Don't Do It

Friday, July 12, 2019

Banquet hall tilapia

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Hi, Jason. It's me again, Beto's Digital Director.

We've been pretty up front about the dynamics of this race. It changes every week. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. Sometimes you're Hootie and sometimes you're the Blowfish. But this week, there was some news that might shake things up: we have a self-funder joining the race, and they're bringing $100 million along with them.

Beto...is not that kind of candidate. He's always been about people power — about showing what we can achieve when hundreds of thousands of people come together to fund a campaign $5, $10, $20 at a time. No PACs, no lobbyists, no special interests. We're counting on you and you alone.

Can you make a $10 donation to our campaign today and help Beto compete against these high-dollar opponents? Our way of doing things certainly isn't easy, but we know we can go toe-to-toe with your help.

Contribute $10 »

That's not how every candidate is gonna roll. I get that. But democracy shouldn't be about which billionaire can afford the most TV ads in Cedar Rapids — no matter how well-intentioned they are. It shouldn't be about which rich friend can start a super PAC. And it shouldn't be about whichever candidate can invite the most lobbyists to eat banquet hall tilapia for $2,800-per-plate. It's about talking to voters — face to face, person to person — and earning their support. Not buying it.

Beto is that candidate. He shows up in places politicians don't usually go — from a town in Iowa with a population of 300 with over 100 attendees, to an event in Nashville last week with over 1,000. He connects with people person-to-person and gives others the microphone.

He's fighting to earn your vote the right way. And while it may put us at a slight financial disadvantage if someone's campaign can almost literally print money, I know we can make up for it with the power of you.

Chip in any amount — it could be $1, $10, or whatever you can afford. If everyone chips in a little bit right now, we'll have no problem competing with any self-funded billionaires who turn up.

Thank you for everything.

Rob Flaherty
Digital Director, Beto for America

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Bringing Jason to the second debate?

Jason,

We're already preparing for a second debate: this time in Detroit, Michigan on either July 30th or 31st. People loved our first offer to bring a lucky supporter to meet Beto at the first debate so much – that we're proud to do it again!

We will bring one more supporter (and a friend) to meet Beto and attend the debate in Detroit.

Add a donation of any amount at this link and you'll be entered to win a trip to meet Beto at the debate – you and a friend.

Enter to win »

Don't believe that people win these things? Here's Sarah, the winner from last time (this could be you!):

Beto, Amy, Sarah

The next winner will get:

2 plane tickets to Detroit
2 nights at a hotel
2 tickets to the Democratic Debate, July 30 or 31 (depending on which night Beto will be there)
Transportation within the city
A meeting with Beto!

There's even more riding on the second debate than the first. The following (third) debate has stricter qualifications that depend on poll results after the end of July. We're fully expecting Beto to bring his A-game.

We're thrilled to share this huge moment with a lucky supporter and their friend. Enter your donation of any amount here for a chance to win a trip to meet Beto at the debate in Detroit.

Here we go!

Team Beto

Contribute »

No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter to win. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on July 23, 2019. You may enter by making a donation here. Alternatively, you can enter without making a donation.

One winner will receive the following prize package: two round-trip airline tickets to Detroit, Michigan, at a total value, including taxes, of no more than $1,300; two nights in a Detroit hotel, at a total value, including taxes, of no more than $500; two tickets to the Democratic Debate on July 30 or 31; in-town transportation costs up to $200, to be reimbursed by Sponsor, provided receipts are submitted to info@betoorourke.com by August 31, 2019.

Total prize value not to exceed $2,000. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Promotion open to all U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents who are legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Promotion subject to Official Rules and additional restrictions on eligibility. Sponsor: BETO FOR AMERICA, PO BOX 3628, EL PASO, TX 79923.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Nationwide vigils to protest inhumane conditions for migrants

Jason,

On Friday, July 12th, thousands of people will gather for nationwide Lights for Liberty vigils to demand an end to inhumane conditions that migrants and asylum seekers are facing in detention centers.

More than 170 organizations from across the social justice spectrum are hosting or co-sponsoring the Lights for Liberty vigils, and more than 650 local events are happening across the country. Civil rights groups, labor organizers, religious leaders, teachers' associations, and people from all walks of life are joining.

This is a critical moment in history that demands we stand up, that we make a loud, unified demand. Please don't miss it.

If you are interested in participating in a local Lights for Liberty vigil on July 12th, please sign up here. You'll receive info to find a local event near you – or to host your own.

Sign up

At the detention centers, teen mothers have been held outside in "dog pounds." Sick and elderly people have been confined in "icebox" rooms for weeks. Babies as young as four months old have been ripped from their parents' arms. Kids have died. These vigils will send a powerful message that we will not accept these conditions in our country.

Key Lights for Liberty events are being planned across the country as well as at the sites of detention centers – in El Paso, Texas; Homestead, FL; San Diego, CA; Foley Square, NYC. In Washington DC, people are demanding Congress end the detention centers and impeach Trump.

Beto will be joining the vigil in Peterborough, NH. Many people from our team will be at the event in El Paso. We hope you'll join, wherever you are:

Please sign up to be part of a July 12th Lights for Liberty vigil here.

Thank you for being part of this,

Team Beto

Energy on the ground – just look:

Jason,

You can really feel it out there. Momentum for Beto continues to grow. The energy on the ground this weekend was palpable. The Independence Day Parade in Independence, Iowa drew working parents, kids, veterans, climate activists, and people from all walks of life. Just look:

Beto walking in the Independence Day Parade in Independence, Iowa

Later in the day, Beto visited Williams, Iowa, a community of 332 – and 100 people showed up. He made time to talk to everyone he possibly could – not one person left out.

Beto speaking with voters in Williams, Iowa

He spoke to educators over the weekend too, for the annual National Education Association conference in Houston.

Beto meeting with students, teachers, and members of the NEA in Houston, TX

Then, on a holiday Sunday, in a state this campaign had never been to, 1,000 people turned out to our rally in Nashville. "It felt like a University of Tennessee football game in here," (as one local writer put it).

Beto addressing a massive crowd of 1,000 people in Nashville, TN

And just yesterday, Beto held a roundtable on immigration, listening to perspectives, ideas, and a diversity of experiences from Dreamers, refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants from the world over.

Beto meeting with Dreamers, refugees, and asylum seekers to talk about immigration in Tennessee

This campaign is about going everywhere, showing up for everyone, and focusing on people every single day. And no matter what a few people on Twitter say, we are seeing excitement for Beto in towns and cities everywhere we go.

Our ground-game is strong. We're not counting anyone out. And Beto's doing real work that no other candidate is doing. But there's a danger we won't have the resources to keep him on the road if enough people don't pitch in now.

Chip in $10 or more now to help Beto keep doing what he does best – talking to people, face-to-face, about the new country we can build.

Thank you for being part of this,

Team Beto

Contribute $10 »

Monday, July 8, 2019

I’m sending these stories to Beto

Jason,

The other day, Beto asked you to share your reasons for supporting this campaign, and I can't begin to thank you enough for what you've written. I've honestly lost count of how many I've saved and shared with the team.

And that's important, because campaigns are tough. Real tough. Especially when trying to keep up with Beto. He's driven more than 7,500 miles to meet with thousands of voters in 150 towns across 20 states without skipping a beat. But the stories we hear on the road and the ones you shared the other day are what make it all worth it. They fuel us when we're tired and remind us why we're fighting so hard to win this thing.

Below, I'm going to share a few of those stories with you. And if you find them as inspiring as I did — or if you're already standing with Beto — I hope you'll make a $10 donation to our campaign today.

I love this one from Julie in Detroit. Beto could just spend his days on the phone begging for donations, but instead, he's traveling all over the country to speak with people face-fo-face.

I've been following since the Senate campaign and I truly love and appreciate the positivity and passion with which everyone on Team Beto operates. From speaking truth to power at the border to backing up women's reproductive rights and most importantly the desire to go everywhere and speak to and WITH everyone. Keep doing what you're doing to change our country and the world! You've inspired me and so many others to get more informed and more involved.

Or this one from Doris in Chicago. We're honored to have your support, Doris, and can't wait to keep building this campaign together.

In my 36yrs I have never donated/volunteered for anyone, but your compassion, your welcoming of everyone (even those who oppose you or the party), and your strength to fight the good fight has motivated me to donate more than once. I seriously have lost count. I am proud of you and proud to support you. Keep strong Beto. You're a good man. Thank you for running for President and I can't wait to see you and your family walk into the White House.

Or this one from Nick in Corvallis, Oregon. I see the same exact thing that you do, Nick. It's one of the reasons why I moved halfway across the country to join this campaign.

Beto's campaign gives me hope. He cares about the ordinary Americans--the downtrodden Americans, the hopeless Americans--everyone. It isn't just a political calculation for him. He seems determined to invoke change wherever he goes and wherever he speaks. Oregon and the western states could use that kind of inspiration and change.

Lastly, this story from Allison in Houston. All of us need to come together if we're going to end this cruel and inhumane crisis at the border. And knowing that so many people are organizing in their own communities to help achieve that goal is truly inspiring.

I supported Beto in his 2018 Senate run in Texas. I canvassed, knocked doors, attended town halls, drove voters to the polls throughout early voting and on election day. On the evening of the election I drove a U of Houston student from the main campus all the way to the Woodlands so we would get that one last vote. I was heartbroken at the result but energized by the community and support that Beto had inspired in Texas (and beyond). I know how hard it is to show up enthusiastically at events and to travel constantly. Beto has shown his heart and dedication and it inspires me to support his campaign. Right now I am donating not only to support his campaign, I am donating to bring light onto the tragedies at the border and at detention camps. Please keep this issue at the forefront and work with other candidates and elected officials to change the treatment and policies. We are all out here protesting and writing letters to our elected officials. We appreciate you working to help us get this fixed. Thank you.

These are barely a fraction of the 1,000+ stories we received so far. And we're still making our way through the list. But I wanted to thank you — all of you — for everything you've done and will continue to do. We have a long road ahead of us, and your continued support is what keeps us more energized than ever.

Gratefully,

Jen O'Malley Dillon
Campaign Manager
Beto for America

P.S. If you missed Beto's email last week, you can share your own story here. We'll read each and every one.

Contribute $10 »

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Juárez

Jason,

The Trump administration has created a humanitarian crisis at our border. Children are sleeping on cold, concrete floors, in ice-cold rooms in facilities in our own country – and living on the streets in border towns like Juárez, Mexico. The inhumanity is intentional, and it's being done in our own name.

Beto went to Juárez to hear the stories of asylum seekers who have been turned away from our country and then held a rally at the Clint Border Patrol station.

The visits to Clint and Juárez were a powerful reminder of why we're in this work together – see for yourself:

Watch and share »

Please share the video with your networks too – so that more people can learn what's happening and how to support local, on-the-ground legal services to children and families. Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services of El Paso is the organization we're supporting. You can chip in here (100% of your contribution will go directly to their work).

Together, we can pull this country out of deep division and create a new vision for America – one where we are not defined by fear and paranoia, where we welcome immigrants, and where we embrace the simple notion that everyone deserves to live with dignity.

Thank you for speaking out and standing up against injustice – today and every day.

– Team Beto

Monday, July 1, 2019

Proud

Jason,

I want to thank all of you who made a contribution or volunteered at the close of such an important quarter. This is an amazing campaign of people, and I am so proud of all of you across this country and of what we've achieved together so far.

Because of you, we've overcome each obstacle – including the critical fundraising goal we set. We're proving what's possible without a dime from a single PAC, when we shut the door on lobbyists, corporations, and special interests. We're showing what we can do when people come together from all walks of life, damning the differences, and deciding that what unites us is far stronger than what divides us.

As Amy and I prepare to return to Iowa – this time with Ulysses, Molly, and Henry for their first trip – I'm thinking of your stories and the many reasons you are part of this.

Will you let us know what inspired you to contribute to our campaign? I want to share your stories with our campaign staff and volunteers. They mean so much to us, and they power us through any tough moment.

I'm also thinking of the kids and families I met yesterday morning when I walked across the Paso del Norte bridge and into Mexico – people who came to our country seeking asylum, but who have been turned back by this administration's unlawful and inhumane policies.

It's on every single one of us to make things right. We must end the Remain in Mexico policy, end metering, end family separation, and end the detention of those who pose absolutely no threat. But we must go far beyond that and fix the entire system.

So I want to thank not just people who volunteered or contributed to our campaign – but all of you who turned out in the heat this weekend to protest the cruel treatment of children and the separation of families, and all of you who donated to the Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services when we put out the call for help.

While our greatest challenges are still ahead, what we've done so far reminds me that together, we have the courage and the confidence to meet each of them.

I hope you'll share your story about what inspired you to contribute so we can share it with our team. In a campaign powered entirely by people, it's you and your stories that keep us going.

I'm honored to be running this race with you. Thanks for being part of this.

Beto

P.S. If you're able to donate now or missed the deadline, every contribution is still a big help – especially as we turn to our work organizing in Iowa and setting our sights on what's next to continue building this historic campaign.

Contribute

Friday, July 12, 2019

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Monday, July 8, 2019

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Monday, July 1, 2019

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