Obama E-Mail List

I have been on Obama’s email list since last August. As a result, I have donated more money than I can afford, acquired an impressive collection of memorabilia that will one day sell for a lot on eBay, and kept up to date with every McCain attack, campaign ad, and voting deadline. By the time this goes to print, the polls will be closed, but I would neverthless like to voice a few complaints with the campaign’s communication tactics. While the barrage of emails and text messages have been one of the much-heralded pillars of the biggest campaign in history, they are also a mixed-bag for us constituents. On the one hand, it is tremendously (if unjustifiably) validating to receive an email from Joe Biden at the start of the day urging you, yes you, to donate, or call a fellow American in Ohio, even if you are one of thousands of recipients. On the other hand, despite their massive reach, e-mails and texts are innately very personal, going as they do alongside messages from your parents, friends, and professors straight to your computer or phone, whether you are in lecture or in bed.

Yet, reading these e-mails, it seems the Obama team is making an effort to inject the barrage of emails with personality, as if a friend or even family-member werein fact emailing you with an urgent request or heartfelt message And although these must be at least somewhat ghost-written, they are surprisingly accurate as to the tones of the person who “penned” them -- or what one might think those tones should be. For example, David Plouffe (Obama’s campaign manager) is among the most prolific, and comes across as a bit technical when he give us the latest numbers, but also conveys a sense that he knows and genuinely respects the Obamas.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden sound somewhat like I imagine they would in ‘real’ life. Their emails are always straight to the point and filled with a sense of urgency, almost as though they are on the campaign trail and then suddenly remembered us. Obama generally writes about more personal things. During the conventions, he asked us if we saw Michelle speak, who he called “electrifying” and “inspiring.” A month later, he called on us to donate to the Red Cross to help the Gulf Coast residents in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. His emails are perhaps the most inspiring but also the most obviously written by someone else. It is not very hard to imitate Barack’s style, and this shows. For example, after the first debate, Barack commented on McCain’s performance saying that he never mentioned the middle class once and that he, Barack, will never forget the middle class. This sounded contrived, because how could he immediately after the debate pick up on what McCain left out?

Joe Biden, a late addition to the team, did not wait to get in the email arena. He serves as a reinforcement to the ideals delivered by Barack, and never gets caught in his personal merit or achievements. As a matter of fact, the only “personal” he has ever sent was a half-endorsement of his wife, Jill Biden, who is little-known, and is shown in a video linked through the email as a volunteer of the campaign in every sense. He talks about how she is dedicated to education. It is a little awkward though because the line between loving her job and refusing to participate in life in DC is pretty fine, and the email almost makes her sound like she would rather be in a classroom than on the trail with her husband. Nevertheless, though his emails are generally spark-free, this email really gave us a glimpse into the vice-presidential couple which was very much needed.

Michelle Obama is also a periodic contributor. She never refers to Barack as her husband and echoes her admiring, yet never worshipful tone on the trail. What’s more, she leaves her pen-pals thinking: If Michelle Obama, as tough and intelligent as she seems, can fall in love with this man, maybe I can?

In all, these emails may be a little annoying when my phone buzzes in class to tell me to donate more money, but the slight discomfort is a very small price to pay for what is really being offered by the Democratic candidate. I can also take comfort in knowing that I was part of this movement, and I have letters, emails and text messages to show for it, as kind of treasure box of those days when we were making a difference. But I do wonder, what happens after November 4th? Because a daily email from barack@whitehouse.gov would be amazing and –dare I say it—change. -Melissa Bukuru