SPREADING LIES ABOUT OUR ELECTIONS
DON’T TAKE THE BAIT
Some Wisconsin politicians have been spreading lies about the 2020 election. Their goals?
To distract us from exposing their failures to deliver the programs and support Wisconsinites need — higher wages, better healthcare, funds for schools, and above all, racial justice and true community safety. They’re hoping that they can dominate the news, social media, and even our own communications, by baiting us to argue with them about what they want the conversation to be.
To animate certain voters and place barriers to voting before others. The public, by and large, is already on our side. The opposition knows this, which is why they try to weaponize racial resentment to turn out their base while using that same narrative to push through measures to block our freedom to vote.
To harm BIPOC Wisconsinites by pushing barriers to vote in Milwaukee and elsewhere, and by further defunding the healthcare, schools, environmental justice, housing and so much more that would keep us safe, and use those life-saving funds to instead give kickbacks to wealthy corporate donors and further entrench systems of harm, such as mass incarceration and militarized policing in our streets.
ACT
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HONE YOUR MESSAGE
LEAD WITH VALUES, not problems. Focus on what we want, not just what we don’t want, using language that paints a picture of our desired outcomes– fully funded schools, great jobs, ability to go to the doctor. By keeping the conversation on our frame, we can make sure lies about our elections don't derail us from fighting for a Wisconsin for all of us.
SPEAK CLEARLY AND VIVIDLY about bad actors and their motivations, for example:
Deliberate barriers to voting (when we want to talk about voter suppression)
Election review scam/ sham election review (when we want to call out their actions)
Election sabotage (for attempts to attack out elections like false electors and attacking vote counts)
Make the promise of democracy real for us all (as a more vivid and effective phrase than "democracy reform" or "fix our democracy" as we know our democracy has never fully included all of us, not yet)
CHARACTERIZE ATTACKS on our freedom to vote and elections as a part of the opposition’s strategy of keeping us from uniting for desirable, equitable outcomes.
FOCUS ON OUTCOMES, NOT “DEMOCRACY” ITSELF
Despite our best efforts and desires, “democracy reform” doesn’t mean anything to most people. “Democracy” ranks last in a broad list of priorities for the country.
In emphasizing why we need to pass progressive policies around voting and elections, voters are more likely to prioritize our policies when they are tied directly to having a say in tangible outcomes (e.g. affordable healthcare, quality jobs, etc), rather than broad notions of improving democracy.
CONTEST, DON’T REPEAT opposition messaging on our elections on our terms. Don’t use their frames, and instead use ours of freedom and inclusion. Don’t repeat by negating (for example, if they say “elephants are green,” don’t say “they’re lying that elephants are green,” or “there were no green elephants”). In the instances where we need to correct our opposition, correct and then pivot (“they think if we fall for their lies, we won’t notice they are killing the zebras.”)
MAKE CLEAR CALLS TO ACTION. Join people from across Wisconsin by being an early voter, call this legislator, etc.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN! Perhaps above all, messaging from a place of inevitability, enthusiasm, and coming together to organize and win.
EXAMPLE:
From Up North to Milwaukee’s northside, we believe that voters pick our leaders — our leaders do not pick which voters to hear and which to silence.
After we turned out in record numbers despite the pandemic, a handful of politicians have pushed shams and scams around elections in Wisconsin, spreading lies about an election that trusted officials conducted and verified. They hope to divide and distract us so we’ll look the other way while they block funding to educate our kids safe.
We see through politicians who spread lies, refuse to govern in our interests, and pass laws to silence our voices based on where we live and what we look like. That’s why we are coming together to elect leaders like Governor Tony Evers who’ll deliver the schools and healthcare all our families need.
SAY THIS, NOT THAT
Sometimes as activists, we can get in the weeds. Here are some ways to bring more people into the conversation without losing them to jargon or opposition narrative.
This is sourced/excerpted from ISRC’s excellent resources.
WHY WE LAUNCHED THIS SERIES
This year is a pivotal crossroads for our state and our nation. In 2020, we came out in record numbers. We marched, we voted, we volunteered and we elected new leaders to govern in our interests.
But now, our time is running out to ensure that every person in Wisconsin knows how much they made a difference. If we cut through the noise, we can ensure they know that they changed the direction of our state, improved our lives, and will do it again.
Here’s the challenge: our collective knee-jerk reaction to disinformation and incorrect statements is to provide “enough” facts to win the day, argument and voter. But contrary to our instincts, this doesn’t work and can even make our opponent’s narrative stronger!
When we try to bust a falsehood, what ends up happening is:
We deepen the audience’s belief in the lie
We repeat and reinforce our opponent’s frame
We expose the lie to folks that might not have heard it before
At the same time, we know we can’t stay silent. This monthly newsletter will help inform how to dispel lies and call out dog whistles without repeating them.
