David All, of DAG (that's David All Group, not the Daughter's of the American Revolution), is working on the first launch of a new online fund raising tool for the grassroots (Slatecard.com). The first look should be coming soon. But here is how David describes it:
"It'll be the place where among other things:
1. Candidates can build a profile and accept donations online, leveraging some of the lowest credit card processing fees available;
2. Users can contribute donations to candidates that they support, and then "tag" the candidates with issues to help others find the candidate, e.g., "No Amnesty For Illegals" or "Fair Tax"; and
3. Build a Slatecard of candidates that support your values which can be shared with your network through email, a website, facebook, or MySpace using Slatecard.com apps and widgets."
The right has suffered at online donations because the top-down model is less successful here. The Right Roots effort was a step in the right direction, but it too was a top-down effort. The list of candidates was pre-selected by The Powers That Be.
The right needs a site that allows individuals to bundle their favorite politicians and make pleas in their favor. Anti-immigration posters should be able to choose 2-5 pols they like and fundraise for those 2-5. ClubFor Growth Econ-Conservatives should be able to do the same for their favorites. For this to happen, the right needs a site that gives individuals the power to choose and easily direct others to donate to the chosen candidates. Hopefully that is where Slatecard.com is headed. I look forward to seeing if this effort is better than the Right Roots effort last cycle.