Please recommend this diary, for the good of the progressive blogosphere.
I was there, at the founding. When Ben Rahn and Matt Matt DeBergalis decided to build what is now Actblue, they both gave up promising careers in other areas. Ben was a physics graduate student at Caltech, and then Harvard. Matt was a programmer who had run for city council in Cambridge. Both had lucrative careers ahead of them, yet, they put them on hold to build the most innovative and useful service for Democrats in 2004. I was at Ben's marriage, and I've been inspired by Matt's dedication to his town and country. These are guys you want on your side. Detail oriented. Brilliant. Paranoid about legalities, yet willing to work through them. Quiet, humble, persistent. Never claiming credit.
These are guys who are on our side. They do their work, they do it damn well, and they ask for nothing in return, except what we all want, a Democratic majority.
And we're not supporting their work. Right now, Actblue is trying to raise money for themselves so they can extend their service to the state level, and so far, only about 20% of what they need has come in.
Please, let's support our own, and raise this money. It'll cost you only $100.
Actblue gives liberal blogs a clear strategic advantage over the right-wing. It's the only thing that can give us leverage over our party. We can actually track what we give, and see how we're doing.
Paul Hackett.
Stephanie Herseth.
Ben Chandler.
Actblue has allowed tens of thousands of us to raise more than $2 million over the past few years, and project our voice with our small dollars. Because of this money, candidates have gotten press, volunteers, and media exposure. And because of Actblue, these candidates, and the party insiders, know that it came from us. They're scared. And they should be, because we're not going to stop until we win.
But there's work to do, and it starts with funding our own.
Ben and Matt. Actblue. Let's take what they've done on a national level, and make it possible for candidates in all 50 states to raise money through the netroots. Because all 50 states have different campaign finance laws, it costs $10,000 to get a state Actblue'd.
So give $100. These guys know what we need before we do, and you can be sure that this money will be used better than any other political money you donate. Period.
They even did a poll to see which five states to start on.
So give. Give $100. It's the highest leverage money you will spend in 2006, guaranteed.
Ben and Matt have made possible the work we do. Please give, whatever you can, to make it possible for them to build out this service to 5 states, and eventually, 50. Let's show that the liberal blogosphere is mature and can invest in ourselves, even if bigwigs don't believe that we're important.
http://actblue.com/...
I've talked to Ben over the past year and a half, and he's always been resolute in his determination. He's a scientist, and dogged. But he and Matt have got to eat. Without enough money, Actblue can keep going for some time, but it will not expand, and we will not expand. And sooner or later, we will lose this brilliant and innovative political talent.
Make it happen, netroots. I've put my money with these guys. Please, let's reward EXTREMELY good behavior.
Just 100 $100 donations, and that's one more state. Imagine a Paul Hackett in every state. That's what this is for.
So give.