Call Your Representative: Urge Them to go to the Battered Moderate Representative Shelter Before it is Too Late

Table of Contents:

• The Two Sides of the Toxic Republican Party Relationship
• Get Out of that Toxic Relationship
• Call Your Representative, Script
• Tips for Calling Your Representative
• Contacting Your Representative

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I’m having flashbacks to an ugly childhood as I watch the Republican House try to “elect” a Speaker. This isn’t so much a political process as it is a toxic abusive relationship that either side has the strength to end. The MAGA Republicans continue to batter and abuse the moderate Republicans, and the moderate Republicans hang in there taking it in the name of preserving the party, their slim majority, and remaining in elected office.

The Two Sides of the Toxic Republican Party Relationship

MAGA Republicans Just Keep on Gaslighting Moderate Republicans

On the one hand you have the MAGA Republicans who are the sadistic narcissistic psychopathic physical and emotional abusers. They can’t stand the thought of the moderate Republicans leaving them, but they can’t stop themselves from abusing them. They have to threaten them with physical violence. They have to mete out emotional violence. The moderates are forcing them to do it, don’t you see? They don’t want to beat them, scream at them, deprive them of food and water, and call them names. They don’t. They really don’t. It’s not who they are. The moderates are making them by being so bad, by doing things they know they ought not to, by doing things they know will piss them off. The moderates KNOW they can’t control themselves, but they push them, push them, push them until they just can’t help themselves.

The Battered Spouse Syndrome of Moderate Republicans

It’s starting to dawn on the moderates that it doesn’t matter whether MAGA loves them or not, they are going to hit them anyway. However, the moderates don’t quite believe that any other voters besides MAGA voters will love them. They are just so undeserving of real honest votes by independent voters. They have to stay with the MAGAs or no one will ever vote for them again.

They know their independent friends and Democratic siblings are right. It’s a bad relationship. They know MAGA isn’t telling the truth. They keep coming home with money and majorities they can’t explain. They know there is something MAGA is keeping form them, hiding from them…

It’s just when they ask or try to find out, MAGA gets so mad and bad things start happening. They get primaried, the phone calls start, windows get broken.

What can they do now? The few friends they have left, that MAGA allows them to talk to, tell them that there are voters out there… but, how can they be sure? Their friends assure them there is a life outside of elected office, but it’s been so long since they were out of office, they wouldn’t know where to begin. What else could they do? Consult? Lobby? MAGA would just soil their name. They saw what happened to Will Hurd and Jaime Herrera Beutler. They aren’t a Liz Cheney. Really, we expect too much from them.

Besides, it is so good with MAGA… when it’s good. MAGA promises to gerrymander their districts one day, just as soon as they get ahead enough to do so. They promised.

Maybe MAGA is right. Permanent majority doesn’t seem so bad, right? In fact, it is pretty good right? Majority rules is a thing, right? So what, if it is in a single-party pseudo-democracy, it is still a democracy, right? So what if it is only white people voting. At least someone gets to vote, right? That’s a democracy. That counts.

The rest of the world saw what the moderate Republicans couldn’t or wouldn’t: the 2020 election was the opportunity for the moderates to escape their abusive relationship with MAGA. They didn’t have to object to certifying Biden’s election. They could’ve voted to impeach and convict I2I4. It would’ve been so easy… but so scary, too. Did you HEAR those threatening phone calls. Brrr. Who could blame them for voting for Trump after THAT!!1! No one gets into politics because of the strength of their convictions or having courage. That’s just crazy.

What would life be like without a rabid pack of fanatical voters? What would life be like making deals with Democrats? Really, compromising with Democrats? Are you sure? Who would vote for them if they cOmPrOmIsEd? They just can’t.

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Now is a Good Time to get out of That Toxic Relationship

America loves second chances and come back kids. Here is the second chance for moderate Republicans to repudiate MAGA. They could insist that the Speaker can’t have voted against certifying the 2020 election or against impeaching I2I4. They could state unequivocally that the Speaker of the House, second in succession, has to support democracy.

Our moderate Republicans are like the abused partner in a relationship. They need support, understanding, and cajoling to get out of it. They need a warm safe secure place to go that is beyond the reach of the MAGA flying monkey squad, where the terrorists that are MAGA cannot find them.

This is where you come in. You have to call their office and assure them that there is life outside of elected office. That they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can’t vote for a Speaker that is anti-democratic and authoritarian. Their democracy needs them. This is their time to stand up and be counted.

They need to know that you’ll be there for them even if they do lose a primary or an election.

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Call your Representative

The Script for Calling Your MoC

When you call your MoC, you should be prepared just in case someone actually answers or their voice mail isn’t “full.” Use a script. You want to be succinct and clear, and you don’t want to miss anything. Here’s a suggestion:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [STATE and LOCALITY].

I’m calling today to tell [REPRESENTATIVE] that our democracy needs them if we are to survive the threat that Donald Trump and his supporters pose to our Constitutional republic. We cannot have a Speaker of the House who does not fully support democracy. That means no one who voted against certifying Biden’s win in 2020, questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election, or didn’t vote to impeach Trump in 2021 for the insurrection can be Speaker.

Our country and the world are facing multiple crises. We need a House leader who can and will work with moderate Republicans and Democrats to pass the legislation that our country needs right now. It is time for political courage. I expect [REPRESENTATIVE] to have that courage.

Thank you for your time and attention.

IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.

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Tips for Calling

When you call your representative’s office, please remember the following:

• Only contact YOUR MoC! They only listen to their constituents and dismiss requests from non-constituents. Ask for the aide working on the policy-related issues.
• Be polite! No matter whose office you’re calling. No matter what their positions are. No matter how inflamed you are about the issue — and you should be very passionate — be polite.
• Remember that the people you are talking to are people! So, be nice.
• Call during business hours of the area code their office is in. Typically, that is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Have a script or notes to follow so you don’t forget anything.
• Call with friends, you know like a party.

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Contacting Your MoC

Find out how to contact your MoC using these links!

• Common Cause will give you the names, party affiliation, direct phone number, website link, and social media platforms of all of your federal, state, and local elected officials.
• GovTrack gives you the names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and X-itter handles of your senators and representative. It is pretty straightforward and easy to use. Just plug-in your address. You can also track legislation.
• USA.gov is the official guide to information and services of the US government. This page explains clearly how to contact everyone from the President to your Representative to specific government agencies. Through it you can find the following information about your MoC’s:
  • Their phone numbers: DC and state offices
  • Their mailing addresses both in DC and their state offices
  • Official website with their contact page including email, request a meeting, town hall schedules, and social media
  • And, the committees they sit on
• 5 Calls: Sign-up for 5 Calls because they help you contact your member of Congress and keep you abreast of on going issues that are important to you! Now, that is a good deal.
• The Capital Hill Switch Board: (202) 224-3121.

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Join Indivisible

Follow the link to Indivisible to find a group near you, their campaigns, events in your neighborhood, and download their handy-dandy booklet!

Image Attribution

This image was generated using Poe’s StableDiffusionXL bot using the prompt, Make a picture of a Republican Party elephant hiding under a table with a squad of raging monkeys with wings on top of the table.