Say what you will about the New York state party - and my guess is that people will have a lot to say when they learn more about new Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith, a lot more, little of it pretty - but they do seem to be opening their front door and peeking out their noses to see what's happening in the wider world. My guess is that someone there read
Crashing the Gate, with its emphasis on technology and the grassroots.
The case in point is their newest electoral push using text messaging, which is (as far as I can tell) pretty much unique, for several reasons. Dubbed the New York Democrat Mobile Action Network, the system basically uses the technology behind flash mobs as an activism and information tool.
The way it works is this: you text 'NYDems' to the number 30644 on your mobile, receive a reply that asks for your email and ZIP code, and then proceed to receive targeted action alerts about races in your area. There's talk of refining the data beyond that to enable even more targeted selection, but the principle is pretty awesome, especially if you have a geeky side (which I do). What's especially sexy about this technology is that it's fast: say you're holding a press conference in your tight race against some antediluvian republican incumbent; just text out the action alert to the local network an hour or so before, and you'll have people there. The response rate on these things is amazing, with an immediacy unknown in other channels such as email blasts.
People for the American Way used a similar technology during the Supreme Court fight, managing among other things to shut down the Capitol switchboard several times, which I hear sent Bill Frist into a tizzy.
Better yet, the content of these action alerts is to be provided by grassroots groups, such as NDM (of which I am a director), DFNYC (of which I am a member), and other allied groups. I'm almost more heartened by the party's willingness to sit down at a table with us grubby, unpredictable outsiders than I am by their embrace of cutting-edge technology. What remains to be seen, of course, is whether we'll continue to be partners after the election, but for the moment, we have a seat at the table.
So get out there and text. Final plug: NYDems to 30644.
(Crossposted on The Daily Gotham)