Editing 1948: Campaign Fundraising Emails
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| title = Campaign Fundraising Emails | | title = Campaign Fundraising Emails | ||
| image = campaign_fundraising_emails.png | | image = campaign_fundraising_emails.png | ||
− | | titletext = The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead | + | | titletext = The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of... |
}} | }} | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | Many politicians and organizations in the United States have taken to using email to | + | {{incomplete|Consolidate all explanation into table. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | {{incomplete|Add address, website, or phone number to use to donate to one of these campaigns, in case anyone actually wants to do so (it could happen).}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | Many politicians and organizations in the United States have taken to using aggressive fundraising campaigns by email to seek campaign contributions. | ||
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+ | This comic shows a caricature of many people's email inboxes right now. Signing a petition or expressing interest in a cause can lead to being added to a myriad of mailing lists for similar groups, all looking for support. It seems Randall has a history of donating to questionable candidates with poorly thought out campaigns, and that's gotten him onto some interesting email lists. The emails get more and more absurd as the list goes on. For example, the last one combines a request for campaign contributions with the infamous Nigerian Prince phishing scheme. | ||
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable" | {| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable" | ||
! E-mail Body !! Explanation | ! E-mail Body !! Explanation | ||
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− | |'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, | + | |'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we... |
− | |This is the classic formula | + | |This is the classic formula, and may be a real example. It is always "crunch time" during a campaign (at least between filing for candidacy and election day), and campaigns are always "low" on cash relative to the unlimited funding they would prefer. The ends of financial reporting periods, often at midnight, are conflated with "deadlines" of significant consequence. Further, the donation requested is less about the actual money - even if $5 each from several thousand voters can add up - but to get a donor to have their money placed on a candidate, making it more likely that donor will vote for the candidate (via encouraging [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost#Loss_aversion_and_the_sunk_cost_fallacy the "sunk cost" fallacy]). |
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− | |'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize | + | |'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the... |
− | + | |While fundraisers will try and work out how to gain money as possible, they would never explain this to their supporters. Such a precise amount would come about as a result of running the numbers through a computer simulation, and the obvious lack of humanity behind the calculated dollar amount would probably be offputting to a lot of would-be supporters. This may also be an exaggeration of Senator Sanders' presidential campaign, which sent e-mails asking for $27 because it was the average amount of their contributions up to that point. | |
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− | |'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash | + | |'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is... |
− | |This email is honest about the campaign's incompetence, but is not likely to get much sympathy | + | |This email is honest about the campaign's incompetence, but is not likely to get much sympathy except from those already sympathetic to the candidate. Any campaign reduced to this level has probably already lost, though. |
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− | |'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then | + | |'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I... |
− | |This | + | |This may be another real example. This appeal to emotion promises specific action that is unlikely to accomplish much, and is honestly probably unlikely to happen even if the candidate wins, while suggesting the candidate vaguely cares about issues of importance to most voters, as measured by the polls. |
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− | |'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land | + | |'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will... |
− | + | | | |
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− | |As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I | + | |As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned... |
− | | | + | |Normally one would be the first ''from'' a university to do something. |
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− | |'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their | + | |'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising... |
− | | | + | | |
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− | |When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch | + | |When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of... |
− | |The | + | |The reader would expect that the writer expressed surprise because they weren't expecting Amy to run for Congress, but the actual reason is because they didn't know what Congress was. |
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− | |'''Are you familiar''' with the | + | |'''Are you familiar''' with the dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for... |
− | |The works of | + | |The works of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch Hieronymus Bosch], which are famous for depictions of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell Hell] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo Limbo] as brutal places of highly imaginative torments. |
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− | |Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught | + | |Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me... |
− | | | + | |These are tasks which are unlikely to be able to accomplished simultaneously, and seem to be in line with typical campaign promises. |
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− | |'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. | + | |'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I... |
− | + | |Against our children may be a reference to a popular [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism Bushism] | |
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− | |'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because | + | |'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I... |
− | |A typical form of {{w|clickbait}} | + | |A typical form of {{w|clickbait}}. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said | + | |'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about... |
− | |When a politician makes an offensive comment, it's common for the politician's opponents to send out fundraising emails pointing out the politician's offensiveness as a | + | |When a politician makes an offensive comment, it's common for the politician's opponents to send out fundraising emails pointing out the politician's offensiveness as a reason to give money to an opponent. Here, the sender's reaction and e-mail fundraising effort appears to be unusually delayed, as it refers to an alleged comment by {{w|Gerald Ford}}, whose term as President of the United States ended in 1977 and who died in 2006. |
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− | |'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up | + | |'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for... |
− | |The email | + | |The email apologises for running months of attack ads against American actor {{w|Tom Hanks}}. Hanks is generally a popular and uncontroversial figure,{{Citation needed}} making him an unusual target for attack ads. |
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− | |'''They say we can't | + | |'''They say we can't win-''' that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't... |
− | + | |May refer to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Moore#U.S._Senate_special_election_campaign Roy Moore's attempts to overturn his loss in the December 2017 election for one of Alabama's US Senate seats], which came about a month before this comic and made national headlines. After the initial election count had him losing, he demanded a recount. That initial count said he had lost by a large enough margin that Alabama law required him to pay up front for a recount, and his campaign did not have enough funds available. | |
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− | |'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a | + | |'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy... |
− | |This e-mail alludes to [https://secure.actblue.com/ ActBlue], a political action committee that | + | |This e-mail alludes to [https://secure.actblue.com/ ActBlue], a political action committee that collects donations online for Democratic candidates. In reality, there is no Actblue family nor any "Jennifer Actblue" who is the heir to its fortune; the name ActBlue comes from the words "act" and "blue", referring to the {{w|Red states and blue states|color currently associated with the Democratic Party}}. |
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− | |'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain | + | |'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on... |
|This is an excerpt from {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien's}} poem ''[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Lament_for_the_Rohirrim Lament of the Rohirrim,]'' appearing in ''{{w|The Two Towers}}'':<br /> | |This is an excerpt from {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien's}} poem ''[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Lament_for_the_Rohirrim Lament of the Rohirrim,]'' appearing in ''{{w|The Two Towers}}'':<br /> | ||
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? <br /> | Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? <br /> | ||
− | Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? <br /> | + | Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? <br /> |
− | Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? <br /> | + | Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? <br /> |
− | Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? <br /> | + | Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? <br /> |
− | They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; <br /> | + | They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; <br /> |
− | The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. <br /> | + | The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. <br /> |
− | Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, <br /> | + | Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, <br /> |
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning? | Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning? | ||
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− | |'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe | + | |'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that... |
− | |The opening line is designed to sound like spam for an {{W | Advance-fee scam}}. These scams typically involve impersonating someone rich, often a Nigerian prince, who claims to be in trouble and promises to share a large sum of money if the victim helps him by sending a small fee in advance. However, the second sentence of this email switches to sounding like a political fundraising email instead of an outright scam. This is either to establish a degrading comparison between flagrant scams and fundraising emails, or just to create a bait-and-switch joke | + | |The opening line is designed to sound like spam for an {{W | Advance-fee scam}}. These scams typically involve impersonating someone rich, often a Nigerian prince, who claims to be in trouble and promises to share a large sum of money if the victim helps him by sending a small fee in advance electronically. However, the second sentence of this email switches to sounding like a political fundraising email instead of an outright scam. This is either to establish a degrading comparison between flagrant scams and fundraising emails, or just to create a bait-and-switch joke. |
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− | |The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead | + | |The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of... |
− | |A candidate who | + | |A candidate who compares himself to {{w|Hitler}}, even when promising to be GOOD instead, will probably not get many votes. The title text does however conform to {{w|Godwin's law}}. |
|} | |} | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | + | '''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will...<br/> | |
− | + | As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned...<br/> | |
− | + | '''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising...<br/> | |
− | + | When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Are you familiar''' with the dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for...<br/> | |
− | + | Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me...<br/> | |
− | + | '''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for...<br/> | |
− | + | '''They say we can't win-''' that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on...<br/> | |
− | + | '''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that... | |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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