I think you are over-reacting. I had to unsubscribe fro the Obama site because I got three or four “Dinner with the Potus” sweepstake entries every single day asking for a fiver to win a chance to sit down with him. From more than one “name” each day I got the same request for money and a chance to win. Let’s be honest, Romney Ryan is NO worse in this regard than anyone else, and acting like he is, is hypocritical. I also had to call the campaign to ask them why I had to provide an email address to access their site that is supposed to be for people to see where they stand on the issues. I resent having to give my email address in order to see what any candidate has to stand for.

yeah; now even Big Dawg is a prize

Absolutely daily, from everyone, including Michelle, etc etc etc.

yup; i was off the list, then i RSVPd for 1 thing last week– which i later changede my mind about and didn’t got to- and i get several a day; can’t take it too many more days

I getting at least 25 e-mails a day asking for money. Tomorrow is the deadline – praise the lord.

now it’s debate watch parties, door-knocking-on,etc

The Contest Meme is particularly appealing to John Galt – Joe Sixpack Republicans.

They’ve dug in their heels in the belief that government, regulation and taxes are the worst things ever – even as they collect 200 weeks of (big gubmint) unemployment benefits.

In any case, winning a contest (The Lotto, in particular) is their last “hope for change”.

The idea of winning – to these losers – is very appealing to them. Just don’t tax them on their winnings.

What amazes me is that my sister’s former pastor would have denounced this as a form of gambling, considering that Romney and Ryan are such stalwart men of god I’m totally at a loss for words.

Thank you for writing almost the exact post I was mentally composing while reading the original post and sparing me from having to point out the obvious. I wouldn’t expect anything less than sleaze from the legacy party campaigns.

As the Italians say, the lottery is a tax on imbeciles.

Kurt, Beefart, and everyone else,

I was glad to write the post I did. I just get so infurriated when people whine and complain about something the other side is doing, while their side is doing the exact same thing. If one wishes to complain about this sweepstakes thing, then the complaint must hit all who do it or it is a piece of hypocritical drivell (no offense intended to the author) and should never be published. I have grown tired of BOTH sides bitching about what the other is doing, while doing it themselves. Today I read about Obama desecrating the flag because he used an artistic version of it for campaign purposes, those republicans moaning about it forget that the flag has been altered and used in Campaigning since the flag was invented. Then I read about how Obama is giving away free telephones, but the republicans complaining forget that it was just the continuation of the free or no cost LifeLine service brought to us by Reagan.

I have no right to point out their hypocriscy if I don’t point it out when my own team does it.

Obama is certainly sending out a lot of fundraising emails, as are all politicians with a job at stake in the November election. However, the Obama campaign hasn’t saturated our in-boxes with months of sweepstakes emails, nor has it plastered the campaign webpage with sweepstakes offers like Romney has done. There is a huge difference in the intensity of use of sweepstakes between the two campaigns.

Laurel,

I don’t know which “Obama Campaign” you belong to, but I have gotten two to three sweepstakes rquests from various members of the campaign’s official website every single day for the last two months. In fact, I recieved two this morning. Say what you will but this entire article is a bunch of hooey and ignores the issue on the Obama side. I am a liberal and i did give money to the Obama/Biden campaign both this election and the last.

Your argument in this article is facitious and vapid. Taking to task the opposition for the same tactic employed by our Candidate is lazy journalism, at best, and just a pile of something at the worst.

There are PLENTY of VALID reasons to write about the failing campaign of Rmoney/Ryan that this smacks of desperation.

Nice talking to you too.

But seriously, if you want to forward me all the Obama sweepstakes emails you’ve received, I’d like to take a look at them (laurel at firedoglake.com). As I said, I haven’t received them although I don’t read every single campaign email comes in, so I could have missed a few. This is your chance to enlighten me.

You haven’t addressed the issue of the websites. I think it’s stunning that Romney’s is still pushing sweepstakes in three places on the main page. Have you noticed Obama;s doing this?

Dear Ms Ramseyer,

The President and/or Mrs. Obama were to anxious to have dinner with me that they and their friends write me, too, several times a day — AND some of their friends promise me that if I contribute more, some of their friends will TRIPLE-match my donation.

Given the alternatives, I’ve been prepared to give more than I can monetarily afford. But if these people can triple-match my donation, why don’t they just donate the triple-match themselves in the first place?

I think matches are used to encourage people to donate who otherwise might not. It’s an incentive because it allows you to feel like you’re getting more bang for the buck they’re donating. That’s why the mechanism is used rather than the matcher simply giving their donation without anyone else knowing about it. At least, that’s my guess.