"It'll be fun, but probably a little bittersweet, too," says Mrs. Obama...First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday sent her first email about the current 'Dinner with Barack' sweepstakes, the sixth from Obama for America. President Obama emailed supporters yesterday; the deadline to enter is Sept. 25, and the dinner contest will supposedly be the final one offered from the campaign. Three winners will be chosen, and each can bring a guest. Mrs. Obama has not been formally announced as part of the contest dinner, but she's on OFA's logo promoting it.
"The last dinner of this campaign is coming up," Mrs. Obama wrote with a request for $5. "Not only is this Barack's last campaign, but it's also the end of a long tradition."
Mrs. Obama noted that the President--who "loves" the dinners--first raffled himself off as a dinner date in the 2008 election cycle, and thus the last dinner he'll ever enjoy with supporters might be emotional.
"It'll be fun, but probably a little bittersweet, too," Mrs. Obama wrote.
The President in his email also insisted it's the last dinner contest: "This is our last opportunity to sit down together before the end of the campaign," he wrote.
The prize includes coach-class airfare and a one-night hotel stay, with the approximate retail value of $1,600. It's taxable to the winners, who must also pass background checks and agree to be used in campaign promotions throughout all eternity. Donations are not tax deductible.
There's an alternate "free" entry page for the dinner contest that's required by law. But all of the winners who dined with the President at the five previous contest meals and the four celeb-guest dinners with Michael Jordan, George Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, and former President Bill Clinton made donations. The contests have helped dump loads of money into the President's war chest, but OFA won't specify an exact amount. The Clooney dinner last May was credited with a $15 million boost for the President.
Mrs. Obama was included in the fifth Dinner with Barack contest, and joined the President and his winners at DC's Mintwood Place restaurant in August. She also attended the third contest dinner, held at DC's Boundary Road restaurant in March of 2012.
CLICK HERE for all posts about the previous dinner contests.
The subject line for Mrs. Obama's email read "The end of a campaign tradition."
The text:
XXXX --
Every couple of months, Barack gets to have dinner with supporters like you -- and he loves it.
But now that we're in the final stretch, the last dinner of this campaign is coming up.
So please give $5 or whatever you can to be automatically entered for your seat at the table.
It'll be fun, but probably a little bittersweet, too.
Not only is this Barack's last campaign, but it's also the end of a long tradition. He held the first of these dinners early on during his first presidential campaign.
So don't miss this last chance to join Barack for dinner. You'll get to bring a guest with you, and we'll cover the airfare and hotel, too:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner
Thanks,
Michelle
##
