open letter to "mrs. obama"

today i got a note from the DCCC supposedly written by mrs. obama:

I need your help.
Barack is working hard on the issues that matter to so many of us, but there's only so much he can do on his own. The truth is, in order for him to keep moving this country forward and finish what we started, he needs leaders in Congress who are willing to work alongside him.
And for that, he needs you.
Will you sign your name and commit to vote for Democrats who will fight for you?
Today, organizers all across the country are reaching out to voters to talk about the importance of this election. Together we want to reach 1 million new commitments to vote in 2014.
It's a big goal, but I know we can get there if everyone does their part.
Click here to let me know that you're committing to vote in 2014.
Just think about what we can accomplish together with a big Democratic victory.
We can promote equal pay for women. We can raise the minimum wage. We can pass immigration reform. We can ensure that women are free to make their own decisions about their bodies and their health care.
But in order for us to do all of this, we need to get organized, get mobilized, and get to work electing a Congress that will fight for us and our families.
Take the first step: Commit to Vote today.
Thanks for being a part of this.
Michelle

dear "mrs. obama",

i don't notice that the president is doing all that good a job working on the things that are important to me and so many of the people i know.

for instance, i don't notice that he's done anything to close guantanamo, or to stop the torturing of prisoners in american custody. i do not notice that he's done anything to stop or even place limits on the mass surveillance of american citizens by our own government. i have not noticed a decrease in the brutality of the police or the prison system. i have not noticed any policy changes to step away meaningfully from the war on drugs, the war on young black men, or even just the war.

i have not noticed that the affordable care act has truly and unequivocally benefitted anybody but the insurance industry, and i do not notice any attempt to reign in the gross profiteering, environmental damage, and disregard for life and safety by the energy industry.

the only thing i think we can credit him for is jumping on the gay rights bandwagon once it was already rolling, and mostly declining to decrease the possibility of 52 percent of the population to have a chance at equal pay, equal healthcare, and equal rights under the law.

so, uh, good job?

bottom line: while i will absolutely commit to voting in the next election and every election, you can't really count on my support. if i HAVE to vote for your husband's people because i simply have no better alternatives, i will.

that's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

love, flask