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Tuesday, August 30, 2005
MT-Sen: Tester's Email Fundraising
Posted by Tim TagarisI got another one today. An email from a candidate asking for money. It's common knowledge that the more a campaign uses its email list to ask for money, people will open less of their emails down the road, and their list will become burned.
But the email I received today was different, and frankly I have never seen it before. I sign up for all kinds of campaign emails, and I am not sure I can remember a time a candidate, in the middle of a campaign, asked people to give their money to something else. Something of a more immediate concern. Something more important than one campaign.
As I write this, waters continue to rise in New Orleans, where entire neighborhoods have been flooded. Biloxi, Mississippi has been hit hard. More than 37,000 Americans are already seeking shelter in American Red Cross centers all along the Gulf Coast. And the director of FEMA says tens of thousands more will likely require shelter for weeks, if not months.So why is a U.S. Senate candidate from Montana asking you to help out?
Because it’s the right thing to do. Because this campaign isn’t just about politics—it’s about all of us pulling together to bring Montana values to Washington, D.C. and to the rest of the nation.
And in Montana, we help a neighbor in need. And sometimes that neighbor is very far away.
So please do what you can by supporting the efforts of the American Red Cross to help those affected by this disaster:
https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp
Thank you for helping out.
Jon Tester
Montanans for TesterP.S. Please forward this on to your families and friends. Lives really are at stake, and your efforts can make a difference.
What really amazes me with this appeal is that for many, this is the first email they received from Jon Tester. Given his recently online publicity on the front page of Kos and MyDD, he made decision to make his first contact with many an attempt solicit contributions for a greater good than his campaign.
It makes me even more proud that my second ever contribution to a political campaign was John Testers, and it speaks volumes about the man.
UPDATE: (Bob) I was blown away when I opened the Tester email -- Tester is the real deal. I also got an email from Jon Corzine asking for help. As we come together online, our networks have value far beyond any election. Together, we can make a difference regardless of the challenge. The internet allows us all to act neighborly.
UPDATE: (Bob) I just received an email from a source close to the Chris Bell gubernatorial campaign in Texas. It appears that Bell's campaign was in the middle of an online fundraising drive to mark the launch of his campaign earlier this month. Bell suspended it earlier today and will be sending an email solicitation for the Red Cross tomorrow in place of the fundraising email that was scheduled. The website says:
Priorities
I read the news today, oh boy. The Chris Bell for Governor campaign is calling off our online fundraising drive out of respect for the hurricane victims. Please do what you can for those who can't do for themselves. Please do as much as you can, and then please do more. We're taking down our fundraising thermometer and putting up the link to the Red Cross...
UPDATE: (Bob) And Howard Dean, full email after the jump...
This week millions of Americans fled Hurricane Katrina. Across the South families abandoned their homes and businesses, not knowing what would be there when they returned.Many stayed behind and suffered devastating loss and injuries -- nearly a hundred have died that we know of, and hundreds of thousands need our help.
America is at its best when we realize that we are one community -- that we're all in this together. That means that each one of us has the responsibility to do what we can to help the relief effort.
The Red Cross is a great place to start:
They are already moving people and resources into the region to help. Donations will provide clean water, food, and shelter for disaster victims. The Red Cross web site also has important information for victims and their relatives across the country.
Many local Red Cross chapters are organizing volunteers to travel to affected areas -- doctors and nurses to provide medical care, workers to build shelters, first responders to assist in rescue operations.
You can find your local chapter here to learn what you can do:
http://www.redcross.org/where/chapts.asp
We are still learning the full story of the devastation, but there is no time to wait. Please do something now.
Thank you.
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Posted at 07:00 PM in 2005 Elections, 2006 Elections - Senate, 2006 Elections - State, Activism, Montana, Netroots, New Jersey, Texas | Technorati
Comments
In all fairness, I got a message from Ken Mehlman (RNC) soliciting donations to victims of Katrina, too (can't recall if it was through the Red Cross or not).
It was a classy, short, non-partisan message.
BTW, I'm subscribed just to keep my eye on the other side!
Posted by: verasoie ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.swingstateproject.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 30, 2005 08:56 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment
The DNC sent one out too, to their Democracy Bonds list:
[...]
America is at its best when we realize that we are one community -- that we're all in this together. As a member of the Democracy Bonds community, I know you know that. And as members of the broader American community, each one of us has the responsibility to do what we can to help the relief effort.
The Red Cross is a great place to start:
[...]
Thank you.
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Posted by: LaxWI at August 31, 2005 12:18 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment