John -- in a moment, I’m going to ask you to make a monthly sustaining contribution to the Democratic Party -- and I’m fully aware that you just read that sentence and thought: “Come on, it was JUST Election Day. Leave me alone!” Fair enough! But I hope you’ll give me a minute to explain:

Politics is incredibly hard work -- and the difference between winning and losing often isn’t what you’d expect. Most races aren’t won by a perfect last-minute TV ad, a killer debate performance, or a viral tweet -- great as those things may be. As we saw this week, we flip states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin by playing the long game -- by investing in the organizers doing the hard work that takes years to pay off. The kind of work that *actually* wins elections.

This is from July 10, 2017

So, here’s what I’m asking you to do today, John: Make a commitment -- even just a small one -- to build for the long haul. Start a monthly contribution of any amount to the DNC today.

Before you click that link, here’s the truth: When you donate to the DNC, it doesn’t generally go toward funding anything flashy. That’s not the sort of thing you’re supposed to say when you’re pitching a potential donor, but it is the honest truth! Your contribution keeps the lights on at offices across the country and pays for salaries and health care for organizers who dedicate their lives to this work. And part of it goes to funding state parties -- all of them, even the ones in what most people think are red states! A few years ago, people thought Arizona was a blood-red state -- now they have two Democratic Senators and just gave their 11 electoral votes to Joe Biden. To put a finer point on it: That didn’t happen by accident -- it happened because local grassroots organizers had the resources they needed to win.

Arizona, we love to see it.

Another truth: We don’t know what the next Arizona is! If we did, that would make this a lot easier. To most effectively invest in the future of our party, we have to invest everywhere -- and not just right before elections. We have to give grassroots organizers who are focused on building long-term relationships with voters the resources they need -- and we have to give them *years* to do it.

We also have to give those teams the best data we can, so they can most efficiently use their time. That’s one of the DNC’s most important functions: Building and maintaining the national voter file. Our data lets organizers on the ground know who they need to be spending their limited time on -- who would definitely vote Democrat if they were registered, who’s registered to vote but needs a nudge to turn out, and who needs someone to reach out and make them feel heard. When it comes to this sort of thing, the difference between good data and bad data can be the difference between winning and losing -- and what’s more, the work of securing good data can’t really be done right before an election. To win, it has to be done starting now! It’s actually quite complicated, as you can see here:

Don’t spend too much time trying to figure this one out -- my point is that the sort of thing we’re asking you to invest in is important and takes time!

So, this has been a long email, but I wanted to explain exactly why I’m asking you today, six days after Election Day, to make a long-term investment in the next one. I know you’re tired, John -- trust me, I am too 😴. But I also know that people like you and me stepping up right now, when we are so, so tired, is the thing that often makes the difference between winning and losing the next election.

Most people will ignore this. They’ll wait until right before the next election to step up and make an impact. But I’m hoping you won’t be one of those people who waits. That’s why I’m asking you, John: Will you start a monthly contribution -- of any amount! -- to the Democratic Party today to help win over the long term? It doesn’t have to be much -- even $3 shows you’re committed to this and makes an impact over time.

Thank you,

Patrick

Patrick Stevenson
Chief Mobilization Officer
Democratic National Committee

P.S. We have so much to be proud of right now -- but winning back the White House is only the first step. The next step is you, showing that you’re in for the long haul, right this second. Start a monthly contribution today, and let’s build together. Once you do that, we can both go take a well-earned nap.

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