MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Slatecard and Rightroots

• Posted by Beth on October 8th, 2007 filed in 2008 election, Blogs, Candidates, Cool link of the day, General, Politics, Support this    

Important election news! (This will remain a “Sticky,” with newer posts below for a while.)

First, the launch of Slatecard.com. I’m really psyched about this.

This is important, so please click to read the rest…

Slatecard is a utility to support and enhance Republican activism.

The goal of Slatecard was always to be much more than just a top-down, ‘online shopping cart’ which would likely only be used the last few months of a campaign.

Instead, the Slatecard utility embraces effective Web 2.0 technologies and collaborative principles to provide a robust directory of candidate information which will not only be used by a financial donor, but by anyone looking for more information about a candidate’s online activity.

Slatecard will help bridge the chasm between modern online activists and Republican candidates by not only encouraging candidates to be more active online, but also increase support by placing a premium on the issues which cause supporters to give to a candidate.

What this means to you: You can create a list–a “slatecard”–of candidates you’re supporting and for whom you want to raise funds, and then get a widget to put on your blog or website. Like the one below, which has eighteen key races in 2008 to get back the majority in Congress (my main priority, along with the Presidential election!).

I’ll be building some more Slatecards, as well, which focus on certain issues and/or regions (i.e. Alabama candidates, veteran candidates, foreign policy hawks, immigration reformers, pro-lifers, whatever). Of course, YOU can do this as well.

Some of the buzz around the internets about Slatecard:

Marc Ambinder:

Slatecard.com fills a real need: an online donation and information aggregation site for Republicans, modeled off ACT Blue, a net-based bundling PAC founded in 2004 for Democrats.

“A real need” being the understatement of the year, if not the decade.

Red State:

This allows you to pick your favorite challengers and incumbents and solicit small donations for all of them. It empowers the individual rather than a top-down list selected by the site itself as RightRoots did last year (with 20 site selected candidates).

CNN covered it, and video from that is here.

Wired:

The online PAC’s launch comes as longtime political observers scratch their heads about the Republican presidential campaigns’ relatively lackluster fundraising. The Republicans are lagging their Democratic counterparts by $100 million, The Washington Post reported Oct. 5.

The online Democratic PAC ActBlue, meanwhile, has raised more than $30 million since its inception in 2004. Based in Boston, ActBlue has been widely credited with enabling grassroots giving for candidates around the nation.

Emphasis mine, and yes, you read that right. The nutroots have raised over $30 million. I’d be surprised if our side of the blogosphere has raised ONE million in the same time. It’s time to catch up–you see what apathy did in 2006.
Let’s not let it happen again in 2008.

Now, some URGENT news. There’s a special election next Tuesday (October 16th) in Taxachusetts (MA-05), and it’s a nail-biter.

Patrick Ruffini sends via email, on behalf of Rightroots:

Did you see what John Kerry said about us in his bid to stop Jim Ogonowski in Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional district?

Patrick Ruffini, Bush-Cheney 04 Internet Director, has begun to try to rally the “right roots,” as they like to call themselves, to the cause of Niki’s opponent. They want to create a moment for Republicans like you have created for Democrats a number of times: a surprise showing (even a surprisingly close loss) that can energize the national Republicans and give that party some small spark of hope.

With your help, we’ve already raised over $15,000 for Jim, and Democrats are running scared. Jim has already surged to within $20,000 in cash-on-hand of Democrat Niki Tsongas, who has raised nearly $2 million so far. After talking to Democratic insiders, one liberal blogger says “there is real concern here.” A visit from Bill Clinton failed to bring the race out of single digits. And the Democrats have already started rolling out nasty attack ads.

Because of these incredible developments, we’ve set a goal to nearly double our number of donors to Jim’s campaign. We need to recruit 200 more donors by Friday and already 68 have pitched in. Can you help?

http://www.RightRoots.com/Ogonowski

As the only Democrat to lose in this district in the last 36 years, John Kerry is getting nervous:

Remember what I learned in Lowell - no race is in the bag till the votes are counted, and we can’t give the right and their favorite mouthpieces any room to find vindication anywhere, especially not in Massachusetts.

John Kerry’s right. Democrats can’t allow a Republican to do well in a safely Democratic seat, sending a clear message from sea-to-shining sea about the failed Democratic Congress. Especially not in Massachusetts.

http://www.Rightroots.com/Ogonowski

Our deadline is Friday. The election is next Tuesday. Can you help?

Sincerely,

Patrick Ruffini
Rightroots.com

P.S. In just under six weeks, Rightroots has raised over $20,000 for Republican candidates and causes. And soon, we’ll be opening up the floodgates for you to create your slate for your favorite candidates. Your support has been critical to this early success. When you give to Jim, please consider giving a little extra to Rightroots to support our ongoing efforts.

http://www.Rightroots.com/Ogonowski

More about Jim Ogonowski (a 28-year veteran of the Air Force!) and that race (including video) at Patrick Ruffini’s site, here.

At this point, I personally don’t even care whether you give through Rightroots, Slatecard, or at Jim Ogonowski’s website directly. Just give what you can. Every dollar counts!