Last month L2 was invited to exhibit and sponsor the New Founders Conference taking place this Wednesday. Late last week our invitation was revoked because of several protesters supported by some of L2’s partisan competitors. Along with speakers from all parts of the Democratic/progressive talent pool this conference was supposed to serve as a showcase for the best in political technology. In our 43 year history, L2 has sponsored and attended Netroots, CPAC and hundreds of other events put on by Democratic and Republican organizations. And in 43 years we have never been invited and then disinvited from an event.
To the Organizers of the New Founders Conference,
After further consideration and discussion, L2 has decided to remain disinvited from the New Founders Conference. I write this with sadness and frustration born from the unpleasant surprise of having first been courted as a sponsor and then having been told that we are an unacceptable participant. Following this morning’s conversation, I thought we could make it work but after further discussion among our CEO and other executives staff, we realized that is impossible. Since the well has been poisoned against us I don’t think even the sincere support of the organizers and staff will make this a worthwhile experience for myself, my staff or L2.
Like NationBuilder, Crowdskout, Google, Twitter, Facebook and hundreds of other organizations, L2 proudly works with both parties and offers its services on a confidential basis to candidates of all stripes within those parties. We are not consultants or fundraisers. We simply offer a cleaner, more up-to-date and better-enhanced voter file that campaigns can use with hundreds of other partisan and non-partisan tools.
L2 data and technology are currently used by nearly 200 members of Congress in their official capacity, approximately half of which are Democrats and possible supporters of your event. Our data and technology are the choice of a significant percentage of leading liberal consultants and pollsters and we are partnered with one of the most respected progressive Democratic modeling firms in the country. It saddens us that none of this seems to be enough to pass the unequally-applied litmus test of some activists supported gleefully by our partisan competitors.
I know you, personally, understand this but if it were truly understood by the New Founders Conference we would still have a booth side-by-side with other providers, giving progressives options rather than walled-gardens that discourage higher quality and more innovative alternatives.
Sincerely Yours,
-Paul Westcott
