We're in the homestretch of likely the most consequential election in our country's history. And what's most terrifying to me is that this election -- along with our rights, freedoms, & security -- hinges on words. I can't tell you how often I've been told, as the copywriter on ad campaigns, that nobody reads copy. To dumb it down. To reword something so it actually becomes more confusing. To prioritize engagement over empathy or respect for the audience & their needs & desires.
You can't have a candidate without words. You can't have a campaign or party platform or fundraising without words. You can't have a debate without words. You can't have a ballot without words. You can't have personal priorities, values, & beliefs without words. You can't have an opponent without words. You can't even have polling, data, or voting results without words.
So what does this mean for us in an environment in which nobody reads copy?
Welp, pure terror, right?
But in brand strategy work I did recently for my political client, my colleagues & I declared that doom paralyzes, but possibility activates.
Fighting mis- & disinformation, debunking conspiracies, talking to friends, family, & fellow voters about their voting plans, trying to convince strangers on the phone or on their doorstep to vote for your candidate or ballot measure. The only way to do any of this is by using the right words. Asking questions to not just get answers but to mine deep feelings about one's desires for safety, security, bodily autonomy, prosperity, community.
Once you know what someone's core beliefs for themselves are -- & only then! -- can you possibly begin to change minds. If you look at polls, you know the cross-tabs are where the real info is, because the topline poll question is too broad to really know how someone may vote. For example, "Which candidate do you think will be better for the economy?" Dig into the cross-tabs & the questions are more incisive, specific, & insightful, like, "Which candidate do you trust to think about your family & community when making crucial economic decisions?" That answer, weird as it might seem, is often different from that of the topline question. See, those deeper questions get to our feelings, not just our thoughts.
Because, though we may be politically tribal in our thinking, we don't tend to feel in black or white, right or wrong. We think Candidate A is economically better for our country, but we feel Candidate B is more in tune with our everyday realities & wants & needs.
If you've ever phone-banked or knocked doors for a candidate or cause, you know the good ones prompt you to ask the kinds of questions that dig deeper to help you form even a minuscule connection with someone to potentially persuade them. (It's also why you ask someone if they're a voter, not if they'll vote.)
"How does it feel to know that Candidate A wouldn't think twice about you dying of sepsis because you can't get necessary healthcare in your state due to their policy decisions? Do you feel like your doctor's office is too small to have Candidate A, or the whole state &/or federal government, in there with you, making decisions for you? What healthcare decisions would you be comfortable with these strangers making for your own body?"
"Would you want your granddaughter to live in a world where she's never safe from gun violence? Or would you rather she be able to go to school, a store, her church, or the movies without the very real threat of harm or death? Do you like that she has to do drills at school to hide from a shooter?"
"If you're not an immigrant yourself, you probably know immigrants or children of immigrants, whether they've been here for a year or 2 generations, right? Do you believe they're criminals just for wanting to live here? Would you want to see them ripped away from their children, their spouses, & deported -- in some cases, to countries they've never been to, or haven't lived in in decades? Do you like that Candidate A calls them 'vermin' or refers to their country of origin as a 'shithole country'?"
Often you ask questions that frame a situation as dire in order to pave the way to your hopeful, aspirational message. Paint a scary present or future so you can then present the positive alternative.
So yeah, words have meaning, & choosing your words carefully makes a difference. And if you don't want the only words coming out of your mouth after November 5th to be, "Are you fucking kidding?" "What the fuck do we do now?" "What the fuck is wrong with this country?" "Of course they had to show us that America hates women.", or something similar, then heed Michelle Obama's DNC speech, & DO SOMETHING.
Talk to your friends & family. Volunteer to text, make calls or knock doors for a candidate. Speak to people from a place of respect & empathy. Put yourself in their shoes to keep from being combative. Keep these techniques in mind, to ask questions that get to feelings, when you're in a situation where you have an opportunity to persuade.
Don't know where to start? Here are a few organizations that need YOUR help:
Volunteer to knock doors with Arizona Abortion Access for All.
Join Vote Save America's Team East or Team West to volunteer locally or regionally.
Help protect democracy & fight voter suppression with Fair Fight (& Stacey Abrams!).
Take action virtually or in-person against gun violence across the country with Everytown.
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