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TakeItBack.Org

FAQ

TakeItBack.Org frequently asked questions (2020)

What would you like to learn about?

We want to make our information and programs as accessible as possible, which is why we have developed a digital knowledge-base of our organization. Just click on the topics and questions you need answers for. Teddy will handle the rest.

About

Teddy AI

Project Guardrail

About

Background on TakeItBack.Org

TakeItBack.Org is progressive political activist and action network comprised of a consortium of former government officials, political activist, policy wonks, and technology professionals dedicated to taking our country back from the big money special interests who have stolen our democracy. You can read more about us HERE.

What are TakeItBack.Org's qualifications?

Former U.S. Senate candidate, Rick Weiland, and former Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, Drey Samuelson, formed TakeItBack.Org, a nonpartisan nonprofit in January 2015, to fight back against wealthy special interests and their undue influence on public policy by harnessing their unique political activism network. Our members, activist, and staff include numerous veterans from the Obama Administration, Clinton Administration, United States Senate, and progressive grassroots organizations.

How is TakeItBack.Org different?

TakeItBack.Org was founded in 2015 to continue the fight against ‘big money’ on multiple fronts. We continue to fight against big health insurance companies and for universal healthcare coverage. We remain focused on taking on Big Pharma and their price gouging practices, supporting ballot measures and federal legislation to bring the American people some meaningful price relief for the medicines they need to live.

 

We fought the 2017 Republican tax giveaway to the rich, warned of the deficits it would cause and the excuse it would give for the GOP to go after Social Security and Medicare, and we continue our campaign against income inequality. We have repeatedly spoken out on the need to immediately address climate change and the need to protect women’s healthcare choices, and we will continue opposing the blatant attacks on voting rights and the First Amendment.

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Nothing less than our country is at stake -- and we are doubling down on our mission to take our country back and restore the true promise of America – opportunity for all, not just the few.

 

To that end, we must hold on and expand the Democratic Party’s majority in the U.S. House; the Democrats must gain control of the United States Senate and stop this assault on the Judiciary; and the current occupant in the White House needs to be resoundingly defeated – before the damage is permanent and can’t be undone.

 

These past several months we have been sharpening our proverbial organization saw, sizing up various candidates and causes around the country that we think deserve our support and are critical to taking our country back, from local elections in states like Virginia and Mississippi, to a vulnerable Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator in Michigan, we are doing everything we can to make and deliver a maximum impact on the outcome. 

 

We are also looking to engage in key U.S. Senate races and battleground states, and will do our very best to keep you updated on our thinking and how you can effectively maximize your engagement and support.

 

The election of Donald Trump has only strengthened our resolve and the need to take America back. That is why we have continued to fight for the kind of real change that can truly make our country great again. From protecting and expanding upon the healthcare advances made by the Affordable Care Act, to taking the drastic measures required to address climate change, to reforming our tax system so that corporations and the super wealthy pay their fair share — we are committed to supporting progressive leaders, candidate and causes that focus on these goals while helping the middle class and taking care of the most vulnerable amongst us.

How can I get started?

Right now our top priority is a strategic initiative called Project Guardrail. You can learn about Project Guardrail by clicking HERE. Any other questions, just ask our artificial intelligence agent "Teddy." He can take care of the rest.

Teddy AI

TakeItBack.Org's Digital Political Activist Assistant

What is Teddy Artificial Intelligence?

Teddy AI (that's short for Teddy Artificial Intelligence and named after the 25th President of the United States, Theodore  Roosevelt Jr.) is a member of TakeItBack.Org team. He was developed in partnership with Google.

Just like his human colleagues, Teddy is dedicated to helping you maximize your digital footprint and impact. You can meet Teddy on Facebook Messenger and Google Assistant. You can access Teddy's home page by clicking HERE.

How can Teddy help?

Teddy is dedicated to helping you maximize your digital footprint and impact. He can help you take action like contacting your elected representatives, learning about candidate, race are issue you are interested in, or answering any questions you have about our organization and goals.

Take Action: 

Teddy AI can help you sign a petition, call your US Senator, and more..

Learn: 

Teddy AI has the resources to  help you advance progressive change in the digital age..

Contact Us: 

Teddy AI can put you in touch with one of our volunteer members ASAP..

Does Teddy only work on Facebook Messenger?

Yes and no. Teddy WORKS BEST on Facebook Messenger and we highly recommend you download the app to your smartphone, mobile device, or computer. Click HERE for detailed instructions on how to download and use the Facebook Messenger App.

We also understand that not everyone likes using Facebook Messenger, which is why we are in the process of integrating Teddy with other technology and devices like Amazon Alexa and WhatsApp. In the meantime, if you don't use Facebook, Teddy can help maximize your impact via text messaging. Just text "HUMAN" to (850) 920-3207 and a live activist will contact you as soon as one is available.

Why does Teddy matter?

Resources are always in short supply for progressive organizations. We rely heavily on volunteers and lack the army of big money donors, like the Koch Brothers, who underwrite most of our competition. Teddy helps level the playing field.

Teddy does this by using Google's natural language processing (NLP) and natural language understanding (NLU) technology to understand you intentions based on your behavior and conversational dialogue. This allows us to automate more basic tasks, thus allowing our limited staff to focus on more complex ones, all while providing a quick and helpful experience for our activists. The end results is an increase in quantity and quality of our combined work!

What should I do if Teddy breaks or isn't helping?

Teddy is part of our volunteer servicing team and is only supported by a human activist when help is needed. Teddy, like most technology, occasionally needs extra help from a human.

When Teddy cannot help you he will connect with a live activist. Just say or type some like "help!" You can also text "HUMAN" to (850) 920-3207 and a live activist will contact you as soon as one is available. Finally, you can also click the following links to log specific requests:

Project Guardrail

Our 2020 effort to take back the US Senate!

What is Project Guardrail?

TakeItBack.Org has been working day in and day out to educate and mobilize voters in key battleground states important to taking back the White House and winning key competitive U.S. Senate races, making taking back the Senate a real possibility. Project Guardrail is a strategic initiative to do just that.

Thus far, we have identified 15 key races and initiatives where we think we can make a material difference in the outcomes of the 2020 election by raising funds for candidates and deploying a sophisticated digital and ground game strategy. You can read all about it on the Project Guardrail homepage by clicking HERE.

Why is Project Guardrail special?

We have developed a sophisticated digital marketing and ground game strategy that leverages artificial intelligence to execute impactful programs in key battleground races and states. Our stratagem has three distinct focuses:

Healthcare 101

We worked with the best minds in health policy and digital activism to develop a cutting edge strategy.

Rough Riders TakeItBack.Org

Fight Disinformation: 

TakeItBack.Org's Rough Riders are a brigade truth seekers who seek and destroy false narratives and disinformation.

Vote-by-mail: 

We used artificial intelligence to develop a comprehensive support system for vote-by-mail programs in key states.

Can I see a list of candidates and read background memos on each race?

Absolutely. One of our organizations goals is to help educate our members on how and where they can make an impact. As such, we have developed comprehensive memos on each our our initial target candidates. You can access the memos and pages by click on the corresponding links below:

ALABAMA: DOUG JONES (D) VS. SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R)
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ALASKA: AL GROSS (D) VS. DAN SULLIVAN (R)
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ARIZONA: MARK KELLY (D) VS. SEN. MARTHA MCSALLY (R)
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COLORADO: JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D) VS. SEN. CORY GARDNER (R)
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GEORGIA: TBD (D) VS. SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R)
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IOWA: THERESA GREENFIELD (D) VS. JONI ERNST (R)
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KANSAS: BARBARA BOLLIER (D) VS. KRIS KOBACH (R)
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KENTUCKY: AMY MCGRATH (D) VS. KRIS KOBACH (R)
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MAINE: SARA GIDEON (D) VS. SUSAN COLLINS (R)
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MONTANA: STEVE BULLOCK (D) VS. STEVE DAINES (R)
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NORTH CAROLINA: CAL CUNNINGHAM (D) VS. TOM TILLIS (R)
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SOUTH CAROLINA: JAIME HARRISON (D) VS. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R)
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TEXAS: MJ HEGAR (D) VS. JOHN CORNYN (R)
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Can I make a contribution to support a specific candidate our initiative?

Absolutely. We are longtime partners with Act Blue and are proud to work with them to power Democratic candidates, committees, parties, organizations, and c4s around the country.

You can contribute to support a candidate or initiative of your choice by clicking any of the corresponding links below. Alternatively, you can search for a candidate or initiative using Teddy by clicking HERE.

ALABAMA: DOUG JONES (D) VS. SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R)
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ALASKA: AL GROSS (D) VS. DAN SULLIVAN (R)
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ARIZONA: MARK KELLY (D) VS. SEN. MARTHA MCSALLY (R)
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COLORADO: JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D) VS. SEN. CORY GARDNER (R)
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GEORGIA: TBD (D) VS. SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R)
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IOWA: THERESA GREENFIELD (D) VS. JONI ERNST (R)
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KANSAS: BARBARA BOLLIER (D) VS. KRIS KOBACH (R)
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KENTUCKY: AMY MCGRATH (D) VS. KRIS KOBACH (R)
​
MAINE: SARA GIDEON (D) VS. SUSAN COLLINS (R)
​
MONTANA: STEVE BULLOCK (D) VS. STEVE DAINES (R)
​
NORTH CAROLINA: CAL CUNNINGHAM (D) VS. TOM TILLIS (R)
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SOUTH CAROLINA: JAIME HARRISON (D) VS. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R)
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TEXAS: MJ HEGAR (D) VS. JOHN CORNYN (R)
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