The 29

29 Senators, according to TweetCongress.com, have Twitter accounts:

@Barbara_Boxer
@SenSamBrownback
@TomCoburn
@senatorcollins
@JohnCornyn
@JimDeMint
@SenChrisDodd
@DickDurbin
@JohnEnsign
@russfeingold
@ChuckGrassley
@OrrinHatch
@jminhofe
@MelMartinez
@SenJohnMcCain
@clairecmc
@SenatorMenendez
@SenJeffMerkley
@lisamurkowski
@SenBillNelson
@SenatorReid
@RichardShelby
@SenArlenSpecter
@johnthune
@tomudall
@MarkUdall
@DavidVitter
@MarkWarner
@rogerwicker

So, to emulate what I did for the House vote on HR2454, I used FutureTweets to schedule a daily message to each Twitter account to ask them to support the bill, to vote yes on the bill.

I'll be doing the same thing with the above Senators on Twitter, and ask that you do the same, please?

Thanks again!

The 44

1. Altmire
2. Arcuri
3. Barrow
4. Berry
5. Boren
6. Bright
7. Carney
8. Childers
9. Costa
10. Costello
11. Dahlkemper
12. Davis (AL)
13. Davis (TN)
14. DeFazio
15. Donnelly (IN)
16. Edwards (TX)
17. Ellsworth
18. Foster
19. Griffith
20. Herseth Sandlin
21. Holden
22. Kirkpatrick (AZ)
23. Kissell
24. Kucinich
25. Marshall
26. Massa
27. Matheson
28. McIntyre
29. Melancon
30. Minnick
31. Mitchell
32. Mollohan
33. Nye
34. Ortiz
35. Pomeroy
36. Rahall
37. Rodriguez
38. Ross
39. Salazar
40. Stark
41. Tanner
42. Taylor
43. Visclosky
44. Wilson (OH)

Democrats who need to hear from you as far as what they were thinking when they voted "NO" on HR 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES Act).

What exactly were they saying no on? Jobs? Increased economy? Energy independence?

Or were they saying "YES" to special interests?

Ask them, please.

Thanks.

ACES Act

Vote on HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES Act) will be this Friday.

For the past 2 weeks, I've used FutureTweets to send Twitter messages daily to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who are also on Twitter. If you find yourself desiring to blitz them over the next 48 hours, then here are their IDs:

@USRepMikeDoyle
@RepRadanovich
@FrankPallone
@RepInsleeNews
@repjonbarrow
@RepJoeBarton
@RepShimkus
@RoyBlunt
@MaryBonoMack
@LeeTerryNE
@USRepSullivan
@MichaelCBurgess
@RepPhilGingrey

And I tweeted these two today, and will continue over the next 48 hours:

@neilabercrombie
@ArturDavis

Other than the obvious, the votes on Friday, does anyone else have ideas about how to measure the success of a Twitter-driven advocacy campaign? Do I measure in RTs? In the traditional letterwriting, phoning or email/fax campaign, measurement is finite--#s of letters written, phone calls made, emails or faxes sent. But, it all falls on the final vote, n'est ce pas? Numbers in the thousands can be generated, but if the vote goes against the will of the people, then what?

Inquiring minds want to know. Your thoughts?

The Story of Us.

So, by now, you've crafted (or read) a 'story of me;' or a narrative that has a challenge, choice and outcome.

Now, the next step is to create a 'story of us,' linking similar values between you and your audience. You first have to identify at what points in your story are you illustrating values, so that when your audience reacts, you get the context clues you need to know that these are shared values.

For example, if you reacted at the point where my grandfather lost his wife and partner of 45 + years, I can safely assume that relationships are important to you.

So, what made you react, in my story? What values do we share?

The Story of Me.

So, my parents divorced on my 6th birthday.

I can still see the brightly colored wrapping paper of the presents in the front seat, and feel the warmth of my mom's breath on my cheek as she buckled me into the back seat.

I didn't know it at the time, but we were heading to my dad's parents, my paternal grandparents' home. They were domestics, and lived on a huge horse farm in Albemarle County, Virginia.

My dad was a cop, and Black, and was always taking extra shifts or longer hours to get ahead. I was practically raised by my grandparents. I can hear my grandfather's voice in my head every time I say the Lord's Prayer he taught me; and it's my grandmother's hands that guide my hands when I'm cooking.

But when my grandmother died after a long, hard fight with liver cancer, my grandfather lost his best friend and partner of over 45 years, and started to slide into dementia. My dad and his 8 siblings didn't have the resources to institutionalize my grandfather, so the decision was made to house my grandfather in the biggest home among them.

I would go visit him, and was saddened by the blue glow of the television washing over his face as he struggled to remember who I was. I was graduating at that time, and had to make a decision--do I move on to college and the rest of my life, or do I help dignify and edify my grandfather at the end of his life?

So, I gave up a full-ride scholarship and stayed to take care of my grandfather until he passed, and joined the Army to get my education.

I'm sure there were moments when you were nodding, or otherwise reacting to what you read, and I'm wondering what it would take for you to just leave a comment, now, ok?

Janet Fouts

I found this fascinating quote today:

TweetPsych uses two different analysis algorithms–Regressive Imagery Dictionary and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) to create a psychological profile for you based on your last 1,000 tweets. Type in a username and TweetPsyche comes back with a profile of cognitive, primordial, conceptual and emotional content of your Tweets.Janet Fouts, Jun 2009

You should read the whole article.

Tweeting to organize.

Why use Twitter as an organizing tool? Because it forces you to craft a message that is confined to the restraints of organizing; that is, to build capacity, mobilize and move a target.

Concise is communicating your message in 140 characters. Or less lol. Clear is contained within the conciseness--you can't dissemble in a message that short, now, can you? Because Twitter is utilized by news agencies, the credibility of the medium is rising, which lends to how concrete your message is. Compelling? A message that short can move an audience. Think taglines. If you're retweeted (RT), then you've succeeded in crafting a compelling message.

I'm using FutureTweets to schedule msgs to key legislators in an attempt to move a target in a campaign.

What I like most about it is that I can set up the tweet, time it, and click it. It's done. Every day, until I cancel, that tweet will be sent out.

Despite having to enter everything manually (it doesn't yet have the ability to go to your friends list and allow you to just click to add), it's efficient and easy to use. The effectiveness on the level in which I'm using it will have to be determined by news, lol, or the congressman's vote.

So, blogs to tell your story and share the story of us and the story of now; Facebook to outline strategy; and Twitter to make the asks. If these platforms are linked in your campaign, then they create a natural flow for organizing.

Don't Blog From the Field

So that's why God invented Twitter.

So you can 'microblog' from the field.

I get it now. Nothing pithy, but the Bard did say that brevity is the soul of wit, didn't he? Can you tweet sonnets? Methinks aye...

I was brainstorming earlier today, and said aloud, "Hey, what if your blog was all about your story; what if your Facebook page outlined your strategy; and your tweets were your asks?"

I'll need to get with some of my activist/organizer cohorts to flesh this out more.

I won't ask for your thoughts. I'm sure you'll just give me your opinion if you feel compelled to do so, now, won't you?

Hey, what's your story? I've got one, thanks to my relational organizing training. You should have one, too. It's beyond 'elevator pitching.' So, what's yours?

Community

I applaud the Northside Public Safety Council.

Tonight, I attended their monthly meeting, and watched a dedicated group of citizens organize themselves to combat challenges where they live.

Positive interactions between disparate neighborhoods, law enforcement and city council have and will continue to occur to the benefit of all involved.

Congratulations, Donna Kramer, for being re-elected to lead such a fine group of citizen organizers.

http://bit.ly/5L8eF