WE ARE ALL ADVOCATES NOW Tracking and Corresponding With Public Officials And Their Staffs A We Work For Health ADVOCACY WEBINAR With Dr. Michael Cornfield February 27, 2009 WE ARE ALL ADVOCATES NOW Tracking and Corresponding With Public Officials And Their Staffs A We Work For Health ADVOCACY WEBINAR With Dr. Michael Cornfield February 27, 2009

Today’s Program 1. The New Context for (Grassroots) Lobbying. 2. Action Alert Basics. 3. Drilling In by Drilling Down.

The New Context for Grassroots Lobbying Thanks to new media (Internet, mobile phones) it is ridiculously easy to form, join, and communicate in groups. MyBarackObama.com, the nation’s most successful online political campaign network, is being transformed into Organizing For America, the first presidential online grassroots lobbying network. The national stage is set for health care policy changes this year.

Which Officials Should You Be Tracking? Bloggers follow the national spotlight wherever it goes; PAC leaders scan for close contests and swing votes; Grassroots advocates lock in on their own officials.

Action Alert Templates: The Baseline Message

Note Any Personal Connections Check official bios for shared affiliations. (If you watched the Town Hall webinar, you already knew this!) Mention face-to-face encounters. (If you attended a Town Hall meeting, you can cite it!) Mutual friends. (Your Government Relations team can help identify them.)

THE ‘MONEY’ PARAGRAPH: Why this means so much to you and your community. Personal testimony lifts official correspondence out of the ordinary. It’s not about you, it’s you speaking on behalf of people you care about (who also happen to be constituents.) Write as though you’re equipping the official to argue on your behalf -- you never know, he or she just might do it, and start a persuasion cascade.

Important Information to Include Your industry affiliation. Your involvement in any of the official’s campaigns. Your intent to attend an upcoming event on the official’s schedule.

ADVANCED ADVOCACY: Drilling down to drill in Legislative offices set up filters, traps, and barriers to keep from being overwhelmed by constituent contact. To get through, drill down into the issue so you can add timely specifics: From the issue, to a bill under consideration. (Put the bill number in the subject header.) From the bill, to the stage of the legislative process. (Ask for co-sponsorship, a vote, say thank-you.)

Bonus Benefits of the Drill Down/Drill In Approach You can show off political sophistication. (Familiarity with the official’s stated and recorded position helps a lot on this score.) You can re-contact the office by adjusting your message and request to changed circumstances. (Persistence pays off when you aren’t being repetitive.)

Before You Click “Send”… Check the news: is your request still timely = not too early and not too late? Check your spelling and message length: First, rely on your software and the WWFH template. Second, use your eyes. Check your temper: People remember personal attacks long after an issue has been resolved. They also risk embarrassing exposure. So go ahead, express your anger ---and then strip it out of your text.

Last, and First: Keep a Correspondence Log Keep tabs on what messages you send to whom, when, and with what responses. The resulting reference guide to your correspondence with officials will be immensely valuable to you and to the WWFH campaign: It will help you vary your approaches. It will help us see what’s working, at the aggregate as well as individual level.

To Review: There’s never been a better time to stay on track and in touch with elected officials. The WWFH web site has forms and alerts to help maximize the impact of your correspondence. Attention to details about community impacts and legislative process will take the impact to another level of influence. Comply with applicable rules or laws and your company’s policies with respect to communications with elected officials.

Thank You! Dr. Michael Cornfield 720 Strategies