How to Win Friends and Influence Voters
So you want to save democracy, eh?
Reports of the devastation and violence of Israel’s invasion and bombardment of Rafah are harrowing. Please continue to call your Representative and Senators to let them know in no uncertain terms that the number one priority should be an immediate ceasefire and that we should not be sending any aid or weapons to Israel while their military commits these atrocities. You can find a guide to making these phone calls here. You can contact the White House to tell them the same here. And you can find verified GoFundMes to help Palestinians here.
It’s easy to read the news and feel helpless. Trump had the opportunity as president to nominate three Supreme Court Justices who hold our fates in the palms of their cruel, dishonest hands, and if he gets reelected he’ll likely get to nominate two more. Every June we spend on tenterhooks waiting to find how they’ll next empower corporate America and enable bigotry. Across the country, elected Republicans are gutting abortion rights, banning celebrations of diversity and queer pride, gutting environmental protections that keep us safe, and making it easier to buy guns. And yet somehow Donald Trump is ahead of President Biden in the polls. Plus, voters are increasingly getting their news from social media, which makes its money by being as inflammatory as possible with little regard for the truth, or not at all, which means they may be missing the stakes of this election, and the true cause of economic, social, or political distress.
The good news is that we are not helpless. And in fact, our commitment to working for progress, volunteering for campaigns, and fighting for what we care about is more important than ever. If voters aren’t getting their information from the news, it’s harder for campaigns to reach them. And that’s where we come in. Through volunteer shifts with campaigns, our own social media, and conversations with friends, family, and coworkers, we have the power to shift the dynamics of this election and ensure a future full of possibility. Here’s how:
Sign up to volunteer: I know talking to strangers sounds scary, believe me. Every election season it usually takes me a couple of tries to actually commit to a volunteer shift. But I promise, it’s not nearly as scary as it seems, and I’ve got some tips to help you feel better about it.
Every volunteer shift has a training element, and at least two organizers to answer questions and give you guidance. You’ll show up at your appointed time, either on zoom or in person, and the organizers will give you a rundown of your candidate, and any technology you’ll need for your shift. They are always supportive, generous, and extremely grateful for your time - that’s how they became organizers!
Most people are nice! They may not always be excited to talk to you, but it's very rare that you encounter anyone truly combative or rude. And while you may have one or two negative calls, or you may have some folks who shut their door on you, more often than not you’ll be helping people find their polling place, check on their mail-in ballot, make a plan to vote, and learn how candidates are fighting for them. Sometimes, you’ll even get a “thanks for volunteering!”
You don’t need to know everything! Most of the people you talk to aren’t going to have super nitty gritty questions. They have a lot of the same concerns you do - how to make rent, grocery store prices, their kids’ safety, their communities, and instability around the world. The campaign you’re volunteering for will provide talking points that cover 90% of the scenarios you encounter, and for everything else “I’m just a volunteer, but I can take your question back to the campaign” will cover it.
Posting on Social Media: It’s probably not enough on its own, but it can help make a difference! If people are getting their news from social media, then flooding the internet with the messages and issues that you want to see movement on will help change the conversation. Highlighting how voters can make a difference by putting good people in power, by contacting their Representatives and Senators, by showing up to volunteer shifts and rallies and protests empowers all of us to make a difference. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Put into the world the kind of politics you want to see in the world. I’ll be honest, I’m often the worst at sticking to this rule, but I do try. Social media is literally engineered to provoke us into being our most snarky, provocative, and angry. But if we want the conversation around politics to feel better, then what we put out in the world needs to feel better. That doesn’t mean avoiding posting bad news, but it does mean we should keep an eye on our tone.
Identify the perpetrators. When you’re posting about bad news, identify the cause, and tell people how to take action. Is there a candidate working on this issue? Post a link to sign up to volunteer with them or show them where to donate. Is it legislation that is going to hurt people? Help connect your followers with their legislators.
There is good news out there, and people should know about it! There’s a lot of pain and suffering in the world, and sometimes it feels like nothing is changing. But reminding ourselves and showing others when good things happen reminds us that we can make a difference, and very often we are!
Talking to Friends and Family: there’s an actual term for this! It’s called relational organizing, and it is a huge part of making change and winning elections.
Politics can be really hard to talk about, and it’s getting harder. More and more our political positions are becoming part of our identity, making these conversations deeply emotional and often quite fraught. But here’s the thing, you know how to do this. You know how to have conversations, even hard ones, with your friends and family. And the good news is, because these are people you have a relationship with, you don’t have to do it all at once. Here’s some of what I’ve found helpful:
As Ted Lasso says, “be curious, not judgmental.” Instead of responding immediately with your opinion, ask some questions of the person you’re talking to about what they are worried about and why, where they got their information, what kind of changes they’d like to see in the world. When you have a better sense of where they're coming from, it's easier to express empathy for their core worry while talking about what Democrats and progressives are doing to address it.
Personalize your own argument. The person you’re talking about cares about you - they want you to be happy and healthy and safe. When you’re talking about politics, talk about why it matters to you and the people you care about - what you’re afraid of, what you worry about, what you hope for. Talk about your own experiences. These things matter much more than getting every single fact and figure right.
Okay, hopefully you’re feeling a little bit more prepared to have some conversations about politics, whether you’re volunteering, posting, or talking to your loved ones. If you have any questions at all please drop them in the comments! I’m happy to talk it through with you, or figure out how to get you an answer if I don’t know.
If you’re ready to get started, I highly recommend the Sister District phone banks. They are great for beginners. There’s always fantastic training, and the technology is really easy to use. For other volunteer opportunities, I recommend Vote Save America which will help you tailor your volunteer hours to what will be most effective, and closest to you. You can also sign up for the Organize or Else program and get volunteer opportunities delivered straight to your inbox. You can also find some great trainings here, and a past messaging training here.
Over the next five months you’ll see my usual rambling posts, but I’ll also feature ways for you to get involved in the 2024 elections. We have a lot to fight for, so let’s get to it!
All the hearts and thumbs up for you, Sara!