Digital engagement by political campaigns went from being a curiosity to a necessity during the 2012 cycle. Robust email programs (made famous during the Obama '08 campaign) and thriving social media activities were joined by the ability to deliver targeted media to specific audiences online.

Billionaire donors are getting a lot of attention these days, but small donors, conventionally defined as citizens who give to a campaign beneath the Federal Election Commission reporting threshold of $200, matter increasingly as well. Small donors provide campaigns with grassroots legitimacy and sometimes significant amounts of money, especially in states and cities that match small donations with public funds, in ratios as high as 6:1.

As the parent of a teen and a "tween," I am well aware the effect of marketing on kids and how they interpret the "messages" they unwittingly encounter 24/7.