I haven't engaged in debunking Obama emails, but this one insulted my candidate and my Christianity so I wanted to take action lest others receive it and think less of Obama OR my religion. This message claims that "Revelations 13" has predictions in it that point to Obama being the anti-Christ. It claims to describe the anti-Christ as being "a man, in his 40's, of muslim descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language and have a massive Christ-like appeal" It claims he "will promise false hope and world peace." It then urges people to send around the email.
Checking with my NIV study bible, I find almost everything about that is wrong from a biblical standpoint. Here are the glaring un-truths...
The last couple of days I have received so many emails with LIES about Barack Obama's postions on many things. I looked in SNOPES and was surprised to see that Barack is being ATTACKED by EMAIL LIES like no one else. Check it out!
Here is the email I received, with my rebuttal. It looks like it is a combiniation of two spam lie emails in one. One about Baracks position and the other about his Tax plan. Please feel free to use this to respond to anyone who sends these lies around.
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:
2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS
 ISSUE
JOHN McCAIN BARAK OBAMA
Yes No Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it (Subjective and absolutely no basis for this)Yes No Served in the US Armed Forces - TRUEYes No Amount of time served in the US Senate FALSE. Obama was elected to Illinois State Senate, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate.22 YEARS 173 DAYS Will institute a socialized national health care plan – (HALF TRUE) Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. This is a VOLUNTARY PLAN if you are happy with the current insurance run healthcare you can keep it. Check it out for yourself.No Yes Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy TRUE – Barack does not feel it is up to him to decide for a woman, and feels women should have that choice. What he does believe is finding a way to minimize abortions. He does not want to go back to the time when women were dying because of unsanitary and hidden abortions. God said it is not up to us to judge. Let people make their own choices. No Yes Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately - HALF TRUE – Barack has repeatedly said, depending on the conditions on the ground, discussions with the Generals, plus he will force the Iraqis to take over the military operation, and bring our troops home safely in a responsible timeline. He WILL NOT pull them all out immediately. No Yes Supports gun ownership rights FALSE – Supports the constitutional right to bear arms and enforce our existing gun laws. He said this again at his nomination speech.Yes No Supports homosexual marriage – TRUE – Though he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, he thinks the government should only civil unions so that gay couples are not discriminated. No Yes Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase – HALF TRUE – Only the top 5% will see an increase. (see below and in snopes) No increase on capital gains, and in fact lower taxes and programs supporting small business owners.No Yes Voted against making English the official language HALF TRUE – The bill in question was an amendment to an existing immigration reform bill. There were some problems with the bill so Barack voted against it. Here is Barack’s statement on this bill
“I believe the American people understand in order to succeed in our society, immigrants need to learn English. But the amendment would do a number of things that are problematical. The first is that it is contrary to the provisions of law that exist in many States. For example, in New Mexico, you have in their State Constitution, a provision that says that many of the documents within that State have to be provided in both English and Spanish. The same thing is true for the State of Hawaii. I believe this is a States’ rights issue, and those constitutions of those States ought to be respected. I do not believe it is a matter we ought to be imposing here from Washington DC.
Also, this amendment would undo an executive order conceived by President Bill Clinton and implemented by President George Bush. Both recognized it is important that people who have limited English proficiency receive the kinds of services so they can understand what is going on in terms of the interface between the Government and themselves. “
No Yes Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals – HALF TRUE – This was NOT about giving SS benefits to illegal aliens, it was about whether a select group of formerly illegal workers (i.e., those who might obtain legal immigration if the 2006 immigration reform act would pass), should receive credit for payments already made into the Social Security system using phony numbers.No Yes
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax. OBAMA 28% on profit from ALL home sales. Â (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN 15% (no change) OBAMA 39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes) Single making 30K - tax $4,500Single making 50K - tax $12,500Single making 75K - tax $18,750Married making 60K- tax $9,000Married making 75K - tax $18,750Married making 125K - tax $31,250 OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts) Single making 30K - tax $8,400Single making 50K - tax $14,000Single making 75K - tax $23,250Married making 60K - tax $16,800Married making 75K - tax $21,000Married making 125K - tax $38,750Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN - 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax) OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
Like many of us, I have written several times to HQ with questions, comments and suggestions, and received no response. In light of the recent dashboard changes and the lack of response to our awesome birthday money bomb, I have been feeling down. I have again written to HQ and will shoot the same email off to several people in hopes of getting a response. This is such an important time, election and candidate, and I do not want our campaign to blow it now.
Here is my email text:
The online support network is troubled. We have had some issues over the course of the campaign. I would like to raise the following issues and request some attention to these matters:
Unanswered Emails to HQ: We do not know anyone who has ever received a response to an email written in good faith to the campaign. We have made suggestions, comments and complaints with no effect. This campaign is about the American people—us. We need to be heard, acknowledged and responded to. A canned robo email response is not enough.
Change To Website/Dashboards: For an unknown reason and without warning, the campaign changed the website and the individual dashboards of online supporters. Many online supporters were heavily invested in their dashboard and the accomplishments it tracked. All of that past effort has disappeared with the updated dashboards. Supporters are very discouraged that their accomplishments were erased without any concern to its impact on the morale of the online supporter. This is also affecting the fundraising efforts of online supporters who are no longer engaged in the website dashboards and blogs. This can only hurt the campaign.
Obama Birthday Money Bomb: Many online supporters, lead by Andrew "Joe" Ruwe, entered into a fundraising birthday bomb to celebrate Barack's birthday on August 4th. The campaign did not acknowledge the major fundraising event in any manner on the day of the event or at any time since the event. How much effort would it have taken to shoot out a donate email and acknowledge the online supporters' efforts in the birthday money bomb fundraiser? How much money was raised in the 24 hours of August 4th? The campaign relies on us online supporters to raise funds for our candidate. We love doing it. We are, in fact, very motivated, and many of us have given more than we should personally to support this campaign.
I do not want to leave the impression that online supporters are whiners or bitter, to coin some descriptive terms; however, we are pretty bruised and demoralized. The "soft" supporters among us have already dropped out and the traffic on the blogs is significantly down. Of the diehard supporters, no one is threatening to jump ship, but we do need, and deserve, a little bit of acknowledgement and encouragement. We are just ordinary people who are trying to support an extraordinary candidate and campaign. Please reach out to us in a meaningful way and address our issues. Thank you.
I do not know if anyone else wants to try and get some action before it is too late, but I thought that I would post this blog and see what transpires. God's blessing on all of you fellow online supporters and let's try and keep faith as we strive toward the finish line. Obama '08
So here’s my idea. I propose that we all make a deal with our friends that if they send us political emails that are inaccurate, they donate to O’Bama’s campaign. It doesn’t have to be a lot, say $1 for each inaccurate email, but at the rate we receive these emails, it would add up quickly. And, likely put a stop to the intentionally false email smears.
"Your taxes will go up if Obama gets elected."
Huh?
"You KNOW that, don't you? Obama will double your taxes. And you don't mind?"
That's what a friend of mine told me a coupla months ago. My reply was inadequate, but I didn't know about the email that's been making the rounds. In fact, I said: "I don't believe that's true. The Bush tax cuts would be repealed for the top 2%. It's just the wealthy who will pay more in taxes."
"No," my friend said. "YOUR taxes are going up."
"I don't believe that," I said. "But if they do, then I'll pay them. I like Barack's programs, and I've got plenty of money. What do I care?"
**************
Now, I'm not really rich. Don't get me wrong. But I WAS sincere. So get me right.
The problem was, I never knew about those stupid emails -- the ones that start out with:
"INTERESTING DATA JUST RECEIVED ON TAXES"Spread the word....."This is something you should beaware of so you don't get blind-sided.This is really going to catch a lotof families off guard. It shouldmake you worry."
-- and then continue with garbage like
"Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:"CAPITAL GAINS TAX"MCCAIN0% on home sales up to $500,000per home (couples) McCain does notpropose any change in existinghome sales income tax."OBAMA"28% on profit from ALL home sales"How does this affect you?If you sell your home and make a profit, youwill pay 28% of your gain on taxes."If you are heading toward retirementand would like to down-size yourhome or move into a retirementcommunity, 28% of the money youmake from your home will go to taxes. Thisproposal will adversely affect theelderly who are counting on the incomefrom their homes as part of their retirement income."DIVIDEND TAX"MCCAIN 15% (no change)"OBAMA 39.6%"How will this affect you?If you have any money invested in stockmarket, IRA, mutual funds,college funds, life insurance, retirementaccounts, or anything that paysor reinvests dividends, you will nowbe paying nearly 40% of the moneyearned on taxes if Obama become president."
There is more, much more, but I'm sure you get the point. And now I understand where these people are getting these crazy ideas.
So.
To borrow a phrase (or two):
INTERESTING DATA JUST RECEIVED ON (EMAILS)Spread the word.....
"
So, let's have another little reality check here. At most blog sites you have the ability to create any username you wish. If I wanted to call myself Mata Hari or Britney Spears or the Queen of Sheba, I could do so with the web site's blessings.Just for grins and giggles, who might this particular Bill Cosby be?Perhaps...he is the infamous William J Cosby, head honcho of the Clay County Klu Klux Klan. Or, maybe...he is Wilhelm V Cosby, eldest son of the dock worker in Brindlesmire, Scotland. Does either of these individuals exist? Not to my knowledge. Is there a Brindlesmire, Scotland? I doubt it...I just made it all up.Perhaps...it is even the illustrious current President, George Bush, giggling in that demented little way he has, as he sets up an account under the name of Bill Cosby to wreak havoc on the election. Could it be? I don't know. And that's my point. You just don't know. Could it be true? Yes. Is it true? I doubt it.
Hey there! Today I will spend a lot of time knocking on virtual doors. I work a lot, so it's almost impossible for me to get up out of my office and support Barack like I would like to, but one thing I do have is powerful virtual connections. I have a lot of subscribers, a lot of facebook friends, and I know a lot of emails. I will be using today to really push for Barack Obama from a virtual standpoint. I will be sending emails, sending out my Youtube Video on getting more supporters, and doing what I can to get out the vote. The time is now, and I'm gonna make that happen!
Barack the Vote!
Many Jewish supporters of Barack Obama have been dismayed to see e-mails targeting Jews, viciously attacking Mr. Obama's patriotism, and insinuating that he is anti-semitic. Many of these attacks are based on religious and ethnic stereotypes, and exploit fears that the Jewish community has harbored for many years.
We cannot remain silent on this issue, given our own history of religious and ethnic persecution. I have personally written back to some of my friends who have e-mailed me this material, and have called them out on the issue.
I would invite anyone who has encountered these types of propaganda e-mails, to contact the senders and attach the following letter writted by Jewish Community leaders from the Simon Wiesenthal Center:
http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=253162&ct=4947257
"Candidates for our nation's highest office must be prepared for debate and challenges to their public record. However, we must have zero tolerance for the slightest traces of bigotry and hatred in our Nation's political discourse" —Rabbi Marvin Hier
January 15, 2008
An Open Letter to the Jewish Community:
As leaders of the Jewish community, none of whose organizations will endorse or oppose any candidate for President, we feel compelled to speak out against certain rhetoric and tactics in the current campaign that we find particularly abhorrent. Of particular concern, over the past several weeks, many in our community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a person.
These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate members of our community into supporting or opposing candidates.
Attempts of this sort to mislead and inflame voters should not be part of our political discourse and should be rebuffed by all who believe in our democracy. Jewish voters, like all voters, should support whichever candidate they believe would make the best president. We urge everyone to make that decision based on the factual records of these candidates, and nothing less.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center
William Daroff, Vice President, United Jewish Communities
Nathan J. Diament, Director, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
Abraham Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation League
Richard S. Gordon, President, American Jewish Congress
David Harris, Executive Director, American Jewish Committee
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Phyllis Snyder, President, National Council of Jewish Women
Hadar Susskind, Washington Director, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Below is an email that I got from Senator Ted Kennedy. I'm so fired up for Senator Obama!
By now, I'm sure you've heard of my enthusiastic endorsement of Barack Obama. You know that I believe he's the one candidate running for president who can unify the country and inspire Americans to believe that our best days are still ahead. I've also worked with him in the Senate and know he has the experience and qualifications to hit the ground running on the first day. You're getting this email because the Wisconsin Democratic primary is today. I hope you're planning to vote and that you will consider supporting the candidate I have spent the past few weeks campaigning for: Barack Obama. If you're not sure where you're supposed to vote, or need help contacting your elections official, please visit the campaign's website: http://wisconsin.barackobama.com If you support Senator Obama like I do, and want to do more to help the campaign in these critical last hours, you can help get out the vote by calling supporters from your own home. Click here to use the Obama campaign's online calling tool: http://my.barackobama.com/call Today's vote is the first step toward changing our country. I hope you'll do your part. And, I hope you'll join me in supporting the one candidate who can bring about real change, unite our country, and get America moving again. Sincerely, Senator Edward M. Kennedy
By now, I'm sure you've heard of my enthusiastic endorsement of Barack Obama.
You know that I believe he's the one candidate running for president who can unify the country and inspire Americans to believe that our best days are still ahead. I've also worked with him in the Senate and know he has the experience and qualifications to hit the ground running on the first day.
You're getting this email because the Wisconsin Democratic primary is today. I hope you're planning to vote and that you will consider supporting the candidate I have spent the past few weeks campaigning for: Barack Obama.
If you're not sure where you're supposed to vote, or need help contacting your elections official, please visit the campaign's website:
http://wisconsin.barackobama.com
If you support Senator Obama like I do, and want to do more to help the campaign in these critical last hours, you can help get out the vote by calling supporters from your own home.
Click here to use the Obama campaign's online calling tool:
http://my.barackobama.com/call
Today's vote is the first step toward changing our country. I hope you'll do your part. And, I hope you'll join me in supporting the one candidate who can bring about real change, unite our country, and get America moving again.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
When I first heard Barack Obama speak at the National Convention I was moved by his words:
“That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will he counted - or at least, most of the time.”
He has not changed his message nor has he been swayed by detractors nor by other candidates. Obama's message that day inspired me to become more active in the political process. This year I attended the caucus here in Washington State for the first time. Barack Obama won easily in our room. His supporters were all ages and all sizes. They all knew his story and his stand on the issues. The Hilary supporters were more emotional and less likely to know as much about the issues.
I firmly believe that Barack Obama can win against John McCain in 2008! Please lend your support
to this incredible, brilliant man. A man who can lead this nation forward to the greatness that the writers of our Constitution passionately envisioned.
Wow, this story got me. Anyone else ever read it? What does it stir in you?
Don't Close Your Blinds
The other day I received a despicalbe email forward that was sent to my sister and others by her friend down in South Carolina. Appartanly, a number of these Obama "slime" emails are going around claiming that the story of his upbringing and roots are false and that he and his father should be both considered radical muslims, and a number of other smear attepts as well. This is gutter politics at its worst.
I found a great link on FactCheck.org that refutes pretty much every negative and false claim made against Senator Obama. Send this to anyone who is forwarding or receiving these emails.
David Plouffe just sent out this email:
Dear Sam,Barack is scheduled to be a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart next Wednesday, August 22nd.You and a friend could get a free trip to New York City and tickets to be part of the studio audience -- you'll even get to meet Barack.We're going to choose one new supporter who signs up this week to go to New York along with the person who invited them to join the campaign. We'll pay for travel, and you'll both get to meet Barack and be part of the studio audience when he's on The Daily Show next week.Help grow the movement -- each friend you invite could be the one selected to join you at Comedy Central's World News Headquarters:http://my.barackobama.com/dailyshowtixTo participate, all you need to do is invite someone new to join the movement this week.We'll select a new supporter to attend the show, and they get to bring the person who invited them -- maybe you! New supporters will share why they joined the campaign, and we'll choose an interesting story from someone who signs up for the first time this week.Invite as many of your friends, family, and colleagues as you'd like -- click here for more details and to participate: http://my.barackobama.com/dailyshowtixWe can't guarantee that Jon Stewart won't make fun of us for giving away these tickets or you for getting them -- but hey, it's about bringing more people into our movement.So reach out.Thank you,DavidDavid Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
Dear Sam,
Barack is scheduled to be a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart next Wednesday, August 22nd.
You and a friend could get a free trip to New York City and tickets to be part of the studio audience -- you'll even get to meet Barack.
We're going to choose one new supporter who signs up this week to go to New York along with the person who invited them to join the campaign.
We'll pay for travel, and you'll both get to meet Barack and be part of the studio audience when he's on The Daily Show next week.
Help grow the movement -- each friend you invite could be the one selected to join you at Comedy Central's World News Headquarters:
http://my.barackobama.com/dailyshowtix
To participate, all you need to do is invite someone new to join the movement this week.
We'll select a new supporter to attend the show, and they get to bring the person who invited them -- maybe you! New supporters will share why they joined the campaign, and we'll choose an interesting story from someone who signs up for the first time this week.
Invite as many of your friends, family, and colleagues as you'd like -- click here for more details and to participate:
We can't guarantee that Jon Stewart won't make fun of us for giving away these tickets or you for getting them -- but hey, it's about bringing more people into our movement.
So reach out.
Thank you,
David
David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
Dear Sam, You've got to see this exchange from last night's AFL-CIO debate. It's about how the Iraq war has made us less safe, how Barack would get us on the right battlefield, and how we need to challenge the insiders' conventional thinking about our foreign policy: Responding to an attack on his common-sense approach to fighting terrorism, Barack said: I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism. Watch the full exchange, share the video, and ask someone you know to join our movement: http://my.barackobama.com/AFLCIOforum Barack said it was the biggest strategic mistake in a generation for the Bush administration and its enablers to let Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda slip away while they rushed to invade Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the attacks of 9/11. You know it, I know it, and the rest of the world knows it -- everyone, it seems, except the inside-the-beltway establishment who helped George Bush create this mess in the first place. In response to his honest assessment, Barack was told that presidents aren't supposed to tell the American people what they think. That's exactly the kind of don't-ask-questions politics that led to the disaster in Iraq. The American people deserve a president who respects them enough to tell them what he thinks and how he'll keep them safe from the most urgent threats to our national security. The conventional thinking of Washington insiders is part of a pattern of denial -- it's the same kind of alternate reality we saw just this weekend at the YearlyKos debate during a discussion of the role of Washington lobbyists in our political process. Watch the video: http://my.barackobama.com/YearlyKosDebate On Saturday, Barack challenged the ridiculous assertion that Washington lobbyists and the millions of dollars they use to distort the political process represent real people. Barack said: I disagree with the notion that lobbyists don't have disproportionate influence. The insurance and drug companies spent one billion dollars in lobbying over the past ten years... You cannot tell me that that money did not make a difference. They are not spending that just because they are contributing to the public interest. Watch the exchange and ask someone you know to join our campaign to change the way Washington does business: http://my.barackobama.com/YearlyKosDebate Barack will continue to speak the truth, but it's up to us to build this movement. Send one of these videos to your friends and show them why Barack Obama is the candidate who will bring the kind of change we need. Thank you, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism.
I disagree with the notion that lobbyists don't have disproportionate influence. The insurance and drug companies spent one billion dollars in lobbying over the past ten years... You cannot tell me that that money did not make a difference. They are not spending that just because they are contributing to the public interest.
Barack Obama just sent out this email:
Dear Friend, Make a donation and share your story of inspiration BarackObama.com/inspireCandidates typically spend a week like this -- right before the critical June 30th financial reporting deadline -- on the phone day and night, begging Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs to write huge checks. Not me. Our campaign has rejected the money-for-influence game and refused to accept funds from registered federal lobbyists and political action committees.But there are serious financial consequences to that decision. Cutting off the flow of easy Washington money means we have to work harder. Instead of relying on a handful of powerful interests, we must bring together hundreds of thousands of supporters, each owning an individual piece of our movement. It's one thing to talk about financing campaigns differently. It's another for us to take that risk and put our trust in one another. The June 30th deadline will prove that this era of broken politics and widespread cynicism is coming to a close. We're ready for that change, and together we can turn the page. The rest of the country, and the world, is watching. They want to see if we can shake up the politics of the past and set the tone for this election and the future of our democracy. You have shown your support before, and now you can share your inspiration. Make a donation of $50 and be a part of something big: barackobama.com/inspire But don't stop there.If we're going to get hundreds of thousands of people to join our movement, we need to do something different. That's why I'm turning the rest of this fundraising drive over to you. This is the last you will hear from me until after the June 30th deadline. From here on out, your stories and your passion will determine our success. When you make a donation, I want you to share what inspired you to join our movement. For the rest of the week, those stories -- including your story -- will drive the results. Something powerful and personal inspired you to join our movement. It may be your family's rising health care costs or a relative fighting in Iraq. You might be fed up with corruption in Washington or frustrated by how petty and divisive our national politics has become. Whatever your reasons, they will connect with someone else and they will make a difference. Make your donation now and share what inspired you to support our movement for change: barackobama.com/inspire Pundits and Washington insiders use these fundraising deadlines to measure the viability of campaigns. They like to judge potential in dollars, as if money alone somehow indicates widespread support. But we measure success in people -- the number of supporters giving to the campaign, and the number of donations they make to show their commitment. We can get at least 10,000 people involved this week, but only if you take control. Each of us must reach out to the people we know -- our friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors -- and inspire them to join our movement for change. Donate now. Share your story and spread the word: barackobama.com/inspire Watch our website and your inbox for real stories from supporters like you. This fundraising deadline is an important challenge for our campaign, but I know I can put my trust in you. I have faith that we will succeed, and it won't be because of me -- it will be because each of you has the power to inspire. Thank you. Barack Obama P.S. -- We've built something together that's bigger than me or my candidacy. I just made my own donation to this movement and wrote a short note about how you've inspired me: I've seen what can happen when people who love their country come together and decide it's time for change. As a community organizer in the South Side of Chicago, I was part of a movement that turned around neighborhoods that others had given up on. I know what's possible for this country. I know we can build a new kind of politics that recognizes we're all connected as one people, that we rise or fall as one nation, and that we're ready to turn the page and start anew. Who can you inspire? Get started here: barackobama.com/inspire
Dear Friend,
Make a donation and share your story of inspiration BarackObama.com/inspire
Not me. Our campaign has rejected the money-for-influence game and refused to accept funds from registered federal lobbyists and political action committees.
But there are serious financial consequences to that decision.
Cutting off the flow of easy Washington money means we have to work harder. Instead of relying on a handful of powerful interests, we must bring together hundreds of thousands of supporters, each owning an individual piece of our movement.
It's one thing to talk about financing campaigns differently. It's another for us to take that risk and put our trust in one another.
The June 30th deadline will prove that this era of broken politics and widespread cynicism is coming to a close. We're ready for that change, and together we can turn the page.
The rest of the country, and the world, is watching. They want to see if we can shake up the politics of the past and set the tone for this election and the future of our democracy.
You have shown your support before, and now you can share your inspiration.
Make a donation of $50 and be a part of something big:
barackobama.com/inspire
But don't stop there.
If we're going to get hundreds of thousands of people to join our movement, we need to do something different. That's why I'm turning the rest of this fundraising drive over to you.
This is the last you will hear from me until after the June 30th deadline.
From here on out, your stories and your passion will determine our success. When you make a donation, I want you to share what inspired you to join our movement. For the rest of the week, those stories -- including your story -- will drive the results.
Something powerful and personal inspired you to join our movement. It may be your family's rising health care costs or a relative fighting in Iraq. You might be fed up with corruption in Washington or frustrated by how petty and divisive our national politics has become.
Whatever your reasons, they will connect with someone else and they will make a difference. Make your donation now and share what inspired you to support our movement for change:
Pundits and Washington insiders use these fundraising deadlines to measure the viability of campaigns. They like to judge potential in dollars, as if money alone somehow indicates widespread support.
But we measure success in people -- the number of supporters giving to the campaign, and the number of donations they make to show their commitment.
We can get at least 10,000 people involved this week, but only if you take control.
Each of us must reach out to the people we know -- our friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors -- and inspire them to join our movement for change.
Donate now. Share your story and spread the word:
Watch our website and your inbox for real stories from supporters like you.
This fundraising deadline is an important challenge for our campaign, but I know I can put my trust in you.
I have faith that we will succeed, and it won't be because of me -- it will be because each of you has the power to inspire.
Thank you.
Barack Obama
P.S. -- We've built something together that's bigger than me or my candidacy. I just made my own donation to this movement and wrote a short note about how you've inspired me:
I've seen what can happen when people who love their country come together and decide it's time for change. As a community organizer in the South Side of Chicago, I was part of a movement that turned around neighborhoods that others had given up on. I know what's possible for this country. I know we can build a new kind of politics that recognizes we're all connected as one people, that we rise or fall as one nation, and that we're ready to turn the page and start anew.
Who can you inspire? Get started here:
As some of you may have noticed, this site allows members to send messages to a group's listserv. Those messages would be emailed to each member of the group. Because of the group settings, I have to approve each message before they are sent to the member list.
I just wanted to write a post about my opinion on this feature and explain why those of you who have submitted listserv messages haven't had them sent out. I think that sending email messages to every member for anything other than the occasional announcement is intrusive. If I approve a message or two every day (especially messages that aren't specifically related to women and Obama), then group members may rightly start to view them as spam. I don't want members getting enough unwanted email that they either start to ignore it or drop out of the group.
There is no way to entirely turn off the listserv feature, so I will have to personally approve or reject each message. I will only rarely approve emails, and the only messages that will be sent along are major, on-topic announcements. I'd like to ask that personal observations, networking between groups, and the like be kept on the blog.
If your message is not accepted, please don't take it personally. I have great respect for all of your enthusiasm and effort. I just have strong opinions about email lists, and I think that this site and this group won't have much impact if we annoy our membership.
