Random thought: I just received the following email from one of the two candidates running for Senate. It’s reprinted in full, except for the signature. Guess which one sent it.
From: Candidate X
Subject: Breaking: “Toss up”
Date: June 5, 2013 11:48:59 AM EDT
To: blue@vps28478.inmotionhosting.com
“The highly respected Cook Political Report has just changed its rating on the Massachusetts US Senate race from ‘Lean Democrat’ to ‘Toss Up.'”
— Boston Magazine, 5/30/2013
Dear Friend,
19 days out from Election Day, pundits are now calling our race a “toss up.”
The final FEC deadline of this campaign is midnight tonight. And with our race this tight, we need to make it count.
We need $50,000 by midnight tonight. We cannot miss this mark. Contribute $5 or more right now to help.
Between single digit polls and the disgusting personal attacks coming from the other side, there’s a lot we need to do to fight back. In a toss up race, our ground game makes all the difference.
We need boots on the ground, ads on the air, responses ready to go. We need to keep our staff at full force, our volunteers on the march, and it will all depend on whether or not we can afford it.
Help us blast through this $50,000 goal. Contribute whatever you can, even if it’s just $5, today.
This is the final stretch of the campaign. We have to leave everything we have out on the field.
There’s no time to sit back and watch from the sidelines — every contribution can make the difference.
Help us reach this last $50,000 FEC goal. Contribute right now.
Thank you for your support.
It’s remarkable how generic campaign fundraising has gotten, no?
1. Markey has plenty of $$$$$
2. Gomez is desperately trying to make this race look closer than it is.
3. Markey wants to give the appearance of inevitablity, or at the very least, extreme confidence.
4. Based on the tax deduction Gomez took in 05 and not paying his plumber after several years, he is too cheap to dip into his own pocket, wants other people to pay for his race.
just from the personal attacks line.
Is there a manual and a forms section? “Candidate Name Here”.
It’s subtle, but it’s a bit too militaristic for Markey. “Keep our staff at full force, our volunteers on the march.”
Agreed that these fundraising letters are pretty generic, though. The people win or lose, but the political consultants always win.
To those of us in the know, the Cook Report move is (1) old news; (2) very half-hearted. The more recent news is the new poll casting serious doubt on Cook’s rationale (that a single-digit race, even a high-single-digit race, is a “toss-up”). The TPM and RCP averages were Markey +10.3 before the poll showing him up 12. They move slightly up from there.
Generic indeed. If you want to scare us into donating, at least use the most current info. Some of us will know if you don’t.
I got this same email from the Markey campaign. I guess they are trying to scare me into donating.
About fifteen minutes later, I got a second email solicitation from the Markey campaign, asking for donations to an event with President Obama next week.
Just saying.
and a few Republican Trolls who have no personal life whatsoever and must needle the faithful with their garbage about Coal, XL Pipelines and other Republican Talking Points. Low information voters do not come here and would not be physically able to play this game.
I received the same email, and upon reading it, I also felt disheartened. No highlighting of contrasting positions on issues or anything high-minded like that. Just a, Give Me Your Money. This stuff turns me off. Political campaigns should be something more–much more–than a money-grab-a-thon.
They don’t need convincing on the issues.
If there is something in the email highlighting contrasting issue-positions or some note about what they intend to do when they take office, maybe the supporters would be more inclined to give.