Building the Progressive Movement with SNAP

Not all PACs deserve a bad name. Here at Yale University, a student run political action committee in its second electoral cycle is actually trying to expand grassroots field operations, unlike many of its corporate brethren. Students for a New American Politics PAC, founded in 2005 by students in the Elm City, is truly an innovative and unique organization. SNAP (as we like to be called) is a PAC devoted to providing fellowships for students, especially those facing financial hardships, to work on progressive campaigns. The organization's goal is two-fold: first and foremost, SNAP works to expand the progressive presence in Congress. Secondly, SNAP attempts to build the groundwork for training young progressives to encourage further work for progressive candidates and causes in the future.
SNAP began during the 2004 election by providing GOTV and grassroots support to unions and campaigns in important races and swing states. John Kerry's defeat and progressive losses in that election coupled with the communication with grassroots organizers of these severely understaffed campaigns alerted the group's founding members to the lack of paid opportunities for students to actively participate in the field organizations of those campaigns. Unlike their conservative counterparts in regards to the conservative movement, progressive organizations have been slow to provide opportunities for young people to join a progressive movement. As a result, while young conservatives can count on paid campaigning opportunities cycle after cycle along with jobs after graduation, young progressives generally move to more lucrative and accessible career paths. With these concerns in mind, we expanded into an organization built around core progressive values and dedicated to providing opportunities for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds to expand the progressive movement.

During the 2006 election cycle, we endorsed 15 candidates in competitive races across the country. Although 5 of those candidates lost, SNAP was an integral part of some of the most surprising democratic victories such as Chris Murphy's upset victory in Connecticut's 5th District. At a recent fundraiser in New Canaan, CT, Chris Murphy revealed that the arrival of his two SNAP fellows in the summer of 2006 effectively doubled the size of his campaign staff. In fact, campaigns are aggressively vying for SNAP endorsements as the recent increase in fundraising for progressives has not necessarily lead to a larger pool of those wiling to do the hard work associated with grassroots campaigns. So far this year we have endorsed 6 candidates in extremely competitive congressional and senatorial elections. The list of SNAP endorsees this cycle includes Jim Himes (CT-4), Tom Perriello (VA-5), Tom Allen (ME), Darcy Burner (WA-8), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) and Dan Seals (IL-10). We believe these candidates share our progressive values (link to statement of principles), have a commitment to integrating students in their campaigns, and are in extremely winnable and competitive races where our students can make a difference. SNAP intends to announce this year's fellows in mid to late April along with its final round of endorsements. Also, the 2008 election cycle has led to SNAP's expansion to college campuses across the country, from University of South Florida to the University of California at Santa Barbara.

To pretend that SNAP's journey has been an easy one would be more than disingenuous. It is very difficult for this group of undergraduates to raise the exorbitant amount of money required to sponsor up to 50 SNAP fellows for a summer. To help deal with this problem, the organization has reached out to online progressive communities along with networks including unions and elected officials. SNAP is lucky to have the support of those candidates it endorsed in the 2006 cycle. One of its most recent fundraisers featured two 2006 endorsees, Ned Lamont and Chris Murphy along with Jim Himes, challenger to the perennially embattled Chris Shays. Still, SNAP has grown from a group of eager, but resourceless students, to a highly regarded organization instrumental to progressive electoral gains and growth in progressive infrastructure.

If SNAP's goals interest you feel free to visit us at snappac.org or help sponsor a fellow by visiting our Actblue page.

Comments

[dexxjones]

i like the other snap better. "Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests"
want to really clean up this government? get rid of the child molestors and their enablers. this activity seems to go hand in hand with the rest of the GOP agenda...