Today is the day. Yes, it’s Election Day, and we’ve had many of those before, but today is not like those. It’s different.
You know it. I know it.
Voting in the age of Donald Trump is not just about politics, it’s about survival. Today is a referendum on whether this nation is going to continue to normalize bigotry and white supremacy. It’s a referendum on whether or not this nation is going to normalize misogyny and Islamophobia. It’s a referendum on whether or not this nation is going to continue to attacking and demonizing the press.
Now we always a lot on the line, but I sincerely think we have more on the line today than we’ve had in any single election in generations.
First, let me start by thanking all of you who voted early. I’m proud of you. We’ve shattered records for early voting and this is key, because early voting is not normally our thing. We normally get crushed in early voting, but that didn’t happen this time. In many states, we’ll find out the results of early voting soon after the polls close. Young people and all people of color broke every early voting record we’ve ever had.
Here in a moment, I’m going to make a few predictions on what I think is going to happen today, but let me double down on something for a moment. If you’re still asking yourself “why aren’t young people voting,” then you probably don’t know many young people – because in some states, like Texas, youth voting has surged over 500%. Young people are voting in record numbers.
And let me start my first prediction.
What we’ve seen happen with young people and early voting is going to continue all day long. Polls are already open in many states – and I believe from the time they open until the time they close – young people are going to be one of the essential deciding factors in elections all over this country.
Now let me say this, as I ease into more predictions – everything I’m about to say is completely possible – but it all hinges on us not only showing up to vote, but getting every single person we know to show up. If we do that, here’s what I think is going to happen.
I think Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke is going to shock the world and defy the polls and beat Ted Cruz today – becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas in decades. I think Beto is going to do the impossible – and begin turning the biggest red state in the country blue. The polls have Beto down just a few points, but I think those polls are wrong, I think it’s tied and that when we show up like crazy today, it’s going to put Beto over the top.
My next prediction is this:
I think we are going to show up in such huge numbers in Florida that Andrew Gillum is going demolish his opponent and become the first Black governor ever in the state of Florida. I don’t even think it’s going to be close. And that’s what we need. We need Andrew to win in a blowout to show this country that we’re better than Trump. We’re stronger than Trump. We’re more organized than Trump. And in Florida we need you to show up to vote to prove it! Also in Florida, I believe we are going to see the passing of Prop 4 – which is going to remove the lifetime ban on voting for former felons, and give 1.4 million people back their right to vote – forever changing voting in that state.
Now I have two final predictions:
In spite of all of the voter suppression, in spite of all of the bigotry, the State of Georgia is going to elect the first Black woman governor in the entire history of this country. Georgia is going to come down to the wire. I think it’s going to be painfully close, but I truly believe Stacey Abrams is going to make history today. I lived in Georgia for nearly 20 years and today we need Atlanta to show up, we need Savannah and Macon to show up. We need South Georgia to show up. We need Clayton & Dekalb & Henry & Gwinnett counties to show up. We need college students and senior citizens to show up. We need churches and sororities and fraternities to show up. We need all of our HBCU’s to show up.
The only way we win in Georgia today is if we have all hands on deck. And if we do that, we win.
And let me close today with this – today is going to be the day that Democrats take back the House – and that means that every single one of you listening must vote. If we Beto, Andrew, and Stacey win, but we don’t take back the House, we’re in trouble – so we need you all to begin flipping these seats in all 50 states today. Shake up the world.
Get out there and vote!
I’ve gotta run, but I’ll be live tweeting the elections all day long! Let’s do this!
