Saturday, June 23, 2012

What Would Miss Manners Say?

I know that the last thing you want to think about on a beautiful Summer day is Barack Obama, but I've been following the Obama/Biden campaign trail via Twitter. I must say, it is quite entertaining. The panic is growing if the constant stream of donation pleas from @BarackObama and @JoeBiden are any indication. It was reported this week that the Obama campaign isn’t bringing in the multi-millions like they did in 2008 and in May they spent more than they took in. Why does that sound so familiar – spending more than you take in? I can’t put my finger on it right now, but will come to me.

Well, anyway, apparently things have gotten so bad that Obama/Biden 2012 fundraisers are resorting to begging potential donors for birthday money from Grandma. Or better yet, they have a place to sign up so wedding guests can donate to the Obama campaign in lieu of sending those selfish personal gifts like gift cards, china place settings, or sterling silver gravy boats. I guess because this is really, really important that Obama win, and that selfish personal stuff will just gather dust, or worse, be forgotten.

The Obama event registry
By Laura Wilson on June 22, 2012

Got a birthday, anniversary, or wedding coming up?

Let your friends know how important this election is to you—register with Obama 2012, and ask for a donation in lieu of a gift. It’s a great way to support the President on your big day. Plus, it’s a gift that we can all appreciate—and goes a lot further than a gravy bowl.

Setting up and sharing your registry page is easy—so get started today.

Frankly I wonder what Emily Post or Miss Manners would think. They both have been pretty adamant over the years that there should be no expectation of a gift with an invitation, and coercion shows a definite breach of etiquette and class. But these are desperate times that call for desperate measures and, as we've seen, etiquette and class have not been this Administration's forte. I mean, these are the same folks who thought giving an Ipod full of Obama's speeches was an appropriate official state gift for the Queen of England.

However, turnabout is fair play. Texan Jim Harrison felt so strongly about Barack Obama, that before he succumbed to cancer in February, he used his own obituary to request that, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to either the American Cancer Society or "ANYONE running against Barack Obama". Neither Emily Post nor Miss Manners have ever said that there was anything ill-mannered about a deathbed donation requests.

On a side note: It was reported in the Hollywood Reporter that the Hollywood stars that the Obama campaign has been using to front fundraising events are beginning worry about the fall out. Well, you have to admit that it probably does not look good to be crowing about $40,000 a plate dinners with Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker when the big campaign talking point is about the poor, overburdened, overstretched middle class. But then these are same middle class voters who don’t need their gravy boats…

20 comments:

Unknown said...

Bev: I'm not surprised that the Obamists are desperate, but I am a little surprised at them being so desperate that they're showing it, early and loudly.

I intend to honor Jim Harrison's request and donate to Mitt Romney's campaign. LOL

K said...

The unions have decided that Obama is a losing horse - in spite of the fact that he's given them huge value for money from the previous election.

IMO, they're going to put their considerable wad making sure the Republican President doesn't have a Republican congress/senate to back him up, or at least keep the margin small - which makes supporting Republican candidates all across the country a priority for liberty advocates.

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, I get e-mail from the campaign and you are absolutely right that the tone has changed! They were from cocky to pleading over the past two months and now they almost seem desperate. :)

"Anyone running against Barack Obama!" That's awesome!

tryanmax said...

I, for one, take umbrage at the suggestion that a gravy boat (which is what I'm sure Ms. Wilson meant, rather than the nonsensical "gravy bowl") is somehow less useful than a man who can barely read a um, ah, uh, teleprompter. I know just what to do with a gravy boat, and I have used the same one for years and years. I have no idea what Obama is good for and I am eager to be rid of him.

But those cupcakes look really yummy!

BevfromNYC said...

Tryan - Yeah, gravy "bowl". I was a little taken aback by the disparagement of gravy boats myself. Unlike a donation to a failing Presidential campaign, a gravy boat can be passed down to the generations to follow. I guess all they want us to be able to pass down to our descendants is our massive national debt.

BevfromNYC said...

LawHawk - I think I'll make a donation in his name too. I thought that was pretty interesting or sad that the last thing on this man's mind was Obama.

BevfromNYC said...

K - I think there are a lot of people who have lost faith in Obama. And you know, you just can't demonize Wall Street and "the rich" and expect them to give over their hard earned cash. But I've decided it's Democrat-y thing - to insult and demonize people to win their vote - not a winning strategy or a great fundraising tool.

tryanmax said...

Bev, to be fair, the Dems "insult to win" strategy does work with most of their white-guilt-stricken base.

"You should be ashamed of the things you have. Vote Democrat and we promise to take it all away."

BevfromNYC said...

Andrew - @BarackObama tweets about every hour. In the last weeks they've put out more fundraising schemes. For just $3 you can win the possibility of dinner or a call from Barack Obama! Or not being hit by Biden's motorcade...okay I made that one up.

But it's spawned other twitters making fun - #Obamafundraisingideas - Do you really need all those organs? For each kidney you give, the President will gets an extra 30 sec spot in Ohio! or "Thanks to President Obama, your house is insured for more than it's worth. Torch it and send him 20% of the profit!"

Unknown said...

Bev: As one of my fellow lefties at Berkeley said fifty years ago, "there's nothing as invigorating as a little good, healthy hate." I'm sure Harrison died with a satisfied smile on his face.

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, I was getting about an e-mail a week all year, usually some nasty "aren't the Republicans stupid" comment along with a "join us" to some luncheon and a request for $10-$25.

In the past month, they've stepped up the pace to almost daily and they've dropped the dollar amount to $3.

I'll have to check out that fundraising ideas spot! That sounds pretty funny.

Koshcat said...

As much as I am hopeful, I'm still worried and will be until all of the cemetery vote is counted. Peggy Noonan's article today in the WSJ was dead on. With the current polling, it is now Romney's race to lose. Soon he will need to stand up and look like the adult we crave and need. He will soon need to start laying down specific plans but rather than a boring 54 min speech give tight 15 min speeches covering a specific topic. Start putting berry on the defensive but give a different speech on a different topic every 4-10 days. Pound the goat herders son into the ground.

LL said...

I think that even small efforts would be appreciated by the Obama Campaign, since Obama thinks that he's God. In light of that and the parable of the widow's mite, I sent an empty envelope in a postage paid donation envelope to the Obama Campaign. I'm sure that Barack can pull off his loaves and fishes trick and turn it into a billion dollars...

K said...

Bev - yes, Obama has POed quite a few of his former backers - but I can't see the unions being anything but happy with his performance for them. In previous campaigns, they're always good for 100 million minimum to the Democratic party cause.
According to a recent article, the unions are cutting their contributions to the Obama campaign. If they aren't coughing up the dough this time it's because they think the money's going down a rathole.

AndrewPrice said...

K, I agree with that. He's given them everything they could have wanted and then some. If they aren't giving him money, it's because they think he's done and they don't want to waste the money.

BevfromNYC said...

LL - An empty envelope to pay for the empty promises - how poetic!

BevfromNYC said...

Koshcat - the reality is that this won't be over until November and we still have not gotten into the full swing of the campaign yet. Though it may be Romney's to lose, we certainly can count on that Obama will throw every thing but the kitchen sink at him. It will be interesting to see what happens on Thursday when the SC makes its ruling on Obamacare public.

BevfromNYC said...

Andrew - if you are not already following Iowahawk on Twitter you should. He is a hoot!

CrispyRice said...

I, too, am a big fan of gravy in general, and how can you have gravy without a gravy boat?

Do you suppose Miss Manners would be upset if you "accidentally" sent their gift to Romney instead?

rlaWTX said...

"Let your friends know how important this election is to you" - I do, regularly! Just not exactly like they wish I would... :)

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