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Obama Still Using Internet To Raise Money, Support

Posted by Mary Hayes Weier on November 10, 2008 03:39 PM

The presidential campaign ended last week, yet the Obama camp sent out another e-mail blast today asking supporters to fork over another donation -- this time to help pay off the debt of the Democratic National Committee. It makes me wonder if Obama will continue to use e-mail communications to get support, and money, from U.S. citizens well into his presidency to help fund federal initiatives.

We're going to have in the White House a charismatic, Internet-savvy president with a talent for community organization, as evidenced by the hundreds of millions of dollars raised by the Obama campaign on the Internet. Many of those donations were initiated by the steady string of e-mails from Barack, Joe, Michelle, and others using a first-name basis to ask, won't you donate just another $25? Or more, if you'd like?

I can envision a similar technique once he's in office. Sort of like requesting a small, voluntary tax from people who believe in and want to help fund a specific cause.

In today's e-mail, the Obama campaign offered a commemorative we-won type T-shirt for those who will make at least a $30 donation toward the DNC debt. Perhaps in a few months Obama supporters might get an e-mail that reads something like this:

"Hi Mary,

In the months and years ahead, we're going to accomplish amazing things together. No president has ever had the support of such a powerful grassroots movement, and Joe and I will need you to continue to fight alongside us.

We have a plan to invest $150 billion over 10 years in alternative energy, but we need your help to fund this program. If you donate at least $30 by midnight, you'll get a commemorative "I Helped Fund Alternative Energy" T-shirt.

Your Dutiful President,

Barack"

Now if every man, woman, and child donates $30, that's $9 billion toward alternative energy funding, more than halfway toward an averaged $15-billion-a-year investment.

I know, I know, that would never happen. But the point of my blog is this: Expect to see the Obama administration continue to use e-mail -- or another Internet-based communication platform, like a wiki or a presidential blog -- to reach out to the American citizens and get their support and input, monetary or otherwise.