06/19/2017

Four Tips for Advocacy in Divisive Times

Former President Obama's press secretary gives his insights on effective advocacy

The former White House press secretary under President Barack Obama sees a broken D.C. political culture. But he says he believes associations can get their message heard despite the fractures.

Ask Josh Earnest about his toughest day on the job and he’ll tell you about one of his final ones. The day after the 2016 presidential election, he says, the West Wing of the White House—where he was President Barack Obama’s press secretary—was stunned and uncertain after Donald J. Trump’s victory. “Everybody who had spent years in the White House working to advance [Obama’s] agenda came face to face with the reality that that agenda was likely to be rolled back,” he said.

Even so, Earnest was (and is) an optimist about politics, and he recalls that on that day, his goal was to mirror the president’s demeanor—open, calm, and supportive of the American democratic process. The tone at the top, he said, is important “not just for the way the public views an institution, but the way that people who are part of that institution choose to conduct themselves as well,” he said. “That’s why that kind of leadership is so important.”

Please click here to read the complete article from Associations Now.