Below is the text of an email I just received from the Democratic National Committee:

Friend —

I’m out here in Denver, Colorado visiting the site of the Democratic National Convention, and there is excitement in the mountain air.

Folks are working hard on Barack’s plan for a truly open convention. It will be a historic event, and you can be a part of it.

If you make a donation in any amount before midnight on July 31st, you could be selected to travel to Denver for the last two days of the convention, including the final event — Barack’s acceptance of the Democratic nomination for President before 75,000 people.
Ten supporters will be selected from all over the country, and each will be able to bring one guest. We’ll provide airfare, accommodations, and two days of convention activities — including a private meeting with Barack before his historic speech.

Our team shot a short video of the stadium to give you a sense of the event. Watch the video and make a donation of $25 today, and you could go Backstage with Barack:

https://donate.barackobama.com/backstage

Supporters like you are the reason this campaign has been possible. We are thrilled that some of you will be able to celebrate what you accomplished with us in Denver.

But we have a long way to go, and Barack can’t do this without you.

Thanks,
Steve

Steve Hildebrand
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Since when have presidential candidates been referred to merely by their first names? And has a campaign ever offered potential contributors a prize vacation package to a party convention, replete with a “private meeting” with the candidate before his “historic speech?”

I had always known that the Obama campaign has subsisted, to a large extent, on the celebrity power of its candidate. But this brings the vacuousness to a new level.