| Abstrakt: |
This paper explores the methods by which women's nonconnected (unaffiliated with a party, candidate, or corporation) PACs create identities for themselves that will both appeal to potential donors and at the same time, create and maintain a place for the organizations themselves in the relatively resource-poor political arena. The frames used by each organization reflect both its party and ideological commitment but also its position vis-à-vis similar organizations within the political field. I argue that there is an important status component to donation requests such that well-established organizations already perceived as powerful and influential must be careful to maintain that perception in their communications with potential donors. Newer, smaller organizations and particularly those with a smaller constituent base need have fewer concerns about their donors' perceptions of their status and can come much closer to "begging" for donations. In an initial attempt to explore how this status differential affects the frames used by organizations in their fundraising solicitations, this paper compares the frames used by two women's identity PACs, located at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of party and political ideology - EMILY's List and the Susan B. Anthony List. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
