Dewy for State Senator or Whatever

I've (unfortunately) discussed American politics a few times before on the blog (example). I don't really like to because (i) despite a majority of readership hailing from the United States, we also have a bit of an international presence from Canada and other countries and (ii) I just hate politics in general.

At the same time, I'm pretty good at understanding what drives politics. My formal education includes degrees in economics, political science, and law. I've been able to predict the results of presidential elections with 100% accuracy so far (including 2016, when basically every major news source predicted things going the other way). I've even written a short story that has been called "[a] great statement on the state of our politics." I don't like to brag (well, maybe I do a little), but I say this to say that this isn't just some random speculation from an annoyed voter (though it is also that).

Pictured: Putting on the political hat today!

Before we get into everything, I want to be unequivocal: If you can, you really should vote for the Democrats in this presidential election. They are the lesser of the two evils. They will at least honor process (for the most part) and keep things roughly constitutional.

I'm also predicting that Kamala/Walz will be winning this election. Back when it was Joe Biden heading up the ticket, my prediction swung the other way (and I think the Democrats figured that out, which is why he dropped out).

But over the past month or so, I have been absolutely BOMBARDED with emails from the Harris/Waltz (Democratic) campaign, asking for campaign contributions. October isn't even over yet and I've received 213 emails this month, even after telling them to slow down on October 4th (for an average of almost 8 emails per day).

Pictured: An annoyed Dewy's email to the Harris/Waltz campaign.

I don't mind them emailing me in general; it's kind of expected during this season. What I do not like is the frequency and messaging. And it's annoyed me to the degree that I've decided to complain about it on here.

Quite frankly, if they campaigned differently I don't think this would be as close a race as it is. This plays right into the narratives of the opposition and disillusions people from voting. Again, I still see the election going their way overall, but they really aren't helping their case.

Also, to be fair, a minority of the emails were asking me to volunteer my time. So I guess that's what I'm doing right now. You're welcome Kamala.

Pictured: The website that things direct to.

One of the first issues that I have is how the campaign emails are not about why you should vote for Harris/Walz but frames the entire election about defeating Donald Trump.

I've heard next to nothing about what they actually want to accomplish if elected; just that they don't want Trump there. This is troubling because I'm basically voting blindly and counting on the general Democratic platform instead of knowing what is going to be a focus in this next administration.

But why believe me when I can show you hard data? After surveying the 213 emails I got this month, here's some reference points:

Messaging	Quantity of Emails	Percent (Approximate)
Donald Trump Must Be Stopped or is Outspending Us	113	53.0%
What Kamala Will Do	8	3.7%
Both	11	5.2%
Neither/Other (such as sweepstakes to get a personal call from Kamala)	81	38.0%

Another troubling point is how much campaign contributions have been emphasized. On one hand, I get that campaigns need money to function. But I don't like how much money has been emphasized as the way that elections are won. It feels... grimy.

Here are a few quotes from recent emails that illustrate my point:

• "We are at the point of the campaign where budget is everything. And if we have the budget to reach these voters, we're going to win." (October 25 at 4:44 PM, Subject: Is there ANYTHING at all we can say? AND October 19 at 8:06 PM, Subject: Is there ANYTHING we can say?)

• "Your donation could be the one that helps us win." (October 25 at 2:38 PM, Subject: Short note from Texas)

• "... there is nothing more important than making sure we have the resources to ramp up our efforts..." (emphasis in original, October 24 at 2:02 PM, Subject: If everyone reading this donated even $5, we would reach our daily fundraising goal in the next hour.)

Also, they're quite bossy:

• "Please contribute $47 directly to Kamala Harris's campaign for president today. Do it to help us catch up where we're being outspent. Do it before the end-of-month deadline. Just do it today. (October 26 at 5:29 AM, Subject: We are being outspent)

• "We checked our records and couldn't find a recent contribution on file for you." (October 25 at 9:46 PM, Subject: Deeply concerning)

• Some email subject lines were a personalized "re: [Dewy]'s donation history" (October 24 at 8:06 PM), "[Dewy]'s donation history..." (October 21 at 9:38 PM) or "[Dewy]'s record →" (October 16 at 11:15 AM).

Again, let's take a broader look at what is being asked for.

Request/Call to Action	Quantity of Emails	Percent (Approximate)
Money	179	84.0%
Time/Volunteering	22	10.3%
Both (Money Emphasized)	3	1.4%
Both (Volunteering Emphasized)	6	2.8%
Neither/Other	3	1.4%

And, because visual data is fun, here are some pie charts!

Pictured: I hope you're in the mood for some pie!

Money is so emphasized, it's brought up more often than beating Donald Trump. Given our earlier data, that's really impressive (or it would be if it wasn't horrifying).

Moving on to some nits I have that I noticed while going through the deluge of emails:

• They throw in that I am a "top supporter", a "most loyal supporter", a "critical member of our team", "one of our campaign's most valuable grassroots supporters" or "one of our most dedicated supporters" around so lightly that it doesn't mean anything (especially because I've done absolutely nothing).

• Repeated throughout many of the emails is that "Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the underdogs". In reality, they're the INCUMBENTS. That's about as far from "underdog" as you can possibly get.

• The below graph is used in a few emails where it is called "our fundraising over the past few days" on October 7 at 4:16 PM, October 11 at 8:11 AM, and October 15 at 12:47 PM. So which days does it cover? No way to know, but it certainly can't be all three at once. The same graph was called "our fundraising from earlier in the month on October 13 at 6:03 PM and a "screenshot of ActBlue" on October 22 at 10:10 PM.

Pictured: The impossible fundraising chart.

Also note the lack of axis labels, so there is no way to contextualize what you are seeing.

I, on the other hand, show the underlying data for my pie charts. Just saying. *sips tea*

However, moving to the most unsettling point I'd like to make: Asking for my vote was never mentioned. It was assumed. In fairness, there was one email telling me to "get ready to cast [my] ballot" and a few asking if I was registered to vote. However, those were not asking for my vote but telling me to vote so I could vote for them; an important distinction. Instead, the emails shamed me for not having made a donation and repetitively brought up my "record" and asked "Will you make your first donation today?"

The answer is no. I don't want to reward this kind of campaigning.

***

Oh, yeah! The title of this article. If any of this resonated with you, I'd like to ask for your vote (and not your money). Don't worry, it won't be taking away votes from candidates who actually need it. Here's what you can do:

Step 1: Find a candidate who is running unopposed like the State Senator for New York (they will likely win no matter what).

Step 2: In the "write-in" space, just write Dewy (no last name; just Dewy).

Step 3: Be happy that you voted for an actual underdog and are sticking it to the man in a fun and non-harmful way.

If you do decide to vote for me, I'm truly honored. A vote is the most precious thing you can give a candidate. Thank you for yours.

Pictured: Dewy for whatever!

EDIT on 10/30/2024: The emails have not let up. But I noticed something in an email from yesterday. The same chart showed up, again being said that it was "over the last few days."

Pictured: The same chart with different colors. The email was from 10/29 at 7:26 AM for citation purposes.

Given that they have used the exact same chart throughout the month for the same point, this is demonstrably a falsehood. I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it but COME ON.

FURTHER EDIT AFTER ELECTION DAY: Whelp, there goes my 100% accuracy. Not thrilled with the result, but I do have faith (for better or for worse) in the American government's structure no matter who happens to be at the head. Plus I'm lucky enough to live in New York (and New York City specifically), so I should be somewhat insulated from the effects. My heart goes out to all those who are not in that position.