Join us every Thursday morning to hear fellow Democrats share good news and recommendations. What good things have you seen or read or heard or experienced lately? What’s On Your Mind lets you connect with friends and influence progressive leaders in the community, week after week..

Short Read of the Week for January 21, 2021

In this morning’s Short Read of the Week we considered seven articles (shown here). The article that got the most votes was NPR’s concise and excellent reporting on the people who will be leading the new Administration:

Biden's Administration: Here is Who Has been Named So Far
https://www.npr.org/2020/11/17/933848488/biden-administration-heres-who-has-been-nominated

Our second-place choice was written by Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican:

The GOP Must Choose Between Conspiracy and Reality
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/conspiracy-theories-will-doom-republican-party/617707/
[our copy here]

Both are very much worth reading, and very much worth sharing with your friends.

Join us next week!


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2021/1/21/short-read-of-the-week-for-january-21-2021.

Short Read of the Week for January 14, 2021

In this morning’s Short Read of the Week we had a record number of articles to consider (all shown here). Because of the interesting solution it proposes for a problem that many consider to be unsolvable, the article that got the most votes was:

How Biden Can Rebuild a Divided and Distrustful Nation
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/how-biden-can-rebuild-divided-and-distrustful-nation
[our copy here]

We also chose to recommend:

The Roots of Josh Hawley's Rage
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/opinion/josh-hawley-religion-democracy.html
[our copy here]

Several of us characterized this article as “scary,” but if Josh Hawley is going to become a prominent leader of our opposition, we need to understand and begin communicating how and why his views are so extreme.


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2021/1/14/short-read-of-the-week-for-january-14-2021.

Short Read of the Week for January 7, 2021

In this morning’s Short Read of the Week we had a wide-ranging discussion influenced by yesterday’s astonishing events related to Republican attempts to overturn the presidential election results — we had so much good reading in the articles that were suggested on that subject. Ultimately, however, our unanimous recommendation was about an issue closer to home:

Timber tax cuts cost Oregon towns billions. Then clear-cuts polluted their water and drove up the price
https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2020/12/timber-tax-cuts-cost-oregon-towns-billions-then-clear-cuts-polluted-their-water-and-drove-up-the-price.html
[our copy here]

We also chose to recommend the copy of our Chair’s letter today that is posted on The Tillamook County Pioneer’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/tillamookcountypioneer/posts/3585409691546637

We think that you will be impressed by the many thoughtful responses in the commentary there, generally reflecting well on Fred’s message and on the many people of good will in our community. Very much worth reading in that context.


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2021/1/7/short-read-of-the-week-for-january-7-2021.

Short Read of the Week for December 31, 2020

In this morning’s Short Read of the Week we discussed seven articles, shown here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads. In part because of its persuasive emphasis on smarter forest-management policies that are being ignored by leaders in both parties, the near unanimous first choice was:

Slew of Logging Bills Would Worsen Wildfires as well as Climate Change
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/magazine/entry/logging-bills-would-worsen-wildfires-climate-change
[our copy here]

We had more difficulty making a second choice, but for reasons connected to the good discussion it prompted, we ultimately decided on

Oregon’s Kurt Schrader one of 2 House Dems to vote against $2,000 checks for COVID relief
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/12/oregons-kurt-schrader-one-of-2-house-dems-to-vote-against-2000-checks-for-covid-relief.html
[our copy here]

What do you think of Kurt Schrader’s stand on this issue? Would you come to next week’s Short Read of the Week meeting and tell us?


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/12/31/short-read-of-the-week-for-december-31-2020.

Short Read of the Week for December 24, 2020

In this morning’s Short Read of the Week we discussed four articles (shown here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads), two of which received an equal number of first- and second-place votes. So, in order merely of submission, we recommend that if you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two, and share them with your friends:

We Ended Up Caring About Each Other: Deep Canvassing in 2020
https://downhomenc.org/2020/12/18/year-in-review-we-ended-up-caring-about-each-other-deep-canvassing-in-2020/
[our copy here]

Today's Edition (No. 1053): The Man in the Mirror
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fg7Rle8YzgmA78vjINM3CUg5uNlyrk7A/view?usp=sharing
[our copy here]

Happy Holidays!


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/12/24/short-read-of-the-week-for-december-24-2020.

Short Read of the Week for December 17, 2020

In this morning’s Read of the Week we discussed eight articles (shown here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads.), all very much worth reading, but after a great discussion settled on the two below. The clear favorite was

Who is the Least Biased News Source? Simplifying the News Bias Chart
https://towardsdatascience.com/how-statistically-biased-is-our-news-f28f0fab3cb3
[our copy here]

We also liked very much this letter To Suzanne Weber, written by Astoria resident Cheryl Conway and published in the Daily Astorian:

Very Real Problems
https://www.dailyastorian.com/opinion/letters/letter-very-real-problems/article_4eb13682-38b3-11eb-b3eb-6ba4f9cb332f.html
[our copy here]

If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read and share the articles above, and join us next Thursday!


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/12/17/short-read-of-the-week-for-december-17-2020.

Short Read of the Week for December 10, 2020

In this morning’s Read of the Week we discussed seven interesting articles (shown here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads.) on a variety of subjects, but the two we chose to recommend shared a focus on our civic responsibility to educate voters, particularly on subjects where Republicans tend to spread disinformation. The article that received the most votes was:

How to Get Rid of the Electoral College
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/12/09/how-to-get-rid-of-the-electoral-college/
[our copy here]

The article with the second most votes was:

B.C. biotech plays key role in vaccine breakthrough
https://biv.com/article/2020/11/bc-biotech-plays-key-role-vaccine-breakthrough
[our copy here]

If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two, and share them with your friends. Thank you to everyone who participated this week!


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/12/10/short-read-of-the-week-for-december-10-2020.

Short Read of the Week for December 3, 2020

In this morning’s Read of the Week we discussed eight interesting articles (shown here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads.) on a variety of subjects. Thank you to everyone who submitted! The article that received the most votes was:

Why Democrats Keep Losing Rural Counties Like Mine
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/01/democrats-rural-vote-wisconsin-441458
(our copy here)

The article with the second most votes (but the one we are recommending to publications that very kindly rebroadcast our weekly choices, like The Tillamook County Pioneer) was:

More than Trump’s Loss Needed to Fix U.S. Democracy
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-11-19/what-the-us-can-learn-from-other-countries-on-strengthening-democracy
(our copy here)


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/12/3/short-read-of-the-week-for-december-3-2020.

Short Read of the Week for November 26, 2020

Our first recommendation in this morning’s Short Read of the Week meeting was a fascinating analysis in The Oregon Capitol Insider of Oregon election results, including information about how Oregonians voted differently this year at county and local levels:

Oregon continues blue streak, and lesser known voting stats
https://www.oregoncapitalinsider.com/news/oregon-continues-blue-streak-and-lesser-known-voting-stats/article_af18158e-2924-11eb-b343-c7f0d034fd88.html
[our copy here]

We also chose to recommend an article from The Guardian in part because its author (Bernie Sanders) sets out the difference between Republicans and Democrats so clearly and concisely:

How do we avoid future authoritarians? Winning back the working class is key
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/24/bernie-sanders-working-class-win-back-from-donald-trump
[our copy here]

And we talked about our gratitude for the unity we saw among Democrats during this election season. Our chair expressed it as feeling of family, working shoulder-to-shoulder, in his Chair’s Corner message today. Have you read it?


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/11/26/short-read-of-the-week-for-november-26-2020.

Short Read of the Week for November 19, 2020

In this morning’s Short Read of the Week Meeting the unanimous favorite from among the six or seven articles we discussed was this bit of hope from Earth Island Journal:

It Ain't Over Yet, But Let's Celebrate Some Small Wins
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/celebrate-election-environmental-wins/
(our copy here)

Why? Because the article lists major environmental wins in various states in the November 3rd election, almost all resulting from citizen-led ballot initiatives, showing that good things still can happen if we work at the state and local level.

We also decided to recommend this excellent piece from a group of Democratic US Senators, led by our own Senator Jeff Merkeley:

How Captured Courts Rig The System for Corporate Polluters
https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Captured%20Courts%20Environment%20Report.pdf
[our copy here]

It’s about 16 pages, but if you take the time to read it, you will have a much better understanding of how and why Republican judicial appointments have been so damaging to our country’s environmental policy. This summary near the end is especially helpful:

court-capture.png

Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/11/19/short-read-of-the-week-for-november-19-2020.

Short Read of the Week for November 12, 2020

In this morning’s selection meeting we discussed six articles, and chose to recommend two: the first because it showcases a compelling leader with a compelling vision of how the Democratic Party can be more effective in future elections, and the second because it doesn’t just document and bemoan the country’s worsening polarization - it offers solutions.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Biden’s Win, House Losses, and What’s Next for the Left
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/politics/aoc-biden-progressives.html
(our copy here)

Social Media Is Making A Bad Political Situation Worse
https://apple.news/A23B5Ctf6SWaznbf7ikfnGg
(our copy here)

If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two, and note in particular this passage near the end of the second article:

The answer to all this polarization [involves] serious, truthful, and mediated discussion between people of opposing viewpoints.

It doesn’t require more social media — at least not in its current iteration.

“It’s not just a matter of coming into contact with the other side,” Pariser told Recode about how his conception of filter bubbles has changed since he first coined the term. “It’s doing so in a way that leads us to greater understanding.”

And the way opposing views are presented on social media is not leading to greater understanding. Conversations on Facebook and Twitter, for example, happen through text, not voice, which can be another impediment to understanding. Pariser pointed to work by Berkeley professor Juliana Schroeder that shows conversations through text fail to garner the empathy evoked through hearing someone’s voice, making it an unproductive medium for constructive conversations.

“It’s sort of like the ‘don’t have an argument by text with your partner’ [rule], but for society,” Pariser said.

That’s a big part of why Short-Read-of-the-Week exists. Will you join us next week?


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/11/12/short-read-of-the-week-for-november-12-2020.

Short Read of the Week for November 5, 2020

In this morning’s selection meeting, we discussed five suggested articles, shown here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads. After a great discussion we settled on two articles that, in light of the election, relate to the work we most need to do as a Party going forward:

How to talk to friends and family who share conspiracy theories
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/25/opinion/qanon-conspiracy-theories-family.html
(our copy here)

These key psychological differences can determine whether you're liberal or conservative
https://www.businessinsider.com/psychological-differences-between-conservatives-and-liberals-2018-2
(our copy here)

If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two articles, and share them publicly. And do plan to come to our next meeting and tell us how you think we can most effectively deal with misinformation and misperceptions on the other side of the political spectrum.


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/11/5/short-read-of-the-week-for-november-5-2020.

Short Read of the Week for October 29, 2020

It was a busy week! In this morning’s selection meeting — our last before the election — we considered nine or ten suggested articles, shown here and here and at https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads. After a great discussion we settled on two that reflect our hope for unity, open-mindedness, and neighborly conduct on all sides as the election results settle out. If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two articles, and share them publicly:

How We Got Trump Voters to Change Their Mind
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/how-we-got-voters-to-change-their-mind/616851/
(our copy here)

Dear Residents of Tillamook
https://www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-dear-residents-of-tillamook/article_da2c27ea-13cd-11eb-bb6f-ff933dc6fbed.html
(our copy here)


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/10/29/short-read-of-the-week-for-october-29-2020.

Short Read of the Week for October 22, 2020

In this morning’s selection meeting, we discussed seven articles that were submitted over the course of the week (listed here), and ultimately chose one that you might usefully share with your more conservative or evangelical friends, and one that may simply build on our turnout momentum. If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two articles, and share them publicly::

She's evangelical, pro-life, and voting for Biden
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/opinion/evangelicals-election-biden.html
(our copy here)

Oregon Democrats have returned more ballots so far than GOP, other parties combined
https://kval.com/news/local/oregon-democrats-have-returned-more-ballots-so-far-than-gop-other-parties-combined
(our copy here)


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/10/22/short-read-of-the-week-for-october-22-2020.

Short Read of the Week for October 15, 2020

In the October 15th selection meeting we discussed several shocking items that have received too little attention, such as Trump Administration Efforts to Cut Farm-Worker Benefits and Videos of Closed-Door Sessions Show Voter Suppression Intentions, but we ultimately chose to recommend a couple of articles which should find a receptive audience in older and more conservative communities. If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read these two articles, and share them publicly:

Three Ways Trump Has Proposed Cutting Social Security
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2020/10/09/3-ways-trump-has-proposed-cutting-social-security/
(our copy here)

Romney Decries State of Politics, Puts Blame Largely on Trump
https://www.aol.com/2020-10-13-romney-decries-state-of-americas-vile-vituperative-hate-filled-politics-puts-blame-largely-on-trump-24649760.html
(our copy here)


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/10/16/short-read-of-the-week-for-october-15-2020.

Short Read of the Week for October 8, 2020

At the October 8th selection meeting we had a great discussion, then chose two articles that we felt would have value in motivating our supporters to vote and vote early, or in planting just a little doubt in the minds of Trump supporters, if only enough to make them delay their votes or maybe not vote at all. That's the game now. Very few voters are undecided, so everything depends on turnout.

Please. If you don't read anything else this week, read these two articles, and re-share them as widely as you can.

Goldman Sachs: A Democratic Sweep Would Mean Faster Economic Recovery https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/business/economy-election-blue-wave-goldman-sachs/index.html

(our copy here)

New England Journal of Medicine Writes Unprecedented Editorial Against Trump for COVID https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/07/new-england-journal-medicine-writes-historic-trump-covid-19-editorial/5917734002/

(our copy here)


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/10/9/short-read-of-the-week-for-october-8-2020.

Short Read of the Week for October 1, 2020

At this morning’s selection meeting we chose two items that we hope every Tillamook Democrat will read and share. One is IBEW Endorses Joe Biden for President., suggested by Tillamook Democrat Teri Greeson, which we chose in part because Tillamook county has so many members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and in part because the endorsement speaks to every working family, not just IBEW union members.

The other is Make Americans Trust Elections Again, in the 2020-09-30 Wall Street Journal (our copy here) because it appears in one of the few legitimate news sources widely trusted by Republicans, and it rebuts the dangerous and wildly irresponsible attacks that Trump has been making on the legitimacy of voting by mail.

If you don’t read anything else this week, please read these two short articles, and share them with your friends.


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/10/1/short-read-of-the-week-for-october-1-2020.

Short Read of the Week for September 24, 2020

At this morning’s selection meeting we decided that in the weeks between now and the election we should recommend two articles per week instead of one, in part so that we can have a little more room to recommend positive, hopeful items. So, after a great discussion, we settled on two articles with positive messages about our candidates and positions, both likely to persuade (or at least encourage some open-mindedness in) your conservatives friends. If you don’t read anything else this week, at least read (and share!) these:

Hunters and Anglers Support Biden, by Scott Hassett, in the 2020-09-23 issue of the Waunakee Tribune.
Christian conservatives like me should not let abortion and socialism scare us off Biden, by Bob Inglis, in the 2020-09-18 issue of USA Today.


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/9/24/short-read-of-the-week-for-september-24-2020.

Short Read of the Week for September 17, 2020

At this morning’s selection meeting, we discussed five articles that had been suggested (see  https://tinyurl.com/TillcoDems-short-reads), and from them we chose one that could help Tillamook County Democrats talk about the election with a big group of voters who, with just a little persuasion, might tilt in our direction. So, if you don’t read anything else this week, at least read this:

Why White Women are Turning Away From Trump, by Jenna Johnson, in the 2020-09-12 Washington Post. (Our copy here.)


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/9/17/short-read-of-the-week-for-september-17-2020.

Short Read of the Week for September 10, 2020

At this morning’s selection meeting, we discussed four suggestions, and from them chose one article which has impact because it relates to a story which really could win this election for us, and which answers (using Veterans views and words instead of just Trump’s own words) the only defense that right-wing media outlets have made to the bombshell article in last week’s Atlantic about his derogatory remarks about veterans. So, if you don’t read anything else this week, at least read this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/04/trump-veterans-atlantic-military-losers/

For those who have exceeded their monthly allowance of free Washington Post articles, the text is at
https://www.facebook.com/tillamookcountydemocrats/posts/3547866961943483


Direct link to item: https://tillcodems.org/whats-on-your-mind/2020/9/10/short-read-of-the-week-for-september-10-2020.