Is there a script for Ukraine calls? Location to get phone numbers? Might reduce friction and get more people to call. For script, I’m planning on saying: “Hi, my name is Eric Mann. I’m a constituent and am calling to ask that you vote unequivocally to support Ukraine.” To find phone number, I’m going here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
I just did the same—called my ruby-red Florida rep, Dan Webster, and read your script word for word, Eric. And then I went and became a paid subscriber, Simon, because I can’t resist a sale. Time to get to work and win, maybe even turn my home state blue again! Thank you both.
Thanks, @Eric. And it's time to put all these phone numbers in our Favorites list on our phones. This won't be the last call we need to make to our Congressional representatives.
Just e-mailed something very similar. Congressional offices mostly just tally the for and against on things like this. So doing more than a sentence or two doesn't get you much, just slows staff down.
The Substack, "Chop Wood, Carry Water" by Jessica Craven is a great place for scripts and info on contacting your reps. It's been so helpful for me. Her entry for today (4/16) has a script for Ukraine aid.
I always cringe when people talk about if someone is pro-life or not. We are all pro-life. That 'life' includes the mother, the family, the community. Also, when you frame the conversation as abortion, as I did at physical theraphy last week, someone will always say 'well get one if you want one' I answered that no one wanted a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy but the routine medicare care to treat those situations is now considered an abortion. Don't get me started on detecting a heartbeat when there isn't a heart yet. There are so many things that could go awry in a pregnancy but the mother's health is paramount so she can try again if that is what she wants. We need to stand strong and let this be our Roevember.
Betty Ann- you are correct- we are all pro-life - pro universal health care, pro- child tax credit, pro universal child care etc and I always change it to AND I am pro- choice - I get to make the decisions that are right for me- that’s my right.
Are you familiar with Galvanize Action (www.galvanizeaction.org)? They develop and rigorously test messaging in the form of short ads to persuade moderate white women about issues like reproductive freedom, child care tax credits, universal pre-K, etc. that too often get labeled as "too liberal".
You can find their playbook here: https://playbook.galvanizeaction.org/ - just search on whatever topic interests you. The website ecxplicitly states that anyone is free to share any of the "ads" with whoever they want - they'd love for the material to go viral.
A really good interview with their founder, Jackie Payne, can be found at Big Tent USA. This is an archived video of a "Tent Talk" from a couple of weeks ago:
I just heard from AINC ( All in for North Carolina) this morning- the note said they had received $1,000,000 in donations for their “40,000 voter registration project”!💃🏻
Congratulations- that is amazing support. So glad to hear! Your state win would be an extraordinary national win 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Hi! I called my Representative- Latta (R) of OH-5- and his staffer told me that he has always been a fervent supporter of Ukraine- has said in the past that they are the people fighting and dying for freedom. The staffer said he can’t specifically promise how he will vote on this - but has strongly supported Ukraine in the past.
Yes, thank you. I've been here a long time and offices track their calls very closely. They need to hear from us that we expect them to fight for this, not just vote for it. They need to hear from us today and every day this week. These calls matter folks. There are 60,000 people here at Hopium now - we can make a difference!
Let's do this. Let's go. It takes literally two minutes, from looking up the phone number to ending the call. (And yes, I used Eric's brief script, below! That's how short the message can be!!)
That’s a great idea. Not sure I want to see Rick Scott’s name in my contacts, but I just added my rep (also right-wing, but no one is as loathsome as Mr Medicare Fraud.) thanks for the tip!
Placed my call for the day. I’m in Nebraska, and unfortunately I am in a district that was gerrymandered to remain red even though I’m in a city that if the district were drawn with any sense should probably go blue. But a lot of my efforts will be to not only to help President Biden win the one congressional district available in the electoral college this year here (we give out our electoral votes via congressional district rather than statewide), but also flip that district from Republican to Democrat in the House of Representatives… Don Bacon is one of the “Biden 18” and it’s a winnable race. And if we don’t win, I sure want the Republicans to spend a hell of a lot more money and work a hell of a lot more hours than they thought they should’ve had to. Let’s get this done for Ukraine and kick these guys’ asses in November!
"And if we don’t win, I sure want the Republicans to spend a hell of a lot more money and work a hell of a lot more hours than they thought they should’ve had to."
I hear you Steve. I'm in NC in gerrymander central! I live inside the Charlotte city limits, but right at the edge of Mecklenburg County. The next county over is very red. So most of my city is represented by Alma Adams, but up until the 2022 election I had a GOP rep - most recently Dan Bishop. We had reasonably fair maps in 2022 and ended up 7 Dems and 7 Repub and I finally have a Democratic Congressman - who is great!! Of course after the GOP flipped the state Sumpreme Court, they re-gerrymandered the map and I will be back to a MAGAt in 2024 - the current GOP NC Speaker of the House crafted a US House district he is all but guaranteed to win! GRRR!
Anyway, I called my 2 GOP senators, my Democratic Rep (who I know has signed the discharge petition) and for good measure my former GOP rep since his district starts a couple of miles from my house.
My Congresswoman is Joyce Beatty. She “has this”, but I’m calling her anyhow as I know the location (I’m in an upscale suburb) and number of calls matter. I tried to share this with a statewide eastern Ohio (and beyond) D group. It didn’t allow me. We need tight, pithy stuff for the twenty seconds of attention we can grab…I’ll figure it out. Meanwhile, funny thoughts about him sleeping. Will make a great ad!
I'm not crazy about the Scranton ad. Can we stop putting women in the kitchen?! That ad also needed younger multicultural people verbally supporting Biden. We absolutely MUST get younger folks to vote for Biden! Many are already angry about the Palestinian genocide, and I don't blame them. I do love that Biden is determined to help us with student debt!
KL, the campaign is producing ads and videos every day targeted to different audiences. This one is a digital ad, not a TV ad, and is supplemental to the core ad campaign and includes interviews with people he grew up with and who lead this town. There are going to be many ads over many months which all will be contributing to the story Biden is trying to tell.
I will also say, again, that there is not a lot of data that confirms that what is happening in the Middle East is of great import to young people or our coalition more broadly; and I also do not agree that was is happening in Gaza is genocide, and I would appreciate that word not being used here at Hopium.
Thanks for your response about the ad. I still think it's counterproductive to put women in kitchens. Additionally, we'll have to agree to disagree about using the word "genocide" in the current Netanyahu/Hammas context. This is your platform, so I will agree to use other wording. Thanks for all you do.
I called Tim Burchett's office, my representative Tennessee 2nd District. His perky staff member said that she would pass my message along to him regarding Ukraine funding support. Plan to do it again Wednesday,Thursday and Friday. Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you Eric for the script and link. Thank you Simon for showing me the hopeful path and providing the tools and resources to do the work. This community has made a huge difference in my life over the past few weeks and I have shared you with family and friends. I just made my call to my representative and upgraded to paid.
I'll do just about anything Simon and others here tell me to do and so I just called US Rep Barry Loudermilk and told him to get aid to Ukraine yesterday. I plan to call every single day until I see Ukraine funding get passed.
Is there a script for Ukraine calls? Location to get phone numbers? Might reduce friction and get more people to call. For script, I’m planning on saying: “Hi, my name is Eric Mann. I’m a constituent and am calling to ask that you vote unequivocally to support Ukraine.” To find phone number, I’m going here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
This is great. It's really simple. We need Members of Congress to fight to get this passed this week. That's it. That's what we want. Thank you all.
Simple way:
Call the congressional Switch Board:
(202) 224-3121
Ask to be patched through to your representative or senator and voila.
😁
Thanks, for that brief script, Eric! It worked very nicely! I called my rep and left that message!
I just did the same—called my ruby-red Florida rep, Dan Webster, and read your script word for word, Eric. And then I went and became a paid subscriber, Simon, because I can’t resist a sale. Time to get to work and win, maybe even turn my home state blue again! Thank you both.
thank you Susan - and welcome to our merry band of proud patriots and info warriors here in the chat!
Welcome, Susan ! Fellow Floridian😎with a Freedom Caucus Rep.
🌊🌊🌊
Freedom schmeedom, right? Great to see another Democratic Floridian here. :)
Thanks, @Eric. And it's time to put all these phone numbers in our Favorites list on our phones. This won't be the last call we need to make to our Congressional representatives.
Great idea to have them on our phone. Reduce friction.
Done. Followed your script. They promised to "pass that along" to my Representative. Thanks
Just e-mailed something very similar. Congressional offices mostly just tally the for and against on things like this. So doing more than a sentence or two doesn't get you much, just slows staff down.
Thank you Eric, I called my Rep and used your script.
The Substack, "Chop Wood, Carry Water" by Jessica Craven is a great place for scripts and info on contacting your reps. It's been so helpful for me. Her entry for today (4/16) has a script for Ukraine aid.
Done! I have a sympathetic congresswoman, but friendly calls are always nice to give and receive. And her young aides are great to talk with briefly.
I always cringe when people talk about if someone is pro-life or not. We are all pro-life. That 'life' includes the mother, the family, the community. Also, when you frame the conversation as abortion, as I did at physical theraphy last week, someone will always say 'well get one if you want one' I answered that no one wanted a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy but the routine medicare care to treat those situations is now considered an abortion. Don't get me started on detecting a heartbeat when there isn't a heart yet. There are so many things that could go awry in a pregnancy but the mother's health is paramount so she can try again if that is what she wants. We need to stand strong and let this be our Roevember.
Betty Ann- you are correct- we are all pro-life - pro universal health care, pro- child tax credit, pro universal child care etc and I always change it to AND I am pro- choice - I get to make the decisions that are right for me- that’s my right.
Are you familiar with Galvanize Action (www.galvanizeaction.org)? They develop and rigorously test messaging in the form of short ads to persuade moderate white women about issues like reproductive freedom, child care tax credits, universal pre-K, etc. that too often get labeled as "too liberal".
You can find their playbook here: https://playbook.galvanizeaction.org/ - just search on whatever topic interests you. The website ecxplicitly states that anyone is free to share any of the "ads" with whoever they want - they'd love for the material to go viral.
A really good interview with their founder, Jackie Payne, can be found at Big Tent USA. This is an archived video of a "Tent Talk" from a couple of weeks ago:
https://www.bigtentusa.org/event/galvanize/
They are trying to raise funds to expand their reach to other swing states - I am an enthusiastic supporter!
Thank you. This is a great resource!
Great!
Cheryl,
I just heard from AINC ( All in for North Carolina) this morning- the note said they had received $1,000,000 in donations for their “40,000 voter registration project”!💃🏻
Congratulations- that is amazing support. So glad to hear! Your state win would be an extraordinary national win 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Well the stakes are certainly high with the awful Line up that the GOP put forward in the primaries!!
I love their targeted audience -- they are so savvy!
Great ad. Frames the election as “Scranton versus Mar a Lago”.
Good point! It has always puzzled me how that phony Trump convinced so many working class folks to support him.
Hi! I called my Representative- Latta (R) of OH-5- and his staffer told me that he has always been a fervent supporter of Ukraine- has said in the past that they are the people fighting and dying for freedom. The staffer said he can’t specifically promise how he will vote on this - but has strongly supported Ukraine in the past.
Yes, thank you. I've been here a long time and offices track their calls very closely. They need to hear from us that we expect them to fight for this, not just vote for it. They need to hear from us today and every day this week. These calls matter folks. There are 60,000 people here at Hopium now - we can make a difference!
I called my Rep Katherine Clark.
Let's do this. Let's go. It takes literally two minutes, from looking up the phone number to ending the call. (And yes, I used Eric's brief script, below! That's how short the message can be!!)
Thank you Simon, we all need to do our part. On a side note, it’s going to be rather pleasant the next few weeks knowing Trump is cooped up in court.
I have my Senator & House member phone numbers in my contacts for easy calling. I use them a lot these days! 🤳🏽
Same!
That’s a great idea. Not sure I want to see Rick Scott’s name in my contacts, but I just added my rep (also right-wing, but no one is as loathsome as Mr Medicare Fraud.) thanks for the tip!
You can always give him an unflattering nom de plume when you put the number in your contact or use something generic like "Jr. Senator from FL"
Ooh, unflattering name for Scott—great idea! That’s the answer, and harmless because only I see it. ;) Thanks!
:-)
I love your newsletters and your unbounded enthusiasm for the Biden Harris administration. Keep up the great work.
I'll make the call to my Congressional rep for Ukraine today!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Placed my call for the day. I’m in Nebraska, and unfortunately I am in a district that was gerrymandered to remain red even though I’m in a city that if the district were drawn with any sense should probably go blue. But a lot of my efforts will be to not only to help President Biden win the one congressional district available in the electoral college this year here (we give out our electoral votes via congressional district rather than statewide), but also flip that district from Republican to Democrat in the House of Representatives… Don Bacon is one of the “Biden 18” and it’s a winnable race. And if we don’t win, I sure want the Republicans to spend a hell of a lot more money and work a hell of a lot more hours than they thought they should’ve had to. Let’s get this done for Ukraine and kick these guys’ asses in November!
"And if we don’t win, I sure want the Republicans to spend a hell of a lot more money and work a hell of a lot more hours than they thought they should’ve had to."
I hear you Steve. I'm in NC in gerrymander central! I live inside the Charlotte city limits, but right at the edge of Mecklenburg County. The next county over is very red. So most of my city is represented by Alma Adams, but up until the 2022 election I had a GOP rep - most recently Dan Bishop. We had reasonably fair maps in 2022 and ended up 7 Dems and 7 Repub and I finally have a Democratic Congressman - who is great!! Of course after the GOP flipped the state Sumpreme Court, they re-gerrymandered the map and I will be back to a MAGAt in 2024 - the current GOP NC Speaker of the House crafted a US House district he is all but guaranteed to win! GRRR!
Anyway, I called my 2 GOP senators, my Democratic Rep (who I know has signed the discharge petition) and for good measure my former GOP rep since his district starts a couple of miles from my house.
Durham Dem 💙
My Congresswoman is Joyce Beatty. She “has this”, but I’m calling her anyhow as I know the location (I’m in an upscale suburb) and number of calls matter. I tried to share this with a statewide eastern Ohio (and beyond) D group. It didn’t allow me. We need tight, pithy stuff for the twenty seconds of attention we can grab…I’ll figure it out. Meanwhile, funny thoughts about him sleeping. Will make a great ad!
I'm not crazy about the Scranton ad. Can we stop putting women in the kitchen?! That ad also needed younger multicultural people verbally supporting Biden. We absolutely MUST get younger folks to vote for Biden! Many are already angry about the Palestinian genocide, and I don't blame them. I do love that Biden is determined to help us with student debt!
KL, the campaign is producing ads and videos every day targeted to different audiences. This one is a digital ad, not a TV ad, and is supplemental to the core ad campaign and includes interviews with people he grew up with and who lead this town. There are going to be many ads over many months which all will be contributing to the story Biden is trying to tell.
I will also say, again, that there is not a lot of data that confirms that what is happening in the Middle East is of great import to young people or our coalition more broadly; and I also do not agree that was is happening in Gaza is genocide, and I would appreciate that word not being used here at Hopium.
Thanks for your response about the ad. I still think it's counterproductive to put women in kitchens. Additionally, we'll have to agree to disagree about using the word "genocide" in the current Netanyahu/Hammas context. This is your platform, so I will agree to use other wording. Thanks for all you do.
Without the release of hostages how can there be a cease fire?
I called Tim Burchett's office, my representative Tennessee 2nd District. His perky staff member said that she would pass my message along to him regarding Ukraine funding support. Plan to do it again Wednesday,Thursday and Friday. Thanks for the encouragement.
great work everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just called my rep and will call again tomorrow.
Thank you Eric for the script and link. Thank you Simon for showing me the hopeful path and providing the tools and resources to do the work. This community has made a huge difference in my life over the past few weeks and I have shared you with family and friends. I just made my call to my representative and upgraded to paid.
Welcome Diane! 🙌🏻
You sound like a HC kindred soul; there’s definitely relief in hope+hard work🙂
I'll do just about anything Simon and others here tell me to do and so I just called US Rep Barry Loudermilk and told him to get aid to Ukraine yesterday. I plan to call every single day until I see Ukraine funding get passed.