A conference call with RNC Chair Ken Mehlman
I just participated in a conference call RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman held with bloggers.
The purpose of the call was to unveil a new tool for bloggers to set up their own web sites on GOP.com and track the grassroots activity they have generated, including fundraising, volunteers recruited, and voters registered. MyGOP will have its official national launch on May 22, with house parties across America – and as a thank you, the top 5 parties that raise the most money through their MyGOP sites will receive a special Republican-edition iPod with Video.
To create a site: http://www.GOP.com/MyGOP/
To set up a party: http://www.GOP.com/Party/
MyGOP Background
* MyGOP was launched in response to strong demand from bloggers and grassroots activists dating back to the last campaign
* MyGOP is your personal campaign headquarters on GOP.com, with the ability to set up and track grassroots goals for volunteer recruitment, voter registration, and RNC fundraising.
* Each MyGOP user gets their own personalized URL at yourname.GOP.com.
* Bloggers are ideally suited to be successful MyGOP site hosts. MyGOP enables you to tap into your vast network of readers to support campaigns you create, specific to the issues that matter to you or the news of the day. Each MyGOP campaign also comes with a sidebar widget you can easily place in your blog.
* Rise in the rankings on the live Leaderboard at http://www.GOP.com/MyGOP/. The Leaderboard tracks money raised, volunteers recruited, voters registered, and number of team members.
* Your MyGOP site will turn online success into votes in the ground. Everyone creating an event on GOP.com can now tie specific MyGOP goals to their event, whether it’s recruiting 100 volunteers or raising $2,000. Through MyGOP Local, you will be able to track events near you with an easy-to-use Google Maps interface.
The call
Patrick Ruffini, RNC e-Campaign director, started us off and talked a little bit about MyGOP, and how something like this could be well suited to bloggers.
Then, Mr. Mehlman went on to describe how and why MyGOP could be useful.
He made a point that he brought up when he met with bloggers in March here in Minnesota. There has been a progression from mass communication to mass collaboration.
MyGOP is personalized, and turns online success into success on the ground. Users can use and build maps that attract volunteers in their area.
The future of politics is not the old networks (CBS, NBC, etc...) but rather the new networks, such as the communities built by bloggers.
Then, Mr. Mehlman took questions.
Lorie Byrd of Polipundit asked the first question. She asked about the message for the 2006 elections, and if there is a plan to get the message out to voters that Democrats said if they retook the House part of their agenda would be investigations.
Mr. Mehlman replied there is a plan to get that out there. He also pointed out we should watch a vote later today on tax cuts, and said to watch what Democrats do on that vote. He also pointed out that tax revenues are up, despite prior tax cuts.
The next question came from A. Schwartz, I believe. He also asked about message, and brought up Hugh Hewitt's book, Painting the Map Red.
Mr. Mehlman said the vote on tax cuts today is a sign of what Republicans would do. He brought up immigration reform, and said we intend to and will push the message of what Democrats would do. He said again this election is about a choice, and the plan seems to be to highlight the differences between Democrats and Republicans. He said in a time of war we need to secure our borders.
Next question was from Bernard Huggins. (I think.) He was concerned about immigration and border security. His question was a bit long-winded, but he thought we should move away from the compromise bill currently in Congress.
Mr. Mehlman replied we do need more people and technology at the border. He said we also need to hold employers of illegals accountable. He said one reason we have illegals is there a demand for them. There are more jobs than people willing to do them. He said we should have zero tolerance for illegal immigration, and part of that is a guest worker program. We shouldn't encourage illegal immigration, but rather legal immigration. We need to know who is coming into our country. We should not do what we did in 1986.
Last question was from Dan Rail (again, not sure of that.) He, too, brought up Republican dissatisfaction with things like spending. He asked about coordinating a message.
Mr. Mehlman said people most popular on Sunday talk shows are often those who don't want to coordinate messages. He said they do try to have a coordinated message. He said we can't just talk about what the Democrats would do, we need to be proactive and say what we would do. That's why the tax vote is so important today. He quickly talked about some of the positive elements of President Bush's record (tax cuts, judges, war on terror, etc..) We need to point out that record.
Patrick said thank you, and the call ended.
The purpose of the call was to unveil a new tool for bloggers to set up their own web sites on GOP.com and track the grassroots activity they have generated, including fundraising, volunteers recruited, and voters registered. MyGOP will have its official national launch on May 22, with house parties across America – and as a thank you, the top 5 parties that raise the most money through their MyGOP sites will receive a special Republican-edition iPod with Video.
To create a site: http://www.GOP.com/MyGOP/
To set up a party: http://www.GOP.com/Party/
MyGOP Background
* MyGOP was launched in response to strong demand from bloggers and grassroots activists dating back to the last campaign
* MyGOP is your personal campaign headquarters on GOP.com, with the ability to set up and track grassroots goals for volunteer recruitment, voter registration, and RNC fundraising.
* Each MyGOP user gets their own personalized URL at yourname.GOP.com.
* Bloggers are ideally suited to be successful MyGOP site hosts. MyGOP enables you to tap into your vast network of readers to support campaigns you create, specific to the issues that matter to you or the news of the day. Each MyGOP campaign also comes with a sidebar widget you can easily place in your blog.
* Rise in the rankings on the live Leaderboard at http://www.GOP.com/MyGOP/. The Leaderboard tracks money raised, volunteers recruited, voters registered, and number of team members.
* Your MyGOP site will turn online success into votes in the ground. Everyone creating an event on GOP.com can now tie specific MyGOP goals to their event, whether it’s recruiting 100 volunteers or raising $2,000. Through MyGOP Local, you will be able to track events near you with an easy-to-use Google Maps interface.
The call
Patrick Ruffini, RNC e-Campaign director, started us off and talked a little bit about MyGOP, and how something like this could be well suited to bloggers.
Then, Mr. Mehlman went on to describe how and why MyGOP could be useful.
He made a point that he brought up when he met with bloggers in March here in Minnesota. There has been a progression from mass communication to mass collaboration.
MyGOP is personalized, and turns online success into success on the ground. Users can use and build maps that attract volunteers in their area.
The future of politics is not the old networks (CBS, NBC, etc...) but rather the new networks, such as the communities built by bloggers.
Then, Mr. Mehlman took questions.
Lorie Byrd of Polipundit asked the first question. She asked about the message for the 2006 elections, and if there is a plan to get the message out to voters that Democrats said if they retook the House part of their agenda would be investigations.
Mr. Mehlman replied there is a plan to get that out there. He also pointed out we should watch a vote later today on tax cuts, and said to watch what Democrats do on that vote. He also pointed out that tax revenues are up, despite prior tax cuts.
The next question came from A. Schwartz, I believe. He also asked about message, and brought up Hugh Hewitt's book, Painting the Map Red.
Mr. Mehlman said the vote on tax cuts today is a sign of what Republicans would do. He brought up immigration reform, and said we intend to and will push the message of what Democrats would do. He said again this election is about a choice, and the plan seems to be to highlight the differences between Democrats and Republicans. He said in a time of war we need to secure our borders.
Next question was from Bernard Huggins. (I think.) He was concerned about immigration and border security. His question was a bit long-winded, but he thought we should move away from the compromise bill currently in Congress.
Mr. Mehlman replied we do need more people and technology at the border. He said we also need to hold employers of illegals accountable. He said one reason we have illegals is there a demand for them. There are more jobs than people willing to do them. He said we should have zero tolerance for illegal immigration, and part of that is a guest worker program. We shouldn't encourage illegal immigration, but rather legal immigration. We need to know who is coming into our country. We should not do what we did in 1986.
Last question was from Dan Rail (again, not sure of that.) He, too, brought up Republican dissatisfaction with things like spending. He asked about coordinating a message.
Mr. Mehlman said people most popular on Sunday talk shows are often those who don't want to coordinate messages. He said they do try to have a coordinated message. He said we can't just talk about what the Democrats would do, we need to be proactive and say what we would do. That's why the tax vote is so important today. He quickly talked about some of the positive elements of President Bush's record (tax cuts, judges, war on terror, etc..) We need to point out that record.
Patrick said thank you, and the call ended.
1 Comments:
At Wed May 10, 10:15:00 PM, Leo Pusateri said…
Good report, thanks--
Sounds interesting.
It'll be something to see how this pans out.
Post a Comment
<< Home