I will use my diary today to pass on an e-mail that I just received from the Barack Obama campaign.
Like many of you, this is the first time that I have invested so much time and energy into a political campaign. This is like deep and intimate relationship for me. I have been emotionally lifted up by this campaign and the attacks against Obama feel like attacks against me; against all of us.
You Obama supporters here make me feel like part of an army fighting back against the forces that have been hard at work destroying our country.
This e-mail lifted my spirits, and I'm sharing it with you in hopes it does the same for you.
Now, I'm off to make a matching donation, because that's the only way at the moment that I can fight back against the injustice and insanity that seems to be closing in on all sides.
And, it's my way to fart in the general direction of George W. Bush, John McCain, Lou Dobbs and all the other nefarious forces in opposition to our taking back our country.
"The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people." -- Walt Whitman
Dear David,
In the last 24 hours we saw renewed attacks from Senator McCain and Senator Clinton.
The same John McCain who voted to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest few said I was "out of touch" when I spoke about the frustrations that working people in this country are feeling.
Maybe that's to be expected from John McCain. But I was disappointed to hear the exact same talking points from my Democratic colleague, Hillary Clinton. When a candidate who believes lobbyists represent "real people" says that I'm out of touch, that's when you know politics is being played.
But in the last 24 hours we've also heard from people like you.
We asked some of the 1.3 million people who have already donated to this movement for change to share their story and promise to match your first donation to the campaign.
Here are some of the people waiting to match your donation:
Rick from Florida matched a donation of $25, writing:
I am a typical American just like you. I've served in the military, I work hard for a living and I want what's best for my country, not just me. I've seen what's happened over the last years and I am deeply saddened, worried and, yes, even bitter. But I see something in Barack Obama I have never seen in a presidential candidate in my own 45 years and the hope and inspiration I feel right now brings tears even as I write this to you. We don't get many chances like this. I don't have much to give but I give what I can because it's important and I ask that you please consider joining me with a few dollars that, added to the small contributions from millions of people like you and I, can be what it takes to really change things. Thanks in advance!
Eve from Oregon matched a donation of $50, writing:
I'm thrilled that Barack recognizes how frustrated so many of us are by the politics of fear and cynicism we've seen these past seven years! But what really sets him apart is that he's not afraid to speak the truth and say what's not supposed to be spoken - that yes, we can love our country but also be frustrated with it's direction and leadership.
Thank you for making a donation to this amazing...campaign! Yes, we can!
See for yourself what kind of movement this is. Make a matching donation now:
https://donate.barackobama.com/...
When we started this campaign, we said we were going to do something different.
We said we weren't going to take money from Washington lobbyists and PACs. And the cynics said we would never be able to compete against the status quo.
But what the cynics didn't anticipate was you.
They didn't understand that people like Rick, Eve, and you were tired of a politics that was about tearing each other down instead of lifting this country up.
And they didn't understand that you were going to finance this campaign with contributions of $5, $25 and $50 at a time.
There's nothing elitist about the largest grassroots campaign in the history of our country -- and you can prove that right now.
Make a matching donation of $25:
https://donate.barackobama.com/...
Thank you for all that you're doing to change our country.
Barack