The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

E-Mail From Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

Posted on | December 21, 2011 | 13 Comments

Years ago, I clicked a box on some Democrat web site and they’re still sending me e-mails like this one:

Democrats

Friend:
If you follow political news like I do, you may remember this year for its GOP horse race: who was up, who was down, who had an “oops” moment. But that’s not how I’ll remember it.
I’ll remember it as a pretty incredible year for Democrats. Here’s why:
Just in the last week, we’ve seen solid evidence that health care reform is working: 2.5 million Americans are now insured thanks to a provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows young adults to stay on their parent’s health insurance, more than double the number previously estimated.
And with the last troops leaving this past Sunday,  the war in Iraq has come to a responsible end. Because of the veterans  provisions of the American Jobs Act and the Hiring Heroes Act, which provide tax  incentives to businesses who hire veterans in need of work, our troops coming home and all our veterans know that they can get the help they need in finding work and supporting their families.
These are the kinds of fights Democrats are waging — and winning. They’re crucial victories, but they don’t happen without you.
Next year, the stakes will be even higher. That’s why I’m asking you to step up right now and say you’re ready for the fights  ahead:

Chip in $3  more for 2012.

Next year’s election will be huge,  that’s for sure — but the work we did in 2011 shows just what a grassroots  campaign can do. Across the country this year, Democrats worked together and  fought critical statewide battles on the ground.
In Mississippi, folks worked tirelessly to protect a woman’s right to choose and soundly defeated the Personhood amendment, which would’ve made abortion illegal, including in cases of rape or incest, and even banned some forms of birth control.
Up in Maine, statewide Democratic groups worked together to overturn the state legislature’s recent ban on allowing people to register and vote on the same day — a nearly 40-year tradition that’s helped the state have some of the highest voter turnout rates in the country.
And in the bellwether state of Ohio, the state Democratic party and progressive allies collected more than 300,000 signatures to stop a law that would greatly reduce how and when Ohioans can early vote — and put it up for a statewide vote next year. Thanks in part to thousands who were able to cast their ballots early, Ohio voters in November successfully repealed a collective bargaining law that would’ve stripped away the rights of teachers and firefighters to negotiate for important benefits and working conditions.
We have a ways to go to get the economy working for everyone, and there’s much more work to be done.
But we have a lot to feel good about. We’ve worked together at the national level to make change that’s going to affect millions of lives every day, like repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and we’ve banded together in our states and communities to stand for our party’s principles.
It’s what Democrats do.
But don’t doubt that for every victory we’ve had this year, the GOP is ready and waiting to reverse it. Repealing health care reform, reinstating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” restricting voting rights, and putting Personhood amendments on the ballot in other states are all things the other side has promised to do if given the chance.
That’s why we need to be ready to fight for the change we’ve made — and make certain we’ll get to keep pushing for more.

It can’t  happen without you. Show you’re ready for 2012 by giving $3 or more today:

http://my.democrats.org/Ready-for-2012

Thanks,

Debbie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair, Democratic National Committee

Notice that they’re asking for a meager $3 as a minimum. Why? Well, if you’ve got a mailing list of a million names, and your average return rate is 10% on a fundraising e-mail like that, you get a $300,000 payoff, even if every donor gives only $3. Of course, the return rate is a lot lower than 10%, but most of the people who contribute are going to give $10 or more.

By setting a low threshold in the e-mail, the Democrats are telling recipients, “Hey, every dollar counts. You don’t have to be a big money fat cat to make a difference.” And every person who gives even $3 has signalled a willingness to give. The Democrats will put that person’s e-mail address into a special database and target them with further solicitations, e.g., “Hey, [name], thanks for giving [dollar amount]. It’s people like you who really count. If you could just give us another $10 today . . .”

It’s the “shotgun and rifle” approach: You “shotgun” a solicitation to a big list, and then target the respondents with “rifle” solicitations aimed at them personally. There is an actual science to doing this kind of thing well, and building a big list of small donors is vital to success in politics, because you can hit up these donors again and again, whereas big donors who “max out” early in a campaign are unable to give more.

And while conservatives may scoff at the partisan propaganda message in Debbie’s e-mail, there are many thousands of Democratic Party donors who buy into every word of it.

Update (Smitty): Linked at American Glob.

Comments

13 Responses to “E-Mail From Debbie Wasserman-Schultz”

  1. ClassicFilm
    December 21st, 2011 @ 6:18 pm

    “Restricting voting rights” – because DWS and Democrats believe that dead people, illegal aliens, and Mickey Mouse have a right to vote. And Dems who want to vote multiple times without ever showing ID, without living in the same district or state, shouldn’t be discriminated against, either. This is America, after all. And the tawdry era of Obama is all about transforming America, one fraudulent vote at a time.

    So much to “feel good” about, Debbie.

  2. Garym
    December 21st, 2011 @ 6:43 pm

    Debbie whatshername Shultz. Speaking of fake boobs, here you go.

  3. smitty
    December 21st, 2011 @ 6:49 pm

    I, for one, see DWS’s boobery as purely authentic, vacuous, and Progressive at all points.

  4. Garym
    December 21st, 2011 @ 6:54 pm

    It always blows my mind that Sarah Palin is an idiot, but this dumb bitch and Nancy Belalegosi are held up as deep thinkers of the progressive persuasion.

  5. richard mcenroe
    December 21st, 2011 @ 8:03 pm

    So Lil Debbiecakes is touting as a victory forcing parents to pay for their deadbeat kids five years longer?

  6. Steve in TN
    December 21st, 2011 @ 9:00 pm

    I fear our GOP leadership will continue to scoff.

    And while conservatives may scoff at the partisan propaganda message in
    Debbie’s e-mail, there are many thousands of Democratic Party donors who
    buy into every word of it.

  7. just a conservative girl
    December 21st, 2011 @ 9:13 pm

    As a person who did fundraising for more than a decade I can tell you the small donors are key to a successful campaign in the future.  

    Another thing conservatives need to realize, yes the RNC doesn’t always do what we would like, (ok that is an understatement) it is still vital that they are well funded.  Campaigns count on the GOTV efforts towards the end of the campaign that they just can’t pay for.  

  8. Obama Loses The Coveted Matt Damon Vote » American Glob
    December 21st, 2011 @ 9:29 pm

    […] McCain is getting emails from Debbie Wasserman Schultz asking him to donate three bucks. Actually, Stacy has his own explanation… Notice that they’re asking for a meager $3 as a minimum. Why? Well, if you’ve got a mailing […]

  9. richard mcenroe
    December 21st, 2011 @ 10:56 pm

    Oh, yeah, we remember how helpful they were in California. 

    Like Santa Ana helped Colonel Travis.

  10. Julie
    December 21st, 2011 @ 11:07 pm

    I get e-mail from a local democrat because (this is the only possible thing that makes sense to me) I’m registered to vote as a Libertarian.  (Not that this actually makes any sense, targeting wise, but I got tons of Obama mailings in 2008 as well.)  Wasserman-Shultz’s email might be full of gooey illogical goodness, but at least it seems upbeat.   The emails I usually get are blatant scaremongering, explicit Tea Party bashing, “OH NOES, HELP US KEEP THOSE SCARY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DESTROY OUR STATE/NATION OUT OF POWER!11!eleventy!!!11!

    Aside from the entertainment value, I’ve been prodded to actually call our National congressperson and tell him to vote for (instead of against) a bill to allow concealed carry permits to cross state lines and I’ve contacted a local Republican politician and offered to help her campaign.

  11. Adjoran
    December 22nd, 2011 @ 12:46 am

    LBJ told the story of the two Democrats in a Texas graveyard registering voters.  One guy was reading off the names and birth dates while the other filled out the forms.

    They came to an old headstone whose engraving was weathered almost smooth, belonging to a decedent who evidently came from Eastern Europe as the name was long, unusual, full of consonants, and very difficult to read.  The first Democrat says, “I guess we’ll have to skip this one.”

    The second objects:  “Oh no, can’t do that – he has as much right to vote as anyone else!”

  12. Adjoran
    December 22nd, 2011 @ 1:31 am

    It’s possible one of your friends signed you up as a gag.

  13. Adjoran
    December 22nd, 2011 @ 1:35 am

    It might be worthwhile to send Debbie the three bucks.  They have to know there are lots of Republicans on their general list, and you see the rhetorical level of those.  I bet they get downright full moonbat freaky on the ones they send to known contributors, figuring Republicans won’t send in any money.

    The internet is gold for the candidate with a list of small contributors.  In the past, many candidates had lots of small contributors, but most only gave once.  With email lists of those, they can be enticed to send in small amounts again and again, and most are nowhere near their annual contribution limit.