In my business career, I often wrote about generosity. I worked for a wonderful company that offered an online fundraising platform for nonprofits and schools. It was very gratifying to know that we were helping many of these organizations grow and thrive. Our CEO at our regular monthly meetings would remind everyone just how much money had been raised on our platform. That felt great.
I have always thought that generosity is rewarded if not in thanks then perhaps with karma. But in the heat of this election campaign, I am starting to wonder. I feel that I am being punished for my generosity. Will the emails and the texts ever stop?
Here is my best illustration of what is going on. I have given money consistently to the democratic party, not always with a strategy, but when I have been moved to do so. I really REALLY want Kamala Harris to be our next president. So a few weeks ago, I gave some money to Sherrod Brown, the senator from Ohio. From all accounts he is vulnerable and his senate seat is critical to hold onto to the democratic majority in the Senate. I have always liked Sherrod. I like that he stands up for the working man/woman and middle class. And I must confess that I like him even more now that I have discovered the spectacular writing of his wife- Connie Schultz. (You can find her on Substack at Hopefully Yours. I love just about everything she writes and she often writes about Sherrod.
So it was in that spirit that I was moved to donate $25 to Sherrod Brown. The next day, I got EIGHT emails from his campaign. Seriously? What fresh hell is this? How can they actually think this is a good strategy? And not only that, their messaging was suggesting that he was behind in the polls. I shared this with one of my politically savvy friends who sent over an article from that very day from the New York Times about how Sherrod was up 4 points over his competitor. Okay. So not only are they bombarding me with emails to give more money, but they are distorting the facts. I was so annoyed that I actually wrote to his campaign to complain.
This is why people distrust politicians. I’m sure there is some bright political-digital-strategist who has mapped out an email campaign strategy that includes the emails designed to strike fear in our hearts. I don’t doubt that they think they are doing what needs to be done to bring this thing over the finish line, but if this doesn’t feel punitive to you, it sure does to me. I am being punished for my generosity.
As a career marketer, I’m sure there are good strategic reasons for everything that they are doing. But as a girl who lives in Vermont and does theatre for fun, they are losing my loyalty.
I’m just sayin…
I’ve stopped counting the endless parade of emails from… Jane Fonda, James Taylor, James Carville, Debbie (my fellow Swifty?), Barak, Michelle, Doug, Tim….. and on it goes.
So I unsubscribe, I hit delete, I hold my nose and pray for it all to be over. As I bemoan trying to come up with a strategy for giving that makes sense, my husband shared his strategy. He told me that he gives to no-one. I guess that’s another way to do it. When I really need to manage my anxiety about the state of the world, I listen to Pod Save America. I love those guys. They make me laugh and they give me hope.
November can’t come soon enough
Perry, I’m in total agreement with you. I too have been pummeled by emails after giving to several email campaigns.
Well, at least the emails will stop now. Hopefully. Until the next round.
I agree totally. I've had that experience so I did what your husband recommends and stopped giving. But knowing that I would be bombarded I still have to the Harris Campaign. It's a sad commentary on where our politics have landed. I too can't wait for it to be over and I PRAY that Kamala and Walz win.