An op-ed in my local paper yesterday essentially condemned legendary NYC punk venue, CBGB, supporting its owner's eviction, all because of "a criminal-sized number of e-mails."

Evidently, the editorial staff at The Jersey Journal (I get the Jersey City edition) is pissed off by the "ill-advised effort to generate support for CBGB" by club supporters who have "spammed editorial address for months." CBs, which has recently been served an eviction notice and has been putting on related benefit concerts, is in danger of being turned into additional housing for the nonprofit homeless advocacy group that takes up the rest of its building. As a result of the over-zealous email campaign, the editorial came out against the club as it struggles to remain in its home on the Bowery. And, it seems as though if it weren't for the email onslaught, the Journal editors wouldn't be so resentful towards CBs. As noted in the editorial, "Their effort was so obnoxious that in this opinion it is better to house the homeless than to reward this sophomoric mentality." Ouch.

And in related commentary, NPR's coverage of the John Roberts hearings touched on the subject of lobbying editorial staff via email. During a lag in the hearings, NPR's legal affairs correspondent, Nina Totenberg, mentioned the large amount of communications she's received from groups advocating for or against the nominee for chief justice. The way she figured it, big political events like a Supreme Court nomination are the raison d'etre for many issue advocacy groups. After all, these events help solidify support around a timely, relevant issue, and of course, help garner donations in the process. Totenberg didn't seem especially impressed by the efforts to get her editorial attention. In fact, she referred to such groups' arsenals of emails and other efforts to push for their side as "mutually assured destruction." (Kinda like a nuclear option, I guess?)

I don't want to disregard the positive impact that email advocacy or letter writing efforts can have, but these instances add to other examples of inattention and even disdain for mass emailing and related large-scale advocacy efforts. The last thing organizations want is for lawmakers and media-decision makers to grow tired or even resentful towards their supporters and viewpoints.