So I get back from a "vacation" of sorts and sort through my mail. The Democratic National Committee has sent me a survey! It's urgent! The president is waiting for my response. He needs to know if I want him to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, create jobs, and protect Social Security and Medicare. That explains the golf outing. He's waiting for my instructions!
As I have been a donor to the DNC in the past, it's probably pretty hard for them to figure out if I want the president to work on those things, right? A lot of DNC donors want the wars to continue indefinitely, want the economy to tank, and are eager to slash and destroy Medicare and Social Security. Good thing they sent me this survey!
But before I get to those important questions, I get the opportunity to answer a full page of questions about my view of the Republican Party. Honest, neutral, statistically valid questions like these:
Do you believe that congressional Republicans will act in the interests of everyday Americans or in the interests of the special interests that supported their election?
Do you believe that congressional Republicans will seek to obstruct further progress by gumming up the gears of government as they did after the 1994 elections?
Hmmm. Let me think about those. Those are really tough calls. No wonder the president is waiting for my response.
Next, I get to rate the president's performance in 4 areas: the economy, health care, energy, and foreign policy. (Seems to me three of those are the same. Stop the emphasis on petroleum and you'll see big improvements in foreign policy and the economy. And if we fix health care for good with a single payer system the economy just might start booming again.)
My choices are Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor. There is an overall performance question, too. Gee, I hope the president isn't too offended if I give him only a Fair rating. You know, I'm so emotionally distraught and angry now about all that Republican gumming up maybe I should mark Excellent, just to show support.
A ranking of priorities are listed next. Can I just give a "1" to everything? Nope. I guess not. I'll skip that section.
Oooh, look! On the back page! Four lines to give my written comments, followed by almost a full page of donation options. I better write my comments in big, bold letters so they don't miss them in their rush to transcribe my credit card number.
Better yet, maybe I'll just send them a note and say the same thing I've been telling them on the phone. I no longer give to national committees. I give to individual, progressive candidates who don't have to ask if they should save Medicare. Yes, I will vote for President Obama, but if you want my hard-earned Wisconsin dollars, he had better start showing some guts like the Wisconsin 14 did earlier this year.
And I'm not stupid or a child. You know what I want. Just do it. I no longer pay in advance.
12:24 PM PT: Just got back from the noon hour sing-along at the Wisconsin Capitol. No violence today. No Tea Party flags. Just singing and solidarity. A couple state senators joined in for a bit. Now THAT is what democracy looks like, Not some phony survey and a plea for cash.
Are you listening, Washington?
Now off to spend a couple days with my wife for our anniversary.