"Can we meet for dinner?" President asks in e-mail describing breakfast and lunch with supporters...After a morning e-mail inviting citizens to donate to his campaign to be entered in the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes, President Obama sent a second e-mail on the same subject this afternoon. It coincided with a big push for the event on the @BarackObama Twitter account. The subject line of the e-mail was "Friend, can we meet for dinner?"* As examples of his gustatory engagement with supporters, the President points to a recent lunch he had in Washington with campaign volunteers, and a lunch with small business owners in Iowa. (Above: An official WH photo of the President and his guests at lunch at Rausch’s Cafe in Guttenberg)
"Whenever I can, I want to take the opportunity to meet you," Barack wrote. "Last month, that meant I got to talk to folks in Iowa about small-business opportunities, and sit down with a group of volunteers from around the country who helped build this campaign in their communities this summer."
The President signed both e-mails "Barack." A photo of the Washington lunch with volunteers is being used as the logo for the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes.
A new tradition?
But while the President's first dinner e-mail promised that dinners with him are "a new tradition," and will be "a regular thing," in the second e-mail, Mr. Obama sounds a bit less certain that this might be the case.
"My hope is that I'll be able to keep doing these dinners throughout the campaign," Barack wrote.
The second e-mail also focuses on the fact that no potential GOP presidential candidate--so far--is raffling themselves off to raise campaign funds.
"These dinners also set our campaign apart," Barack wrote. "No matter what our opponents do over the next 14 months, dinners like these are how we will continue to put people at the heart of this campaign."
Both e-mails ask for a campaign donation, of course, and both end with the same line:
"Maybe I'll get to thank you in person."
No donation is needed to enter the sweepstakes.
As noted in previous posts on the topic of Campaign dinners with the President, so far, there's only been one other Presidential dinner announced by Obama for America, the "Dinner with Barack and Joe," which includes Vice President Joe Biden. And the winners of that sweepstakes, as noted in this post and in this post, have still not been announced, which is a violation of the Official Rules for the contest created by the Campaign itself. (Above: The logo for the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes)Both dinners with the President include airfare and and one night's stay at a hotel for winners. Campaign staff have given the "Dinner with Barack and Joe" package an "approximate retail value" of $1075, while Dinner II is pricier, at $1,150.
The text of Barack's second dinner e-mail:
Friend,
Supporters like you are the reason I'm here, and the values we share have always made our organization more than just a political campaign.
So whenever I can, I want to take the opportunity to meet you. Last month, that meant I got to talk to folks in Iowa about small-business opportunities, and sit down with a group of volunteers from around the country who helped build this campaign in their communities this summer.
Today, I want to ask if you'll join me and three other supporters for a meal and conversation sometime soon.
Please donate $5 or more to be automatically entered for a chance to join me for dinner.
If this sounds a bit familiar to you, it's because we've done this before. In fact, my hope is that I'll be able to keep doing these dinners throughout the campaign.
They're a chance for me to talk one on one with people like you who are taking ownership of this campaign and connect with the work going on every day in neighborhoods across the country.
These dinners also set our campaign apart. No matter what our opponents do over the next 14 months, dinners like these are how we will continue to put people at the heart of this campaign -- and prove that we don't need checks from Washington lobbyists or special-interest PAC money to win an election. We can do it person to person, in our neighborhoods and backyards, and over the dinner table.
That's why I'm asking for your donation today. I hope you'll take a minute to help build this campaign. When you do, you'll have a chance to join me for dinner:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner
Maybe I'll get to thank you in person.
Barack
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*Actually, here at Obama Foodorama, the subject heading was "Obama, can we meet for dinner?" because that's the name entered on our OFA account. It always gives the interns a giggle when the auto-generated "personal" e-mails show up addressed to "Obama."
*Photo by Pete Souza/White House, taken on Aug. 16, 2011
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