The Audacity of E-mail
Dear Mr. President-elect, please take me off your spam list.

Dear Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, David Plouffe, John Kerry, Al Gore, et al.:

I want to congratulate you on last week's astounding victory. I also want to take a moment to thank each of you for the many, many thoughtful and informative communications you have sent me over the weeks and months of this historic campaign. Each e-mail was like a precious gift, except that unlike a gift, each e-mail came with a request for cash.

But you know, that was OK. You were, after all, working toward a momentous goal, and I was happy to be asked to help you get there (particularly since my employer wouldn't allow me to give you money, anyhow). We climbed this mountain together, you and I, and your bulletins from the trenches never failed to set my heart to pounding: They're calling Obama a terrorist. My $50 will get them to stop! Sarah Palin thinks there are real and faux Americans. One hundred dollars from me, and she will go away! "Will you watch our response ad and make a donation of $100 or more to help us keep it on the air?" Just $25 for a limited edition car magnet, $75 for a commemorative coin, $100 for a backstage pass to Grant Park!

And, Barack. When you wrote to me on election night to tell me you were "about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there" but were taking a moment to write to me first—well, I was so touched I almost didn't notice the little "donate now" button at the bottom of the page. Also, I have to admit that in the six days between the election and yesterday morning, I even came to miss my near-daily missives from each of you, updating me, flattering me, promising me great things and then shaking me down, just as a very kind, attentive, loving parent might do if, say, you owed him a lot of money.

But imagine my dismay yesterday when I opened my inbox to discover an e-mail entitled "Your Victory T-Shirt." Instead of a free victory T-shirt, I was being offered the chance to send yet another $100 to the DNC (in exchange for which I would, in all fairness, receive a free "victory T-shirt"). It's hard to explain why it's so galling to be asked to donate yet more money to a campaign after the election has been decided. It's sort of like being asked to keep planting the victory garden, years after Armistice Day. Even having achieved the presidency, Barack Obama is still counting on little old me for financial help? What's next? Dear Dahlia, Joe Biden and I have a bunch of great ideas for fixing government. And with your $100 donation, we can ensure that the S-Chip is fully funded and that the spotted owl remains on the endangered-species list. Please watch this video and consider a contribution.

America's unprecedented showing of financial and emotional support helped the Obama campaign win the Oval Office. It was a beautiful thing. And I really am going to miss seeing "Barack Obama" in my inbox three times a day. But it's high time for us voters to get back to panicking about our 401(k)s. So please stop e-mailing to ask for money. You're president-elect now, Barack. Consider yourself cut-off.

http://www.slate.com/id/2204422/?GT1=38001

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I read in my paper last night (before I threw it in the trash this morning) that Obama was going to CONTINUE to use that email list and cell phone list that he used during the election. People wanted a president who knew how to use email and cell phone -- looks like they're going to get their wish! They're probably going to be wishing they'd never given over that information to the Democratic Party!

Well I GAVE them my email so I have no problem with them sending me email. I don't get what the big deal is. Now I never gave the republican party my phone number but I got oodles of phones calls from them. Thats what ticks me off. As long as I gave out the info feel free to contact me, that's why I gave them the info. Now don't call or email me if I didn't give you the info. Simple.

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Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
SJCC STREAKS FOOTBALL!!
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL!

Neither of them called or spammed me...ever... Wonder who told em I had cooties

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Yup...I signed up, and I'm happy to get any emails they want to send. I've only gotten a few since the election though, and it was a $30 t-shirt, not $100. I was never hit up for anything like $50...that's a massive exaggeration. It was always 'whatever you can send', and the phrase 'a few dollars' came up in more than one email. In fact, I'd say 80% of the emails I received from moveon and barackobama.com were calls for volunteers, not money.

This is just one more attempt to insult the future President. But don't forget, the GOP now realizes the mistake they made in underestimating the importance of the internet as a way of making contact with voters, volunteers and donors. Both sides will be working the emails for the next election.

Maureen

Mo
Mine was also 30.00 for the shirt. I have never gotten any asking for alot of money either. Just whatever I felt I could give. Like you, the only calls I ever recieved were to volunteer at our local office or calls to be sure to get out to vote. Never once did I get a phone call asking for money.

Jen

__________________
Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
SJCC STREAKS FOOTBALL!!
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL!