Yes, it's just another email from democraticparty@democrats.org. Who knows who decides which Democrat's name to use to heighten the impression that I'm getting personal attention? But these creepy subject lines! "Hold your breath, Ann." And 2 days ago, I got one "from" Barack Obama with the subject line: "Almost out of time, Ann."
And the thing is: It's meant to be scary. Not scary in the way these words seem most clearly to evoke, like someone is trying to kill me. But scary in the sense that I'm supposed to feel threatened by the possibility that Republicans will win in the fall elections.
And by the way, where's the trigger alert? What if I — like many of the women pandered to by the Democrats' gender politics — was afraid of some stalker ex-boyfriend? Glancing at "Almost out of time, Ann" or "Hold your breath, Ann" in my inbox would horrify me. What the hell is wrong with these people? Where's the empathy?
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Harry Reid emails: "Check your brain at the door, Ann."
Bill Clinton tweets: "Start foaming at the mouth, Ann."
After the Obama campaign discovered that their most effective subject line was "Hey!", you still expect "empathy" in these guys mailings?
I think it would be difficult to underestimate just "low" in information the low-information voters these emails target really are.
In a different matter, I thought the Vice President offered a refreshingly solid apology for another of his many gaffes.
"I need you, Ann."
"Don't hold out on us, Ann."
"We can be great together if you'd just stop ignoring us, Ann."
Of course, the Republicans send out despicable fundraising emails too. I saw one a little while ago that was designed to look like a past-due bill in collections. And I'm sure there's very strong 1A protections for all this and that's good. But , none of it reflects well on the oversized infants running our parties and country.
"We feel your pain, Ann"
DS said...
I saw one a little while ago that was designed to look like a past-due bill in collections.
If you have an image or link, please post it. That is a very low "trick" and don't ever recall hearing or seeing anything like that from Republicans before. Not saying it didn't happen, am very interested in seeing it and who it was from. In my mind, that boarders on fraud.
Do they not know you prefer "Althouse", or do they not care?
I think it would be difficult to underestimate just "low" in information the low-information voters these emails target really are
Most of the people receiving these emails are Democratic supporters. They've contributed to a political campaign or otherwise have signed up somewhere (there are of course those who've signed up just to keep track of what the Obama people are saying, but I'm sure that's a small percentage).
So they're not necessarily "low information" voters. But they're probably only getting their info from one side.
"Joe Biden emails: "Hold your breath, Ann."
Email back: "Check your privilege."
And by the way, where's the trigger alert?
Don't be silly. Trigger alerts are only for speakers of whom Democrats disapprove.
Trigger warning: stupidity
I blame Faux News and their fear mongering. Also the paranoid style in the Rethuglican politics, what with their sloping foreheads and their wars on women.
Althouse said...like many of the women pandered to by the Democrats' gender politics Legit question, though: does it work?
They'd be better off starting their missives with more shocking language:
"The Republicans are about to put us all in death camps."
"Better get used to wearing chains, because slavery will be back on when these guys take power."
"There is no God. No loving God would allow the Republicans to do what they do."
"I'm really high right now, but even I know the Republicans are the worst people on earth since the Nazis roamed the steppes."
"Remember when your dog died last year? The GOP did it."
Clearly, they're not trying to appeal to sophisticated thinking voters, so why not just go all out?
"Civilization as we know it would end".
What the hell is wrong with these people? Where's the empathy?
Why did you ever believe that they truly had any empathy in the first place? Are you starting to realize how gullible you have been all your life?
Come, now.
We all know it's the wicked Republicans who "are using fear to manipulate the low-information voters".
I am constantly assured that is the case.
(By people who are ... afraid of whatever the latest ThinkProgress mailer told them to be afraid of.)
Predictive analytic, A-B Tested hokum from the democrat crime syndicate.
The Silver Fox likes all women to hold their breathes...makes their chests puff out.
P.S.
I would speculate that Dirty Harry was the one to get salacious with Gillebrand, but everyone knows he prefers little boys...his Romney rumor monger told me so.
HoodlumDoodlum said: I blame Faux News and their fear mongering. Also the paranoid style in the Rethuglican politics, what with their sloping foreheads and their wars on women.
Thanks for that recitation of DNC Standard General All-Purpose Talking Point #11 there, HoodlumDoodlum. Now, do you perhaps have some original thought to add to the conversation here.
I'm thinking Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin in "Wait until Dark"
Susy Hendrix: You know there was a murder around here last night? They found the body this morning. A lady from Scarsdale. I heard it on the radio.
Sam Hendrix: So?
Susy Hendrix: What if I get chopped in little pieces and dumped in the river? Little tiny pieces that nobody could possibly recognize as having been a poor defenseless, little blind lady whose husband was off in Asbury Park. You're not listening, Sammy.
Obama is personally concerned about the quality of my water. His gang emailed me yesterday about it. When they got no reply they brought out the big guns today.
If somebody tells me to hold my breath, my first assumption is he's just cut a big one!
Ignore them. The emotional appeals, that is.
Biden is being Biden. He meant to say take a big breath, hold it, and pull your shoulders back, and slowly un-button your top three buttons and take a selfie. Joe wants women willing to make a clean breast of their fears and vote Democrat, or else we release the selfie.
@Todd, don't have the recent email anymore, but here's a 2009 (!) page from RedState (so, trustworthy, at least with respect to criticism of Rs) complaining about identical tactics:
http://www.redstate.com/diary/A_Texan/2009/09/18/open-letter-to-rnc-please-stop-sending-deceptive-fundraising-letters/
One weird trick that sometimes works is subject lines that read, "One Weird Trick..."
War on Women, Racists, Free Stuff vote Democrat
Open wide, Ann.
This won't hurt a bit, Ann.
It will be over in just a second, Ann, and then, Ann, you get a lollipop!
Be a good girl, Ann.
Stop biting, Ann. Ann!
Sorry, Ann, I didn't know it was going to hurt so much.
What the hell is wrong with these people?
They're liberal Democrats.
Julie C said...
If somebody tells me to hold my breath, my first assumption is he's just cut a big one!
Especially "Uncle Joe" Biden.
What the hell is wrong with these people? Where's the empathy?
The point is to raise their turnout in November, not to sympathize with women. They do not mean well.
I'd have thought that feminism would be about raising the value of women as citizens, in particular warning about female failings in the voting vulnerability department that females ought to consciously take care to compensate for, but women fall for it every time. Turn out they will and vote for Democrats.
Women's foolishness is characterized by Vicki Hearne as thinking "he means well."
By Cavell as looking for true love without regard for its conditions.
By Kant as fanaticism.
The corresponding male fault is skepticism, but that makes them better voters, not worse.
Holy Crap St. George is that a dentist or a rapist? Or a bit of both, eh? (Bryan Cranston's character on Seinfeld)
Next thing you know he will be asking for his pound of flesh.
John Henry
I normally love an opportunity to mock slow Joe but I wonder about yesterday's use of shylock.
How is that anti-semitic? I had this discussion in another forum earlier. I've heard shylock all my life to refer to a loanshark. Chili Palmer, for example. I know it comes from Merchant of Venice and I know that some think the character is portrayed anti-semitically.
I looked it up in several dictionaries online and find nothing to indicate that shylock, in the context of a loan shark as Joe was using it, is anti-semitic.
Has anyone else ever heard that the word is antisemitic before now? (Not the character, the word)
Seems to me that some people are just perpetually aggrieved and have to much time on their hands.
Screw 'em. I'll keep using it til Joe's team repeals the 1st Amendment and then we'll see.
Them as don't like it can kiss my ass.
John Henry
Hoodlumdoodlum:
You forgot to mention that Rethuglicans smell bad. Well, "different" but you know what they meant, hehehe
It must be true! It's a study! Most likely peer reviewed. And sciency and all that.
John Henry
Todd said...DS said..."I saw one a little while ago that was designed to look like a past-due bill in collections."
If you have an image or link, please post it. That is a very low "trick" and don't ever recall hearing or seeing anything like that from Republicans before. Not saying it didn't happen, am very interested in seeing it and who it was from. In my mind, that boarders on fraud.
I used to get those all the time from the RNC and, also, IIRC, the NRSC. Sometimes they'd have them look like they were from the IRS. They'd use the same typefaces and envelope design as the IRS, and they'd print things on the envelope like "IMPORTANT: Audit Information." (Not necessarily an exact quote, but close to it; it's from memory.) When you'd open the envelope, the title line would be something like "VOTER AUDIT," and there'd be some sort of survey and "IMPORTANT! RETURN BY ..." language. The RNC/NRSC info was there, but it wasn't at all the first thing you'd see.
Other times, they'd use the design that the Treasury Department used to use to send out Social Security checks. I had to reassure my elderly mom a few times that she wasn't about to be audited or that her Social Security was in immediate jeopardy.
They finally stopped sending them when I started writing on the reply form that henceforth I would only donate to individual candidates, that the RNC would never see another penny from me, that I would tell everyone I knew to do the same, and that I demanded to be removed from their mailing list. And I made sure to send it back using their "business reply" mailer. To be spiteful, I also checked the box on the envelope that said "Check Enclosed," to waste their resources as much as I could.
As an aside, I know someone who works for a marketing company that has both Dem and GOP candidates, and I asked them about these tactics. His response: "Both parties use them - because they work extremely well."
Hold your breath is bad advice.
It's better to relax. It won't hurt as much.
This will be over before you know it. You won't remember a thing.
David,
You're right, holding your breath is bad advice.
On the other hand it seems to be a thing with women. I understand that there are a lot of women with tattoo's saying "Remember to breathe" on their wrist.
I've never forgotten to breath so far. Perhaps not forgetting is a guy thing and the ladies need a bit of extra help.
Some ladies, anyway.
John Henry
John Henry
Hold your breath is right. Reading a message from Slow Joe Biden is like being water boarded.
I keep getting mail from the GOP telling me that my membership is "about to expire!" ("Send money now! Here is a survey to show we care what you think! Here is a functionless plastic card! Here is a photo of a politician that you can frame! In your house! Where you will renew this membership for Committed Patriots who WILL NOT allow Obama to destroy this country! ... !!!!!)
Their email is slightly more sophisticated.
"I saw one a little while ago that was designed to look like a past-due bill in collections."
Somebody wanted a copy.
"2ND RENEWAL NOTICE
This is our second attempt to reach you. I wanted to make sure your account as a conservative supporter was updated this month.
According to our records, that you have not yet renewed your NRCC membership for 2014.
And with Election Day only 59 days away, it is incredibly urgent that you renew your membership today."
I emailed back "no fuckin' way. I thought the dropped G was a nice touch.
I thoroughly enjoyed a meeting last night with Angelo Codevilla who has a poor opinion of both parties. He also had some interesting things to say about ISIS.
Mostly he agrees with Spengler.
And with Sarah Palin.
Basically, it's "kill them all and let Allah sort it out."
Has anyone else ever heard that the word is antisemitic before now? (Not the character, the word)
Yep. The implication is that the Shylocks are Jewish lenders. I've generally heard it used to mean that specifically, not generally loan sharks. (The further implication is that Jews are tightfisted, cheats, etc. etc.)
So yes, if I hear someone say it, it is prima facie antisemitic unless there's some reason to think otherwise.
(On the other hand, it's Joe "FDR on TV" Biden using it, so who knows what he thinks. If he's actually thinking at the time.)
I keep getting mail from the GOP telling me that my membership is "about to expire!"
The correct response is...."Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member".
--apologies to Groucho Marx
In some sense, this explains why Republicans do so poorly at the ballot box.
Well, that "hold your breath" line means "this stinker's for YOU".
Bill Clinton emailed: Better put some ice on that, Ann.".
All of a sudden I'm flashing on The Chipmunks singing the "Witch Doctor" song, for some reason.
DS said...
@Todd,
I consider those the lowest of low mail tricks / fraud. As others have indicated, I would return their request, in their pre-paid envelope with a "take me off your list" note.
I do that whenever I get an AARP letter.
I do that whenever I get a NYT subscription letter though in the case of the NYT I also include a nice note stating that I would not subscribe to their paper even if they were the last on earth. After completing that task, I always wash my hands.
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