If you’re concerned about Trump’s nominations, the most impactful thing you can do is to reach out to your US Senators and voice your opposition. A large volume of brief phone calls do make a difference at strategic times. Immediately after a nomination announcement is one of those strategic times, because they are figuring out how/whether to respond publicly. Democracy must be fought for even after elections have ended.

Contacting Senators from both parties also matters right now. The prevailing message in the media is that Dems need to cater even more to Republicans to win the next election, they need to hear your voice if you disagree with that.

The most effective phone calls take less than a minute: say your name, your city or ZIP code, and what you support/oppose, maybe a sentence on why. You’ll be marked down on a spread sheet that is discussed at the daily office strategy meeting.

Other actions like brief emails, meeting in-person at the district office, meeting in-person at the DC office, can also be effective, but take more time and energy. Emails aren’t always read right away like a phone call must be answered for example. And you generally need to make an appointment for an in-person meeting.

Find your Senators’ contact info

  • @surph_ninja
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    147 days ago

    I’ve been calling my representatives nonstop for a year to end their support for the genocide in Palestine. When is this supposed to start working?

    • @cymbal_kingOP
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      157 days ago

      These tactics are not always a guarantee to have things go your way, but they increase the chances. For phone calling, numbers of people calling in matter the most, particularly at strategic times, including: right after big announcements, right before a committee vote, right before a floor vote. It’s also more effective before dominant narratives have arisen around a topic and there is uncertainty on how things could shake out.

      • @grue
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        English
        117 days ago

        These tactics are not always a guarantee to have things go your way

        See also: Atlanta city council voting for Cop City despite over two hundred people showing up at the meeting, in person, to speak against it. (Not to mention a petition for a referendum that got hundreds of thousands of signatures but was illegally withheld from the ballot anyway.)

        You’re right that actually talking to your representatives works surprisingly often, but sometimes it really blatantly doesn’t.

        • @cymbal_kingOP
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          157 days ago

          Why not use multiple tactics? It’s not all or nothing and yes I’m certain Senate offices care about hearing from constituents, far more effective than simply doom scrolling.

          • @surph_ninja
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            07 days ago

            The only benefit to attempting to push progressive policies and candidates through the existing system is to illustrate to people on the fence that system cannot be reformed, and it must be destroyed before it will represent us.

            • @cymbal_kingOP
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              97 days ago

              I’m for larger structural changes, but I disagree that rolling over and allowing fascists to get their way in the current system is acceptable. Let’s do both

              • @surph_ninja
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                17 days ago

                If you think either of the only two parties allowed to run aren’t both fascists, you’re not paying attention.

    • sunzu2
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      fedilink
      47 days ago

      it doesn’t work, this trick is merely a psyop to shift the blame from the regime whores to plebs.

      If you want your voice to be heard, get a lobbying like an adult alpha male.