The Great Democratic American Comeback: Seeking the Endorsement of Pete Buttigieg’s Win the Era PAC

I am seeking an endorsement from Pete Buttigieg’s new Win the Era PAC for my race for Florida’s 6th Congressional district. Here, I lay out a case for my endorsement and my vision of the Great Democratic American Comeback in 2020.

April 4, 2020

Hello,

I am a progressive Democrat running for Congress in Florida’s 6th district (Daytona Beach area). This is an R+7 district and the incumbent is Lt. Col. Michael Waltz, probably Trump’s favorite Congressman. There is only one other Democrat running and he’s a perennial candidate who has never won an election.

I’m a 28-year-old teacher educator, husband, and father. I have not been politically active before, but have delayed a promising career in academia due to feeling a call to serve. I am advocating for healthcare for all, a universal basic income, and a Green New Deal to invest in the American people and face the existential threat of the climate crisis. My candidacy and this district meets the five criteria your new PAC has set to support down-ballot candidates.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, I think the failures of the Republican party and crony capitalism have been laid bare, at immense cost to Americans in terms of a death toll that may surpass the Vietnam War or worse, as well as to the prosperity of hard-working Americans who have been victimized by corporate privilege and immense wealth stratification aided and abetted by our governments at all levels.

Electorally, 2020 is now a total wildcard and this “safe” Republican district I am running in (FL CD 6), as well as many others, might become blue, as they were for Obama in 2008. Money cannot buy this Congressional seat—Ambassador Nancy Soderberg ran here in 2018 with stellar qualifications, an early endorsement from Vice President Joe Biden, $3.2 million raised in her principal campaign committee, and $1.6 million in TV ads from Mike Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC. She was blown out by 13 percentage points despite predicting a toss-up.

Here in the Daytona Beach area, we have been running centrist candidates for Congress from out-of-town for decades, and losing, losing, losing. I’m a Florida native born in Daytona Beach who has lived here my whole life. I’m not well known and have little money, and I’ve only been running since January 2, 2020. Already, I have a team of volunteers excited about my candidacy and the opportunity for a real change in government. Up until mid-March, I attended over 30 events including Democratic meetings, festivals, home shows, college events, and parades, talking to hundreds of motivated voters and giving away thousands of business cards.

The incumbent has stepped up his appearances on Fox News and in West Volusia county where I live, and has started holding town hall meetings that he previously had shunned. People are not happy with him or Donald Trump’s “leadership”—even Republicans are airing their grievances about Mr. Waltz quite strenuously on social media, outnumbering favorable comments by a wide margin. At the same time, the Florida Democratic party and our local volunteers have been doing a tremendous job registering voters and emphasizing voting by mail, which is available to all Florida voters.

I went canvassing in Daytona Beach with our new chapter of the Blue Wave Coalition in early March. Floridians are livid, as are Americans, with Lyin’ Donald Trump, Moscow Mitch, and immense economic inequality. This is only worsening due to Trump’s colossal failure in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, which is hitting Florida particularly hard due to gubernatorial incompetence, tourism and our service economy, and our status as a retirement destination.

I believe we are now on the cusp of the greatest political and socio-economic upheaval of our lifetimes. Donald Trump co-opted the Republican party and radicalized the American people. His unprecedented incompetence, corruption, and petulance has exacted tremendous human, environmental, political, and economic tolls on the United States of America. Politically, 2020 will be the Great Democratic American Comeback, borne from the ashes of the failed, homicidally negligent, and completely discredited Republican party.

Please consider me for endorsement and support by Pete Buttigieg’s Win the Era PAC, and reach out if you would like more information.

Sincerely,
Dr. Richard Thripp
Progressive Democrat for U.S. Congress (#FL6)
Thripp.com | Twitter | Facebook | Calendar | Donate
me@thripp.com

Richard Thripp logo, alternate version


Addendum:

I just wrote to Pete Buttigieg for his new PAC asking for his endorsement.

Pete is a fan of Bernie but decided to be a moderate.

He loves “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco.

If you want to have high hopes, you start your negotiation from a STRONG position, which is universal healthcare for all, single-payer, with no deductibles, premiums, co-insurance, or co-pays. That’s where you START. You can move down from there, but you can’t move up if you set the bar low to start.

I am glad that Americans are becoming more favorable toward healthcare for all now.

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