We got through Halloween, my least favorite holiday, and now we have two things coming up in the next week: Daylight Savings (YAY) and Election Day. I could honestly write an entire post devoted to how much I’m looking forward to Daylight Savings and turning the clocks back, but it has no celebrity angle! So instead, let’s talk about celebrities and Election Day. It seems that the Georgia governor’s race is neck-and-neck, and celebrities are coming out to make the final push for Stacey Abrams. Will Ferrell canvassed door-to-door last weekend, and Oprah will do some last-minute stumping for Abrams as well.
But what about Michael Bae Jordan? MBJ is woke and politically active, and he’s partnered with Color of Change, a PAC devoted to GOTV in the black community. MBJ went to Atlanta, Georgia to surprise volunteers who have been working on GOTV efforts:
I've been making surprise visits with @VotingWhileBLK in Georgia to talk to Black voters about how important it is to vote next Tuesday. Text VOTE to 225568 and I’ll hit you up with a message to tell you more about how you can join me ✊🏿 #VotingWhileBlack pic.twitter.com/r7W8T51VMC
— Michael B. Jordan (@michaelb4jordan) October 31, 2018
I like this, and it’s great to see people interacting with MBJ – who is a prince of a man – but I do wonder if this is the best use of resources and time? Yes, it’s great to “reward” hard-working people who volunteer to keep our democracy intact. Yes, they were probably extra-motivated after meeting MBJ. But if you have MBJ for a day, shouldn’t you put him out in the field to convince younger people that voting is cool and necessary?
Also: Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls released an ad today called “Smart Girls Vote!”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Thank you, MBJ, for giving me one more reason to adore you today!
Awesome that he is doing that! Although it would have been amazing if he also canvassed like Will Farrell did. Obama is coming to speak too! Lines for the tickets were thousands long. I just hope that those willing to stand in line will also VOTE!
I love everything about this. No shade here at all.
I cannot shade him for encouraging the volunteers working day in, day out to get out the vote and to ensure people of colour are not unfairly denied the right to vote – a big problem in GA. Having canvassed for candidates and been a voter registrar in the past, it is tiring, thankless work. If a visit from MBJ brought a little sunshine and light into their day, well, good on him.
Yes to all of this. It’s so hard to get vols out to knock on doors and that’s been proven to be the best way to reach voters. I keep asking friends to sign up for a shift but everyone thinks someone else will do the work.
Anything to help the GOTV movement is OK by me!
I voted by mail yesterday, and signed up online to see my voting activity to make sure it’s received. VOTE VOTE VOTE!
Just a throwback, but I will always envy the voters in Georgia’s 5th Congressional District’s 1986 Dem primary. They had to choose between John Lewis and Julian Bond. If only we were all so lucky to have to choose between such candidates.
Amen amen amen
It’s great that MBJ and others are showing up and supporting great candidates. Just hope that voters will actually get to the polls and vote. So many are still oblivious about what’s happening in this country. A friend mentioned that Trump and company were doing Willie Horton style campaign ads now…so the gloves are off and their desperation to win at any cost is on full display.
Yay, good for MBJ. I just heard a sad stat: that only about 30% of eligible millennials plan to vote. UGH. If he can eke a few more votes from that group, that would be great.
Where did you hear that? I though I read that they expect turnout to be closer to 40% for millennials (still too low, but better than 30%) and that millennial turnout already exceeds 2016! Of course I can’t remember where I read that, so please take me with a grain of salt in case I misremembered.
I’m an ancient millennial (if you count X-lennials as millennials that is) and I already voted absentee! 🌊🌊🌊
An NPR story this morning. I didn’t hear the whole thing as I got into my car when it had already began. Let’s hope that estimate is wrong.
But I do know that voter turnout is breaking records in general, especially for a midterm. Still it would be nice if even more people were engaged when it is so effing critical!
I saw an article yesterday that gave me a tiny bit of hope. Not sure how reliable the Independent is as a source, but they published an article saying that young voter turnout was up 500% in some places, like Georgia and Texas.
It’s so good to hear that MBJ met with volunteers. Sometimes I feel people don’t appreciate what goes into actually working for GOTV, so cheering volunteers up is vital, especially as many of them must be tired a few days before Election Day. While it would certainly have been good to see him go door-to-door, there’s also the aspect of and extra cost for security to consider.
That said, there’s been a Ruffalo roaming in North Dakota: last Saturday the Incredible Mark headlined an event in Grand Forks, ND, part of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, for Stand-N-Vote, against the rampant voter suppression of Native Americans. MR is also very active on Twitter and Insta, virtually campaigning for, among other people, Stacey Abrams.
Mark is a treasure. Seems that way to me, at least.
Oprah is speaking right now and she is FIRED up! It’s a great speech, google it. GOTV!!!
Just wanted to say daylight saving time is ending, not beginning, and that we’re going back to standard time. Daylight saving is when the clocks “spring forward” to make the daylight last longer during waking hours.
Rashida Jones did too last weekend in GA! It’s crazy how people don’t care about voter suppression and how people who are eligible to vote are facing HUGE obstacles to be able to do so. What a country :/ we live in…
If i opened my door and he was there……