Obama's 'personal' notes rake in the cash

Barack Obama, or rather his campaign's finance folks, seem to have stumbled onto a useful fundraising gimmick -- an urgent "personal" note to supporters pleading for a quick donation of modest size and signed by "Barack" himself. Although, to be honest, it's hard to tell if it's a genuine signature in an e-mail.

When Hillary Clinton announced her third-quarter fundraising numbers Monday, it turns out she'd collected about $2.1 million more than Obama. Shortly after midnight, his campaign transmitted a message that appeared to be from Barack himself. "We continue to build the largest grassroots movement in history," he wrote, "but Washington lobbyists and special interests rallied to help Hillary Clinton out-raise us for the first time.... We must close the gap right now. I need you to make a donation of $50."

Noting that he has not accepted "a dime" from lobbyists and special interest PACs, the message went on to add: "Hillary Clinton aggressively seeks money from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. She's even said these lobbyists represent real Americans."

The result: Within a little more than 24 hours, the campaign received more than $1 million from an unspecified number of donors, the largest spike in single-day donations since his announcement last winter, a spokeswoman said. (The campaign also reported collecting $4.5 million from nearly 22,000 Californians in the third quarter.)

So what did the campaign do? It sent out another quick-hit missive Wednesday night. "I'm leaving the Tonight Show studio," "Barack" wrote at 10:50 p.m. Pacific time, actually about five hours after the show's taping and even before the show aired on the West Coast. He said he started the week $2.1 million behind the Clinton camp. "But we've already cut that advantage in half with small donations from people like you. Let's close the rest of the gap now. Please make a donation of $25."

By noon Thursday a campaign spokeswoman said the total raised online had grown to nearly $1.6 million since the original note went out.

But there's always a spoiler in the crowd. Yesterday the Roll Call newspaper, a subscription-only site, reported that while Obama heightened his attacks on Clinton for her ties to lobbyists, he was also sending out pleas to 42 different committees of policy supporters, including numerous lobbyists, asking them to volunteer for a week of door-to-door campaigning in early primary states.

The campaign quoted spokesman Ben LaBolt as seeing no problem between criticizing lobbyists'  influence and rejecting their money and asking many of them to volunteer for him in early states. He said they are not inherently bad people, they just enjoy outsized influence.

Still, Roll Call found some lobbyists who support Obama but were growing a little tired of being the frequent public whipping boy for the campaign they're working for. "If you’re taking the position that lobbyists are not a part of your campaign and you won’t accept their money," the newspaper quoted one unidentified lobbyist as saying, "it’s a little disingenuous to turn around and basically ask them for in kind support by volunteering.”

But in political campaigns, nuances like that have a way of getting, how shall we put it, crushed.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[RuthieM]

"Spoiler in the crowd"? I don't think so. Hope to be spolier? Yes. And for those volunteer lobbyists who are tired of being 'the whipping boy' for the campaign they're working for, then why are they working for it then? Aren't they free to go elsewhere? The word VOLUNTEER is just that. What're they dummies? Griping in front of the cameras but diligently working behind them. If I was Obama I'd kick 'em out. Who needs them if they're telling the media they;re tired of being whipping boys, who needs them if that's how they feel. It isn't disingenous one iotta to not build your presidential campaign on lobbyist money, but have lobbyists volunteering to WORK. It's two separate things altogether. Boy, you negative ninnie jealous Clinton supporter media writers just can't get enough of Obama negative writing. And for a media who's practically dismissed Obama, headlining day in and day out that he's stalled in the polls, declining poll numbers, ect., etc. blah blah blah you sure are watching his every move and toothpicking his campaign apart -- still -- AND -- stlll writing about him. So, lobbyists donate their time. Is he collecting money building his presidential warchest from them? No. He's building it from people like me who've gladly donated to his campaign and look forward to donating more, because Obama WILL WIN THE NOMINATION! Goodness gracious, there's a TV personality who's boohooing her eyeballs out all in front of the cameras cause she gave her doggie away, dontcha wanna go cover it?

[Larry from Purdue]

Obama's spokesman is right on to say that Lobbyists aren't inherently bad people. His campaign said months ago that rejecting lobbyist money was an imperfect symbol. Barack himself acknowledged on Leno the other night that he had to spend the bulk of his time with rich folks.

We have had 31 people so far go from Indiana to Iowa to volunteer for Barack for one afternoon. Ages 15-64. Some students, some professionals, a few retired folks (no lobbyists so far). People make 14 hour roundtrips to help on the ground for 5 hours on a Saturday. People from all over the U.S. are signing up to help Barack on voting day in an early state. Especially those of us who have primaries on May 6th!!!!

[megale]

I’m writing today from a move of passion in my heart.
It has landed me here writing this letter to Obama.
That will also be read by the nations of people that have prepared their mind for change.
It has been a long time coming for many of us today.
We have heard about false things to come and the break we need for our families.
So we ask?
Where are the things that are call change?
As a people we say give respect and respect will be given.
Making rule is easy enforcing them is a little harder.
When you aren’t protecting us from the ones that make the law?
It harms us rather than help us because when there is not enough and there is nothing given,
We are human and that send us in rage of acting out of emotions, feeling do anyone feel the suffering I feel or the heartache
I have to face when my whole family is starving not physically but mentally
saying if change don’t come I don’t know what I’m going to do.
cA lot of families and lives can be saved by this small change.
It delivers us something that we can dream about, with a little effort, we can see those things in reality.
The last things but not least is that I would like to have a personal
meeting with Obama and his wife to discuss some issues that has appeared to a nation of people that we will make a major step to get behind him.
A fight for what is right and that is change for the people of America and the right to believe in change as we come together as one people to change the minds of the super delegates and the electoral votes.
Give us a chance to speak for you Obama.
All you will be responsible for is running the country from the white house while the people you love change America by will power to humble themselves to each others in form of an individual that is no difference than the next man he meet and don't know.
Stop the war in the mind first, and tomorrow will worry about its self.
A word to Obama the adversary isn't anything more than a stumbling block to get you closer to your destiny.
Trust in God because a good man steps are order by the Lord.
What God has for you it is for you and no man can take that from you.
Stand!! Obama,
Doing what’s right is: 9out of 10xs that is God's Will for your life. Go ahead be patient wait on God and you will fulfill your purpose. Be blessed you and your family.
And remember I love you.

megaleb@yahoo.com