Keep scrolling past the links to watch last week’s training, “Creating a Practical Digital Advocacy Strategy in a Tough Environment”. And believe me, if you are a fan of constitutional democracy, we are in a tough environment.
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Hi folks, what a time. With Donald Trump overturning 80 years of U.S. alliances in favor of a Russian dictator, I am not sure what kind of a world we will be living in soon. Though I suspect it’ll contain a lot more nukes in a lot more countries, because European and Asian democracies can’t count on us to guarantee their freedom anymore.
Today I delivered my training on digital rapid response communications; for the first time in the 12-odd years I’ve been doing online sessions, I had a troll invasion. At least two guys joined the call using fake names, and they kept unmuting themselves and interjecting. I didn’t realize exactly what was happening at first, but folks let me know in the Zoom chat and I kicked them out. Unfortunately, since they kept trying to get back on under different names, I had to stop admitting participants who would ordinarily be able to join late. I fear that this kind of interference is a tame foreshadowing of what may be coming next. Watch for the recording soon and you can enjoy the experience yourself.
It’s closing in on midnight Eastern as I write these words. I’m working on a piece on what may happen to political advocacy as a concept and a profession in our new reality, but for now, here are a few links to keep you up tonight. We may be getting close to midnight in America in more ways than one.
- Adam Kinzinger: Are We Now the Bad Guys? Apparently, the answer is yes.
- Trump’s cuts hit red states, triggering GOP pushback. But, After ceding power of the purse, GOP lawmakers beg Trump team for funds. If Congressional appropriations are merely advisory, what is the point of advocacy?
- Elon Musk’s DOGE is feeding sensitive federal data into AI to target cuts. Not coincidentally, Elon Musk debuts Grok 3, an AI model that he says outperforms ChatGPT and DeepSeek.
- Elon Musk ridiculed a blind person on X. Then a mob went to work. “Musk’s massive online following, his ownership of a social media platform where he can dictate content moderation rules, and his position heading a government entity with access to private data, give him a unique ability to threaten those who question him and chill dissenting speech.”
- As Musk reshapes the government, some ask: Where are the guardrails? A damn good question.
- DOGE wants access to confidential IRS taxpayer data. Surely that’s nothing to worry about, though.
- As federal workers turn to Signal to share information, Musk’s X is blocking links to it. Including in DMs.
- See inside DOGE’s playbook for eliminating DEI.
- ‘JD gets the game’: Vance embraces role as social media provocateur.
- How the Woke Right Replaced the Woke Left.
- This app is turbocharging calls to Congress about Trump’s policies.
- The ‘Wayback Machine’ is preserving the websites Trump’s White House took down.
- Dems concede Republicans ‘running circles’ around them online as Trump remakes Washington. Followed later the same day by Democrats, influencers huddle for a new new media strategy, a result, one suspects, of a hurried wave of press outreach.
- Who’s Afraid of Hasan Piker? “He’s hot. He’s “dangerous.” Young men actually listen to him. Is he what Democrats are looking for?”
- Melissa Ryan: “If we have any chance of opposing MAGA and stopping Elon Musk’s crime spree, it’s on us to be out front and create a public groundswell and uprising. If we can manage that, many elites will likely follow our lead.” I hope it’s not too late.
Watch Now: Crafting a Practical Digital Advocacy Strategy in a Tough Environment
Advocates across the country face some steep hills to climb in the current climate. How can advocacy campaigns create, implement and refine digital strategies fit for a tough political environment? This online session explored the process of building and executing practical and effective digital strategies designed to survive contact with the real world.
Content creation resources I mentioned or meant to mention during the training:
This session discussed:
- What should a plan contain?
- How do you match your capabilities with your goals?
- How do you sort through digital tools and communications channels now available?
- How do you identify the resources you’ll need, from skills to content to dollars?
- How do you identify pressure points that decisionmakers might actually notice?
- How can you integrate the digital parts of your campaign with each other and with everything else you do, from field organizing to Hill visits?
- And, of course, much more!
I hope you find it useful.
– cpd
Top image by Henryk Niestrój from Pixabay