MoveOn.org National Call

Notes, MoveOn.org national call, 1/22/17

Recorded by: Ogie Strogatz (ogstrogatz@gmail.com; or you can find me on FaceBook).

• Operating principles: MoveOn.org, indivisible.com, WorkingFamilies.org (all 3 co-sponsored the call)

• Opposition to Trump agenda

• Local-level, defensive Congressional advocacy

• Actions driven by progressive values (e.g. honesty; respect for others); don’t be a jerk

• Non-violent resistance; reliance on telling our stories to illustrate our concerns, aspirations

• De-escalation

• Coming to everything out of a place of love

• Overview, www.indivisibleguide.com

• Adapt from Tea Party strategy playbook: be locally focused, and almost purely defensive

• Recommended action regardless of whether you live in a red, blue, other state: go in person as a group of constituents, to the district offices of your members of the US Senate and House of Representatives (aka Members of Congress, or MoCs)

• If you can’t meet with the MoC, ask to meet with one of her/his senior staff members/the person in charge of the district office (vs intern or lower-level staff).

• If you can’t go in person, call your MoCs; if you can’t call, email.

• Record and share via social media what takes place during and after the in-person meetings. Post photos and video clips. If there is resistance to your meeting with the MoC, record and post that.

• Before you go to an in-person meeting:

• Prepare “asks”

• Be sure to align the asks with the issues that are top of mind for the MoC and their staff (what they’re working on/where their heads are now).

• Assign roles within your group (who will be the primary point of contact with the media; who will introduce the group at the beginning of the meeting; who will convey the asks to the MoC or staff member; which constituents will share their personal stories that underscore the importance of the asks)

• Alert the press about the upcoming in-person event

• Recommended actions if you live in a blue state

• Thank your MoCs for being champions on the issues that matter to us.

• Remind MoCs that we have their backs (e.g. they can count on us if they have a time-sensitive need for robust constituent action – calls, emails, rallies).

• Challenge your MoCs about specific ways that they can work harder, be bolder.

• Taking action as a local group

• Outreach: join a local activist group, or start your own by drawing a list of potential members from your cell phone contacts (friends, relatives, others who can help)

• Bear in mind that in addition to organizing or joining a group to visit the MoC’s district office, you can connect with MoCs in person at local public events (e.g. Town Hall meetings, ribbon cuttings).

• Social media

• Twitter (#indivisible, #ResistTrump); great for posting brief quotes

• FaceBook (use FBLive; post photos as well as short videos)

• Traditional media

• Write a press release or advisory prior to in-person events

• Press release templates at www.MoveOn.org, www.WorkingFamilies.org, www.indivisibleguide.com

• Include quotes from those most affected by the issue(s) you plan to focus on at the event

• Make a list of local media outlets

• Television, radio, print, blogs, wire services (e.g. AP)

• List of reporters for each outlet

• Prior to an in-person event

• Email the press release/advisory to reporters, then follow up with a call to be sure they’ve received it.

• Have 2-4 people in your group practice the succinct story you want to convey to reporters.

• Identify the group member(s) who will greet reporters.

• During an in-person event

• Record what did (or did not) happen – photos, short videos.

• After an in-person event

• Send a press release to the media outlets to summarize what happened; helps build relationships with reporters. Always follow up.

• Write letters to the editor

• Ask if you can meet with members of the editorial board, to see if you can write an op-ed piece (longer than a letter to the editor)

• De-escalation (members of conservative organizations may attempt to disrupt events organized by progressive organizations)

• Stay calm and avoid confrontation; embody progressive values – be cool, calm, respectful.

• Use non-violent, inclusive language at all times.

• Share tips with buddies.

• [Note: “Resources” is a useful page on www.indivisibleguide.com – links to the Indivisible Guide, the Action Calendar to coordinate with other events nationally, and the Group Leader Toolkit to launch a local group: https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resources/]

• Closing calls to action

• If possible, call on MoC offices on Tuesdays (ref. Twitter: #resisttrumptuesday) – helpful for us to focus nationally on doing the same thing at the same time in the same place, locally, each week

• On your cell phone, text “JOIN” to the number 668366 to get alerts from MoveOn.org

• The week of 2/20-24/17 is a district work period. Look for opportunities to connect with MoCs at local public events.