This is hilarious.
Young Eagles
The next generation of the Republican Party. The Young Eagles provide the GOP with the financial resources to compete in national, state, and local elections, while affording members the opportunity to interact and network with Republican Party officials, pundits, enthusiasts, and donors as well as business leaders and innovators throughout the country.
The "Young Eagles" is open to anyone under the age of 45, which I suppose is "young" for John McCain's party. But beyond that cheap joke, note how (PDF) the GOP builds "the next generation of the Republican Party":
• A full year’s membership in the Young Eagles requires a $7,500 personal
contribution per year. All benefits included.
• A half year’s membership in the Young Eagles requires a $3,750 person
contribution per year. All benefits included. **Meeting fee may apply**
• On occasion, prospective members will have the opportunity to attend events
based on a $1,500 meeting fee. This fee may be applied towards a full
membership.
Can't afford it? Don't worry! Fleece your friends of $30,000 and you get the membership comp'd! Man, the differences are stark. While Democrats are busy building the next generation of Democrats, one small contribution at a time, Republicans are trying to squeeze "young" Republicans to the tune of $7,500. And if you can't afford that? Worry not! $1,500 will get you into individual events. Which is the party of elitists again?
And what does that buy you, besides feeding a dying husk of a formerly national party? Access. Ponying up the kind of money no "young" person really has (beyond the trust fund set) gets you to attend meetings with power players ("elected officials and policy experts"). How 1984. Is it any wonder why the world is passing the GOP by?
Obama has captured the imagination of today's youth by giving them a message to believe in, and a way to feel ownership of the movement -- small dollar contributions and hands-on activism. We don't contribute our hard-earned small dollars for access, we do so because we believe in our party and (some of) its leaders. That's clearly inadequate for Republicans, whose bench is now apparently Sarah Palin and whose message is discredited and discarded, forcing it to fall back to tired Cold War canards ("Socialism!").
SO they figure, if we can't inspire with our message and our leaders, we'll rope the "youth" in by giving them access to our power networks. For $7,500.
And somehow, they wonder why they're getting their asses kicked.