So today, in my email, I get an email from the DNC research department asking me to donate money. I am not in a position to donate money, so I didn't. However, the email describes opposition research efforts. Then I realized something: the only thing that the email does is ask for money. It doesn't ask the country's population of registered Democrats out there to participate in any other way. This is a problem.
More beneath the fold.
First of all the email that was sent is too long. Instead of being brief and to the point, like RNC/conservative organization emails, it is several paragraphs long. Most people aren't going to read that far. Unless they catch people in the first sentence or two they are going to lose their audience.
Secondly, as the subject is opposition research, why not ask the people on the list to assist them and provide them with information? Why isn't there a mechanism or staff member who can receive research information from actual registered Democrats? Why can't they have a mechanism that enables them to receive voting demographic analyses and other research that might help the party in 2008?
Normally I don't bash the national Party that often; but, in this case, I see a glaring problem. I even got on the phone and called the DNC HQ. I left a message with a woman there explaining how flawed, in constructively criticizing terms, however, the form was. I asked her why she couldn't have a forum for registered Democrats to provide their own opposition research.
I understand the need to ask for money, but not everyone is in a finacial position to donate. Secondly, if they want to increase involvement in the party and make it so that more people are interested in its policies, having that mechanism to permit registered Democrats to submit opposition research will bring in more people to the Party.
Anyway this is a glaring omission. I'm not sure who to contact. The email stated that the person in charge of Opposition Research is Mike Gehrke. I couldn't find his email. I assume that he is a very busy man and can't answer every inquiry.
However, there is wide community of Democrats out there willing to help him and the party with opposition research. Why they haven't thought about that, I don't know.