Communicating the DPVA Way

by Dan Sullivan

Somebody is getting paid by the Democratic Party of Virginia to communicate. Communication was the theme of the new state party chairman when he was selected. The Executive Director announced a weekly update six weeks ago and hasn't delivered. The website, using a standard template, is Poe dark and dreary.From the Loch Ness donkey in the state party logo at the top left to the bright red "$ Contribute" button on the right, a visitor's attention is suspended, drawn into the deep blue background. There is content, but it requires effort to mine it. Below the fold are captures of the DPVA home page and the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) homepage that link to each. Explore; compare and contrast. While the DPVA features the weekly update that isn't, the DPNM has used the same template space to deliver a running blog, a list of events, a poll, and Tweets. Though there is a "CONTRIBUTE" button, it shares standing with "VOLUNTEER," "MAKE PHONE CALLS," and "GET LOCAL." At this moment, possibly the most immediately important Virginia issue, the budget, is mentioned only at the lowest right panel of the page, and then only in a tweet link.  Connections to social networking, near the top of DPNM's homepage, are dead last at DPVA. Videos and photos are conveniently consolidated where if they are late to the date, that isn't so obvious. And DPNM acknowledges other sources of information...even blogs.

Dan Sullivan :: Communicating the DPVA Way

nmdemocrats So while Democrats in New Mexico have a staff and a chairman who are on top of the issues and the technology to communicate, the Democrats in Virginia are left flat-footed. Somebody ought to be fired.