Start Fighting Now

by Melissa Ryan, Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 11:31:52 AM EST

Full Disclosure: I am proud to work at ActBlue.

Are you ready to to take back the White House?  I know I am. 

At the moment we don't know who the Democratic nominee will be.  What we do know is that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have inspired voters across the nation.  We also know that no matter who the nominee is they're going to need a sizable war chest to defeat the McCain machine.

I'm ready to start fighting now.  And ActBlue has a way to do that: the Presumptive Democratic Nominee fund for President.  Contributions will be forwarded to the Democratic nominee as soon as he or she has secured the nomination.

Political Director Erin Hill just sent an email out to ActBlue users explaining more.  Below is an excerpt from that email.  Emphasis mine.

The Republicans have their nominee. Time and time again, this is where
Democrats are most vulnerable: we take months to select a nominee, and
we fight divided against a unified Republican voice.

The hardest, the biggest, the most important fight right now is the fight for the White House.

We need everyone to start working on building a war chest for
the Democratic Nominee. That's why we've created a way for you to help
our nominee even before he or she is chosen.

https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/pa ge/startfightingnow

Donate today to help our candidate hit the ground running.

Are you ready to start fighting now?  Below the fold are some steps you can take.

  1. Contribute through ActBlue's Start Fighting Now fundraising page.

  2. Add the Presumptive Democratic Nominee Fund onto your fundraising page or create a new page and start fundraising!

  3. Spread the word to your friends family and neighbors. 

  4. Join ActBlue's Start Fighting Now Facebook Group.

ActBlue fights for the Democratic Party in its most vulnerable places. Join us today.  Start fighting now for the White House!




Tags: ActBlue, 2008, Democrat, Presidential Election (all tags)

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Permalink :: 20 Comments :: Post a Comment


what about the obama-mccain agreement? (none / 0)

didn't obama promise to take public funding for the general with mccain?  where does the money go if obama is the nominee (and keeps to that agreement)?


"This is the time for resolve and steady leadership" -- Barack Obama
by bored now on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 11:54:44 AM EST

Re: Start Fighting Now (none / 0)

Good question.  If the nominee accepts public financing the money will go to the DNC, which will help thousands of Democrats across the country, including the nominee.


by Melissa Ryan on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 11:57:58 AM EST

Criminal justice stands (none / 0)

I wonder if anyone can suggest a site that would give me a clearer idea of the candidates' positions on criminal justice issues; the death penalty, torture, other legal issues.  The issues that have always meant the most to me in terms of voting are environment, criminal justice and health care.  It was a joy voting for Kerry becaues of his principled stand on the DP.  I really am having trouble figuring out exactly where BHO and HRC stand on any of this; it does not figure importantly in either's web site.  Can someone help me?

Thank you.

This probably was not the thread for this question but can someone help anyway?


by mady on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 12:09:42 PM EST

Re: Criminal justice stands (none / 0)

Well Obama did pass a bill in IL requiring taped confessions of suspects, and taped interrogations of suspects--this does something to prevent the police from "beating out" information.


by MNPundit on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 12:38:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Balkinization (none / 0)

The Candidates on War Powers, Executive Privilege, Signing Statements, Etc.


DC Drinking Liberally • DC for Democracy

by KCinDC on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 01:40:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Balkinization (none / 0)

Thank you both for your posts.  I still can't seem to find more detail on these issues but will keep looking.  With probable multiple Supreme Court vacancies, for instance, over the next few years, I would really like to know that there is a possibility of appointing an anti-DP justice.


by mady on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 06:09:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Slatecard (2.00 / 1)

Hi Melissa,

Can you talk a bit about what technology innovation ActBlue intends to roll out? As I argued previously, ActBlue appears to be highly stagnant in the face of competition from similar operations on the right, notably Slatecard.

Things at a minimum that ActBlue should be rolling out are things like embeddable widgets, tagging, and user groups, as well as a dedicated application on Facebook instead of just another group.


NB
by azizhp on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 12:12:22 PM EST

Re: Slatecard (2.00 / 1)

oh and RSS feeds of course - so obvious that i neglected to mention (and thus all the more jarring in their absence)


NB
by azizhp on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 12:14:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Slatecard (2.00 / 1)

Thanks for linking to your diaries.  I hadn't seen them, and will be sure to pass them along.


by Melissa Ryan on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 12:23:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Slatecard (none / 0)

much appreciated, though I also would like to hear your own thoughts on those ideas, as well as any hint you can give us about what ActBlue has in store for the future, even if not perfectly convergent wth my wish lists.


NB
by azizhp on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 03:18:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Start Fighting Now (none / 0)

My problem is that if the nominee is decided by the voters that is fine,  I will support either.  If the super delegates make a back room deal, then I will join Donna Brazille and sit this one out.  I will contribute when I am convinced that the voice of the voters have been heard.


by DemoDan on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 12:40:22 PM EST

I Will Support the Voters' Choice (none / 0)

What DemoDan said.  If the nominee is the candidate that got the most pledged delegates, that got the most votes in contested states - I will support that person in the fall, be it Hillary or Obama.

But I'm not contributing to any fund that does not apply the same conditions.  No way, nohow.  Just forget it.


by RT on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 01:08:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I Will Support the Voters' Choice (none / 0)

Of course, the candidate with the most pledged delegates may still not be the one who got the most votes in contested states.  Thoses are two different things.

What do you do then?    


by howie14 on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 03:04:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I Will Support the Voters' Choice (none / 0)

Thoses??  Boy, I can't type.  Or think.  One or the other.  


by howie14 on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 04:06:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I Will Support the Voters' Choice (none / 0)

If it's that close, then let the superdelegates fall where they may.  Let's pray that doesn't happen, but in the end, someone has to make the call, if the outcome from the primaries and caucuses isn't clear.

It's the possibility of a clear (even if narrow) result in favor of one candidate being reversed by the superdelegates that gives me the willies.


by RT on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 04:14:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I Will Support the Voters' Choice (none / 0)

I ask because I suspect that if the delegate count is a narrow Obama lead, it probably will mean that Clinton received more votes since a lot of Obama delegates come from the low turnout caucus states.  Right now they're about even, but I'm fairly sure Clinton has received more total votes.

For the record, I'm a former Edwards' backer who has pledged to support the Democratic nominee no matter what.  If one of these campaigns completely destroys our unity going into the fall, that candidate will have my undying enmity.


by howie14 on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 05:09:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Start Fighting Now (none / 0)


Whether or not this effort makes a serious impact on this election cycle, I hope it becomes the dominant fund-raising mechanism in the future.

If you want to call yourself a Democrat, you send a contribution to the Democratic Party's general election fund.  Your money (and mine) will go to "the nominee", whoever it is.  Only the people who (like you and me) contribute in this way are invited to vote in primaries or attend caucuses to select our nominee.  After all, we're trying to chose who will get to spend our money in a general election campaign, so why should we leave the choice to people who did not so contribute?

You may prefer a different candidate for the nomination than I do.  What makes us part of the same party is that we both agree, in advance and in a concrete way, that we will both support "our" nominee in the general.  Nothing is as concrete as money.

If you support a particular candidate, and only a particular candidate, you are of course free to not contribute in advance to the general election campaign of (potentially) someone else.  But that makes you a member of a different party than me.  I don't get to vote in your party's nominating process, and you don't get to vote in mine.

-- TP


by Rethymniotis on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 01:08:43 PM EST

I thought we abolished the poll tax! (none / 0)

I could swear the 24th Amendment said something about that.

At one level, I'm quite sympathetic to the notion that the Democratic Party is a private organization, and only its members should get to choose its nominee.

But take a look at what's happening this year - all the turnout that's resulted from this remarkable primary contest.

The more you close your primaries, the higher the hurdle there is to people buying in at this level.  Once you get people in the door, it's a hell of a lot easier to keep them coming back.  And that's what both Obama and Clinton have done this year - they've gotten a lot of new people to participate in our process.  The chances are good that they'll keep on coming back, now that they're here.

I wouldn't want to undo this.  I bet you wouldn't either.


by RT on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 04:22:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I thought we abolished the poll tax! (none / 0)


I haven't tried to vote for officers of the National Rifle Association recently, but I bet they still require a "poll tax" :-)

Look, I agree that getting the general public to participate in "our" party's nomination process is good marketing for "our" party.  But it avails "us" nothing, if half of the "general public" is prepared to vote Republican unless the other half lets them have their preferred nominee.

I don't think the fraction of Democratic primary voters and caucus-goers who are prepared to vote Republican come November is all that large.  But the nomination will be determined by a very small margin of the primary electorate, and the general election will be decided by a very small margin of the general electorate, so I do worry.

-- TP


by Rethymniotis on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 05:05:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Let's Build on this Momentum (none / 0)

We asked and you delivered.  This morning the Presumptive Nominee Fund for President had had raised just  $448 from 20 contributors.  Today ActBlue Democrats responded to our call to action.  As of this post the fund had raised $4,510 from 84 people.  The Start Fighting Now page alone has raised $4,013!

Thank you so much for joining our effort.

Your contributions
will help ensure that our candidate is ready to fight the Republican nominee. We're going to keep building the momentum we've started today, and we'd love your help.

Can you help us

ActBlue fights for the Democratic Party in its most vulnerable places. Help our nominee today.  Start Fighting Now for the White House!


by Melissa Ryan on Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 05:48:48 PM EST


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