IdeaLog
Now is your time and your opportunity to lead
Posted on January 4, 2017
Our nation just survived one of the most unusual, divisive presidential campaigns in our history. The election of Donald Trump is, without doubt, one of the most significant political events of our time. Yet,...
Five bills to help you fight the Radical Right
Posted on December 20, 2016
We are counting down the days to some of the most horrific political battles in American history. All of us need to do our part. At the federal level, we will see attacks from...
Get ready to fight school vouchers
Posted on December 8, 2016
The issue of school vouchers has seemed dead—or at least asleep—for the past several years. But this vampire is waking up! U.S. Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos has been a major advocate for...
Messaging Lesson of the 2016 Election
Posted on November 22, 2016
When I worked as a campaign consultant, I found that most people only learn by losing an election. After a victory, people think they’ve mastered the craft and have nothing new to learn. In...
Americans overwhelmingly support abortion rights
Posted on October 26, 2016
Political candidates, consultants and the media generally misunderstand the politics of abortion rights. They tend to believe either that most voters oppose abortion or that the anti-abortion base is larger than the abortion rights...
How to answer ten tough questions
Posted on October 13, 2016
If you are politically active, you know you’ll have some difficult debates over the next four weeks. Sometimes you will have to defend a controversial position. When that happens, remember three messaging rules: (1)...
How to Debate Effectively
Posted on September 28, 2016
We can’t all match Hillary’s performance. But we can be aware that a debate is somewhat different than a one-sided talk. Whether you’re an advocate debating an issue or a candidate running for state/local...
Ideas for progressive state legislation
Posted on September 15, 2016
Here are just a few examples from the latest edition of the Progressive Agenda for States & Localities, including hyperlinks to model bills: Demilitarize the police More than 8,000 state and local police forces...
20 Progressive Ordinances for Cities, Towns & Counties
Posted on September 1, 2016
For the moment, most state legislatures are controlled by conservatives and there’s not a lot that progressives can enact in those states. But most large cities, towns and counties are controlled by moderates or...
Coming soon to your state—voter harassment and intimidation
Posted on August 17, 2016
Last Friday (August 12), Donald Trump told a nearly all-white crowd in Altoona, Pennsylvania that he was concerned about voter fraud in their state. In dog-whistle language he said he’d “heard some stories about...