Democratic campaign commitees' ridiculous, over-the-top email fundraising appeals have become a running joke of the 2014 cycle (example: "We're on the verge of the Dem-pocalypse"). The latest one from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, via Zeke Miller, is perhaps the most ridiculous yet:
Why is the DCCC using these silly-seeming tactics? According to the Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe, it's because they've been tested extensively and they seem to work:
Democrats also say they aren't worried about the risk of backlash - because the messages appear to be working. The DCCC has outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee by about $33 million this cycle, thanks in part to $50 million in small-dollar donations from the party faithful - most of them collected online. On average, the DCCC's online donors give $18 in response to an e-mail, Ward said, and they usually give more than once.
It's also worth noting that, since Democrats have no chance of taking back the House of Representatives this year, the DCCC may have to resort to tactics like these to get donors to care. At the very least, they've succeeded in providing some material for a funny Jon Stewart segment: