The Obama campaign for re-election raised $42 million in the last quarter of 2011, netting donations from 583,000 people. That’s about seventy-two bucks each, which paints a pleasing picture—discrete pockets of humble, motivated citizens paypal-ing $70 after tucking in the kids. It’s 21st century Rockwell. But the reality show looks a little different. That program features nights like the one back in June, when the president came to New York for a little dinner with friends, or rather friends that had $35,800 to spare for their victuals. Back episodes include a similar shindig given in April by the wife of Jon Corzine—remember him?
A very unofficial survey taken this morning on the street in downtown New York posed this question: if you gave a person $36,000, would you expect something in return? Even a pair of nuns replied: God, yes.
