December 31, 2014

The Democratic Party wanted to make sure I knew that they knew what my supporter record was.

In the email yesterday, after many emails from the DP all week:



That's a freeze frame. In the original email, the clock ticks down second by second, New Year's Eve style. (I've blurred out the email address, which is my University of Wisconsin work email.)

I get so many emails from the Democratic Party throughout the year, always with that "donate" button, and always with a super-low option like $3. So there must be people who will have lost track of their "supporter record." Perhaps some of these people are susceptible to the worry that the Party has a number on them. They know. I'd better check. Is it enough? How can I not hit the button one last time this year and give them that less-than-a-latte $3?

As for me, I give nothing, ever, to any candidate, in any party, so I never lose track of my "supporter record."

59 comments:

Curious George said...

We're tied.

Meade said...

If you "give nothing, ever, to any candidate," how did they get your supporter record?

Curious George said...

Prepare for a tax audit.

MikeB said...

I bet you don't check the "Do you want $3 of your federal tax to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund?" checkbox on your federal tax return, either.

rehajm said...

The Nudge of soft paternalism and the herd mentality. While preserving her freedom of choice Ann will choose the outcome that will make her better off. Under the watchful eye of the herd, of course.

paminwi said...

What I wonder, is if you never give anything, why you are so enamored with the Democrats and what they have to say and yet you never post any emails from Republicans/Republican party?

Is it because you are still wanting to be persuaded by Democrats that they are the bee's knees? And Republicans, no matter WHAT they say, are just not worth listening to?

Sydney said...

I've never given anything to a Democrat, and I don't get those emails. I do get emails from the Republican party. But that's because I gave one of them money once. And time. Do you get those because you work at a University and it is understood that academia is a bastion of Democratic Party support?

Meade said...

"The Nudge of soft paternalism and the herd mentality"

In this case, the "Nudge" is more of a "Prick"

bleh said...

Why did you bother to blur out your work email address? It's listed on your online profile.

rehajm said...

Democrats have much more to fight for - and win.

Losing gives you room to win. Losing big gives you much more room to win.

Laslo Spatula said...

Meade said...
"In this case, the "Nudge" is more of a "Prick""

Leave Ted Nudgent out of this.

I am Laslo.

traditionalguy said...

ObamaThink jumps right in and orders you to pay your pledge. How shameful if you don't even acknowledge the debt.

At least ask Obama's BFF, Pope Marxist, what your duty is.

FleetUSA said...

Did you get the Clinton Foundation request too?

MayBee said...

I wonder if that's like your Permanent Record.

Laslo Spatula said...

I send an email like that to Taylor Swift on a weekly basis.

Amount of panties sent to me by Taylor Swift this year: still zero.

I think she is just waiting to be able to send me 'New Year's Eve' panties.

I am patient.

I am Laslo.

Laslo Spatula said...

I would send three dollars to Obama for a pair of Taylor Swift's panties.

Your move, Taylor.

I am Laslo.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...


I would send three dollars to Laslo if he/she would agree to never write the words "I am Laslo.", again.

Ann Althouse said...

On the nudge/prick distinction, see the new post. (Meade and I had a conversation about nudge that led to "prick," and he was commenting here as I was working on the new post, replete with OED definitions and quotes.)

Laslo Spatula said...

Ann Althouse said...
"On the nudge/prick distinction, see the new post."

I'm figuring that is a nudge.

I am Laslo.

the wolf said...

How much money does it take to ignore the Constitution?

Curious George said...

Obama looks so disappointed in you. And well he should. I mean, remember 2008?

rhhardin said...

Numbers to try are -3 and 1000000000

rhhardin said...

Jab is between nudge and prick

Chris Arabia said...

Laslo, Betamax, and Titus are the comedy equivalent of a fat singles hitter.

Michael K said...

Why don't you send a credit card donation for "Mickey Mouse" and see if they ever turned back on the validation system after 2008 ?

madAsHell said...

Before my father's demise, he was constantly bombarded with solicitations for money. The solicitations always stated "Thank you for last years contribution". Unfortunately, these solicitations arrived every month.

They prey on the elderly, and confused.

Obviously, this statement does not apply to our hostess.....today. Beware.

chickelit said...

Coercion

richlb said...

I hope you know that this will go down on your permanent record!
Oh, yeah? Well, don't get so distressed
Did I happen to mention that I'm impressed?

Drago said...

"In Soviet Union, party always find you."

ron winkleheimer said...

"As for me, I give nothing, ever, to any candidate, in any party, so I never lose track of my 'supporter record.'"

Neither do I. Giving money to politicians only encourages the pricks.

Wince said...

As for me, I give nothing, ever, to any candidate, in any party, so I never lose track of my "supporter record."

Does that make you a cheap prick?

tim in vermont said...

I once gave $200 to a candidate. It is clear that the Republican Party has spent far in excess of that $200 badgering me for more money. I guess I am a slower learner than Althouse, but I have given my last donation.

Ann Althouse said...

I gave $500 to Russ Feingold about a quarter century ago. I had no idea it would make such a lasting impression!

Jason said...

I am subscribed to a number of Democrat party lists, even though I have never given them anything. I do it just to keep up with the crap they pull.

I signed up using the names "Vladimir Lenin" and "Che Guevara."

Every day I get multiple emails from Obama, Biden, Michelle Obama, Wasserman-Schultz, etc.: "Che, I know we can count on your support."

"Vladimir, thanks for being with us for all these years. We are still short on an important fundraising deadline."

They're always having these "deadlines" every month, and I can't for the life of me figure out why they're important.

It's laughable.

Original Mike said...

"I gave $500 to Russ Feingold about a quarter century ago. I had no idea it would make such a lasting impression!"

So they have a word for you; mark.

Anonymous said...

Meade said: "If you "give nothing, ever, to any candidate," how did they get your supporter record?"

I'm on the same mailing list as Althouse and get exactly the same thing. I've never donated to the DNC either.

What I did do was sign up online to get a free bumper sticker from them. It said in big bold letters "NOT A REPUBLICAN" with "Democrats.org" in small type below.

I found it amusing that they were seemingly defining themselves by who they were not and not who they were.

I had thought of putting that sticker on my car with one of my Libertarian Party stickers covering up the "democrats.org" portion. But thought better of it.

Asking for that sticker put me on their e-mail list, and I've never bothered to unsubscribe. It gets filtered out into its own folder, and I only occasionally look at it. I find it amusing to see how over the top and ridiculous these e-mails get.

So to answer Meade's question, the DNC is just cross referencing the e-mail list with their own donation records.

I've gotten a year end e-mail from the Libertarian National Committee, doing something similar though far more understated, with less flashy graphics and no countdown clock widgets. It's a "please match what you've already given this year" plea that includes exactly what I've given them this year.

furious_a said...



Can the Democrat Party get *any* creepier?

"There is a list. Your name is on it."
--Kuma,The Year of Living Dangerously

Anonymous said...

Can the Democrat Party get *any* creepier?

Sure they could. They could post names and home addresses online, like the Walker supporters did with the recall petitions.

Big Mike said...

For me the operative phrase is "Democrats have so much more to fight for."

What if they don't? What if we've done about as much for the environment as can reasonably be done? Would it surprise anyone at all that the most recent cost-benefit analyses associated with EPA regulations spanned the gamut from nonexistent to downright bogus?

What if Black-White inequality is a consequence of liberal politics and not despite their best efforts?

What if educating our children means standing up to the teachers unions? Would Democrats do that?

Certainly the rank and file in some of the unions (UMW most notably) feel that their path to a good life has been deliberately sacrificed by Democrats as a careful political calculation.

furious_a said...

I gave annual membership donations to KQED in San Francisco because I listened to them during my commute.

I stopped (and switched to sports..radio) after I received repeated fundraising solicitations from Barbara Boxer and the DNC.

furious_a said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
furious_a said...

For me the operative phrase is "Democrats have so much more to fight for."

What if they don't.


Then being the ones squatting atop the rubble -- rather than lying buried under it -- becomes that much more important.

retired said...

Those are your people.

Original Mike said...

"They could post names and home addresses online, like the Walker supporters did with the recall petitions."

If the GAB had done their job, they wouldn't have had to.

furious_a said...

They could post names and home addresses online, like the Walker supporters did with the recall petitions.

Sorry, m'fella, that was the GAB who released and posted first:

"In the interest of full transparency, the board has always planned to release copies of recall petitions to anyone who requested them and to post them online," said Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel.

geokstr said...

madisonfella said...
"'Can the Democrat Party get *any* creepier?'

Sure they could. They could post names and home addresses online, like the Walker supporters did with the recall petitions."


Or how about the left posting addresses of those who donated for Prop 8 that resulted in protests outside their homes and places of employment, and people being fired?
Or maybe that newspaper that posted the names of all the gun owners in the area, thereby telling crooks who was unarmed?

By contrast, if I remember correctly, the Walker recall names were posted for the nefarious, evil purpose of determining their validity.

Anonymous said...

the Walker recall names were posted for the nefarious, evil purpose of determining their validity.

Many people (one person with many names?) on this blog made mention that they used the list to screen job applicants, and there is at least one known situation where Walker fired a person after discovering his name was on the list.

Jason said...

Good. I have no problem with business owners screening out Democrats in the hiring process.

You libtards couldn't speak up for Brendan Eich when it counted, so go to Hell.

furious_a said...

So a political organization, where patronage hires serve at the pleasure of the Executive, uses publicly available data to screen applicants for loyalty?

Oh,.my stars and garters! **clutches pearls**

furious_a said...

But not as.creepy as the DNC's Obama Birthday Reminder campaign.

That was some weapons-grade Dear-Leader-Kreepy.

Drago said...

madisonfella: "Many people (one person with many names?) on this blog made mention that they used the list to screen job applicants, ..."

LOL

"Many people", on a blog, so "Truth!!".

Just an old country lawyer said...

If this is how these pricks treat their friends, why is anyone surprised about how they treat their enemies?

Curious George said...

"madisonfella said...
Many people (one person with many names?) on this blog made mention that they used the list to screen job applicants, and there is at least one known situation where Walker fired a person after discovering his name was on the list."

Who on this blog said that? And who did Walker fire? Not that it would seem unreasonable to fire someone that wants you fired. Anyone working for Walker works "at his pleasure.

You're are truly an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Curious Drago in Vermont said: You're are truly an idiot

Calling someone else an idiot while making a huge grammar mistake is always good for a laugh.

Curious George said...

"madisonfella said...
Curious Drago in Vermont said: You're are truly an idiot

Calling someone else an idiot while making a huge grammar mistake is always good for a laugh."

Still waiting for the names Penquin.

LilyBart said...


This is idiotic.

And it makes you wonder why you'd want people who think and strategize like this to have governmental power over your life . Scary.

Laslo Spatula said...

Chris Arabia said...
"Laslo, Betamax, and Titus are the comedy equivalent of a fat singles hitter."

Does that mean I won't make it into the Althouse Hall of Fame?

Maybe I should practice on a minor league blog.

Does Chris have a blog?


I am Laslo.

Laslo Spatula said...

Maybe I can't hit the Althouse fastball anymore; the problem is Althouse is a knuckleball pitcher.

I am Laslo.

West Town said...

Because political support should have as much commitment as a beverage