photo credit: Photo-Mojo

OK, this is just a small observation but it stood out to me. We’ve heard time and again about the “small donor” and how they are revolutionizing politics. Just now I received an e-mail from the McCain campaign celebrating last nights victory, the Senators triumph in grabbing the nomination and of course asking for money. The interesting thing is the dollar amount, which starts at $50.

Now if you travel to the campaign Web site you will see that the suggested donation amounts start at $25, which is the typical amount you see in these solicitations. With that in mind, let me quote the e-mail:

My friends, I write to you today because I know we have a great challenge ahead of us. This campaign will be more expensive than any other in our history and I ask you today to support my campaign by making a generous contribution of $50, $100, $250, $500 or $1,000.

To McCain’s credit he isn’t asking for just a regular donation but a GENEROUS donation, so in this I can see putting the $50 in as the first amount. It could simply be that this e-mail really does target those Americans with more $$$, maybe the idea that Republicans are all wealthy is true, I don’t buy it though. Many Republicans are just like you and I, they don’t have luxury cars or travel first class. Fifty dollars, especially in these economic times, is still a good amount of money and counter to the “small donations” idea that has been fueling the success of online campaigning.

I think about people who are in the later part of the baby boomer generation too. They might honestly read that e-mail and think “I don’t have $50 to give” and not donate because they genuinely believe that is the asking price, the place where campaign contributions have to start. I know that concept seems foreign to us political geeks but it could be true. Many people I talk to haven’t the slightest idea how the nuts and bolts of politics work. In my time helping people out with computer problems, many people read an e-mail and either think it is gospel truth or formulate conclusions I would never come to because they don’t understand the subject being discussed.

So again, nitpicking here and perhaps the next non-GENEROUS asking will contain $25, but small donors can do a lot to help McCain, you just have to reach them. Maybe set the goals slightly lower and see what you get.