Chat Instructions and the UR

Chat instructions and the URL for a mobile chat room segmented based on the mobile phone area code will be communicated via text to consumers several hours in advance of the State of the Union address. Upon entering the chat room, users will be able to interact with each other via SMS. To engage participants throughout the speech, Republican Party leaders and other well-known political celebrities will text everyone in all chat rooms.
Guests will include: Erick Erickson, editor-in-chief of the RedState.com blog; Former Congressman Tom Davis; Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush; Rick Scott, private healthcare executive; Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform; and Star Parker, founder and president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education.
Following the State of the Union address, Text2Chat members may take part in the follow-up question-and-answer session, where Republican House Members will field user submitted questions via streaming video. Chat room participants will receive an alert at the end of the address directing them to a website where they can gain access to the streaming chat.
Prior to the State of The Union mobile program, the Text2Chat technology has not been used by any political party to engage the American mobile audience. With 276.6 million wireless subscribers in the U.S in 2009, according to CTIA – The Wireless Association, the connotations for future usage of this technology are powerful.
“While mobile political campaigns have grown in popularity over the past few years, we have yet to see someone fully harness the two-way communication component. Our experience tells us that Americans want a dialogue, not a monologue, when engaging online.” Randall continued, “As a campaign committee, our challenge is to make sure we are providing Americans meaningful ways to engage with us. We are hopeful that leveraging this technology will put us closer to our goal.”
To join the State of the Union Text2Chat, sponsored by the National Republican Congressional Committee, text UNION to 777218. Standard text message charges apply based on the user’s service plan.
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is a political committee devoted to increasing the 178-member Republican Conference in the U.S. House of Representatives. The NRCC's origins date back to 1866, when the Republican caucuses of the House and Senate formed a "Congressional Committee". Today, the NRCC is organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code. It supports the election of Republicans to the House through direct financial contributions to candidates and Republican Party organizations; technical and research assistance to Republican candidates and Party organizations; voter registration, education and turnout programs; and other Party-building activities. Visit the NRCC at www.nrcc.org, http://twitter.com/nrcc/ and http://www.facebook.com/NRCC.