Hello Merge Tag: Where Social Media and Politics Intersect

“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.

“It doesn’t feel like you’re joining a community, it feels like you’re joining a list.” On February 1st, the DNC will elect new leadership. Those elected will be tasked with leading the Democratic Party at a critical time, as they work to rebuild while Republicans control every level of the federal government. They will oversee fundraising and operations, but they will also play a key role in shaping the strategy and outlining the vision for what the party should be and how it should allocate its time, energy, and resources. Along with interviewing several candidates for DNC Chair, I also reached out to folks running for other DNC leadership positions. Today, we’re checking in with one of those candidates. Tim Lim is a lifelong Democratic activist who serves as board treasurer for Run For Something, founded Blue Digital Exchange (a trade association for progressive digital professionals who work in the political, non-profit, and advocacy spaces), was a partner at Bully Pulpit Interactive and is the President and Founder of Precision Network. He’s worked at Change.org and he ran the Washington, DC office for Grossman Marketing Group. He’s also served on the National Finance Committee for the last four presidential campaigns. Honestly, his resume is immense. This list goes on and on. He's currently running for DNC National Finance Chair. I invited him on the pod to hear specifically about the role he envisions digital strategy playing in the future of the Democratic Party. Throughout our conversation, we spoke about The importance of accountability, transparency and connection.Deplatforming bad faith actors who are making the environment untenable for everyone elseWhy he wants to bring the National Finance Committee and the grassroots fundraising program under one roofWhat lessons the DNC can incorporate from Run For SomethingWhy this is the time for painful conversationsThe importance of finding a home for everyone who wants to get involved in the party, regardless of how much money they have to donateAnd a whole lot more Listen to our full conversation at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

On February 1st, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will elect a new chair to replace outgoing party chair Jamie Harrison. The next DNC chair will lead the Democratic Party at a critical time, as they work to rebuild while Republicans control every level of the federal government. This person will oversee fundraising and operations, but they will also play a key role in shaping the strategy and outlining the vision for what the party should be and how it should allocate its time, energy, and resources. I reached out to the DNC Chair candidates and invited them to join me on the pod to discuss the role they envision digital strategy playing in the future of the Democratic Party. While not all are able to participate, I’m happy to share conversations with the candidates who accepted my invitation. I checked in with Faiz Shakir. Shakir is an American political advisor, who's served as Senior Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders and Executive Director of More Perfect Union. He’s previously worked with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Senator Harry Reid, ThinkProgress and the ACLU. He's currently running for DNC Chair. I invited him on the pod to hear specifically about the role he envisions digital strategy playing in the future of the Democratic Party. Throughout our conversation, we talked about: His vision for the position (that of editor-in-chief)The importance of investing in YouTubeWhy the party needs to meet everyone where they areThe role of the party in building communities that can increase civic engagementThe importance of strengthening the Democratic brand as a party that fights for working-class peopleAnd a whole lot more. Listen to our full conversation at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

On February 1st, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will elect a new chair to replace outgoing party chair Jamie Harrison. The next DNC chair will lead the Democratic Party at a critical time, as they work to rebuild while Republicans control every level of the federal government. This person will oversee fundraising and operations, but they will also play a key role in shaping the strategy and outlining the vision for what the party should be and how it should allocate its time, energy, and resources. I reached out to the DNC Chair candidates and invited them to join me on the pod to discuss the role they envision digital strategy playing in the future of the Democratic Party. While not all are able to participate, I’m happy to share conversations with the candidates who accepted my invitation. I checked in with Jason Paul. Jason Paul is an attorney and political strategist from Newton, Massachusetts. He has worked winning campaigns across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine. He is also the author of Trench Warfare Politics in the Tinder Era, a book that explores the current political landscape and outlines pathways for progress.  We talked about DCCC fundraising, what it would mean for the party to exert more control over ActBlue, why we need better research within our party and a whole lot more. Find links and more at HelloMergeTag.com.