I wasnt able to make the conference call, but I have some thoughts Id like to share.

Overall, We are Wisconsin did an amazing job of coordinating its volunteer army in the recall (I was one of those volunteers). Im hoping that strategists at We are Wisconsin might find some of the following comments useful. 1. In the recall attempt, I think one major deficiency was in not sufficiently maintaining aspects of a mass movement alongside the electoral campaign. Here are some analyses along these lines (from someone who participated in the successful anti-SB5 campaign): http://my.firedoglake.com/danps/tag/recall/ I dont agree with arguments that mounting a recall campaign was a mistake. But better maintaining a mass movement alongside would have synergized (and there are many historical examples of this). 2. I think the following blogger makes an important point: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/08/1095998/-Walker-did-not-win-because-of-money-Period "The WI Dems should have used this moment to explain not just that busting public unions was bad for the state but also why" There was a relative failure to make the fundamental arguments. Ive heard many say this, and I think the point has some validity. E.g. In mid-June, my girlfriend donated some money to the local liberal-left community radio station, WORT. She ended up speaking to one of the fundraising volunteers manning the WORT phonebanks. He told her that he kept waiting for someone to make the argument for the importance of collective bargaining why collective bargaining should be preserved for public employees. But he never heard anyone address it; no-one ever made the argument. So he ended up voting for Walker. Now, I think such a decision was idiotic. But I also must acknowledge that he had a point. The argument wasnt being made. It seemed that no-one ever spoke about what motivated all those people to protest at the Capitol last year, in the cold and the snow/sleet/rain (and Ill note that though collective bargaining was a key focus, there were other principles motivating people as well; IMO none were effectively articulated in this years electoral campaign). It seemed a fairly conventional and relatively value-free electoral campaign. 3. A separate but related point. There was a failure to make the moral argument a failure to speak from a larger vision. Here are links to some blog comments that I thought especially astute, discussing the importance of imbuing such a struggle with moral purpose. Though theyre not directly related to the WI recall, I think the commenter is making a point relevant to the WI struggle. http://www.correntewire.com/how_disorganization_is_damaging_occupy#comment-207327 http://www.correntewire.com/how_disorganization_is_damaging_occupy#comment-207331 http://www.correntewire.com/how_disorganization_is_damaging_occupy#comment-207377

Political analyst George Lakoff argues that conventional policy arguments (favored by Democrats) are no match for moral narratives. Conservatives have favored the latter, and in recent decades have thus generally won the framing battle. http://www.alternet.org/story/156057/george_lakoff%3A_how_rightwingers_scam_people_into_buying_their_toxic_philosophy_?page=entire Lakoff is arguing from a more strategic/technical perspective than Hugh (the commenter I linked above), but the points that theyre making are similar. 4. I've been consistently impressed by the performance of CNA-NNU in the campaigns they've mounted (e.g. against Schwarzenegger). IMO theyre brilliant in combining aspects of a movement with the ballot box (and perhaps could provide useful strategic suggestions). 5. I'm including here some links on use of humor in movements/campaigns. In a way, this is off-topic most of the examples here involve use of humor against oppressive political regimes (not in a labor action). But I have repeatedly seen creative humor succeed - get through to people and generate support - where other modes of engagement could not. http://www.newtactics.org/en/blog/new-tactics/tactics-tickle-laughing-all-way-win http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/10/gandhi-meets-monty-python-the-comedic-turn-in-nonviolenttactics/ http://www.narconews.com/print.php3?ArticleID=4429&lang=en I recall the success of Russ Feingolds first U.S. Senate campaign (against Bob Kasten). Even though Feingold was greatly outspent, his use of lighthearted humorous ads carried the day. One ad showed Elvis endorsing him. In another ad, Feingold was at home and opened up a closet, saying No skeletons. In yet another ad he showed the back of his hand with a map outlining his travels around the state, with the ad concluding he knows the state of Wisconsin like the back of his hand. People loved those humorous ads and elected him. Messages are often processed carefully yet defensively and as a result are minimally influential. Lighthearted humor can breach defensive/hostile mental filters. Another great example of the creative use of humor the Snoop Dog Kline mailers in the 2006 Kansas Attorney Generals race. Phill Kline, the anti-abortion incumbent, lost to Democrat Paul Morrison. The efficacy of the mailers, that highlighted Klines snooping into private medical records, drove the antiabortion crowd batshit crazy. Moreover, the mailers worked by persuasion rather than mobilization. Heres a link to a study by Gerber et al (2011) on the effect of the mailers: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~marcmere/workingpapers/PersuasiveMail.pdf And here are copies of the mailers themselves:

http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~marcmere/workingpapers/PersuasiveMailAppendix.pdf Finally, purely for entertainment value here are some brilliant, humorous print ads (warning a few of the ads in the first link are sexist): http://thechive.com/2012/01/06/you-have-to-appreciate-a-truly-clever-advertisement-31-photos/ http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2008/07/11/20-brilliant-advertising-ideas/ 6. A point that relates to point #1 (above) -Organizations vary in the degree to which theyre structured horizontally (peer to peer) versus vertically (top down). IMO, this year, WI public employee unions and other organizations supporting the recall basically ran an overly vertical game. That was great for very defined tasks e.g. coordinating an army of volunteers to canvas defined appropriate homes with petitions (an amazing job was done on that). But it failed to fully engage and harness the creativity of potential volunteers. As blogger Sam Smith noted in a separate but analogous context we traded in our passion, our energy, our magic and our music for the rational, technocratic and media ways of our leaders. We will not overcome the current crisis solely with political logic. Totally horizontal doesn't work. It turns into chaos theory, group dynamics, tyranny of structurelessness. Rhizomatic completely horizontal organizations can't act strategically because they lack a central nervous system (in my opinion, this is a major problem for Occupy Wall Street). But simple vertical doesn't work ideally either - at least in movements (you won't get buy-in, etc.). The Spring 2011 protests at the capital were (in my view), the perfect mix of horizontal and vertical - largely horizontal and spontaneous, with just enough input from pre-existing union structure (plus a few other participating organizations) to allow strategic thinking and avoid problems of structurelessness. One manifestation of verticality in the gubernatorial recall effort: Many WI public employee union members Ive spoken to were unhappy with the manner in which decisions were made to endorse and financially support Falk feeling that union leadership made the decision in an undemocratic fashion, ignoring rank and file voices (one exception TAA had a membership vote and rejected endorsing Falk). Given the short timeline and the felt need to consense on a single candidate, I understand why decisions were made as they were but it wasnt ideal. And this reduced buy-in. More generally, a more horizontal structure can draw in and excite a greater number of people, can more fully harness their creativity, and can better reflect and adapt to cultural differences across communities (e.g. Madison versus Ashwaubenon versus Trempealeau). 7. Peer-pressure effect of yard signs. Until near the very end, the only yard signs visible in many rural areas that I travelled through were for Walker (disproportionate to Democratic vs Republican voter percentages for those areas). I would guess that this reflected lack of money, late start for the Dems (especially since the primary was only a month before the general election), etc. I think many people took their cue and made up their minds based on the signs they saw around them. The most common sign was I Stand with Walker (playing off the narrative that Walker was courageous in taking on the unions and that people were choosing to stand with him). The blanketing of pure Walker signs had a strong peer-pressure effect (all my neighbors are for Walker; I guess Ill support him too).

If people who opposed Walker had been encouraged to make or print their own signs, I think it might have marginally helped (this also relates to the potential benefits of greater horizontalism point I made above). At the very least, it would have broken up the monoculture of pro-Walker signs, reducing the peer-pressure effect. And actually liberal-lefties are more creative than conservatives. The creativity of signs at the Capitol last year was one of the amazing things (in contrast, the signs carried by Tea Party counterprotesters were uniformly boring). Home-made signs (in yards and windows) would, I think, have had an effect. Especially humorous creative signs. Recently, I saw a printed sign Stand Trial With Scott Walker (and on the base ScottWalker.con) good counterpoint to the Stand with Walker signs (Im also reminded of how Otpor the movement that overthrew Milosevic via an election always sought to be humorous; humor has a way of breaking through mental filters and barriers). 8. A very relevant book I highly recommend: Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World, by Tina Rosenberg http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780393068580-11 Among many other case studies, Rosenberg explores the success of the Otpor movement. 9. While canvassing, even while using a very delicate touch, I encountered many instances of apparent backlash and message resistance. I think this is worth keeping in mind. In some cases, a visit from a canvasser (or a phone call) might mobilize people to vote for the opposite candidate. People might take the visit from the canvasser as a (negative) informative cue, or reactance might be triggered (with people experiencing a perceived threat to their freedom of choice), etc. All of this speaks to a need for careful targeting, etc. Here are some relevant papers (the first in particular is worth a glance). Dont Talk to Strangers: Experimental Evidence of the Need for Targeting http://www.scribd.com/doc/98714676?secret_password=38ba0twf412ogiydfsz Educating the Least Informed: Group Endorsements in a Grassroots Campaign http://astro.temple.edu/~arceneau/arceneaux_kolodny_endorsements.pdf The Effect of Grassroots Campaigning on Issue Preferences and Issue Salience http://astro.temple.edu/~arceneau/arceneaux_kolodny_attitudes.pdf Reducing Reactance Induced Backlash Responses to Recommendations http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v34/500540_101362_v0.pdf 10. A point somewhat related to #9. People (including myself) are tired of constantly being marketed at. A lot of people are tired of spin and manipulation. My girlfriend recently said I cant find truth anywhere. This perspective is expressed well here:

I am tired, not from age, lack of sleep, or over-scheduling, but from constantly having information -much of it altered or spun to suit a need -- directed at me with the intent to distract, libel, or otherwise lie about issues to gain my support or opposition. http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20120531/WRT06/205310388/My-view-Americashould-return-roots-by-caring-all After someone has heard the standard best practices political script for the umpteenth time e.g. everyone is voting this will be a high turnout election, this is a fundraising deadline, listen to this latest outrage, messages that affirm your identity and what a good citizen you are, relentlessly optimistic messages, etc. they no longer believe it and feel manipulated. And actually I feel dishonest delivering some of these messages. I sometimes wonder if in this milieu of constant marketing (that people are so sick of), whether a campaign based on simple honest truth might be regarded as refreshing and worth voting for. 11. As I alluded to earlier, I think theres a lot to be learned from Otpor (the movement that overthrew Milosevic in Serbia ultimately via an election). Here are links related to Otpor and CANVAS (Center for Applied NonViolent Action and Strategies - an institute founded by former members of Otpor). As someone commented to me after studying Otpors campaign, They thought of everything!. [A side note - the organizers of the Egyptian April 6 Movement, who were really at the core of the spring 2011Tahrir uprising, learned from Otpor.] CANVAS Core Curriculum - A Guide to Effective Nonviolent Struggle [The basic CANVAS handbook] http://www.canvasopedia.org/legacy/files/various/Core_Curriculum-Students_Book.pdf Nonviolent Struggle - 50 Crucial Points http://www.canvasopedia.org/legacy/files/various/Nonviolent_Struggle-50CP.pdf Otpor PRWar in nonviolent campaign to overthrow Milosevic. Use of brand identity: http://t.co/UDBNZDy3 http://t.co/2GdoFnsI Tina Rosenberg article. Revolution U. What Egypt learned from the students who overthrew Milosevic. side note: Otpor resistance movement - street theater tactics: "Wit was perhaps not always achieved, but it was always the aim." http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/02/16/revolution_u&page=full An Analytical Overview of the Application of Gene Sharps Theory of Nonviolent Action in Milosevics Serbia

http://www.canvasopedia.org/legacy/files/serbian/CTI_Serbian_Political_Substance.doc Manual used by Otpor - "Resistance in the Neighborhood" http://www.canvasopedia.org/legacy/files/w-conv/Resistance_in_Neighbourhood.doc Chronology Otpor http://www.scribd.com/doc/86574658 Otpor Campaigns - Meaning and Concept http://www.scribd.com/doc/86574499/OTPOR-Campaigns-Meaning-and-Concept# 12. Finally, a great book about an old but most brilliant grassroots campaign, the details of which almost no-one is aware of: http://books.google.com/books/about/Bury_the_Chains.html?id=CBjqG6eHpNsC