Hello Merge Tag: Where Social Media and Politics Intersect

"Sell the brownie, not the recipe... So instead of taking your public policy out in public and thinking that that is a message, which it is not, you talk about the outcome of your policy." Anat Shenker-Osorio is a political strategist, messaging consultant, and communications researcher renowned for helping progressive campaigns win by using more effective language. She is the founder of ASO Communications, a firm that specializes in crafting compelling narratives for progressive causes. Anat is also an author, podcast host, and one of the most respected messaging experts on the left. Recently, she released a concise yet impactful glossary titled Fascism and the English Language—a guide on how we should (and shouldn’t) discuss the authoritarian threats facing our country. I invited her on the podcast to delve into that piece and to help all of us become better, more strategic, and more disciplined communicators. Throughout our conversation, we explored the what, how, and why of Free America. We discussed values, villains, and vision. We examined the importance of focusing on shared values and avoiding "zombie writing." Anat renamed the so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill" the "MAGA Murder Budget." We emphasized the strategy of highlighting outcomes (the brownie!) rather than processes (the recipe). Additionally, we reviewed messaging from elected officials, identifying posts that missed the mark and discussing how they could be rewritten to be more effective. You can listen to the episode where you stream podcasts, or watch it in full on YouTube. Find links, full transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

"Democrats can absolutely win, even in the face of this flood of money from the right and every horrific tactic that the right wants to use." Y’all know Ben Wikler. He’s currently the head of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin — a role he’s held since 2019. Here’s a quick relevant fact for you: I live in Wisconsin and do a lot of work in Wisconsin politics. Back in 2018, I was hired by WisDems to help train their comms team on digital — because at the time, they literally didn’t have a single digital staffer. Ben came in shortly after and… let’s just say things changed real quick. Before leading WisDems, Ben served as the Washington, DC Director and Senior Advisor for MoveOn. One of my favorite parts of his very long and impressive bio: as a student, he was recruited by Al Franken to help write Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them — a book that absolutely needs a second edition. Ben’s done a lot of cool things to push the Democratic Party forward in innovative and important ways. But now, his tenure as chair is coming to an end — and I invited him on the pod to reflect on what he’s learned and what others can take away from the powerhouse digital program he helped build here in Wisconsin. Throughout our conversation, we spoke about: How Ben’s feeling as he steps away — a mix of gratitude, fury, and hopeHow WisDems went from a minimal digital program to a national modelWhat lessons he brought from MoveOn and Avaaz to shape that transformationThe importance of building trust through your digital programThe power of visual communication — if you can't reach voters who watching TV in a bar with the sound off, you have a problemWhat he’d do differently if he were starting from scratch todayWho his biggest adversary was throughout his tenure leading the Democratic Party of WisconsinWho he’s looking to for inspiration nowWhere he’s spending time onlineThe diminishing, but still relevant, role Twitter plays for progressive orgsWhat he’d do now if he were running the DNCWhere he’s excited to see WisDems go from here You can find this full episode on YouTube, at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

“Dark woke is Democrats breaking out of the respectability prison that Republicans have put us in for decades and finally saying shit and doing things that stop voters in their tracks and actually get their attention.” Bhavik Lathia is a political strategist and technologist. He’s led campaigns in India, Australia, and the US, and supported activists around the world as they built and executed strategies superpowered by technology. He recently served as Battleground Mobilization Director on the Harris-Walz campaign. Before that he was Senior Digital Director for WisDems. He helped lead the distributed organizing team on the Bernie 2020 campaign and served as Digital Director for Color Of Change. This past month, he was one of several democratic strategists quoted in a New York Times piece on the idea of “Dark Woke.” Throughout our conversation, we spoke about: The origins of “Dark Woke”What voters actually care aboutWhy Republicans’ shamelessness is their superpower — and why we need to combat itWhere Democrats got it right in 2024 — and where we got it wrongWhy we need to keep pushing back on the right wing’s bad-faith attacks — and how to turn them into liabilities Why Democrats need edgier ways to talk to votersWhy Senator Booker’s filibuster was more effective than most folks realizeThe role of podcasting in Democratic messaging (and who’s doing it well)Why our party needs to invest in and empower content creators who know how to speak directly to their audiencesThe power — and importance — of WhatsAppHow WisDems thinks about winning State Supreme Court races and what we can learn from themHow WisDems used Elon’s money against him during the SCOWIS raceHow technology has evolved in the industry — and why progressives must keep evolving with itWhy everyone working in digital should focus on becoming a better writer And a whole lot more! "Dark Woke is about Democrats doing and saying things that optimize for getting attention. We all want to drive our messages with voters and build narratives to help us win campaigns. But we can’t do any of that unless we first get the attention of voters. And Republicans have basically spent my entire life — the past few decades — investing in and optimizing for talents and topics that grab voters attention. And Democrats basically started caring about attention as a strategy on November 6th, 2024." Find all episodes at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

“What I’ve been most frustrated with politics is how impersonal it is and so we’re trying to make it accessible and personal again.” Kat Abughazaleh is running for Congress, challenging long-time incumbent Jan Schakowsky in Illinois’ 9th District. Needless to say, Kat doesn’t look like, sound or act like your typical candidate. Her announcement video led with the simple question: What if we didn’t suck? She’s called on Democrats to “drop the excuses and grow a fucking spine,” and has made it clear she’s not interested in playing it safe while Donald Trump and Republicans steamroll the country. In her words: “while current Democratic leadership might be fine cowering to Trump, I’m not.” One of my favorite parts of her digital program so far: her website lists anti-endorsements, which include personal attacks leveled against her from Elon Musk, Libs of TikTok and Tucker Carlson. Epic. She’s also doing something I’ve never seen before from any political campaign: she’s prioritizing Bluesky—yes, Bluesky—as her primary platform. She’s not just hedging her bets on Twitter. She said during her launch, “I’m prioritizing Bluesky this election not only because it’s more ethical—but because it just makes sense.” Which is fascinating to me. Throughout our conversation, we spoke about: Why she’s prioritizing Bluesky over the cesspool that is TwitterFeatures on Bluesky she’s really excited aboutWhat she wishes Democrats were doing with their social programsWhy we need to give progressive content creators more room to be themselvesHow Fox News built its power on the bedrock of fearWhy we need to focus on the “puncture” to help break folks out of the Fox News/rightwing media bubbleHow America should be fighting back against Elon MuskAnd a whole lot more! ”Republicans control the narrative because democrats often let them. They’re always reacting, and you can’t always be reacting. Otherwise, you’re letting them set the terms — you’re letting Republicans say this is what reality is.” Find links and more episodes at HelloMergeTag.com.

“I’m constantly just enamored with the power that women have and do not use. And I just want to harness that and spread it.” Kate Duffy is the founder of Motherhood for Good, a grassroots movement and independent media group dedicated to educating and empowering women so they can tap into their power—and use it for good. Through strategic content creation, community-driven advocacy, and real-world action, they help moms and women cut through the noise, stay informed, and make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond. Fun fact: Kate and I both recently appeared in a CNN piece about using social media to mobilize voters in Wisconsin. We recorded this conversation just hours before the polls closed on an extremely important race. So at the time of our conversation, we didn't yet know the outcome. For those who missed it though, WE WON! Wisconsin rejected Elon Musk's money and elected Susan Crawford to the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Individual elections aside, Kate and I both agree: if we want to move people, we need to meet them where they are—and that means online. Throughout our conversation, we spoke about: The issues she sees bringing people (especially moms) into the foldThe importance of campaigns investing in content creatorsThe untapped potential of moms, the "OG organizers"The value of "sitting in the suck"The importance of understanding just how fast the internet really isWhy Democrats and progressives need to do a better job showing, not just tellingAnd a whole lot more! “[The internet] moves so fast, you just gotta keep going. You can’t be sitting there overthinking everything and putting things through a 4-person approval process. Just get out there — trust yourself to talk about what you want to talk about and put your message out there.” Find links and more at hellomergetag.com.

“Unless you genuinely believe that elections should be up for sale to the highest bidder… I want you to realize that Elon Musk will be the highest bidder in any election that he wants to participate in.” Evan Sutton is the founder of Firekit Campaigns, where he works with unions, Democrats and nonprofits to build powerful stories in today's fractured media landscape. Before founding Firekit Campaigns, he worked as senior leadership at the American Federation of Teachers and the New Organizing Institute. Evan started his career in politics and advocacy in 2007 as a field organizer on Barack Obama's campaign.  He recently wrote a piece for Melissa Ryan’s Control Alt-Right Delete called Make Tesla Toxic. That piece will be linked in the show notes, along with his follow up from a few days later called “Not All Tesla Owners.” Throughout our conversation, we discuss: Why Tesla is such a strong targetHow targeting Tesla can be an effective tactic in the fight against the companyHow actions against Tesla not only send a message but can also limit Elon Musk’s ability to influence future electionsLessons from the anti-smoking campaign that can be applied in taking on TeslaWhy simply putting up anti-Elon stickers isn’t enough—and why people should consider divesting completely from TeslaElon’s role in the upcoming Wisconsin State Supreme Court raceA visualization of just how wealthy Elon really isWhere digital organizing is taking place these daysThe importance of centering stories that truly impact people’s livesWho is excelling at digital organizing right nowThe response to Al Green and what Democrats should have done during the State of the UnionWhy now is the time for "Blood and Teeth Mode”And much more! “Don’t get stuck in the sunk cost fallacy. If you think you’re underwater in your Tesla today… think about what your Tesla’s gonna be worth [in 6 months] and how hard it’s gonna be to offload… And if you own Tesla stock, get out while it’s still worth something.” Listen to the full episode at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

Joe Gallina is an attorney and the founder of Call to Activism, a digital media organization dedicated to countering MAGA rhetoric and advocating for democracy, transparency, and justice. On the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017, Gallina left his legal career to commit fully to this mission. Through Call to Activism, he has built a massive social media presence across Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram—reaching over 3.1 million followers and generating more than 3 billion views annually. His work focuses on informing and engaging the public on critical political issues through viral content and strategic storytelling. In this episode, we discussed: His process for creating high-impact digital contentWhy storytelling beats raw facts and statistics in political messagingHow to create digestible content that reaches a wide audienceHow he and his team have scaled Call to Activism across multiple platformsTactical tips for growing your own social media presenceWhat’s working right now on each major platformHis approach to moving people from online engagement to real-world actionAn unexpected reason you shouldn’t engage with trollsHow showing up at the right moment can create viral political momentsWhy elected officials and candidates should collaborate with digital creators to amplify their messageWhat the right is doing well in digital strategy—and what the left should learn from itAnd so much more! This episode is packed with insights for activists, content creators, and anyone looking to make an impact in the digital space. Find links and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

“Democrats who have been in office for a long time follow polls instead of trying to change them. So while they’ll attack Republicans for threatening to cut Medicaid in order to fund tax cuts for the rich, they’re mostly shy about making a big picture argument about Trump’s fascism.” So says Micah Sifry in a piece called “3 Things Democrats Could Do That They Aren’t (Yet).” If you don’t know him, he’s the author or editor of nine books, most recently Civic Tech in the Global South; A Lever and a Place to Stand: How Civic Tech Can Move the World and The Big Disconnect: Why the Internet Hasn’t Transformed Politics (Yet). He’s also a contributor to The Nation, The New Republic, and The American Prospect and writes a weekly newsletter on democracy, movements, organizing and tech, called The Connector. I invited him on the pod to continue the conversation about what Democrats could be doing that they aren’t already. Now, while I’m particularly interested in the tech and the digital components of these solutions, this conversation is bigger and broader than just whether or not Democrats should be on TikTok. So let’s talk about the future! Find links to his channels and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

“Folks… need to be able to trust communications that we send them. By poisoning the well with some of the[se] texts and emails… people can’t trust the communications they’re receiving.” What happens when the backbone of Democratic fundraising comes under scrutiny? I checked in with some of the organizers of that open letter to ActBlue. In December 2024, a group of 142 consultants, campaign and nonprofit staff, technology vendors, and donors signed onto an open letter to ActBlue calling on the platform to do more to protect donors from spammers, scammers and exploitative digital fundraising tactics. Collectively, the signers of this letter have raised over a billion dollars using ActBlue. For context, that’s nearly 7% of the total sum raised on ActBlue since they launched in 2004. Those who signed on included MoveOn, SwingLeft, New Blue Interactive, the founders of Indivisible, senior digital folks who have worked with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as the SMS director for Hillary for America. That said, not everyone in the democratic digital world signed on. There were prominent voices who publicly opted out. Serious people in the space came forward with concerns about the letter. I invited some of the organizers of this letter onto the pod today to discuss why they started this process, why now, what they say to those who think this was a mistake and more. With me today is Josh Nelson, the CEO of Civic Shout, the digital ad platform for progressive causes. Josh previously served as vice president at CREDO Mobile, and led digital for Al Gore's nonprofits. I hosted Josh on episode 15 of this podcast for a conversation on how democratic fundraising got so problematic and where we can go from here. If you care about this topic, and haven’t already listened to that episode, I highly recommend it. Haley Bash is a grassroots fundraiser, distributed organizer, and facilitator with 10+ years of experience in the social movement sector. They are Founder and Executive Director of Donor Organizer Hub and amongst many other notable projects, they previously built the largest volunteer-run texting program for down ballot candidates at Red2Blue Texting and serve on the Steering Committee of the Grassroots Fundraising Network. Lloyd Cotler, an early adopter of conversational marketing, has worked with some of the biggest organizations in the country to develop engaging and successful SMS marketing strategies. He has crafted interactive text messages for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Random House, the American Cancer Society, the National Education Association and more. Throughout this conversation, we spoke about: Why nowWhat led to this conversation going public How this letter is actually intended to help protect ActBlueWhy it’s in our movement’s interest to solve this problem ourselves (as opposed to letting external parties making these decisions for us!)Who’s doing a good job raising money without using spammy tactics Why people are so down on democrats at the momentAnd a whole lot more Find links, more episodes and more at HelloMergeTag.com.

"Creative work isn't going to be an option anymore. You have to do creative work." Ashwath Narayanan is the Co-founder & CEO at Social Currant, a platform that helps nonprofits and social impact organizations collaborate with creators to reach audiences more effectively. He founded Social Currant while still a student at The George Washington University. He’s now graduated, but the work continues on. In a world where around half of TikTok users under the age of 30 report using the platform to keep up with the news, who’s creating content has never mattered more. I invited him on the pod to talk about the role of creators in the social advocacy space, how they’re shaping the conversations happening online, and how brands are leveraging this influential group to reach new audiences and grow their own digital presence. Throughout our conversation, we talked about: Why this work mattersHow we can explain this work to my grandmaThe difference between brands humanizing themselves and them centering actual peopleBrands - and creators - doing influencer marketing well in the social impact spaceWhether or not Democrats need their own Joe Rogan (hint: they don’t!)The importance of investing in progressive creators year-roundThe opportunity for organizations to partner together towards bigger outcomesTrends brands should be paying attention toAnd a whole lot more! Find links, and all episodes, at HelloMergeTag.com.