Live your values. raise expectations. win the way you want.
Politics is too important to play games.
So you’re starting a coalition. That’s great! Coalitions are incredible for many, many reasons. Coalitions are the lifeblood of political change in any democracy, and are often the place where real transformative change can happen for individuals and at scale. Much like building a house, however, building a coalition begins with creating a solid foundation. …
Continue reading "3 Things You Need Before You Start A Coalition"
It's May. The lilacs are blooming and that means one thing for candidates in Washington state: the filing deadline is approaching! If you're running for office this year, we've put together a checklist to help you think through your next steps. You're running for office (we hope) because you care about a particular issue, community, …
Continue reading "Know what you need before you run: A candidate campaign checklist"
“Community.” “Those impacted.” “Centering the lived experiences of *insert group here*.” As co-conspirators in the progressive ecosystem, we share this culture of language, parroting ubiquitous words that—when used persistently over long periods of time—lose their saliency and power. This happens often. At DTC, we’ve often found ourselves in meetings with clients, trying to dig out …
Most decisions any legislator has to make are predictable—yes or no—and are made within the limited contexts of the legislative process, its attendant political ramifications, and the prevailing narrative. Going into any legislative session, we generally know what they are: This set of legislators are vulnerable, the caucus is softening on that issue and will …
Continue reading "Your legislative strategy should be bigger than lobbying"
Like all tropes, there 's some truth to each, which is why these became passable common knowledge in the first place, but like all tropes, they should be examined more closely and nuanced when deployed.
As a previous coalition manager, I wish I had had the wisdom that project management structures bestow in large groups. I have found the tool useful to develop a process that balances the democratic value of coalition while making sure we’re not simply shouting at each other on a sinking ship.
If you don’t think you can win a campaign on the grounds of your best argument, trusted messengers and amazing organizing, you shouldn’t be running for office.
Sharing information leads to better decision-making, better ideas, and better outcomes.