As mentioned yesterday, Obama not only is running a cheesy $5 raffle fundraising stunt, he also is pushing donors hard to contribute something, even if it’s only $5, before the June 30 fundraising period closes.
Whether to pad the dollar amounts or the numbers of donors, or both, the frenzy at this early date has all the makings of an Axelrod-Plouffe messaging operation to portray Obama as inevitable because of his fundraising strength, or at a minimum an effort to minimize any shortfall in expectations.
Obama, who yesterday held a press conference berating Republicans for not working hard enough on the budget deficit, is spending today at two last minute fundraisers in Pennsylvania.
And the campaign machine is pumpting out even more last minute requests for donations, no matter how small, such as this one forwarded to me by a reader:
Friend —
If you’re planning on donating to this campaign at any point in the next 16 months, you should do it now.
Tonight at midnight is not just your last chance to enter the “Dinner with Barack and Joe” contest, it’s also a hugely important fundraising deadline for this campaign — the first time we’ll report on our progress to the public and the press.
The next few hours are critical for us. Please donate $5 or more today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner
Come next fall, people might not remember this date — or make the connection between the strength of our campaign then and the steps we took in these early months. But anyone worth their salt in politics knows tonight is one of the most important tests we’ll face as a campaign this year. Let’s hit it out of the park.
Thanks,
Messina
Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
At Legal Insurrection’s Facebook page, a reader suggested that the $5 donation was a good deal because for just another dollar, you get fries, and for another $1.98 you get a Slurpee.
No way. If I’m going to donate $5 to a Nobel Peace Prize willing President, I want a free Slurpee.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Perhaps BO’s campaign wants multiple credit/debit card numbers/info in order to divide up and account for any larger-than-legal individual campaign donations he’s already received, so that these can then be made to appear nice, clean and legal on FEC campaign finance reporting forms. Such credit/debit card numbers/info also could be used to launder any donations received from ‘suspect’ foreign donors (e.g. donors with ties such as Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood). Also, the BO campaign could use the info to support the meme that BO relies on ‘small donors’ rather than those ‘fat-cat’ big corporate/lobbyist donors he’s habitually trashing from one side of his mouth and soliciting from the other.
If the President is such fund raising whiz, why doesn’t he prevail upon some of his wealthy Progressive pals to voluntarily pay more taxes? Possibly because there are no loopholes on voluntary tax payments.
“Dinner with Barack and Joe”… Shouldn’t that be “Barack and Joseph”? Does anyone know what close friends and family (now) call Obama? Do they really call him “Barack”, and not “Barry”?
[…] noticed that folks like Jim Geraghty and Legal Insurrection are pointing out that the President’s fund-raising team is currently acting as if […]
I thought it was against the law to serve a happy meal with a clown.
[…] Continue reading. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Obama’s $5 Campaign Raffle – a whole lotta cheese", url: "http://clarionadvisory.com/?p=14621" }); […]
This is a simple attempt on the part of the Obama campaign to drive up the numbers of donors. $5.00? Five dollars won’t buy you a Happy Meal.
This “Dinner with Barack” is the same stunt that Hillary pulled with her “Dinner with Bill”. So now the Obama campaign is so desparate that it’s using Hillary tactics?
Now, Obama understand that all those little donors, who donate $250.00 or less, are not required by the FEC to be listed. So, it stands to reason that Doodad Pro, and his buddies from Palestine, can donate in some many names it will spin your head. And remember, the FEC never did a full investigation of where Obama’s campaign funds came from last time due to his refusal to accept federal funds.
Or maybe, just maybe, Obama is trying to garner as much small donor money as he can before the unemployment figures come out in a few days. Whatever it is, you can bet it’s crooked.
You gonna eat those curly fries Michellea?
Why are they pushing so hard for donors? They will lie about it regardless?
I agree with Halperin’s assessment…