An endorsement is a formal way of signaling and mobilizing your Indivisible group’s support for a candidate. Powerful endorsements are not empty statements, but real commitments that promise concrete actions by your group and members. This chapter goes deeper on what a candidate endorsement is; what the campaign gets from your endorsements; and what your Indivisible group can achieve by using endorsements.
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Local Indivisible groups build and wield power in ways that individuals can’t. To create change, you need the collective constituent power that comes with working together, as Indivisibles.
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Indivisibles organize -- which means building power and flexing at key moments. Indivisible Groups take action in their communities, build collective purpose, and create change.
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We make calls. We show up. We organize. And we’ve built lasting collective power across the country, in our home towns. We’re Indivisible.
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We’re a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.
Group Leader Resources
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Whether the candidate is a seasoned campaign professional running for her second term as Governor or a first-timer looking at challenging the incumbent in a local school board race, every campaign relies on the same basic tools and building blocks for success. This chapter explains what your local candidate’s campaign HQ is thinking, and how your Indivisible group factors into their thinking.
We know elections—especially primaries—can be intimidating. We also know that an endorsement, done correctly, is one of our most powerful tools for change. This guide demystifies the process, with advice on how best to engage in both primary and general elections.
Bird-dogging is a powerful tactic used by grassroots activists to get candidates and elected officials on the record about important issues. Grassroots constituents like you can often get officials to say things they would never reveal in a more structured interview. Such revelations are vital as we turn our attention to the presidential candidates and attempt to learn what they really think, and will really do, about core issues like health care, democracy reform, immigration and climate. Let’s bird-dog our candidates out of the bush and into the light of accountability!
The resource provides general guidelines on bird-dogging language suggestions based on our priority issue areas. While this guide can help you focus your questions and elicit the right answers, remember that your voice is the essential ingredient. Use these tips, but always remember to speak from your own experience and values.