Stop Spamming, Start Listening
A Consultant Ethics Crisis Is Killing Our Movement
A follow-up to my series on progressive infrastructure: How Democratic-aligned consultants are sabotaging our work—and what we must do to fix it
We're facing a global democracy crisis here and abroad. From ICE disappearing people in the U.S., to the unfolding genocide in Gaza, where Israel is withholding aid and starving civilians, to rising authoritarianism around the world, the urgency couldn't be more real.
But far too many Democratic-aligned PACs and digital consultants are responding not with action, compassion, or strategy, but with spammy texts and emails.
Instead of meeting this moment with bold organizing and principled communications, they're flooding inboxes and phones with manipulative fundraising messages that do more to extract dollars than build power.
And the damage is real.
This Isn't Just About "The Democratic Party." It's About the Infrastructure Around It.
It's not the DNC or the official party committees behind the worst tactics. It's the web of PACs, vendors, and digital firms that align with Democrats but operate with little transparency and even less accountability. And this is hurting our brand. I know some of the folks doing this, and many are well-intentioned. They justify these harmful practices by saying they are funding other good work, but what if the harm they are doing cancels out the good?
These groups—and the consultants who profit from them—are using trauma and crisis to boost their numbers. They are burning through lists, lying in messages, and alienating the people we need to show up in 2026 and 2028.
And It's Driving Our Favorability Through the Floor
Recent Gallup polling shows that support for Democrats is at one of the lowest points in decades. 63% of voters now view Democrats unfavorably. Even among our own base, trust is eroding.
This happens when people feel like they're being used instead of engaged. When they hear more from us when we need their money than when we're fighting for their values.
If we want to win, we have to stop this cycle. Not later. Now.
The Content Is the Problem, Not Just the Volume
As Frank O'Brien explains, it's not just how often we're messaging people—it's what we're saying:
"Democratic emails and texts rely on gimmicks like fake deadlines, fake matches, and crisis baiting… They treat people like targets, not supporters."
The result? Distrust, disengagement, and a Party brand that people associate with spam—not substance.
Meanwhile, We're Ignoring What Works
In Why the Democrats' Digital Strategy Is Doomed to Fail, Ravi Mangla and Rynn Reed diagnose the real problem:
"Democrats are making content for donors, not voters… chasing virality instead of building trust."
And
offers the solution:"The most trusted messengers aren't politicians or influencers—they're neighbors, coworkers, and community members. We need to build digital infrastructure rooted in relationships, not reach."
Josh Nelson Has Been Sounding the Alarm for Years
Josh's Civic Shout newsletter has consistently called out these scammy fundraising tactics and built better ones. He's helped expose the rot and offer real alternatives. We're proud to uplift his work and follow his lead.
At GAIN Power, We're Ready to Help Lead Some of the Change Needed
Enough is enough. At GAIN Power, we're stepping up to help convene movement-wide responses to these connected problems. We're organizing advisors and working groups to:
Train campaigns and organizations on ethical, effective digital practices.
Create and promote standards for fundraising and digital communications.
Elevate the best firms and professionals already doing ethical, strategic work.
Call out the harmful practices that are eroding trust and burning our base.
This isn't about blame—it's about building something better. Together.
Join us if you want to be part of the solutions, not the problems.
We Need a Digital Reckoning—And a New Standard
We are developing:
A Digital Ethics Pledge for Democratic-aligned organizations and vendors.
A Consultant Directory to track and recommend trusted professionals - and to start building in accountability practices.
Trainings, forums, and real accountability for those who want to raise money without selling out our movement's values.
This builds directly on the Political TRUST Initiative I outlined in my previous series, bringing transparency and accountability to the $16 billion political consulting industry.
The Connection to Our Broader Infrastructure Crisis
This digital ethics crisis isn't separate from the consultant accountability problems I've been writing about—it's part of the same systemic failure. When we reward relationships over results, when we lack accountability mechanisms, when we treat politics like a gig economy, we get consultants who prioritize their bottom line over our movement's health.
The same consultants who get rehired regardless of campaign outcomes often push these extractive digital tactics. The lack of transparency, obscuring consultant performance, enables the scammy fundraising practices to burn out our base.
We need comprehensive reform that addresses both the talent pipeline crisis AND the accountability crisis in political consulting.
If We Want to Win, We Need to Start by Earning People's Trust Back
Every manipulative text, fake deadline, and crisis-baiting email moves us further away from the relationships we need to build lasting power.
We can't message out of an infrastructure crisis, spam our way to higher favorability, or treat our most committed supporters like ATMs and expect them to keep showing up.
Join Us in Building the Alternative
If you're a campaign, PAC, strategist, donor, or digital professional, join us.
We're thrilled that so many outstanding groups have already joined the GAIN Power Democracy Directory—a growing network committed to doing this work better.
But we're just getting started.
Engage with our community:
💬 Join our Slack
🤝 Join our advisory committee and working groups.
Because if we want to win, we need to start by earning people's trust.
Democracy isn't a spectator sport—it's a practice. Right now, we need to practice it as if our future depends on it.
This post continues my series on progressive infrastructure. Read the previous posts:
Hemorrhaging the People Who Power Democracy Could Sink Us in 2026
No Silver Bullet: It Takes Political Will to Build Real Power
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excellent post!