Women’s March on Washington a model for the Trump era

The protests and demonstrations continue apace in these first few days of the Trump administration, the most recent focusing on the “Muslim ban” executive order. It is too early to say which ones might move the levers of government, but with the Women’s and Sisters’ Marches the day after the presidential inauguration, a model has emerged that all campaigns, designed to mobilize communities for change, can learn from and adopt. Rhetoric and inspiration matter The movement found their most effective spokesperson when Michelle Obama took the stage at a rally for Hillary Clinton last Oct. 13. In 24 powerful minutes of oratory, Obama set the terms for the march on Washington. She gave voice to outrage from the perspective of a woman who has achieved much, and who has grave fears for what a Trump administration would mean for the struggle for justice and equality. In strategic communications, we say that “story is sticky,” and Obama did not deliver a list of action items; she framed everything she said in anecdotal, personal terms, with a speech that was deeply felt and strongly delivered. Suddenly, a figure emerged who eloquently personified all the values of a nascent movement, equal parts gravity, warmth, and empathy. Community leaders had rich content to share on social media that had “a long tail” (many click-throughs over an extended period of time), and networks of progressive voters from the Clinton, Sanders, and Stein campaigns could be mapped onto a new, powerful mobilization campaign. Keep the message simple Much like the Trump administration, with its America First agenda, the Sisters’ movement has a top-line message that can be summed up in one sentence: “we are not going back.” Implicit here is that the struggle for women’s equality has been a continuum, marked by incremental but steady steps forward. To normalize all that Trump and his administration represents is to halt the promise of the future, the crucial resources of hope and opportunity instilled in the next generation of women. That word hope is, of course, key. Like “yes we can” before it, there is an implicit positivity and an energy created in the collective resistance to turning the clock back on women’s rights. Hope and empowerment are the high octane fuels that power all effective campaigns, and they have been powerfully and consistently invoked in simple, straightforward messaging. Don’t feed the trolls During the day of marches and protests, the chief spokespeople and indeed the great majority of protesters themselves did not lose control of the narrative. There were no incidents of violence beyond a few minor skirmishes, and the focus remained on the women’s voices on stage and in the crowds. They stayed high, and resisted how low an army of trolls would have only been too willing to take them. Work the levers of government after the main event, not before The organizers of the marches drew upon the key constituencies for any elected representative at the municipal, state, and federal levels of government viewed as progressive and anti-Trump. But wisely, the first step was summoning the political capital in a show of strength in numbers, and this means they now have greater leverage with elected representatives to work on the ways and means to devise plans of action. The second step was the development of a tactical toolbox to move the levers, and the principal organizers came out with an itemized list: everything from letter templates to lists of Senator’s offices to call, in order to keep the momentum going. Challenging times can bring out the best in campaign strategy and organization, and the Women’s’ and Sisters’ marches have made some wise moves in activating and motivating a base for change. They offer a model for all campaigns on both sides of the border, regardless of who might be one’s adversary. John Delacourt is a vice-president at Ensight Canada and former director of communications for the Liberal Research Bureau. The Hill Times