Sam Adams Alliance - Eric O'Keefe to Keynote TUA 35th Anniversary Benefit

The Sam Adams Alliance is proud to announce Eric O'Keefe, Chairman and CEO of the Sam Adams Alliance and President of the Alliance for Self-Governance, will be the keynote speaker at the Taxpayers United of America (TUA) 35th Anniversary Celebration event on November 3, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

Eric is a leading voice in the fight for government accountability and self-governance, and he urges citizens to take back control of their government and hold elected officials accountable, especially through the primary process.

Other speakers at the event will include Paul Jacob, President of Citizens in Charge, John Tillman, President of the Illinois Policy Institute, Adrian Moore, Vice President of Reason Foundation, and Jim Tobin, President of TUA.

TUA is one of the largest taxpayer advocacy organizations in America.  For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, visit www.taxpayersunitedofamerica.org.

Founded in Chicago in 2006, the Sam Adams Alliance (SAM) is a non-profit, non-partisan, fiercely independent organization dedicated to inspiring and encouraging grass-roots citizen activism. For more information, visit www.samadamsalliance.org.

Sam Adams Alliance - Engaging Democracy: Activism & the Changing Face of Media w/ Omid Malekan

Oh my, it's Omid!

Sammies finalist and all around great American Omid Malekan continues to impress with his viral videos-and we at Engaging Democracy decided it's about time we learn more about the mind behind the mischief.

From his YouTube viral video "Quantitative Easing Explained" to his latest "Federal Reserve for Dummies," Omid takes complicated subjects and presents them in a way everyone-even our Vice President-can understand.

Listen to the Engaging Democracy podcast to find out how he chooses his videos, why he feels compelled to create, and his thoughts on changing the way Americans receive their information.

Also, be sure to tune in next week as we continue our conversations with Sammies alums - and start thinking what you'll do to get yourself to the 2012 Sammies next April!

 

Yvonne B. Ralsky

Executive Director 



Sam Adams Alliance - Get a Room...For the Sammies!

 

Spring is in the air, Sammies invitations have been mailed, and SAM has a great hotel deal for you--all makings of a great Chicago weekend. And there's no better way to kick things off than at the Sammies awards and dinner on Friday, April 8, at Chicago's Union Station!

Come to celebrate our freedom and the great Americans who are fighting on the front lines to preserve it. 

Stay for the after party...and enjoy the city at your leisure.

SAM has reserved a block of rooms at the W Hotel - City Center just a few minutes' walk from Union Station, not to mention all the great restaurants, theater, and gravity-defying attractions nearby! 

We are delighted to offer you a special Sammies rate of $149. But hurry, you'll need to confirm your reservation by March 25 to guarantee the Sammies rate.

To reserve your room online please visit www.whotel/sammies rate.com, or call 312-332-1200. 

For more information visit www.sammies/event.com or contact Lisa at (312) 920-0080.

See you at the Sammies,

 

Yvonne Ralsky

Executive Director

Reserved your seat yet? Purchase tickets by clicking here.

Founded in 2006, the Sam Adams Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan organization helping Americans preserve democracy, freedom, and the America the Founders envisioned. For more information, visit www.samadamsalliance.org. 



Sam Adams Alliance - New Study Examining Madison Protestors Released Today

Study: Tea Partiers, Unions Share Common Core Values

insightsLab Reports from Protest in Madison

CHICAGO -- Today, insightsLab, the research arm of Sam Adams Alliance (SAM) released a new study showing that both Tea Partiers and a segment of Madison, WI, union protestors share similar core values. The study, which is the first of its kind, was conducted during the height of the Wisconsin budget battle and delved into the values and motivations of union protestors. The research determined two core segments of people among the Madison protestors, "Operatives" and "Idealists," based on qualitative in-depth market research interviews conducted with "brand champion" protestors.

"This study is significant because it shows where the Tea Partiers and unions can meet in the middle and find common ground," said Yvonne Ralsky, executive director of SAM. "The research team at insightsLab didn't expect to discover that the passions of the Tea Partiers and Unions transcend policy positions or politics, and motivate people to activism."

"Madison Unwrapped" is the first activist insights report of 2011. Along the lines of last year's Tea Party "Early Adopters" report, "Madison Unwrapped: Reading the Union Label" provides insight into the segments found within the union protestors in Madison. More importantly, it demonstrates where collaboration and understanding will fulfill the "deep values" of both sides.

Researchers from the insightsLab interviewed 10 subjects on-site at the Madison, WI, protests, for between forty-five and sixty minutes per interviewee. insightsLab found two segments among the union activist population. The first segment, "Operatives," value security, accomplishment, and self-esteem. "Idealists," by contrast, value belonging, family, and self-fulfillment. The latter group's values closely resembled those of Tea Party "brand champions," as revealed in the Early Adopters last year.

"The findings were surprising to us, at first," said Anne Sorock, director of the insightsLab. "We rejected our hypothesis that all union protestors' values would be starkly different from the Tea Partiers. Instead we found that there are values common to segments within each group-a remarkable shift in thinking and a promising advance for understanding the modern American political landscape."

*To download the full report, click here. 

About insightsLab

insightsLab, the research arm of the Sam Adams Alliance, is a first-mover in applying traditionally private-sector market-research techniques to the political and cultural space. Launched in 2010, the insightsLab focuses on providing better understanding of this dynamic and largely unexplored market, from the people who make it up to the institutions and individuals to whom they relate.

About the Sam Adams Alliance

Founded in 2006, the Sam Adams Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan organization helping Americans preserve democracy, freedom, and the America the Founders envisioned. For more information, visit www.samadamsalliance.org.

Sam Adams Alliance - February News from SAM

february 2011 newsletter
Dear Friend,   We are so excited to share the details of SAM's February, a month that took us to places as diverse as Simi Valley, CA, Eureka, IL, and Washington, DC, as we conducted marketing research as an official partner of the Ronald Reagan Centennial. Through this partnership, SAM's insightsLab is researching President Reagan's distinctly American legacy to understand why young Americans ages 18-34 look up to and relate to him.  While the insightsLab is busy conducting research, the rest of the office is abuzz with preparations to select the nominees for this year's Sammies celebration. For the first time, a panel of judges will sift through the hundreds of nominations we received. It is already clear that this year's Sammies class will be one of our most inspirational yet. As Sammies Speaker John Stossel says, the Sammies recognition is "an award that matters."  I encourage you to reserve your seat now for an evening that reminds us all that our country's greatest treasure is its people, and that the freedom we hold dear is still safe within their hearts and minds. All the Best,    Yvonne B. Ralsky Executive Director   in this issue insightsLab explores the Reagan Legacy February's Engaging Democracy podcasts Read why Mitch Daniels and others are this month's Irreverent Messengers Contribute to SAM   Sammies Speaker John Stossel talks Sammies and "the award that matters." Read why SAM Chairman Eric O'Keefe believes that Ronald Reagan's insights and principles have been abandoned by leaders of both parties.
the SAM's insightsLab explores the Reagan legacy One hundred years ago this month, President Ronald Reagan was born into a family of humble means in the heart of the Midwest. Some would call this an inauspicious beginning for one of our country's most beloved leaders. At the Sam Adams Alliance, we recognize that it is just the sort of foundation from which he, and so many others, can best defend our country's principles and progress. Reagan's unique style of leadership and hard-won accomplishments continue to set him apart from many who came before--and after--his time at the helm. It is a legacy that reveals much about the man and also the country that upholds his character, accomplishments, and uniquely American vision.  Everyone from Newt Gingrich to Barack Obama is chiming in to claim part of President Reagan's legacy. Why are so many eager to attach themselves to his brand of leadership? What did he accomplish? Who truly comes closest to emulating the essence of what Reagan was?  This is where SAM sees an opportunity. On the one hand our insightsLab, through a combination of focus groups, in-depth interviews, and survey data, will provide real insight into the essence of Reagan's legacy, rather than let transient and superficial leaders adopt his legacy as their own. At the same time through better understanding why Reagan was able to succeed and flourish, even today, our new leaders will be positioned to win.  We are proud to be the exclusive research partner of the Reagan Centennial to explore the living, lasting, and beloved legacy of our 40th president. We are partnering with the Reagan Centennial to explore the why-and the how-the Reagan legacy endures, even in the minds of young people who were not alive to witness his presidency. Moreover, we know we know that our marketing research will do more than shine light onto what made Reagan great. Even better, by adding to the understanding of the essence of President Reagan's legacy, we can highlight the exceptionalism of American history and the American people. It is a time when Reagan's belief in American exceptionalism is the exception for many of our politicians and media figures. We look forward to sharing our insights with you as we take on this unique--and important--project.
engaging democracy podcast On April 16th, 2010, Jamie Radtke of Richmond, Virginia, was presented with the Tea Party Award for her work in creating a coalition of tea party groups known as the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.  Under her guidance, the coalition recruited bi-partisan support for the Health Care Freedom Act, which was then used to challenge the constitutionally of the health care law. Last week, we got an update on what she's been up to since, a 20-minute convo centering around tea party activism, the health care law, and her candidacy for the U.S. Senate. irreverent messenger Mitch Daniels and the town of Hercules, CA, are among February's irreverent messenger winners. Over a weekend that was full of hackneyed talking points, monotonous speeches, and trite political commentary, Gov. Daniels's message rose above the humdrum din. Read more by clicking on the picture above.     Help SAM give our award--and our "Irreverent" messenger bag--to only the best! Email your nominations to irreverentmessenger@samadamsalliance.org
Support the Sammies and Activists across the Country! Please join us for the 4th Annual Sammies Awards dinner on April 8 in Chicago, IL, with special guest John Stossel as we honor and celebrate activists who are working to preserve freedom. CLICK HERE to reserve your seat or support SAM's other efforts by CLICKING HERE.