I think it’s time we applied “follow the money” to the Democratic party leadership. The nagging question for me is what contributors got for their money in ’04. Total party receipts were $730,597,050, of which they spent $710,476,477. Total votes for dems (Kerry-Edwards) = 59,028,109. Or about $12.04/voter. [Cash divided by voters.] Further refining those numbers would lead to a staggering sum if you remove registered Democrats from the equation. How much cash do you need to preach to the converted?
Fast forward. Six months post-election the blogosphere is more active than ever, with some blogs garnering attention from members of Congress. Even the ever-present consultant class checks in now and again. Begs the question: what tools does the party have to “get the message out”?
A website? I don’t know how much they paid, but whatever it was, it was too much. Yes, I have suggestions. But they probably won’t go over too well in D.C.
[Media information follows]
What a site to behold. Bring your barf bag and check it out. The first image you’re treated to is our friend Tom Dee-Lay, followed by an agglomeration of negatives sufficient to wilt plants at 100 feet. So the best and cheapest communication tool available today is an electronic basket-case?
‘Coupla suggestions:
- Post every speech Howard Dean makes on the site. Why do I have to read what he’s saying in the news? People need to be directed to the source of information, rather than continue the bullshit he said/he said we are currently subjected to daily.
- Howard Dean sez there is a “50 State” campaign and America is “purple” (something a few of us have been trying to get across since November). So why isn’t the site using the “Purple America” map. (They’d need permission). Easy enough to link to all information about a given state. Would be a “trivial task for a competent programmer”.
- Using that map, the party could easily set up a web form that allows contributors to direct their funds. (Federal/State/Local and/or issue campaigns). In essence create a coordinated democratic/progressive fundraising portal. The party is currently competing for funds with every progressive org out there.
Simple common sense communication. Makes me wonder if democrats at party headquarters have any common sense at all.
Wait a minute. Looks like someone’s been busy. There it is, on the bottom of the front page: QRS Newmedia [copyright 2005]. Apparently they did their job:
Read the full description for yourselves. These people know what they’re doing. But like every other consultantcy they can only build to the client’s specifications.
Having a hard time here. So the party has it’s own television studio – not to mention the Data Foundation, and new Telecom network. Combined media sufficient to enable clear communication, fundraising, and GOTV in any State in the union. ‘Net-worked.
Had me worried for a minute there. You’d think with all the publicity about the “media” the party didn’t have any tools to respond.
“”Well, art is art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh… Now you tell me what you know.” [Groucho Marx]