Raffling Obama – the New Approach to Candidate Fundraising

There is nothing like a good old-fashion raffle. One buys a ticket, or a chance, and is entered into “contest” to win a prize. Normally, the prize is a basket of treats at a church picnic, lately; the prize is a chance to see Barack Obama speak at the DNC convention. You can “bet the house” that the price of these “chances” to see Obama is a bit higher than the normal 25 cent ticket. An email from Howard Dean to Obama supporters, suggests carnival desperation:

Dear [desmoinesdem], When Barack Obama delivered his breakout speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the energy in the hall was amazing. He made thousands of people, including me, feel extremely proud to be Democrats. This year is going to be even better. On the last night of the convention -- when Barack accepts the Democratic nomination -- more than 75,000 people will fill the biggest stadium in Denver to be a part of the moment. We're opening up the convention to as many people as possible, and I hope you'll be there to join me. If you make a donation before midnight tomorrow, you could be part of a very special opportunity. Ten supporters who give before the July fundraising deadline will be selected for an all-expenses-paid trip to Denver. You'll get to bring a guest, fly to Denver, spend a couple days at the convention, and meet Barack before his speech. Donate today, and you could go Backstage with Barack: Make a donation before the deadline https://donate.barackobama.com/deadlinednc This would be a very different message if you were a Republican. For one, you wouldn't be invited to the convention -- unless you were a rich fat cat or very well connected. Also, this message would be filled with false, negative attacks targeting Barack and other Democrats. That's not how politics should work. You are what makes this party work, and you deserve the facts, not smears. Here's a simple fact: John McCain and the Republican National Committee finished June with $100 million in the bank. And that's not counting the untold millions collected by shadowy outside groups preparing their next Swift Boat. Here's another fact: Tomorrow at midnight is the fundraising deadline for July. The media and political pundits will once again be sizing up the DNC to see if we can compete with John McCain and the RNC. We need to close the fundraising gap -- and, unlike our opponents, we do not accept money from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. Instead, we rely on ordinary people like you giving only what you can afford. Let's show the strength of our Party and this movement for change. Make a donation to support our 50-state organizing strategy before tomorrow's deadline, and you could join Barack backstage at the open convention in Denver: https://donate.barackobama.com/deadlinednc With your support, we can do more than just win elections up and down the ballot in November. We can change politics and make this country better for all Americans. Thank you, Howard Dean

“Enter before midnight”! and “You could go Backstage with Barak” are phrases surrounded by the plea to donate.

The word that comes to mind: degrading. Being fairly certain that this is not the only type of “political raffle” that has been held in the past year does not lessen the feeling that some politicians have reduced the quest for the Office of the Presidency to a low – one that has sunk below an appropriate adjective.

Apparently, some journalist found the raffle political aspect predictable. The Boston Globe blog headline reads: “And the Winners Are”, going on to note that those chosen in the “raffle” were all from key battleground stages. A post from the political blog at "Time Out Chicago calls the fundraising effort a “calculated shame” - this from an Obama devotee.

Comparatively, over at John McCain.com, there are the usual “Make a Donation” buttons, but so far, no raffles. In a recent emails from the McCain campaign, the fact that Obama has raised 51 Million in July and McCain needs donations to compete are the theme. It is the usual “us vs. them” approach (see Howard Deans email text) used by both parties. One has to wonder, with the “raffle” approach (assuming like most church raffles, multiple chances can be purchased), what percentage of that 51 million raised in July was a direct result of hustling supporters? What will those carefully selected “winners” be subjected to in Denver? No doubt – they will be handed to the media on a silver platter as individuals from key states that are just devoted to Obama, so much so, that they put their hard-earned money up for a “chance” to go backstage with the “Candidate”.

In a perfect Republic, the candidate would be thrilled to meet the people that would hire him/her in the first place. Watching the Saddleback Forum one had the feeling that Obama was not completely comfortable in looking directly away from the camera and at the audience (granted Christians) – not the larger crowd and controlled venue to which someone of his ilk is accustomed. On the other hand, McCain came across as genuine in his interest – of the people and of the nation. McCain appears to “get it’, while Obama appears to be above it all, but not so much that he would not sell himself in order to make a fast buck.