Is Barbra Streisand’s Plea for Democrats a Stroke of Genius or Sign of Desperation?

For reasons that are known only to the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the National Security Agency, I
routinely get fundraising emails addressed to Gayle. This
latest pitch comes from Barbra Streisand via Rep. Nancy Pelosi
(D-Calif.), the former Speaker of the House who did such a bang-up
job that she and the Democratic majority were sent packing after
just four years in the driver’s seat.

Over the past few months, but especially over the few weeks, the
amount of DCCC spam I’ve—I mean Gayle—has been getting is through
the roof. I don’t know if that’s a sign of brilliant persistence or
flop-sweat desperation.

Most indications are that voters have largely tuned out the
midterms but that GOP candidates have an
“enthusiasm edge” among the few of us not paralyzed by Ebola
hysteria who still plan on voting. That’s despite Democratic orgs
such as the DCCC and its Senate counterpart
handily outraising Republicans.

Or maybe it’s because of letters such as the one signed
by Babs below. If the Dems are raising beaucoup bucks via such
efforts, they’re obviously doing something right. Then again, it’s
hard to quantify the costs of emails sent to the wrong targets
(such as me-as-Gayle). Do such misfires actually cause
non-committed people to actively turn against the sender and her
cause? Maybe.

Then again, it might just be the Dems are struggling only
because of the generally awful performance by President Obama
across a wide array of issues. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is
also terrible. None of that takes away from the intense
unlikeability of congressional Republicans, but it does heavily
mitigate the GOP’s negatives.

Here’s La Streisand’s case for supporting Democrats in two
weeks:

From: Barbra Streisand

Dear Gayle

Have you seen Congress lately? It’s a mess. And it’s only going
to get worse if people like Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers
continue to treat corporations better than people.

That’s why I wanted to make sure you saw President Obama’s
call-to-action. Just this week in Texas, voting rights were
dismantled, essentially blocking minorities and many students and
seniors from voting.

Whether you know it or not, in the past 6-years we have seen
huge progress under President Obama. Unemployment is at the lowest
level since before President Obama took office, before the Great
Recession started. The deficit is rapidly dropping and is just 2.8%
of GDP — the lowest since 2007.

And thank God for President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which
has helped millions of people around the country gain access to
health care.

Additionally, he has championed equal pay for women while
Republicans try to take away long-term
unemployment insurance and kill a minimum wage
increase.

There is still so much more we can do. And that can only be
achieved with an active Congress, not an obstructive one. That is
why it is so important to support Democratic
candidates.

I’m asking for your help. We have to act now. There’s only a few
days left. We’re running out of time and money.

DCCC page.