A Presidential Raffle

Every year, my children's school holds a few fund raisers.

One is always the same.  For $100/ticket you could win a brand new Mini-Cooper automobile.

It seems like a steep ticket...but for a car?  Hey, what a deal.

It's for a good cause even when I lose the raffle every year.  The money goes to help my kids' school.

But what about a raffle for a chance to hang out with a presidential candidate?  Or maybe one to see a legendary rocker perform at a benefit for a presidential candidate?

Would you buy into that?

My colleague, In Focus reporter Ted Oberg, forwarded an email to me Tuesday morning which he found unusual.

Here's some of what it offered:

Make a donation in any amount between now and 11:59 pm EDT on Monday, March 31st, and you could join Barack and three other supporters for an intimate dinner for five

We're reserving two of those seats for new donors like you. If you've ever thought about making a donation to join our campaign, now is the time:

This movement is changing the way campaigns are funded.

Get the kind of treatment that John McCain and Hillary Clinton reserve for special interests -- make a donation in the next week, and you could share your story and your ideas with Barack in person:

I'd received the email, but didn't give it a lot of thought (given that I receive daily emails from each of the campaign).  But as we emailed back and forth about it...I noticed two other emails also sent Tuesday morning.  I forwarded them to Ted...

Here's the one from Hillary Clinton's campaign:

I'm really looking forward to the solo concert my friend Elton John is throwing in New York to help our campaign -- and I would very much like the chance to meet you there.

We're sending two supporters, along with their guests, to New York with VIP tickets for this very special, one-night-only concert on April 9, and it could be you. We will have a chance to talk just you and I -- and you will get to meet Elton John at the party we're throwing afterward. It's going to be a great night.

Your support is so important to my campaign right now. As we ramp up our campaign in Pennsylvania, I need your help to make sure we have the resources we need to win. If you enter, you and I might see each other in New York on April 9. Make a contribution today.

And minutes earlier from John McCain:

My campaign has come up with an opportunity for a supporter to join me on the Straight Talk Express for a day of conversation and campaigning. As a token of my appreciation for your financial support, you will be entered to win this seat aboard the Straight Talk Express if you make a contribution before midnight on March 31st. I hope you'll consider joining me by making a donation today. If you can give $50 or more, not only will you be entered to win a ride on the Straight Talk Express, but you'll receive a commemorative Straight Talk Express ticket.

Both Clinton and Obama have links to their raffles on the home pages of their respective websites.  I couldn't find a link on McCain's website.

So, I'm thinking a few things about this...

What are the chances that all three of the candidates email out a raffle opportunity on the SAME day...within hours of each other?  It's kinda like a whole bunch of Asteroid disaster movies premiering at movie theaters within weeks of each other...

Or when all three broadcast network news programs air stories on a topic that appeared above-the-fold in the NY Times on the same day...

It's too coincidental to be coincidence.

Also, what does this say about Presidential politics?

On one hand, it's kinda cool that any donor can get a chance to ride the candidate's bus, have dinner with him, or go see an exclusive rock show.

Is it including the little guy or exploiting him?

Is it like bribing a kid with chocolate so he'll clean his room?

I'm not really sure how I feel about it...

But in a time when people will do just about anything to win money on a game show...or a reality show...I shouldn't be too surprised by it.

Next week...who knows...maybe there'll be a Sally Foster sale.

Whoever buys the most wrapping paper gets a cabinet post.

Just a thought...

Thanks for reading.  TA

Comments

[Marilyn Townsend]

Amazing how you can mention the (3) candidates, forgetting that there are still (4), but still remember to send your ad to Ron Paul's website. You would think his supporters would be used to that by now from the media, but some things you never get used to.

[tim, minnesota]

So where is Ron Paul in your story? Oh that is right, Ron Paul supporters give for principle not gimmicks. So is raffles the economic solutions the other 3 candidates have to correct our countries problems? Visit www.ronpaul2008.com for real solutions to American problems.