BirdDogging 101

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Bird-Dogging 101

• Please Interrupt

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Why?

• Definition Strategic engagement with candidates
• Where is the political press focused?
• Congress
• Elections
• Oprah
• Where should we focus our attention?

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Whats the point of engaging candidates?

• What can be accomplished at a candidate
  appearance?
• We can get a commitment to improved policy.
• We can inform the candidate
• We can inform the public and if media is there,
  get national coverage about health care issues.

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Lets talk a little bit more about engaging the
candidates

• Who has been to a campaign rally before?
• What happened?
• What do you think the candidate wanted?
• What did the people there want?
• Were there any media there? What did they want?

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Awesome AMSA tools

• Platform
• Grid
• PowerPoint presentations

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Bird-Dogging To Do list

• Find an event
• Newspapers
• Listservs (08-stop-aids listserv)
• Call the campaign
• Figure out event format
• Do you need a ticket? How do you get one?
• When do doors open?
• QA period?
• Can you volunteer?

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Bird-Dogging To Do list

• Find a group
• More fun
• Less intimidating
• More opportunities for questions
• Opportunities for Follow-Up questions

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Bird-Dogging To Do list

• Make a plan
• Will you all break out into a chant? Who will
  lead the chant (ie. cues for starting and
  stopping)
• Will you try to blend into the crowd until qa
• Write all questions in advance
• Decide what topics you will ask about
• Will you hold up signs? How will you smuggle them
  in?
• Who will bring the camera?

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Bird-Dogging To Do list

• Get good seats
• Where will the candidate walk by to get to the
  stage? Where will she go when she leaves.
  Important for handshake lines
• Sit next to the microphone
• Spread out so a bunch of similar looking people
  arent all together
• Ask staff if you can sit in VIP areathey often
  will say yes if seats arent full right before
  the event starts
• Arrive EARLY
• Give Obama at least 2 hours expect event to go
  late.
• Arriving early will allow you time to scout
  location and choose your seats.
• Have time for a pre-meeting to go over your plan
  again.

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Bird-Dogging To Do list

• Everyone in group should get their hands up
  first, fast, and high
• Maximizes chances of being picked for question
• Most people are intimidated and dont want to ask
  first question.
• Get a handshake/photo/autograph
• If group spread out, everyone should stand in a
  line for handshakes
• Grip the hand and dont let go line of
  activists helps with this
• Keep candidate engaged with a photo or an
  autograph.
• pictures/videos

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Bird-Dogging To Do list

• Get quoted
• Stick around afterwards and look for the press,
  talk to them to get your message through
• Answer the question you want them to ask you, not
  the question they really ask you.
• Plan press sound bites. Have options if the
  candidate says yes, no, and waffle
• Report back to AMSA office and listservs so we
  can track candidates statements
• Place, time, question, answer, press coverage

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Now all of this starts with good questions

• Good questions are
• Short and to the point
• Courteous
• Allow the candidate to look good
• Include the correct answer
• Written down ahead of time

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• Handshake Questions
• Very short
• Clear enough to be understood in crush of crazies
• Example Senator Obama, will you support 300
  million for the National Health Services Corps
• Example Mr. Giuliani, will you oppose insurance
  companies from denying care based on pre-existing
  conditions?

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Two types of good questions

• Forum questions
• 10-15 seconds
• Question contains answer
• Specific Ask
• Give a story, personal hook
• Source of legitimacy
• Facts
• Personal story
• Possible format personal hook ? fact ? answer ?
  question

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Forum question examples

• As a medical student, I have cared for numerous
  HIV patients who cannot access treatment under
  Medicaid. In the present system, patients only
  become eligible for life-saving antiretroviral
  treatment once they are too sick to work, that
  is, once they have progressed to AIDS. As
  president, will you make sure all people with HIV
  will have access to essential treatment at
  diagnosis instead of waiting until they are
  disabled?

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Senator Aimlow

• Senator Aimlow
• Is speaking at the California Health Insurance
  Association conference
• Is giving a speech about the importance of
  reimbursing insurance firms fairly
• Team A Samata, Anant, Nakul, Caleb
• Team B Shirley, Eric, Jen, Sue, Emma
• Team C Kathryn, Leslie, Allison, Tanya