Former Sanders campaign chairman: Don't expect email list to be shared with DNC

[karynnj]

17. Weaver has a point, but should have stated it much better and he should have offered to send an emai

to everyone on the list with a link to sign onto the DNC list.

The point is that a significant percent of the Sanders list would NOT want to get email from the DNC and certainly would not contribute to it -- preferring more left targeted organizations. Not to mention, many do not even consider themselves Democrats. What they mostly agree on are the issues that Sanders and Clinton argued for in one of the most progressive primaries we ever had. In spite of the Democratic party and the nominee accepting most of these positions, there are many that do not see the DNC, the DSC, or the DCCC as largely progressive. It is very possible that most of the people on that list might not even open a DNC email or worse, resent that the DNC had their email.

However, the DNC can coordinate with Sanders when they want a consistent message going out. Assuming Sanders has people who can still send out emails, he could send either the same message or - if there is reason to - a complimentary email that is more "Sanders". You have a group of people who - at least 2 years ago - respected Sanders. His name on that message might be more powerful to that group of people than the same message sent labeled DNC.

My reason for believing this is that I KNOW I was far more likely to read and contribute to candidates after getting emails from johnkerry.com than any of the standard Democratic solicitations. Kerry wrote very persuasive arguments for supporting various Democrats and, as far as I was concerned, he was a trusted source. I was in a relatively small portion of the Democratic population for whom Kerry became the nominee I most believed in in my life. I know there is a group - I suspect it is much larger for whom Sanders was that inspiring candidate. The highest concentration of those people to be found are likely to be on his list. Something from Sanders will be more powerful. (The Kerry comparison probably understates this because Kerry was far more a loyal, liberal Democrat and Sanders is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. I would imagine that their supporters might have a similar difference.)

Another memory about the Kerry list was that in 2007 there were many angry people here on DU who were furious that "Kerry gave his list to Obama". In fact, he did not do that for the very reason cited by the angry Clinton and Edwards people - that they did not give him their email so he could give it to anyone or anything else. What he did do - when he endorsed Obama is to send an email with his endorsement speech and a link to Obama's website where people could sign up. Beyond that, the email list was used only by him. He closed johnkerry.com completely when he became Secretary of State.

I realize that the DNC is different than one of the competing primary campaigns, but Sanders doing that for the DNC would allow him to keep faith with people who would be angry if he gave anyone the email list while allowing the DNC to "get" some new email addresses. I would note that the list of email addresses from people who WANTED to be on the DNC list would be far more valuable than the full list.