In the interest of observing politics and activism online, I have signed up to receive numerous newsletters and “action alerts” from groups ranging from MoveOn and the ACLU to the GOP. Politics aside, one thing I find very striking is how much freedom is given to an individual to add a personal message or rewrite a letter in support of or against a particular issue by the “left.” The “right,” however, does not seem to have any interest in their activists’ opinions.
When I received this recent solicitation from the GOP, for instance, I was not given any opportunity to rewrite the letter in my own words or even add a personal message to the missive. All the GOP seems to want is my signature and the email addresses of my friends. Even if I were to agree with an issue the GOP were asking for my support on, a practice like that makes me very disinclined to take action.
On the other “side,” you have action requests such as this petition from MoveOn. Much more emphasis is placed on personalizing the message of the action. Even if I do not have the time to add a personal message, I appreciate the effort to include me in the process and am more likely to take action.
Perhaps it is just my conspiracy-addled mind working overtime, but I find this dichotomy more than a little odd. What does the GOP have to fear from their own activists?
