mdickers47/ndp.txt

## ndp.txt
This is Election Day morning and I don't want to create a distraction.
But there are a couple things that need to be written, where if I
say them after we know the election results, they will look like
either a fundraising plea, or sour grapes (and a fundraising plea).

Mainly this: regardless of what happens tonight, the New Data Project
will not continue in its present form.  To get VoteWithMe out the
door, we had to race on an endless hamster wheel of small grants,
rarely over $100,000.  We would not have made it to the election
without key people working for zero salary or reduced salary.

We are grateful for what we had, and VoteWithMe is a success by all
its success measures.  (Which, for the record, were also documented
in advance, so this is not post-election spin either.)

But this party/movement/whatever, is woefully outmatched in this
fight.  The official Trump 2020 committee raised around $200M last
year and spent $5M on Facebook, that we know of, just for funsies.
Their heavily corporate tech infrastructure runs on tens of millions
of dollars a year and their staff haven't missed a paycheck.  I
have heard tales that they even get vacations.

They go to an office each day and work, while our side schedules
endless phone calls where middlemen hold circular debates from
Starbucks and Weworks on the "messaging" and "strategy" that should
be applied to a potential $50,000 "investment".

Win or lose today, this party/movement/whatever will paint itself
as heroes.  But make no mistake: the only heroism going on is in
the vainglorious style of the Polish cavalry charging the German
infantry's machine guns.  It might make good TV for a minute, but
we won't even be able to protect any gains without major changes.

Written by Mikey, Nov 6 2018
	This is Election Day morning and I don't want to create a distraction.
	But there are a couple things that need to be written, where if I
	say them after we know the election results, they will look like
	either a fundraising plea, or sour grapes (and a fundraising plea).

	Mainly this: regardless of what happens tonight, the New Data Project
	will not continue in its present form. To get VoteWithMe out the
	door, we had to race on an endless hamster wheel of small grants,
	rarely over $100,000. We would not have made it to the election
	without key people working for zero salary or reduced salary.

	We are grateful for what we had, and VoteWithMe is a success by all
	its success measures. (Which, for the record, were also documented
	in advance, so this is not post-election spin either.)

	But this party/movement/whatever, is woefully outmatched in this
	fight. The official Trump 2020 committee raised around $200M last
	year and spent $5M on Facebook, that we know of, just for funsies.
	Their heavily corporate tech infrastructure runs on tens of millions
	of dollars a year and their staff haven't missed a paycheck. I
	have heard tales that they even get vacations.

	They go to an office each day and work, while our side schedules
	endless phone calls where middlemen hold circular debates from
	Starbucks and Weworks on the "messaging" and "strategy" that should
	be applied to a potential $50,000 "investment".

	Win or lose today, this party/movement/whatever will paint itself
	as heroes. But make no mistake: the only heroism going on is in
	the vainglorious style of the Polish cavalry charging the German
	infantry's machine guns. It might make good TV for a minute, but
	we won't even be able to protect any gains without major changes.

	Written by Mikey, Nov 6 2018