Field organizing in a digital world — new tools for old tricks?

Description
In the 2008 presidential election, Obama used technology to enhance field operations in a variety of new ways, from asking online volunteers to call voters from their homes to creating special SMS channels just for staff to adding new transparent online voter reporting systems for field staff and volunteers. But the campaign also employed a record 2,500 field organizers to capture the momentum generated by online buzz in key states to funnel that online momentum into traditional real-world field activities. And in 2004, the Dean campaign coordinated self-organized volunteer "meetups" in more than 1,200 cities worldwide to facilitate volunteer activity. To what extend do new online organizing tools from the campaign (e.g. MyBO) or third parties (e.g. Meetup and Facebook) facilitate tangible impacts on field campaigns, and where are the limits?

Speakers

 * Jeremy Bird - Jeremy Bird is the Deputy Director, Democratic National Committee. Jeremy Bird served as Obama campaign field director in South Carolina during the primaries and general election director in Ohio.


 * Chuck DeFeo - Chuck DeFeo has been an innovator in using the Internet and new technologies to increase participation in the political process for over a decade. As General Manager for Interactive and Social Media at The Washington Times, he is launching new social networking properties and leveraging new monetization strategies for the companies growing media assets. Prior to joining the Times, DeFeo was Vice President and General Manager of Townhall.com and Salem News-Talk Online, overseeing a network of 36 web properties.  Under his leadership, Townhall.com more than doubled its monthly unique visitors and page views to 2 million and 30 million respectively.  DeFeo grew online revenues by 500% and launched the print product, Townhall Magazine, which was named one of the ten hottest launches of 2008 by Min Magazine. From 2003 to 2004, DeFeo served as eCampaign Manager for Bush-Cheney '04, where he developed the online strategy and managed Internet operations for President Bush's re-election campaign. The campaign has been widely recognized for its pioneering grassroots activism tools with Party for the President, organizing neighborhood walks online and emailing maps and directions to the polls to millions of supporters. He served in a similar capacity with the Republican National Committee during the 2002 Election. DeFeo spent much of his career serving as a legislative and technology aide to Senator and Attorney General John Ashcroft; from creating the first online petition for a member of Congress in 1996 to working to set up the CIO's office for the Department of Justice. He has also assisted numerous Congressional, Senate, State and Presidential candidates with their online strategies. DeFeo currently serves as a contributing editor for Personal Democracy Forum and is a member of MeetUp.com's Politics and Governance Advisory Council.


 * Gina Glantz - Gina Glantz is currently Senior Advisor to President Andrew Stern of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest and fastest growing trade union. Prior to joining SEIU, Ms. Glantz served as National Campaign Manager for Bill Bradley for President.   In 1985, she co-founded the consulting firm of Martin & Glantz, with offices in California and Washington, D.C.  Martin and Glantz, now known as Fowler Hoffman, is a national consulting firm specializing in grassroots organizing and communications strategies to affect public, opinion leader and policy-maker attitudes and actions.  Clients included:  The Ford Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, American Express.  Ms. Glantz worked as a campaign manager, field director, and political consultant at the Congressional, state and Presidential level during the 11 years prior to the creation of Martin & Glantz.  She served as a traveling political aide to Governor Howard Dean during the latter part of the 2004 Presidential primaries and National Field Director of the Mondale-Ferraro Committee in 1984. Ms. Glantz is Vice Chair of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and is Treasurer of Qvisory, Inc, a newly formed on line organization for young workers. She also serves on the board of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and the Bay Area Economic Institute. Ms. Glantz graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1965 and was a participant in the Harvard University JFK School Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program in 1981. Most important, she is grandmother of the two cutest and smartest grandsons in the land who deserve to grow up in a time without war and in a country with leaders of integrity, wit and purpose.


 * Michael Silberman - Michael Silberman is a founding Partner of EchoDitto, a leading strategic online communications and technology firm dedicated to building vibrant communities online and empowering people through the creative use of emerging technologies. EchoDitto works with its clients to leverage new media and participatory technologies as a vehicle for affecting positive social and environmental change. Recent work includes exciting projects with the William J. Clinton Foundation, Seventh Generation, Free Press, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Prior to co-founding EchoDitto, Silberman managed the grassroots field organizing and leadership development programs for Howard Dean's renowned presidential run in 2004. As National Meetup Director, he developed a team and technology strategy that mobilized 189,000 volunteers in over 1,200 cities worldwide. He is a frequent writer and speaker on the effective use of technology for converting online activity into real-world action. Silberman also gained valuable organizing and political experience at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and in the Clinton White House at the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). He graduated on skis with a B.A. from Middlebury College.

From Jeremy

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From Chuck

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From Gina

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From Michael

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General/from discussion

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