise prices to increase profits without taking the blame, maybe shifting it to the president. It’s corporate driven inflation and Biden is fighting against it. I know that because every Attorney General, especially the Democrats, are working together with the Biden Administration, we got a partner,” Ellison said.
Ellison, who prosecuted the officers involved in George Floyd’s death, shared a story about Biden’s compassion, recounting how the President personally called Floyd’s family after the verdict against Derek Chauvin.
“The world didn’t see it, the world doesn’t know, the President felt like he needed to connect with that family,” Ellison said. “Biden is the kind of person who truly believes if you’re a public servant you have to serve the public and he’s a listener.”
In contrast, last week, a New York City jury found Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump guilty in a fraud trial, convicting him on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
“The Republicans aren’t claiming that Trump is innocent of the charges, they didn’t say he didn’t pay off a porn star to influence an election, they didn’t say he wasn’t cheating on his wife, they didn’t deny the essential allegations, their saying that even if he did do it, that’s ok because he is their chosen one,” said the Minnesota Attorney General.
Ellison continued, “The question isn’t what they’re doing, it’s what we’re doing. If we don’t show up, that’s their hope. We have to get the vote out and not fixate on Trump being convicted of 34 counts because the people who support him don’t care what he gets convicted of. His followers won’t abandon him. This Republican Party is so removed from the party of Lincoln.”
“That’s why we must continue to work, that’s why we cannot let up. We have to do everything we can to wake the community up,” Crowley said. “I’m not voting against Donald Trump, I’m not voting against anybody, I’m voting for something, I’m voting for the future of America.”
Ellison concluded “Enthusiasm is contagious, people will be affected by your enthusiasm. It’s June 1, and you’re all campaigning like it’s Oct 1. Republicans know that suppressing voter turnout is their path to victory. The way for Democrats to win is to expand the vote. You guys are the vanguard, you’re the leadership and will help get the vote out.”