Impassioned plea

I open my email this morning and there's a long message from a vaguely familiar name. It's dozen paragraphs long but I start to read it.

The first couple paragraphs explain that I've connected with this person in the past either through some hipster activities in the DC area or through blogging, and the author was going through their gmail address book and writing to everyone. It sounds extremely important; they sound honest and this sounds urgent, so I read on.

They apologize for the mass mail, but explain further that even though the author knows not everyone is politically involved, there's a bit of a crisis in Washington that they felt was important to share at this tumultuous time. The anxiety in the author's voice is palpable and I'm right there with him. "What is it he needs us to do? How can we help?" I ask myself as I continue reading.

The call to action comes in the last paragraph. The culmination of the email is that we friends of the author should check out a few youtube videos that will explain everything. I'm dying to know what they are about.

Genital Mutilation story from Africa?

Doctors Without Borders plea?!

Environmental disasters in China?!

I push play on the first video.

Ron Paul campaign ad. It's fucking Ron Paul. 12 paragraphs to spam every single person the author knows, all for a fucking Ron Paul ad. I look up at the To: line and see about 100 names, all starting with M, like mine. This douchebag sat here and did this by hand all day with his stupid Gmail address book. I've heard Ron Paul fans described as "crazies" and now I know why.