Old Man OPO

Last week the Washington Post began a series of articles about Political Consultants, including a front page story last Friday about Internet Strategists. The Post dubbed them Online Political Operatives, or OPOs. It’s the first I’ve heard that title, it’s too soon to say if it will stick. But I did enjoy seeing some well-deserved attention being paid to a field of work I have been involved in for fifteen years.

This weekend I spoke at a training for political fundraisers in a session about online fundraising. The organizer introduced me with a brief bio, including the fact that the first online campaign campaign that I worked on was for Senator Kennedy’s 1994 Senate race.

Looking out at the room of young faces, my curiosity got the best of me. “Give me a show of hands”, I asked, “how many of you were in college in 1994?”.

A couple of hands in the back of the room went up.

“How many of you were in high school in 1994?”

Again, just a few hands are raised.

“How many of you were in grade school in 1994?”

A sea of hands reaches skyward.

My initial reaction was just to feel a bit old. But on reflection, it was really very nice. I’m glad to be an old man OPO and I hope I to continue finding opportunities to share what I’ve learned and learn something in return from the growing numbers of young fledgling OPOs out there.

Meet the OPOs
The Washington Post, 5/4/07