Can I Stop Giving Now?

Don't get me wrong; I'm a fan of Barack Obama. I may even love him -- his intelligence, his even temperament, his fabulous smile, his willingness to make enemies by forcing democrats and republicans to look at each other as humans with differences instead of as despicable aliens from another planet. Most of all I love him for winning(!) and bring an end to the republican era.

I'm one of those who's irked by all the people already in attack mode, waiting to find fault with his every move: his cabinet appointments, the Rick Warren choice, his lack of official statement on the Israeli/Palestinian war, and the list goes on. My take on his positions are nuanced -- some of them I love, and some I hate; when I hate 'em, I email his change.gov site and tell him what I think. But, I don't feel the need to start bashing him publicly. The guy's not even president yet, for God's sake! I want to give him some time to show us what he's got up his sleeve -- or better said, how he plans to implement his vision.

I am prepared to detest some of the incremental steps that lead to his finish line. I know who I voted for, and he's no lefty. However, I do have a question I'd like to ask publicly, and welcome anyone out there in Huffington Post Land who can enlighten me on this subject: When am I going to stop getting emails from Barack Obama, or Obama for America, or Michelle Obama, or Inaugural Store.com or all the other people on his "team" who keep asking me to donate, donate, donate more, more, more for a great inauguration; for Hillary Clinton's campaign debt; and for a host of other post-election issues that feel soooo 2008? I tell you, because of these emails I now have a trigger finger that only finds happiness on the delete key.

Hello? There's a depress... oops, recession going on! I'm worried about how my business' usually slow winter season is going to fare this time around. I stopped dreaming about my 20-year wedding anniversary trip to India this month because, as the media reminded me recently, half a million jobs were lost in December. I figure some of those jobless people might be my customers. Just to state the obvious, people are s-t-r-e-s-s-e-d about money. So, why are the president-elect and his people still asking me to send in donations? I spent a lot of money trying to get you elected, Mr. Top Dog. You got elected. You're big government now, with the big printing machine that comes with it. Can you stop asking me to give you money now? 'Cause it's pissing me off enough that I went public with my gripe. Your emails are beginning to feel like spam. Caution: You're abusing your infamous mailing list.

This is not a plea for the typically cynical and crude comments that abound on this site, where Obama is concerned. Sometimes I think I mistakenly happened onto a right wing forum. Yes, yes, you're allowed to disagree with him and with other progressives. It's just that the tone is disturbing sometimes. Can't we just unite for even one minute?! Anyway, like I said, I think he's the man. I would just like for someone to explain to me: What in the world are they thinking?

Comments

[CRobin]

You write: "Caution: You're abusing your infamous mailing list." Exactly! It really gets me that I've signed up to Obama and MoveOn and they are bombarding me with email. I stopped opening it. Do they not realize that they are over-doing it? Great post Carine. I am so with you. Can't we just sit back and bask in the glory for just a little while, and with the economy as it is - back off!!!

[kstuff]

Agreed. I'm getting funding fatigue, especially since the government isn't interested in helping me financially....

[MoJo51]

I agree. I happily gave lots of money to the Obama campaign, and I still love Obama, but I am getting annoyed that "Donate Now" is at the bottom of every email. I'd love to get one Obama email that doesn't ask me for money or try to sell me a commemorative poster, or have a raffle for tickets etc. I have basically stopped reading these emails.

[SaneinSD]

Um, just opt out of the emails. All of them have that option.

[VMA]

I agree. No more soliciting for donations. I now want the emails to be used for grassroots efforts to get the right agenda passed.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

This is a scary preface. I will NOT be contributing so that he can have a giant party and Beyonce could shake her greasy butt for all. Just ridiculous.

[alfredjr]

Amen. He's not the only one, either. I gave Al Franken a tiny bit of money way back, even though I live in Rhode Island. Now I have to ignore all the calls from the 402 area code. Come on, man.

Anyway, I guess Obama's promise to bring us all into the fold of politics has worked. Previously, we could complain about big-money donors running the show. Now we see what those big money donors have to put up with! Ha. Somehow, I still don't feel much sympathy.

[JBCinSD]

How warped is it that presidents-elect have to pay for their own inaugurations? In the vast sea of money the government gives out for every other purpose, justified or not, I would think that the government could foot the bill to put into office the person elected by the voters.

Instead, this senseless rule puts a president-elect into the awkward position of having to continue to ask for donations. Many have, I am sure, been all too happy to accept big checks from the lobbyists looking for favor with the new guy. What a way to have to start one's presidency.

It's time we changed this ridiculous system. The voters and the taxpayers are, after all, the same people and we have voted to inaugurate this person Tell your Congressperson we want the people, not the special interests, to pay for this and all inaugurations.

[damali]

The Presidential Campaign, The DNC and Inaugural Committee are all non-profit organizations. The only way they can get money is through donations. That's the way they work. So yes, they have to continually ask for money. Big deal. I'm not annoyed by it because I understand it. I give when i can and don't when i can't. To get all upset over it is just silly. Especially when Barack has continually limited the amount that large corporations and lobbyists can donate..which means more is expected from the "email list". I'd rather that that he do things the old way.

Y'all want change but when it happens, you complain. Nice.

[Carine Fabius - Huffpost Blogger]

I like the change and want the change. But what I like here is "damali's" comment above which suggests that the government should pay for something as important and as historic, in this case, as this inauguration. We already pay taxes, and rather than use my tax dollars to pay for the war in Iraq, say, I'd prefer they take some of that and put it toward this event. They can give money to idiot bankers who still refuse to loosen credit, but they can't pay for the inauguration? Please.

[AnotherTry]

So nice for you that you can celebrate a wedding anniversary. I wish my partner of 8 years and I could do that. Unfortunately not in Obama's America.

[VHH]

Good post.

Now, how do we get the message across to the "Barack Obama, or Obama for America, or Michelle Obama, or Inaugural Store.com or all the other people on his "team" who keep asking me to donate, donate, donate more, more, more for a great inauguration"?

Then after the inauguration what will we be asked to donate to? I am sure they have a 'team' working on that as I type.

[jeanne193]

Thank you Carine, for saying what many of us have been feeling!

[maxflash]

Hello Carine,

Jut to make you feel better, I believe your generous donations to our President might be tax deductible.
This is the beauty of capitalism. You will get your money back, therefore don't stop giving ... unless you have second thoughts, and who could blame you, when you see the scary choices Obama made so far.

Alain B.

[JayneeDoe]

I completely agree. Apparently the money I scraped up to contribute to his campaign fund was not enough. Now he wants more.
If I had it to do over, I would gladly find the money again, as this was the most important presidential race of my lifetime. Obama's message still resonates with me, and I have no doubt he will truly bring about at least some of the change our country desperately needs to heal.
But my contribution feels tarnished now. I am certainly not the only person who scraped up the money to donate to his campaign--I am only one of millions. And because this was difficult for us, the fact that we did it indicates our commitment to his campaign--it was our way of feling like we made a difference.
Yet, now, I receive an e-mail almost daily asking for more money, and I can't imagine why they think I would give it. In fact, I wonder if it has occurred to him that millions of his supporters are living on very low incomes, and therefore, finding the money to donate to his campaign is an indication of how important it was to them.
I gave what I could. Now leave me alone.
Jaynee

[dearpru]

If Barack Obama were a country, his ability to generate money would make him the 11th largest economy in the world after California's. This Midas touch of his should be the engine that drives our nation's economic turnaround. Obama T-shirts and posters are just the start. Think about it--the Barack Obama TV channel, where a camera crew simply follows the Obama family around. Proceeds from commercials will go to paying off the Chinese for all the money Bush borrowed to give rich people tax refunds.

Michelle can debut a line of womens' and children's clothes (although she'll have to develop some clothes sense first). The kids could have their own sitcom, replacing the Olsen twins as America's favorite sisters. Some guy in France already has an Obama cola...that can be easily dealt with. I'm convinced that at least a trillion dollars can be generated almost immediately. We'll send him on tour and sell priority seating.

Obama cigarettes, shoes, cologne, sunglasses...you name it; he already has a logo for God's sake.
Think about it. Really, this IS the answer to our prayers.