Money, Money, Money …

As part of the research I do for this blog, I have a gmail account that I only use to subscribe to leftist organizations.  This email is then forwarded to another gmail account and filed in folder (label) specifically for that purpose.   I never ever click on anything in these emails (and don’t let gmail download the images) – the tracking they have embedded in them is quite impressive. Most of what comes into this folder is so distasteful that I rarely look at it.   It just wasn’t as interesting as I’d hoped. However, today I decided to take a look.  Here is what I have received recently.  See if you can detect a pattern:

On July 27, from Michelle Obama

Friend —

Barack’s 51st birthday is coming up.

I hope you’ll wish him a happy birthday by signing the card we’re putting together for him.

You’ll be adding your name, from Arizona, alongside thousands of other supporters’ names — folks from all 50 states, from all different backgrounds. Together, all those names will be impressive — they’ll show the strength of this campaign and our support for Barack.

And I know he’s going to love it.

Add your name today — and then ask a friend to join you:

http://my.barackobama.com/Happy-Birthday-Barack

These last few months until Election Day won’t be easy — so let’s show Barack we have his back every step of the way.

– Michelle

Gosh, that’s sweet.

Then this one from Joe Biden on July 28:

Friend —

For the last two months, Governor Romney and the Republicans have outraised us — and in the last month alone, they raised $35 million more than we did.

They’ve caught up to us in the fundraising race for the first time this election, and we have to do everything we can to close the gap now — before it’s too late.

Donate $3 or more today to help close the gap.

We keep reminding you about this fundraising gap because when Governor Romney and the Republicans outraise us by that much, it matters. This fundraising gap means that Republicans may not only outraise us, they could outspend us this election — on TV, in the field, and online.

You better believe that when they’re using their fundraising advantage to blanket the airwaves with misleading attack ads, Democrats across the board will feel the consequences.

Our next big fundraising deadline is just a few days away — and we have the chance to reverse this trend and keep Governor Romney and the Republicans from outraising us for the third month in a row.

So help close the fundraising gap before the deadline on Tuesday. It’s critically important. Donate $3 or whatever you can today:

https://my.democrats.org/July-Deadline

Thanks,

Joe

Then on July 29th, Howard (the screamer) Dean wrote to me with a little more urgency:

Friend —

Our next big fundraising deadline is on Tuesday — and we need your help.

As former chair of the Democratic Party, I know that after each of these FEC deadlines, hard decisions have to be made about where resources go — whether we can afford to hire more organizers to register voters in Florida, or if we raised enough to pay for that big TV ad in Ohio to fight back against distortions and misinformation from the other side.

We need your help to make sure our Democratic candidates across the country have the resources they need to win on Election Day. Donate $3 or more right now.

We’ve got a tough road ahead of us. Mitt Romney and the Republicans have outraised us two months in a row — and after this critical fundraising deadline, they’re going to be making decisions about where to send their funds, too.

That’s why it’s so important we make sure that Democrats at all levels have the resources they need to fight back and talk about what we stand for. Nobody likes the money race — but we can’t let a small group of powerful interests buy this election.

That’s why we need your help — one donation at a time, we’re fighting back.

Donate $3 or whatever you can right now before our critical fundraising deadline:

https://my.democrats.org/July-Deadline

Thanks,

Gov. Howard Dean

Gosh, that sounds awful. Those darn rascally rich Republicans.

The next day, July 30th, Joe Biden wrote to me once more:

Friend —

This isn’t hyperbole or exaggeration:

If we don’t win this election, it will be because we didn’t close the spending gap when we could.

Because right now we’re seeing that voters have a choice between two very different men.

And the only way someone like Mitt Romney — who’s asking Americans to put him in charge of their taxes while refusing to come clean about his own, who wants to repeal Obamacare, end Medicare as we know it and give more tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them — defeats someone like Barack Obama, is if the other side spends us into oblivion.

Tomorrow is the most urgent fundraising deadline of this campaign so far. Will you make a donation of $3 or more today to make sure we can keep this close over the last 100 days?

It’s already starting on TVs and radios in swing states, and it’s not going to stop.

In the last two weeks of this month, Romney and his allies had an almost 2:1 spending advantage in Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Virginia — and that could be the election right there.

We’ve got more than 2.4 million grassroots donors building this the right way.

But we’re running out of time to close the money gap when it really matters.

Please donate $3 today, and help make sure our message can get through to as many voters as Mitt Romney’s does:

https://donate.barackobama.com/July-Deadline

Barack and I honestly wish we could thank everyone who contributes to this campaign personally. You’re our second family, you know.

Thanks,

Joe

Whew! I sure am glad that he is not indulging in hyperbole or exaggeration!

On the same day, Jeffrey Lerner sent me an email which didn’t engage in hyperbole or exaggeration either:

Democrats
Friend —

I’m not interested in the money race, so I’m just going to tell you how it is.

Our strength heading into November is going to be determined in large part by how much money we raise now. That’s why the fundraising deadline tomorrow at midnight is so important.

We can’t afford to lose — the stakes are just too high.

Can you stand the thought of a president who would take away guaranteed health coverage from people with pre-existing conditions, would be “delighted” to sign a bill banning all abortions, and would raise taxes on the middle class while lowering taxes for millionaires and billionaires?

Me neither.

Donate $3 or whatever you can right now to make sure we can keep Mitt Romney and other Republicans out of office:

https://my.democrats.org/July-Deadline

Thanks,

Jeffrey

Jeffrey Lerner
Political Director
Democratic National Committee

Hmmm, is it just me or does he kind of sound like he is maybe a little interested in the money race?

On the next day, 31 July, I got 4 emails.  The first from B.O. himself, sounding very presidential  (guess me and Barack are on a first name basis):

Friend —

Sometimes politics can seem very small.

But the choice voters face in this election couldn’t be bigger.

Over the past two months, we have been outraised by our opponents. They’ve used that advantage to distort the truth and mislead people, over and over, on TV and the radio in battleground states.

Tonight is one of the most critical fundraising deadlines we’ll face.

If we win this election, it will be because of what you did in moments like this to close the gap.

Please make a donation of $3 or more right now:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Deadline-Midnight

Thank you.

Barack

The next from Debbie Wasserman Schulz (she wants at least $5!):

Democrats
Friend —

Days like today are part of what makes this job so nerve-wracking. How much we raise before the deadline at midnight tonight determines whether Democrats across the board will get the resources they need to win in November.

When we get the final total for how much we raised this month, we’ll have some tough decisions to make — and those decisions will be even tougher if we come up short.

I know that these emails I send might seem like a little much — but they’re important. The money we raise helps pay for our top-notch grassroots organization across the country to lay the groundwork to win in November.

We need your help to ensure that we can continue to operate at the level we know it takes to win.

Donate $5 or more before the critical FEC deadline at midnight tonight:

https://my.democrats.org/July-Deadline

Thanks,

Debbie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee

The next from Lady Obama herself:

Friend —

I’m always amazed by how Barack balances his responsibilities as president, a husband, and a dad.

But sometimes even he needs a little help. And this campaign is going to take all of us pitching in.

All of the things we’ve poured our hearts into — from passing health care reform to fighting for an economy that works for everyone — are on the line.

I know I don’t want to wake up on November 7th wondering if I could have done more. So I’m doing everything I can between now and Election Day to make sure we can keep moving this country forward for four more years.

We’ve only got a few more hours before an important fundraising deadline. Please support this campaign by giving $3 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Deadline-Midnight

From all of us, thanks.

Michelle

Gosh that was inspiring.

The last of the four on the 31st was from Hildy Kuryk

Democrats
Friend —

It’s deadline day. We’re down to the last few hours before we tally up our numbers — and make some tough calls about what Democrats can do in August. This could be our most important deadline yet.

If you can, please support Democrats across the country with an urgent donation of $3 or more before midnight tonight.

We’re getting drastically outspent in this election, and people keep asking me how we can step it up. But the reality is, we’re playing a different game — relying on people chipping in a little bit whenever they can — and we need to do more with less. It’s my job to pinch the pennies and make sure we’re putting our resources where they’ll do the most. That’s a tight budget. And that’s why I’m emailing you.

I don’t think anyone makes a donation just because they’re happy to hear from me again over email.

Everyone who supports Democrats is stepping up for a reason. Maybe it’s because you believe in winning elections the right way, building something one person at a time, and working together toward a better future. Or because you don’t want to see so much hard-fought progress erased, or a return to policies of the past that sent the country into a ditch, or maybe you’re just fired up to re-elect this President and win a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.

Think about your reason for supporting Democrats, and please give $3 or more today:

https://my.democrats.org/July-Deadline

I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve done together. Let’s make sure we don’t slip in the last few months.

Thanks,

Hildy

Hildy Kuryk
National Finance Director
Democratic National Committee

Doggone it, the dems are getting “drastically outspent.”

Breaking the monotony of all of these begs for money, was a newsletter from the George Soros funded Brennan Center for Justice with the subject line: Voting Newsletter: Design Flaws Hurt American Elections, Lead to Lost Votes.  Interestingly enough, there wasn’t one word about attempts to disenfranchise active military voters.  Must have been an oversight, I guess.

On August 1, Lady Obama sent me this touching note:

Hi —

Today is Barack’s 51st birthday, and the girls and I are pulling together his birthday card.

Last call for names: Want to sign it?

Clicking on the link below will add your name to Barack’s card automatically:

http://my.barackobama.com/Baracks-Birthday

This election’s only going to get tougher, so I know it would mean a lot to Barack to know he has your support on his birthday.

Thanks,

Michelle

Awe shucks, I missed my chance.  But on August 7, Brad Woodhouse let me know he still wants my $3.

Democrats
Friend —

What’s worse than being outraised in a critical election year?

Knowing we could have done something about it and didn’t.

So, with that in mind, I’ve got some news:

Romney’s campaign released their July fundraising numbers. We got beat again, but the gap is closing. That’s right, our grassroots donations up against their deep-pocketed donors — and we’re without a doubt starting to gain. This is proof that, if we keep our eye on the ball, we can continue to close the fundraising gap, and give Democrats what it will take to win in November.

Donate $3 or more today to keep closing the gap:

https://my.democrats.org/July-Numbers

Thanks — we can do this.

Brad

Brad Woodhouse
Communications Director
Democratic National Committee

P.S. — Romney and the RNC outraised us by $26 million in July, and $35 million in June. Your $3 donation will help close the gap.

Then after another e-alert from the Brennan Center for Justice (this one worse than the last), B.O. sent me this note on August 9.

Friend —

The headlines are talking about how you and I got beat again by the other side in fundraising.

Those headlines aren’t going away. I will be outspent in this election. And we will not win the ad wars on TV and radio — right now, the other side is outspending us on TV by at least 2-to-1 in most battleground states.

And that’s OK. But only if we’re able to keep the spending gap close enough so that our investments in a truly grassroots campaign pay off.

I believe in that model, and I’m betting that you do, too.

It’s moments like these that I need you to act on that belief. Can you make a donation of $3 or more today?

https://donate.barackobama.com/Keep-It-Close

Thank you,

Barack

P.S. — To say thanks for all you’re doing for me and for this campaign, we’re inviting a couple grassroots supporters — and their guests — to New York for a special event with some basketball greats. Even if you don’t share my love for basketball, I’d love to meet you. If you’re interested, make a donation here today, and you’ll be automatically entered to join us. I may even challenge you to a quick shootaround.

I always knew I’d regret not playing basketball. Gosh, he’s just so earnest and friendly.

My latest message is from Joe Biden on August 12.

Friend —

Starting now, we can expect even more wealthy, right-wing ideologues lining up to support the Romney-Ryan ticket.

The people on the other side who are trying to buy this election are putting nasty, deceptive TV ads on the air right this very minute. They’re not going away. They’re getting worse.

If we don’t do what we can to keep this close, right now at this crucial moment, we risk letting the other side run away with it.

If you’re thinking about making a donation to the campaign, please don’t wait — donate $3 or more today, and let’s win this together.

Every single day from now until Election Day matters. At the end of it, we’ll all ask ourselves if we did everything we could to make sure that we are able to keep fighting for change.

I know how I want to answer that question. I hope you’re with me — because we’re up against the kind of outside spending never seen before in modern politics.

And without people like you, this could get to be a pretty lopsided fight.

November 6th will be here sooner than we think. Donate $3 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Our-Team

Thanks,

Joe

I guess he forgot about the whole hyperbole and exaggeration thing.