Dear Barack,

I want you to win the upcoming election.  Yesterday I got three different emails from you and your staff--one for last minute fund raising, another for Washington State and the third from &amp; for women.

The email that really got me thinking was titled "Have you done everything you can for Barack?"  Really, do you need to send me emails like this? I've made a campaign donation (not a lot but I don't make a lot), I wear my Barack Obama t-shirt around town, I talk you up to all of my friends, I blog about you and I voted for you and I mailed in my absentee ballot two weeks ago from an ancient post office in Sofia.

This said, I think that I have done everything that I can for you, Barack.

But because of your rather strange email, here I am doing more. I thought I was done writing about you but it turns out that's not the case.

Your wrote to me visa vie the Washington State Field Director the following email:

<em>Carolyn  --</em>

<em>The second most common reason that people don't vote is because they don't know how.</em>

<em>The top reason: No one asks them to.</em>

<em>This is the last week before Election Day, November 4th, and we're executing the largest get out the vote (GOTV) effort in Washington's history. We've filled 82 percent of our GOTV shifts, but we have to fill every last slot this week.</em>

<em>The conversations you have with friends, family, and voters across Washington right now will make a real difference in whether they stay home or make their voices heard on November 4th. </em>

<em>Imagine how you'll feel if you wake up on November 5th -- facing four more years of the same Bush-McCain economic policies -- and realize that you didn't do all you could to make sure Barack Obama is the next president.</em>

<em>I know that's not a feeling I could live with.</em>

<em>Volunteer to get out the vote between now and Election Day and win this election for Barack and Democrats up and down the ticket.</em>

<em>Thanks, Chelsea</em>

<em>Chelsea Waliser
Field Director
Washington Campaign for Change </em>

Well, here's the thing: I had to read the email about three times to understand what the email was asking me to do.  The first two lines seem to be scaring me.  Reminding me how stupid people are that the top two reasons they don't vote are because no one told them to or because they don't know how.  Really!?

<!--more-->Okay, I want Barack Obama to win but are we really truly relying on people to vote who haven't before because 1) no one told them to or 2) they don't know how? For the love of god.  Once I got over that and was able to continue reading, I realize that the first two lines of the email were supposed to be a catchy intro to a get out the vote campaign. Clever? I think not.  In fact, I am not sure that the intro worked at all.

Then in the next paragraph, there's the problem with the use of the acronym in a short email.  I don't need another acronym in my life let alone one that reads GOTV.  Go TV? What?!? Well upon re-reading this paragraph I realize that this is an acronym for "get out the vote" but seriously, who uses that? My guess is only 20-something campaign staffers.

Maybe for the rest of us you could just write out "get out the vote" a second time rather than try to introduce an acronym in a short email.  Also, I think that if you are going to make something into an acronym you are supposed to write the thing out first using capitol letters like this: Get Out The Vote (GOTV)--this signals to the reader that you will be using it as an acronym in the future.  But as previously expressed an acronym for get out the vote might just be silly, unnecessary and dare I say: elitist?

Now that I am close reading a campaign email, I will say that the paragraph encouraging us to talk to our family and friends about voting does make sense.  However, it's sadly hidden away in the middle of a clunky email.  This does provide a decent transition into this a shameless aside: Hey! family &amp; friends: if you can vote, do it and vote for Barack.  I mean it. Carolyn.

Then comes the fear-mongering paragraph which honestly I find pretty distasteful--threatening us with four more years of the same. It panders to the lowest common denominator.  Frankly when I wake up on November 5th, I think I'll be happy to have some idea of who our next president is but I am not crossing my fingers.  The last two elections have been too close to call thanks to the electoral college and I can't assume that it will be any different this time around.

But if, gasp Obama does not win, will this be my fault? Will I be to blame for not doing everything I could have for Barack Obama? No way.

So Chelsea and Barack, I want you to know that I haven't unsubscribed myself from your email list but this most recent email made me consider it.  Instead, I decided to reply to the email.  I know that it is probably never going to be read but on the off chance that it is I hope that it made someone smile during this busy campaign season.  I would guess that who ever read it is the lowest person on the totem-pole and I hope that I made his or her day (because I can only imagine how horrible your job is and maybe one day if you are lucky it will pay off).

This is the response I sent: "Thank-you for your email.  I've been trying to do everything that I can for Barack.  I am currently living in Sofia, Bulgaria and voted two weeks ago.  Please see my <a href="http://karolinkabulgaria.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/i-heart-barack-obama/" target="_blank">blog post</a> where I am mailing in my absentee ballot wearing my Barack Obama tee shirt."<a href="../2008/10/21/i-heart-barack-obama/" target="_blank"></a>

In conclusion, good luck to you on Tuesday, sir.  I'll be rooting for you!!

CE