Just got an email from one of my senators, New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, that started like so:
Hi Ben,
When I go to sleep at night or gather my team to talk about our priorities, I think about you.
Excuse me?
When I go to sleep at night … I think about you.
What’s going on here? The email went on to say that Gillibrand needed my opinion on some pressing issues and asked me to click a link to a survey. After doing so, I gave answers to a series of not-entirely-incisive questions, like this one:
Are you concerned that President Trump and the Republican Congress will take us backward on the issues you care about?
- Yes, I’m concerned that President Trump and Republicans will take us backward on important issues.
- No, I trust President Trump and Republicans to move us forward on the issues I care about.
I picked yes. Then, on the sixth page of the survey, Gillibrand asked me to give her $5. Her exact words were “will you give me $5”:
I’m up for reelection this year – and since I don’t accept money from corporate PACs, I’m depending on grassroots supporters like you to help protect this critical seat. Will you give $5 now to help me keep fighting against President Trump’s agenda?
So, what we seem to have here is the Obama-popularized tactic of targeted, “relatably” written campaign email taken to a desperate extreme.
But honestly, it isrelatable. I, too, often become consumed before falling asleep with the question of how I might make more money because I’m not getting enough of it from corporations. It’s the struggle of our times, really. Where do I send my $5?
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