Help Democrats take the Senate: Adopt an Election

The upcoming November election might be one of the most consequential in history. It’s not enough to defeat Donald Trump – we must also defeat Republicans at large. Over the past four years, the GOP has done nothing to hold Trump accountable for all the deranged, damaging things he’s done while in power – so in November, we must hold the GOP accountable.

Below is a list of key Senate races across the country. If you’re like me and live in a “safely blue” district but still want to help, please consider “adopting” one of the candidates below (or more!). We took back the House in 2018 and are in a good position to do the same with the Senate in November 2020! Any contribution will help these Democrats win their race! And make sure to follow them on Twitter and other social media platforms to help amplify their visibility.

Jaime Harrison vs Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)
The race between Jaime Harrison (D) and Lindsey Graham (R) is one of the most exciting in the country! I’m all in for #TeamJaime and just contributed to his campaign. In the latest poll (as of writing this), the two candidates are tied (42-42). Jaime Harrison has a real shot at defeating long-term Republican Lindsey Graham. As a Southerner, I’m all too familiar with Lindsey Graham – he’s the very definition of spineless Trump Republican. Overnight, he transformed from a #NeverTrumper into Trump’s biggest cheerleader in the Senate. And Trump recently endorsed him.

Now, I don’t know if Trump and/or Russia has information about Lindsey Graham’s private life that they’re using to blackmail him, but it’s awfully peculiar that he turned into such a Trump fanboy.  There have long been rumors that Lindsey Graham is a closeted gay man (he’s denied it several times); recently, rumors have been circulating that numerous male escorts are about to come forward claiming Graham hired them for sex over the years (and they referred to him as “Lady G” in DC). I have no problem with Lindsey Graham being gay, but I have a big problem with his history of supporting an agenda that’s been damaging to the LGBTQ community.

Rumors aside, Lindsey Graham’s cowardice in the face of Trump is enough to vote him out. And Democrat Jaime Harrison is an exciting candidate who will help diversify the US Senate. Check him out on Twitter and consider donating to his campaign now!

Cal Cunningham vs Thom Tillis (North Carolina)
Democrat Cal Cunningham is looking to unseat Republican Thom Tillis in my home state of North Carolina. This is a tight race that’s definitely on the table for Democrats. Cunningham is a strong candidate who has recently polled 2 points ahead of Tillis. By contributing to Cunningham, you can help Democrats pick up a seat in my beloved state of North Caroina. Give Cunningham a follow on Twitter too!

Amy McGrath vs Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)
Amy McGrath (D) is looking to unseat #MoscowMitchMcConnell (aka Mitch McConnell) in Kentucky. Despite the fact that McConnell is Senate majority leader, he consistently ranks as one of the nation’s least popular senators – and for good reason. Instead of working to pass legislation to help everyday Americans during the COVID-19 crisis, he’s been spending his time stacking the courts with Trump judges. A recent poll has McGrath ahead of McConnell by 1 point! While I believe this will be a difficult one for Democrats, McGrath is a strong candidate who can defeat McConnell with your help. Please donate to her campaign now so we can send McConnell packing at last! Make sure to follow her on Twitter and other social media platforms!

Sara Gideon vs Susan Collins (Maine)
Sara Gideon (D) can defeat Susan Collins (R) in Maine. Like Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins is one of the least popular senators in the country with dismal approval ratings. Many have looked at her to be a voice of reason within the Republican party – only to be disappointed time and time again as she falls in line with Trump and the Republican establishment. A recent poll has Gideon ahead of Collins by almost 10 points! Help Gideon defeat Collins by contributing to her campaign now!

John Hickenlooper vs Cory Gardner (Colorado)
Former Governor John Hickenlooper is the Democratic nominee looking to unseat Cory Gardner. Hickenlooper is very popular, and most pollsters rate this one as a close race leaning blue. Gardner is yet another Republican who’s refused to stand up against the worst president in US history – help Hickenlooper win this race!

Mark Kelly vs Martha McSally (Arizona)
Former astronaut (and husband to Gabrielle Giffords) Mark Kelly is the Democrat running against Martha McSally in Arizona. McSally was appointed to the seat left open when John McCain passed away in 2018 – she’s yet another Republican who’s tied herself to Trump, so let’s make sure Mark Kelly is victorious!

There are other Senate races to keep an eye on. Doug Jones is the Democrat who won the 2017 special election in Alabama; he’s considered an underdog, so consider supporting him. In a deeply red state, he’s done the right thing with important votes and needs your help to keep his seat.

Races in Iowa, Michigan, and Georgia could also end up going blue – and will with your help! Please consider adopting one (or more) of these races now! Contribute to the Democratic candidates so we can take control of the Senate. So many things are on the line, and Republicans have proven time and time again that they can’t manage to find a spine when it really counts.

The Downside of Going Viral: Madonna, Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump, and the Alt-Right

Watching your YouTube video go viral isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. I learned that recently when a video I uploaded suddenly started getting thousands of hits in a very short amount of time. Back in September 2015, I attended Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour stop in Brooklyn, New York. During this tour, she always pulled a fan (often a celebrity) on stage during her performance of “Unapologetic Bitch.” It’s silly and funny and a real crowd-pleaser – in Brooklyn, she brought Anderson Cooper on stage. Here’s the link to the video I shot and uploaded:

Madonna – Unapologetic Bitch with Anderson Cooper

Recently, I started getting notices that there were new comments on the video. In less than a week, it garnered more than 1 million views. For me, that’s going viral! Most of the things I’ve posted have a tiny fraction of the views this one video has gotten.

The increase in views/comments came the week after the second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, which was moderated by Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz. The comments were quite negative; for the most part, they were vile insults directed at Anderson Cooper regarding his sexual orientation.

I did a Google search to see if my video had appeared in a news story (which would explain the sudden increase in views). I eventually found that some seemingly Alt-Right website posted a story centering around my video of Madonna and Anderson Cooper. Based on the comments and the poorly written story, it seems the people behind this site (and their audience) have a problem with Anderson Cooper playing around with Madonna on stage. They think he’s a hypocrite for asking Donald Trump legitimate questions about the infamous Billy Bush/Access Hollywood video during the second presidential debate. You remember that video, the one in which Donald Trump brags about being able to sexually assault women?

The website is called ‘Clash Daily with Doug Giles’ – go here for the story they ran on my Anderson Cooper/Madonna video.

Luckily, I have to approve comments on my video before they show up publicly. At first, I just deleted them since they were so ignorant and disgusting. As more and more came in, I decided to hold onto them without letting them appear on the video. Here are a few examples of the comments:

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That, folks, is how some of these Alt-Right / Donald Trump supporters think. They suggest that ISIS needs to come to New York to take out homosexuals; they call Anderson Cooper a faggot over and over again. This is vile, disgusting, cowardly, and completely unacceptable. It’s shocking to see people throw homophobic slurs around so casually. I realize the world of online comments is a cesspool of hate and ignorance, but to see it firsthand is truly sickening. I can’t help but feel disheartened with this glimpse into the darker side of human nature.

In many ways, Donald Trump has brought out the absolute worst in America.  I’ll be glad when the election is over. I just hope these Alt-Right types crawl back into their holes, never to be heard from again.

Going viral – it really isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.