November 28, 2007

New Scandal: Obama Can’t Decide on a Favorite TV Show

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obama-maaah.jpg According to TV Guide, which did a survey of the presidential candidates to identify their favorite TV shows, Barack Obama prefers M*A*S*H* and The Wire.

Except on Facebook (login required), Obama lists his favorite show as Sportscenter.

This is a HUGE issue. Stop the presses.

Actually, don’t. Some junior staffers screwed up, no biggie. But let’s try to get it straight, guys.

More seriously, though, Obama messed up in a recent speech when he claimed (1) Bush never traveled abroad prior to being elected, and (2) the deficit will be twice as high upon Bush’s exit as it was upon his entrance. Both are false, according to the WaPo‘s very good FactChecker feature.

This post was basically an excuse to use this sentence from TV Guide, which obviously doesn’t try to hide its priorities: “The complete “Presidential Candidate Edition” column is in the Dec. 3 issue of TV Guide (Desperate Housewives’ Dana Delany is on the cover).”

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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