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"One-Stop Shop" for Health Care Campaign Organizing Resources

This page has lots of important materials for your health care campaign organizing in September. Remember to check your MoveOn Council page for other important organizing resources.

October Rallies Organizing Materials

Next Steps Gathering Agenda (Word version)

Next Steps Gathering Agenda (PDF version)

Link to Recorded Briefing on Next Steps:

We've posted a simple, 8-minute recording talking about the strategic moment we're in and what we're planning for October. Council core members can listen individually or at their next steps gathering. To listen, click here (UPDATED): http://s3.moveon.org/audio/strategybriefing.mp3 or to listen on the phone, dial 1 (888) 550-5602 or +1 212-812-2800, press #1 on your phone, and enter recording code 89788 50745. **NOTE: The strategy briefing link has been fixed. If you experienced errors earlier, try again with the link or dial-in above.**

Organizing Story:

  • We've done terrific organizing for the last few months.  In August, we turned out tens of thousands of MoveOn members to show our elected officials that we were the Real Voices for Change on health care reform. In September, we held big insurance publicly accountable for spending tens of millions of dollars lobbying against health care reform and sent the clear message to Congress and the media: if big insurance wins, we lose.
  • October is a huge moment. In October, we expect big votes in the Senate that could decide the fate of a real public option. We need to put pressure directly on our senate targets to side with their constituents -- not with Big Insurance. And we need to encourage our champions to keep fighting for real health care reform with strong public option. This is a moment when we need to take our advocacy directly to our senators in a visible and public way.
  • So we're planning high-profile, high-energy rallies around the country on October 14th. The message at these rallies will depend on the target senator:
    • For champs and potential champs: "We're Counting On You." We need to thank our champions and potential champions for supporting the public health insurance option, and let them know we're counting on them to take the lead in pushing for health care reform with a public option all the way to the finish. So in states with 1s and 2s, we'll organize "We're Counting on You" rallies.
    • For swings and opponents: "Whose Side Are You On?" We need to connect the dots between Big Insurance and those senators who are blocking reform. So we'll hold "Whose Side Are You On?" rallies. At these events, we'll release a new report detailing how much they've taken in campaign contributions from Big Insurance and other health special interests. 
  • Be strategic and creative! The 14th is a national day of action, but each Council should think about how to be both strategic and creative with your rally based on what works best locally and for your target. Councils should be creative about including special speakers and visual props. Talk to your Regional Coordinator or Field Organizer about what makes sense strategically as a creative tactic to get your message across.
  • We need to be rapid-response ready. If key votes come earlier than expected, or if a key senator changes their position, we may need to leap into action, just as Councils have done recently in places including Maryland and South Carolina.
  • Flexibility in this plan: Here are some ways we are supporting flexibility and tactical choice in October:
    • Date. All Councils should hold their rally on the 14th. That's our national day of action. Rallies on 10/14 have better chances at getting local, state, and national media. But if a Council definitely can't hold an event on the 14th, rallies on 10/13 and 10/15 can also get central recruitment.
    • Program. Councils can be creative in their messaging, and think about what speakers or special visual elements might make their rally even more powerful.
    • Doing more. It's great to go above and beyond and organize other hard-hitting actions when opportunities arise (i.e., when a senator organizes a public event back in the home-state). So we're working on a "rolling recruitment" system that would allow Councils to get central recruitment for organizing strategic events; we should have that later in October.

Online event registration pages (or "Bob")

Event vetting guidelines

  • Summary:

    • Support Corps will take a first scan through, but you're responsible for vetting all events in your turf. (This is what we call "Model A".)
    • Vetting deadlines for all events are:
      • Deadline for Councils to post their event in Bob so we don't recruit a host in that area: Mon 10/5 @ 9pm local time. (This is NOT a full vetting deadline. You just need to make sure all public & active events in Bob are legit Council hosts. Make sure all legit events are marked as "vetted.")
      • Thurs 10/8 at 5pm ET
      • Sun 10/11 at 5pm ET
    • To get a central email, your events must be marked "Vetted" and "Email-Ready."
    • Date and time restrictions on which events can get central email recruitment:
      • All rallies should be between 8:30am and 4:30pm.
      • All events should happen on Tues 10/13, Wed 10/14, or Thurs 10/15.
    • Two things to watch out for:
      • Rallies must be posted in the correct Bob.
      • If there's a senate office nearby, that's the ideal event location. Otherwise, public locations (town square, etc) are fine.
      • Make sure you have the correct target listed in Bob!
    • FO's with questions should check with their LO. LO's should check w/ Anna.

Organizing Guides

"Counting On You" Rally Guide: http://pol.moveon.org/oct09rallies/guide_countingonyou.html

"Whose Side Are You On" Rally Guide: http://pol.moveon.org/oct09rallies/guide_whoseside.html

Central vetting and mailing calendar for October

• Mon 10/5 @ 9pm local time - Deadline for Councils to post their event in Bob so we don't recruit a host in that area
• Tues 10/6 - Host recruit in priority areas without events [Council communities w/o events + FB in priority non-Council areas]
• Thurs 10/8 - Vetting Deadline #1 @ 5pm ET
• Fri 10/9 - Attend Recruit #1
• Sun 10/11 - Vetting Deadline #2 @ 5pm ET
• Mon 10/12 - All remaining materials posted
• Mon 10/12 - Host Call @ 9pm ET (212-812-2800 and enter 6031 9796)
• Mon 10/12 - Attend Recruit #2
• Tues 10/13 - Host & attendee reminders (for WED rallies only)
• Wed 10/14 - National Day of Action!
• Wed 10/14  - After Action Survey
• Thurs 10/15 - Report Back email

Dial-in information for national Host Call

Monday, 10/12
9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT
For quick access, go to https://www.spiderphone.com/60319796
(This link will help connect both your browser and telephone to the call)
OR dial 212-812-2800 and enter 6031 9796

Other organizing resources

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