Letters from the Candidates

Within hours of Herman Cain announcing that he is 'reassessing' his candidacy, my inbox lit up with emails from the different campaigns.

Here are some clips (paraphrased only when specifically stated) and direct quotes from the candidates themselves.

Jon Huntsman Jr
Subject line: Romney, Gingrich in Sight

Good news! The latest New Hampshire poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports has our campaign rising to 11% among likely voters. It wasn’t too long ago that this same poll had Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and Rick Perry ahead of us; now they are in our rear-view mirror.
This confirms what we’ve been seeing in our townhalls and events across the state: voters are responding to our positive message of bold solutions and consistent, conservative leadership. From Washington to Wall Street, we need to restore trust in our nation’s institutions of power. Just this week, in fact, I became the only candidate to unveil a sweeping financial reform plan to end “Too-Big-To-Fail” and protect taxpayers from future bailouts.
With this rise in polls, we need new funding...

Newt Gingrich
Subject: A Different Kind of Campaign
Bold and italics added by me

It is truly a blessing to witness the intelligence and perseverance of the American people as I travel our great nation. The people who are standing with this campaign have rejected reality TV politics, and they hunger for the kind of nuanced debate worthy of our national history. Our team set out to create the most substantive campaign in modern history, and we have succeeded. The depth of the details outlined in the 21st Century Contract With America appeal to an electorate ready for an honest discussion on the challenges we face. I am grateful that you have chosen to engage in that discussion, because the problems we face are so challenging that I am going to need your support long after we win this election.

This is a critical moment for our campaign, as voting starts in less than five weeks and, to secure the nomination, we need the resources necessary for a robust get-out-the-vote effort. As always, I pledge that every penny contributed to this campaign will be used to advance an honest campaign that the American people can be proud of. There will be no :30 attack ads against my friends who are also seeking the Republican nomination; I will focus my criticism on President Obama. Will you help this historic campaign secure the nomination by making a generous contribution today?

That is one interesting and gutsy promise he is making there. Let's hold him to that, shall we? No attack ads against other GOP candidates. 

Rick Perry  Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Subject: Secure the Border in Just One Year

They call me America’s Toughest Sheriff. I don’t tolerate illegal activity. I don’t coddle criminals. And I refuse to sit idly by while Washington turns a blind eye towards illegal immigration and border security.
As Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, I know that our porous southern border puts all of America at risk. It’s time we had a president who knew that, too.
That’s why I support Rick Perry for president, and I hope you will join me.
Unlike other candidates, Rick Perry has never been the choice of the political establishment, never been a paid lobbyist and never served in Congress or an Administration.  He is the true outsider… the right man to bring desperately needed change to Washington.
No candidate has done more to secure the border than Rick Perry. As governor, he directed nearly $400 million in state tax dollars to secure the border with more boots on the ground.
As president, Rick Perry will stop illegal immigration and drug smugglers with a massive increase in manpower, including National Guard troops and thousands of new Border Patrol agents.
He will deploy new technology like predator drones, order federal officials to build more strategic fencing and end the dangerous Obama catch-and-release policy that allows thousands of illegal aliens to be released on American streets.
With Rick Perry as president, we can secure the border in just one year.
If you agree that America needs a president with the courage to stand up to the status quo in Washington, and a commitment to keeping America safe, I hope you will join me in supporting Rick Perry for president.

For some reason this letter really fails to impress me. First, I think it is just that saying Rick Perry, who failed to secure the border in Texas, will be able to secure it as President. Second, a sheriff? That's the best they could do? Sure, he's a famous sheriff, but that's not necessarily a good thing. He's just a sheriff. We're talking the next leader of the entire United States, one of the most powerful men in the world, who makes a significant impact on history, and will be known around the world for generations, and their big gun is a sheriff? (Disclaimer- I do support border patrol and law enforcement.) At least they didn't also use the expression "generous donation."

Michele Bachmann
Subject: Consistent

The race for president is constantly changing. Every day the liberal media reports a different front runner, a new breaking story in the race, and new positions from each candidate. There is only one consistent conservative in this race.
The other candidates can talk the talk, but I am the only one who is actually “walking the walk." I am not in politics for my personal benefit — I am a public servant because I know and believe Americans deserve better. I am the only candidate who has been fighting on the front lines since the day President Obama took office.
I am the only true conservative running for President. In order to run a winning campaign and reach millions of Americans in every corner of our nation to spread our campaign’s message of constitutional conservatism, I need your immediate support. Please follow this secure link to make a donation of $25, $35, $50 or more.
There is no question that this election will decide the future of our nation. America needs to change its course, and this election could be our last hope to do just that. We have an opportunity to elect a strong candidate who will enact our conservative values in Washington. We cannot afford a candidate who will flip-flop on the issues and say one thing but do another.
Last week I was honored by the supporting words of my friend, Glenn Beck, when he announced on the air that he would vote for me in a presidential primary.
"There is somebody I think that is exceptional and truly comes the closest to embodying the spirit of Lincoln or Washington in this field. And I believe that it is Michele Bachmann."
Your involvement is absolutely crucial to my ability to win. I need trusted supporters like you to help me raise the money needed to reach out to voters across Iowa...

I'll be honest, if this letter had said "help me raise the money to win Iowa so that I will still be in the race when Virginia votes" I'd send in money. I don't care about voters in Iowa. I find most of them corrupt and ignorant to the needs of the rest of the United States. I care about Virginia. So no, Michele, I will not send you more money to spend on TV ads in Iowa. 

I am signed up for emails from all of the campaigns, but this is all I've received since the Cain announcement.
Also, for the record, I kept the fonts the same as the emails. Michele Bachmann's really did come across that small.