I am a very competitive person, I played sports throughout high school and independently. Sports helped shape my drive to do my best to succeed at home, work, and in my return to school. However, before this campaign, I never understood the importance of donating to political figures. I never felt these people shared in my experiences or that they cared. I felt isolated as I watched my country slip into chaos.
My feelings about fund raising changed this year during this election with the help of quality candidates and Progressive web sites. This site saved my soul after the terrible defeat in 2004. You saved me from slipping into my tinfoil hat and going crazy. So, I want to do something-with your help.
I live in Southern Illinois which is an isolated region filled with religious conservatives touting "family values". While I attend school at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and Carbondale is pretty Progressive, this area is desolate in terms of Democratic activism. I won't go into the details of this. My point is I found my voice through Dkos and other Progressive sites.
Living in Illinois, I feel pretty confident that Senator Obama will carry this state. (I still do my part by talking with students on campus and I am an election judge.) So, I want to move my desire to assist with Senator Obama's campaign and my competitive nature outside of this small arena.
I read an article in the AP that stated Senator Obama/DNC and Senator McCain/RNC are virtually tied with their fund raising efforts..
You know what-that just won't do.
I would like to start a little competition with Dkos, Mydd, Digg, and TPM bloggers [I am not as familiar with other sites-there are hundreds, I just want to start with this for now.] Here are the rules.
Make a donation to Senator Obama's campaign through the page I have set up. By using the alphabet, you will alert me to the site you are donating from. Here is the donation denomination system.
Dkos= all of the corresponding letters equals (=) 49, [D is the fourth letter of the alphabet, O is the 15th letter and so on] so any denomination of 49 except .49. Please do not give forty-nine cents-it will cost more to process the internet transaction than the donation. You can tack on .49 to the end of your donation if you like.
Dkos= 49 (anything with 49; $4.90, $5.49, $54.90, $49.49-you get the point.)
MyDD= 46 (same applies)
Digg= 27
TPMm= 62
Now I will need help from dual users. I am not a member of the TPM or Mydd yet-I have a difficult time keeping up with what I have. I am begging someone, that is, to cross-post if you like. Or write your own diary to get this going. I would ask that you reply back and I will post links or diggs. For Digg users-please Digg the link since the bury brigade is in full swing.
Of course I want to see Dkos win, but the bigger goals is to see what amount of collective support we can gather in a short amount of time when the going gets tough--because it will get tough. I do not want to see this election go the way that it did in 2000 and 2004.
Then post a little comment stating you donated. I hope this will work and if I am stepping on toes, I will take this down. If this challenges is successful, perhaps we can do it again.
Progressive Blog Money Bomb Challenge!!
I have a goal of $1,000. I have never conducted a fundraiser before so I am a little nervous. Kossacks-let's win!
Digg link