Democrats Abroad: The Blue Vote Caf‪é‬ Democrats Abroad

Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels joins David and Rachel to talk about her research into what motivates American citizens living outside the country to become politically engaged.

As the title of her most recent academic paper puts if, "Democrats abroad: What motivates core activists to engage in political transnationalism?"

Amanda confirms some of the speculation that has been bruited about the cafe since its founding, including the primary reason people move to a different country.

But you'll have to listen to learn what that is.

Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.

Find the full library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com.

David and Rachel are joined by leaders from Democrats Abroad's newest country committee, DA Kenya. Robyn T. Emerson (Chair) and Mohamed Ahmed (Treasurer) share the stories of how each connected with DA, and the founding of DA Kenya.

The discussion turns to a population unique to the "A" of DA's Europe-Middle East-Africa region: Americans of African descent; and touches on Mohamed's first votes as a person who has not yet turned 20; the importance of youth activism, particularly in addressing gun violence; and what it feels like to volunteer to help hold up the Democratic tent.

Mentioned in the episode: the Gun Violence Prevention Action Team Lauch with Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost.

Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pary, President of the Association of State Democratic Committees, and a Vice Chair of the Demcratic National Committee, joins David and Rachel in the café, substantiating his claim that he will accept any invitation to talk where there are at least two Democrats.

Quoting LBJ, Ann Richards, Margaret Mead, Ayanna Pressley, and Confucius, Ken discusses the importance of the vote from abroad, and its majority Democratic comosition.

Outlining the incredible story we have to tell about Biden and Harris's achievements to date, he urges Democrats to stop agonizing and start evangelizing.

While acknowledging that you don't have to love someone to vote for them, Ken shares compelling personal reflections on both Biden and Harris, as well as on his home state of Minnesota.

Rachel and David's guest in the café is longtime Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, who gained notoriety in 2022 for calling the election right when everyone else had it wrong.

Simon talks about the weakness of the GOP's position, with a candidate diminished in multiple ways and a crazy, ideologically unhinged politic, the 6 factors that will impede Trump in 2024, and about the Hopium Chronicles community that he founded with the watch words, "Do more, worry less."

With a reference to diapers and pictures you might not want to look up, and a resounding endorsement of FDR's four freedoms.

For more information, visit https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/.

Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.

Find the full library of Blue Vote Café episodes as bluevotecafe.com.

The Reverend Harcourt ("Harky") Klinefelter joins Rachel and David to share memories from the time he spent working with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Harky, a DA member, talks about serving as Dr. King's press officer, and the Selma and Montgomery marches. He brings the voices of long-ago freedom fighters to life, and about working on Dr. King's funeral.

Clips that are mentioned in the interview and a transcription:

The part of the speech that appeared during Dr. King’s funeral was from “The Drum Major Instinct” King concluded the sermon by imagining his own funeral.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mefbog-b4-4

The three hour documentary that only aired once is “King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis”. The documentary was recently restored and can once again be seen in its original form.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065944/


The first part of the interview with the 10 year old Selma marcher is a bit hard to hear because of the quality of the recording. Here is a transcription of the first half:

`I didn't go prepared to march. I had planned to go all the way  but I wasn't sure they were going to be able to take me because they taken all the names and I didn't take anything but my coat. So I had to sleep (in the) cold, and the heaters (in the tent) went out and the wind and everything was real terrible, and so I stayed woke (awake) that night by the little gas burner they had outside. The next day-- the next day we marched and marched and it rained, and that's the day we really had to walk hard  all that rain. 

I didn't get a cold, the next day it rained which was Tuesday, that was through Lownes country, Yeah, that's the day you had to `pick them up and put them (your feet) down'. Blisters and everything, oh boy I'm telling you, I said  I know they (the racists) they're going to try something even if they have to wait until we come back. I said `Lord,I say, I know these people, in Lownes country. All I want you to do is take care of me and give me the strength to walk faster through this stretch. I mean, I prayed that prayer all the way through there.

I didn't have any water all day  because if we stopped we had to run to catch up, you know, and I wanted to be credited for walking all the way  So I just did without water, and my tongue was swole (swelled) up. The next day, ah, the nurses out there they waited on me and she came and she say (said) `Little girl are you going to march today?' I say (said) `Sure I am.? All those blisters?' I say (said) `There not hurting, only when I stop'. And you stayed out all the time?  `All the time, every camp we stayed in. I slept in it.'

How did you feel when you marched up the street to the Capital?

`My feet were so bad! and when I had the flag carrying, one of the biggest ones out there, I felt so happy, I didn't knew what to do  Dr King, I think he's the greatest that's happened. Really,  it's just like heaven. And I'll go anywhere he tells me to go, really, with blisters, sores, sore head, anything. 

You know, I couldn't hardly breathe when I was out there, I fainted, I passed out, and everything, but I ended up going on ahead. What do you feel the march was accomplished? `We're 50 years ahead from where we started when this voter registration started. Really in Selma, 50 years, because people can walk around and not be afraid. If someone get killed that doesn't stop them, I didn't walk 50 miles in vain.' 

You feel that people will be afraid to register vote?

`Well, I don't think they should be afraid because after all they have been killing Negroes all the time and noting has be done about it. They do find out who killed'em (them) now.

This has been a big improvement?

`If you will excuse me for the slang, "It's just a n****r dead."'

Carl Weinschenk joins David and Rachel to talk about his blogging and video efforts to communicate President Biden's substantial accomplishments to undecided voters in the swing states. With some discussion of the race to fill George Santos's vacant seat, a long-ago glimpse of the young Donald Trump in Jamaica Estates NY, a little of Carl's family history, and the Cafe's first mention of "double-haters."

Also a shout-out to @DanPfeiffer and @PodSaveAmerica.

Carl's site: https://bidenandtheswingstates.com/ and

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bidenandtheswingstates