Politics: Making A DifferenceRandy Moody

National Education AssociationJuly 2009

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Legislators See Themselves As…Legislators See Themselves As…• Bright• Hardworking• Unresponsive to Pressure• Detached & Objective• Responsive to the People• Potential Governors, Senators

& Presidents

We See Legislators As…We See Legislators As…• Ignorant About Our Issues• Average• Ambitious• Inconsistent• Unresponsive

The Truth is….The Truth is….

• Most are conscientious• Brighter than average• Trying to do the right thing, as they see it• More responsive to pressure than they think• They are more likely to do things for people

they know and trust

Our RoleOur Role

• Legislators think our role is to provide input they balance against others to make an objective decision.

• Our role is really to persuade them to do what we want them to do.

Elections are the Energy that Drive Elections are the Energy that Drive the Systemthe System• The desire to win

election is the thing that makes representative government representative

• The most important thing about what passes the legislature is who sits there.

Bottom Line: • Every vote counts so lobbying is critical

• Need to make your message stand out from all the noise

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How Can You Stand Out?

• Help elect folks sympathetic to your issues (politics 101)

• Be an effective lobbyist (lobbying 101)

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Politics 101: Getting Involved

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Getting Involved Politically

• Register to vote… and vote in every election.

• Contribute to candidates, PACS, and Political Parties

• Attend political meetings on a regular basis; get to know leaders and decision makers.

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• Stay informed… frequently check for the latest updates.

• E-mail, write, call, visit state legislators and Members of Congress regularly and ask for support on your issues.

• Find your niche -- figure out how you can be most effective.

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Use new media!

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• Start small-- The political process can be very daunting, but local political parties count on new people to help fill in the gaps.

• Staying focused and motivated will bring political change!

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Making Your Voice Heard:Lobbying 101

According to Webster’s Dictionary:

lobbyintransitive verb : to conduct activities aimed at

influencing public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation

transitive verb1 : to promote (as a project) or secure the passage of (as legislation) by influencing public officials

2 : to attempt to influence or sway (as a public official) toward a desired action

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Methods of Political Communication

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Telephone

Email/Electronic

Direct Mail/Print

Face to Face•One on One

•Groups

Face to FaceOne–on-One

Pros:More personal

Inexpensive

Most effective

Can get an immediate response17

Face to FaceOne-on-One

Cons:• Time consuming

• Can be intimidating to volunteers

• Difficult to monitor

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OVERVIEW:

1. Recruit people interested in lobbyingGive them the tools to make your case

Make them PASSIONATE about your issues

2. Prepare for meeting3. Educate Members of Congress4. Keep policymakers updated on your issues –

especially when you aren’t asking for something

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CONSTITUENTS MATTER!

It is important to emphasize a connection to the legislator.

Utilize local contacts, lots of work can be done back home.

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Recruiting Folks to Lobby

• Issues come first; candidates and parties second

• Present information credibly and objectively

• Downplay partisan rhetoric

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• Keep message “of, by, and for” the people lobbying

• Information is key to increasing participation

• Address concerns of specific groups

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Use new media to reach members

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The Message

The message reflects your values priorities.

The message makes a point, is true and is believable.

The one, two or three things you want to say

about an issue.

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What a message IS NOT…

The silver bullet

Slogan/bumper sticker

“Dumbing down”

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Why care about message?

• Opponents care – and they use message to make their points.

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Building a message

First questions…• Who is our audience?

• What do we want them to think?

• What do we want them to do?

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Message Development

Frame the argument

Don’t debate

Use facts to advance the message

What matters is how people feel in the end

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Message Development

• Resonance

• It’s easier to build on a preconceived notion than to dispel one.

• Strike a responsive cord

• Find three or four points that always work. Keep it simple

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Who to LobbyWho to Lobby

On Any Given Question Legislators Divide Into 3 GroupsOn Any Given Question Legislators Divide Into 3 Groups 1. Those who know and care about the issue and are

with you2. Those who know and care about the issue and are

against you3. And, the majority of the legislators who are not

interested or informed about the issues -- Focus persuasion efforts on these people

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUTLEGISLATORS & STAFF

They are extremely busy so make an appointmentMake sure to speak with a scheduler

Unable to co-sponsor / support everything – always prioritizing

Most responsive to people with long term relationships— keep in touch when you have no particular agenda

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…

Committees they serve on

Are they in leadership positions?

Issues they have supported in the past

Legislation they have introduced

What’s their reputation?

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Before your Meeting…

• Define your goals

• Gather your facts

• Plan your group strategy

• Prepare your materials

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During Your Meeting

• Introduce yourself and the team

• Remain focused

• Tell your story

• Get a commitment

• Allow time for questions

• Respect the schedule

• Leave behind your supporting materials

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YOUR PRESENTATION

KEEP IT SHORT

A concise presentation is most effective.

Members and their staff have 15 to 30 minutes per visit.

You may be interrupted at anytime.

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YOUR PRESENTATION

BE FOCUSED

Talk about your goals in numbers where possible:

Jobs

Dollars

Constituents that benefit

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YOUR PRESENTATION

HAVE A SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

Have a “one-pager”

Know how the issue affects you

Be knowledgeable about the details

Be persuasive—use your personal stories

Ask for your legislator’s support

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After Your Meeting…

Debrief

Write a thank you note

Sustain the relationship

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The Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying

1. Politics is consumer driven

2. Do Your Homework!

3. Information is Power

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The Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying

4. A Little Professionalism goes a long way

5. Be Positive!

6. There are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies

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The Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying

7. Build a bond, not a gap.

8. Be a partner.

9. Rome was not built in a day!

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And Finally…

10. Stay Committed!!!

Remember :You are the expert!! You have a

compelling, energizing reason to keep fighting until you get what you need!

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