Newsletter for Dec 13, 2020

In this Newsletter:

• Message from the Chair
• Candidate Updates
• GWCDP News
• Our Community
• News & Noteworthy
• Upcoming Events

---

Message from the Chair

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard all about the Supreme Court FINALLY putting an end to the fiasco of Texas suing a bunch of states in order to overturn the election. It’s a solid and completely unsurprising outcome, but it doesn’t quite wash away the embarrassment of our Congressman Jeff Duncan and State Attorney General Alan Wilson adding their names to this unprecedented effort to reverse the will of the people.

You know what I like the most, though? How President Joe Biden just kept his cool throughout the whole process. From the very beginning:

• He didn’t rant on Twitter daily.
• He didn’t threaten and cajole his cohorts into doing more for him.
• He didn’t make up outlandish claims to bolster his case.

Joe Biden just coolly went about the business of forming his cabinet, sharing updates, providing a 100-day pandemic plan… You know – the stuff a President is SUPPOSED to be doing!

I’ll confess: Biden wasn’t my first choice in the February primary. I had cast my vote for Elizabeth Warren based on what I had seen in the debates up until that point. But here and now, Joe Biden is MY President.

And he has EARNED my respect!

---

Candidate News

In just over a week from now, voters in the City of Greenwood in Ward 2 will be able to vote for their next representative on the City Council.

We had enlightening interviews with both candidates at last Saturday’s Virtual Breakfast Meeting (see below).

The candidates have also been invited to participate in a Town Hall hosted at the Morris Chapel Baptist Church on Tuesday, Dec 15, at 6 pm.

If you live in Ward 2, please note the polling locations below for your precinct:

---

Interested in running for a local office in 2022?

The GWCDP can help you explore opportunities and provide our resources and knowledge to get you started.

Contact our Search & Support Committee Chair, James Thompson, at jetbyrd461@gmail.com to start that conversation!

---

GWCDP News

We held our final Virtual Breakfast Meeting of the year on Saturday Dec. 5. Thank you to all who attended via Zoom and Facebook Live! We had strong attendance for an end-of-the year meeting. 

We covered:

• 2020 Election Results & lessons learned
• Q&A with the two candidates for Greenwood City Council Ward 5
• Interview with local radio personality Brother Bill Robinson
• GWCDP news & updates

You can view the playlist on YouTube and watch the segments from the meeting. The slide deck containing the Election Result numbers is also available on Google. 

---

Did you know?  We host two different Facebook pages:

• The official “page” of the GWCDP where you will see announcements, calendar events, and other topics of critical interest to our Party.
   
• A private Greenwood Democrats “group” where members can post & comment freely on topics of concern.

We invite you to like our official page and to join our private group. You can participate in the conversation or broaden your knowledge on the issues that we we fight for every day!

---

Our Community

Please join us in our December Community Care Movement! We will be distributing gift cards to members of Greenwood County for whom it would mean a great deal.

Click on the image below to see a larger version and learn more about this opportunity to make a difference locally and show that Democrats Care!

---

During the holiday season, there are many worthy causes to which one can donate. One that is worth consideration is the Emanuel Nine Memorial. Per their website:

“The church is currently raising funds to restore and preserve the historic church structure in anticipation of the opening of the Emanuel Nine Memorial.”

---

Locally, the Piedmont Agency on Aging and Meals on Wheels program is collecting items for its annual holiday gift bag project to 

deliver to over 500 homebound seniors this Christmas.

Packaging has begun and deliveries will occur throughout this week. Please visit this IJ article for more details on the types of items they are collecting and for contact information for those of you who able to donate or volunteer.

---

News & Noteworthy

According to the Index-Journal, “Edith Childs was shocked to learn former President Barack Obama mentioned her in his new book, ‘A Promised Land.'” (photo is attributable to the IJ).

We’re not shocked, of course. After all, the Obama campaign prominently featured our County Councilwoman in a very powerful campaign video back in the day!

---

The Electoral College meets on Monday to formally cast their votes for President and solidify Joe Biden as President of the United States and Kamala Harris as Vice President. PBS has an excellent article about how this process works and what we can expect!

---

Finally, it is with dismay that we observe Governor Henry McMaster going directly against the advice he gave at a press briefing on Wednesday where he told us:

“Now is not the time to let up.
 Now is the time to redouble our efforts,”

Yet as you can see in this photo taken Sunday morning, we can expect the pandemic to only worsen in South Carolina with leadership like this. Stay safe, everyone. We’re on our own.

---

Upcoming Events See our Calendar Page for these and other upcoming events.

City of Greenwood Ward 2 Candidate Town Hall Tue, Dec 15 6 pm Morris Chapel Baptist Church Greenwood County Council Tue, Dec 15 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Greenwood County Public Library Greenwood City Council Mon, Dec 21 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Greenwood Municipal Building Also streamed live on Facebook. Greenwood City Council Ward 2 Election Tue, Dec 22 7 am – 7 pm GWCDP Virtual Breakfast Meeting Sat, Jan 9 9 am – 10:30 am Signup via Mobilize