RUBBER STAMP REPS Obamacare Anniversary Events: Friday, March 23

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "RUBBER STAMP REPS Obamacare Anniversary Events: Friday, March 23"

Chester Cole
6 years ago
Views:

1 RUBBER STAMP REPS Obamacare Anniversary Events: Friday, March 23 On Friday, March 23 the anniversary of the date Obamacare was signed into law constituents across the country will gather to remind their elected officials that we haven t forgotten their votes to strip coverage from tens of millions of Americans, and essential protections from millions more when they voted for either Obamacare repeal or the tax scam bill. The White House s rubber stamps in Congress have led a never-ending crusade against Obamacare. Last year, 24 Rubber Stamp Reps, along with many other conservatives in Congress, voted for a bill that would repeal Obamacare, which would have left 23 million fewer Americans without access quality, affordable health coverage. This bill would have punished people for getting sick, for getting older, for having less income, for being female all to hand a massive tax giveaway to the rich. After that effort fell short in the Senate, 30 of these Rubber Stamp Reps helped pass the new tax scam into law, which included health care provisions that experts project will lead to huge premium hikes and 13 million fewer people with health insurance. OFA, Protect Our Care, and Health Care Voter are standing up to let our representatives know that they cannot get away with votes like these that put partisan politics ahead of the health, well-being, and economic security of the American people. Host an event Hold Congress accountable for voting to repeal Obamacare and rip health care from millions of Americans Below you ll find what you need to start put together a successful event, but check out OFA s Earned Media Toolkit for more detailed guidance on planning and executing an earned media event.

2 What s in this guide Host a press event Press tips Sample event agenda Checklist & timeline for planning your event (from now March 23) Social media guidance Sample press advisory

3 Host a Press Event Elected officials pay close attention to the press coverage in their local news outlets because they know that such coverage both reflects opinions among their constituents and influences the opinions of others. You can use earned media to get your issue covered in the local press and in front of your elected leaders. Earned media, means stories that run as news in a local newspaper, blog, radio, or TV station. They are earned because we planned an event that was newsworthy enough to be covered by one of these sources. In other words, earned media is the opposite of paid media, which are also known as advertisements. Through our own organizing experience, we ve developed some best practices for setting up an event that s most likely to earn press coverage and convey a powerful message to key decision makers and constituents. It all comes down to a few key elements: message, speakers, and location. What we are trying to communicate Last year many conservatives in Congress, including 24 Rubber Stamp Reps, voted to repeal Obamacare, which would have ripped health care from millions of Americans. This disastrous bill to repeal Obamacare would have punished people for getting sick, for getting older, for having less income, for being female all to hand a massive tax giveaway to the rich. When that effort fell short in the Senate, 30 of these Rubber Stamp Reps then helped pass the new tax scam into law, which included health care provisions that experts project will lead to huge premium hikes and 13 million fewer Americans insured, while providing a huge windfall for wealthy individuals and corporations. Constituents will not stand silently as their representatives rubber stamp the White House s dangerous agenda at the expense of constituents, especially when a majority of voters in these districts did not vote for the White House s agenda in November These irresponsible bills put partisan politics ahead of the health, well-being, and economic security of the American people. Medical experts, health care providers, and leading health organizations all agreed that this bill would be damaging for millions of Americans. Health Care Voters from across the country are signing up to hold the White House and Congress accountable for their efforts to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As a coalition of health care voters, we will ensure that politicians cannot return us to the days when parents had to choose between refilling their child s inhaler or paying their mortgage, when Americans couldn t get coverage with a pre-existing condition, and when seniors couldn t afford the price of life-saving medication. People from coast to coast have spoken out each time Congress has threatened to repeal the ACA, and Health Care Voter will continue amplifying that outrage and backlash. As their constituents, we must pressure lawmakers to hold them accountable for these cruel and careless threats on our health and financial security.

4 Speakers The person delivering the message at your event is important. We like to think of possible speakers at an earned media event falling into three categories: surrogate, validator, and constituent. A surrogate is a person who can be considered a local celebrity and would help to attract media interest. For example, a local elected official or a faith or business leader. A validator is a person who can speak with authority on the subject, and who your audience will consider a trusted expert. For example, a leader of a local organization the works on this issue. A constituent is a person from the community who is impacted by the issue. Location Where will this event be (remember to think through audience size, accessibility, and connection to the topic/issue when picking a location)? Recruitment List some ideas the team has as to how you will make sure your community knows that this rally event is happening and how they can participate. Make sure to plan out who will take on each outreach idea. Then, ask partners, individuals, and groups to commit to help you build a crowd ask them how many people they think they can bring to the event. Use the social media guide below for suggested content. Press Generating earned media coverage is not easy. Even if you re able to put on an event with a powerful message, compelling speakers, a perfect location, and a meaningful local connection, the press will not just simply show up to cover your event. It takes an intentional and strategic effort to get reporters to attend and then publish or broadcast a story about your event. OFA s Earned Media Toolkit has more detailed instructions on how to get press to attend your event (starting on page 4), but here are three key pieces: Press List If you do not have an existing press list, we can offer you customized guidance for the types of outlets you should target in your region. General tips for creating your own list: Research news outlets in your area, and begin to make a list of every local news outlet you can think of in your region, including television stations, major and minor newspapers, local magazines or blogs, and radio news stations. Identify specific reporters, writers, and editors, and offer individualized outreach to educate them about your event.

5 Pitch Call A pitch call is an opportunity to talk directly to a news outlet to tell them about your event and why they should cover it. This is where you should try to get a concrete commitment from them to cover your event. It s important to note that television stations typically have morning meetings, around 8:00 or 9:00 AM local time, to determine which stories they ll cover for that day. In the days leading up to your event, repeated and persistent pitch calls are key. You should make your first pitch calls shortly after sending out the press advisory 48 hours before your event. Then, you should continue to send press advisories and make pitch calls both the morning before and the morning of your event. This guide will help you with what to say on your pitch call. Press Advisory A press advisory is designed to attract media to attend an event. The details in a press advisory should persuade the reporter to attend the event and include information about event time and location as well as notable speakers. You can find a sample press advisory for your event at the end of this guide.

6 Sample Event Agenda 0:00-0:15 People arrive; confirm they are signed in 0:15-0:20 Welcome and quick introductions Review why this representative doesn t stand for your district s values, including their vote to repeal Obamacare or tax scam that gutted health care provisions Review CTAs: Take the pledge at HealthCareVoter.org Review the norms for the earned media event Be respectful and remind guests to be respectful during the entire event. Review a backup plan in case you cannot get into the office for a meeting or if you need to account for a weather change. Record and document whatever you can (if you are asked to not record or take pictures, then you should turn off your camera make mental notes and you can jot down highlights from the visit later) 0:20-0:35 Stories Have 2-3 individuals share their stories on the vote to repeal Obamacare or health care provision cuts in the tax scam would impact their life or harm someone they know and why they are a Health Care Voter 0:35-0:45 Direct action Ask to speak with your representative or their staff And/or present rubber stamp postcards from constituents And ask them to take the pledge to be a Health Care Voter and take photos/videos with Health Care Voter t-shirts and pledge cards And/or take photos with your signs, posters, and the big rubber stamp sign 0:45-0:55 Next steps and further action Gather your group and establish appropriate and effective next steps, which could include: Directing a public message to your member of Congress via digital platforms Working with partner organizations Calling and writing your members of Congress, Hosting a postcard writing party with a follow-up office visit to deliver those postcards Hosting a house party to build involvement in your district, or Joining OFA s commit to vote team to get your friends and neighbors to commit to vote in the November election Be sure to explain the strategy behind each action to the group 0:55-0:60 Wrap up Thank attendees for coming!

7 Planning Your Event Checklist & Timeline Now through Monday, March 5 Identify the message/purpose of the event as well as potential speakers for the event. Check to see if your Rubber Stamp Rep voted for Obamacare repeal or the tax scam Research potential event locations Plan phone banks to recruit event attendees OFA can provide lists to call if you need people to recruit to your event or to help you plan By Friday, March 9 Lock in your event location and start confirming speakers Share your event information with OFA by ing organizing@ofa.us Conduct phone banks and reach out to allied organizations and coalition groups to help plan your event or recruit attendees OFA can provide lists to call just organizing@ofa.us to request a list Once event is locked, start sharing social content to recruit attendees By Friday, March 16 All events need to be locked and posted on OFA s event page so that we can help you recruit attendees for your event. Speakers should be confirmed and continue attendee recruitment. By Tuesday, March 20 Continue recruiting: Encourage every person to bring friends and community members Confirm speakers and send sample remarks By Wednesday, March 21 press advisory to news outlets in the morning check out this guide to help put together your press list (starting on page 4) a sample press advisory for this event is included at the end of this guide. Make first round of pitch calls to news outlets in the morning (most outlets will not yet make a commitment to attend your event at this point) check out this guide to help with what to say on your pitch call (starting on page 4) Host a prep call or meeting with event speakers to ensure they are clear on the message for the event as well as the main details, including location, arrival time, and start time Create a checklist of equipment and supplies Visit the location and determine if you need equipment, such as portable microphone or speakers. Contemplate what visuals you may need, like additional signs. How are you getting your equipment and supplies to the venue? What areas and angles make for particularly compelling photos? Remember: a good, zoomed-in photo can help build energy and momentum Prepare signs for your event that reinforce what you are trying to communicate you can use OFA signs including

8 Obamacare Saves Lives, #WeDeserveBetter, Don t be a Rubber Stamp, as well as I m a #HealthCareVoter and Health Care Voter placards and pledge cards. You should also make your own signs using the guidance above as a guide. Be creative! Confirm any last-minute details with speakers including that they have Health Care Voter t-shirts. Confirm volunteers who will help at the event such as who will sign in attendees, who will hand out and collect Health Care Voter pledge cards, or who will take pictures and amplify on social media. The more you re able to lock in people to take ownership of these pieces, the more you ll free yourself up to make sure the rest goes smoothly. And you ll also be empowering others to take leadership roles. Friday, March 23 the day of Sign in attendees using this form Greet speaker(s) brief them on the agenda and when they will speak Take pictures of the event and amplify them over social media (Use #RubberStamp, #Obamacare, #HealthCareVoter, #ProtectOurCare, and #OFAction) Also share your pictures and readouts with the OFA by ing organizing@ofa.us and partners@healthcarevoter.org Saturday, March 24 the day after Follow up with attendees who committed to take action for upcoming events, such as letters-to-the-editor/ postcardwriting parties or phone-banks Enter event attendee information in this link: my.ofa.us/rsrsignups Enter folks who took the Health Care Voter pledge: healthcarevoter.org Be sure to thank everyone who helped make the event a success Social Media Digital Amplification Use social media to be sure to get out your message far and wide. To make your event a digital success, post at least 3 tweets with quality pictures that tell the story of your event and encourage your attendees to do the same. Check out OFA s guide to using social media at events» Hashtags and Handles For your posts on social media, use the hashtags #RubberStamp, #Obamacare, and #OFAction, #ProtectOurCare, and #HealthCareVoter. Using these hashtags is very important in helping others including those who manage large national accounts find your tweets and amplify it to their networks to spread the word! Please don t forget to use them. You should also tag your representative and any partner organization handles in your posts. Check out OFA s Hashtags and Handles Guide»

9 Taking photos Good quality photos are incredibly powerful ways to get eyes on your tweets and Facebook posts (and this is important, because everyone should be seeing the work you re doing! It helps the movement as a whole). Make this a priority if you can you can get great photos even if you don t consider yourself a professional. Check out OFA s Photography Guide» Sample Tweets Here are some examples to help you think about how to create your own tweets. Don t forget to add #RubberStamp, #Obamacare, #OFAction, #HealthCareVoter, and #ProtectOurCare to contribute to the narrative nationwide! Here s a document with all the Rubber Stamp Reps social media handles and some district specific information. I am a #HealthCareVoter. Everyone who voted to repeal health care will be held accountable healthcarevoter.org They voted to take away health care. We're going to vote to #ProtectOurCare. Say you're a #HealthCareVoter: healthcarevoter.org Anyone who votes to rip health care from those in need is no public servant. Enough is enough be a #HealthCareVoter: healthcarevoter.org Repealing #Obamacare would be devastating to us in [TOWN]. But [@ REP], voted to gut health care anyway because HE/SHE is a #RubberStamp for the administration s agenda. #OFAction [ATTACH PHOTO] Health care is a right, not a privilege. [@REP], is a #RubberStamp rep for the disastrous #Obamacare repeal agenda. [ATTACH PHOTO] Here in [#DISTRICT - i.e., #CA49], we didn t vote for this administration s policies, yet [@REP] continues to #RubberStamp them. #OFAction [ATTACH PHOTO]

10 Sample Press Advisory Below is a sample press advisory for you to adapt and send to press contacts. Please be sure to only use the language for the bill(s) your representative voted for. To see if your Rubber Stamp Rep voted for HR Obamacare Repeal click here and to see if your Rubber Stamp Rep voted for H.R. 1 - Tax Scam click here. Please note that the health care loss numbers by district are only relevant to the HR 1628 Obamacare Repeal vote. OFA and Health Care Voter Volunteers to Hold Rubber Stamp Rep. [NAME] Accountable for Vote to [Repeal Obamacare] [Gut Healthcare] On Friday, March 23, OFA and Health Care Voter volunteers will hold an event targeting Rep. [NAME] as part of a national day of action targeting Rubber Stamp Reps for [HIS/HER] vote [to repeal Obamacare] [and (if applicable)] [for the tax scam bill that cut critical health care provisions]. Grassroots leaders are organizing to hold their members of Congress accountable for rubber-stamping the White House s extreme agenda instead of representing their constituents best interests. Dozens of House members continuously vote in-line with this administration despite representing districts where the majority of voters did not vote for it, including Rep. [NAME], who has voted to advance the administration s agenda [##] percent of the time. In response, we are mobilizing voters to stand up now and hold these politicians accountable. We want constituents to send a message to their elected officials. On the anniversary of the date the Obamacare was signed into law, volunteers will speak out against Rep. [NAME] s vote last year for [H.R. 1628, which would have repealed the Affordable Healthcare Act and ripped health coverage from millions of Americans, including [##,###] in district [##].] [H.R. 1, which experts project will lead to huge premium hikes and leave 13 million fewer people with health insurance.] This irresponsible vote put partisan politics ahead of the health, well-being, and economic security of the American people. Constituents will not stand silently as their representatives rubber-stamp the White House's harmful agenda at the expense of their constituents. Who: Where: When: ### Organizing for Action (OFA) is a non-partisan, issue advocacy organization committed to growing the grassroots movement by training, organizing and empowering a new generation of progressive leaders who seek to make real and lasting change in their communities. Health Care Voter is a nationwide campaign to mobilize one million people from across the country to hold President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress accountable for their efforts to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As a coalition of more than 40 progressive groups and grassroots organizations, Health Care Voters are fighting back and will turn their resistance into results at the polls.

You ve written a press release with all your details so how do you get your story into your local paper or onto your local radio or TV station?

You ve written a press release with all your details so how do you get your story into your local paper or onto your local radio or TV station? Involving your local newspaper, radio or TV station can be a great way to let others in your community know about your campaign and put pressure on decision makers. Good times to contact the press are