Does this mean anything? I got "commemorative invitation" to Obama inauguration

[panAmerican]

Quite unexpectedly, I got an invitation in the mail yesterday to the Obama inauguration. I have no political ties whatsoever. I was simply one of millions of people who logged on to Obama's website and made phone calls, and I had a fundraising page on his website.

But the caveat is the 2nd page that reads in part "This commemorative inviatation invites your presence at any of the public events in what will be the most open and accessible Inauguration in American history."

I was not planning to go at all - should I reconsider?

[peace13]

1. That's cool!

I hope I get one.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. It isn't a "real" invitation, any more than a commemorative coin is real currency

It is a souvenier, basically. Note that the only things it lets you into are things that are already open to the public. It is a pretty spiffy souvenier, though.

:hi:

[Connie_Corleone]

3. "Commemorative" is the key word.

Probably more symbolic than anything.

[bunnies]

4. Seems like they're inviting you to the stuff that doesnt require invitation.

Kind of strange if you ask me. A 'commemorative' invitation?

'Commemorative' coins are worthless.

[countingbluecars]

5. I got one too.

I think it is a very nice keepsake.

[Retrograde]

9. I didn't, but I did get one for Bush's 2001 shindig

Why, I have no idea since I've never been a registered Republican. They wanted several $1000, though, which may be why.

I decided not to take them up on it :-)

[panAmerican]

6. ok, that's what I thought.

Glad I didn't get my hopes up.

[Historic NY]

7. They wanted to sell me the invitation picture frame....

whats with that.

[VolcanoJen]

8. Got mine today!

I am one of the lucky people who received actual Inauguration tickets from my congressperson; I had to send them my information a few weeks ago, and they told me the actual tickets would not be mailed but that I should pick them up at their office on Monday, Jan. 19th.

So when I got the Invitation in the mail today, I assumed it was just tied to that.... maybe not?? I was also an Obama volunteer, so maybe they sent them out to all of us! I hope so.... they're very cool and everyone should have one!

[Zomby Woof]

19. Got one today too

It's frameable! :D

[VolcanoJen]

20. Totally frameable!

But... are you going to DC?

[Zomby Woof]

22. Alas, no

:-( Gotta keep the wallet tight. But our nephew is going! He and his group from the school he works at got invitations shortly after the election. We INSIST on pictures and a full report!

:hug: JJ!

[Occam Bandage]

10. It doesn't mean anything; it's just inviting you to go to the parts that require no invitation.

It's just a nice keepsake and nothing else.

[otohara]

11. I'm Framing Mine

and watching all day from my couch,

[ronnykmarshall]

12. Me too

[Beaverhausen]

16. yep- we are too

It really had us going for a while ..."Is this a real invitation or what?"

[Uzybone]

13. I just got mine

I know its relatively meaningless...but it sure made me smile for close to an hour.

[blogslut]

14. While it is a lovely bit of paper...

Sadly, it is nothing more than an attempt to convince you to purchase the commemorative doodads included in the small brochure that was also within the envelope. I got one as well and it's very pretty. :hi:

[goclark]

15. Got one too ~

They didn't have to send anything but the AD for the other items.

I appreciate them thinking of me.

[Beaverhausen]

17. Since this is the first time I donated money to a candidate who WON

I was at first surprised at all the swag and at how nice this souvenir is, but I guess when your candidate wins, you get this stuff.

[DesertRat]

18. I got one too

When I saw the big envelope, I'd hoped that it was a picture of Obama that I could hang up in my classroom. No picture, but I do like the commemorative invitation. :)

[rebel with a cause]

21. Did a google and this is the positive things I found

about the invitation. My daughter had found more things today on it when she did her search but evidently I am cursed by the Google God and this is all I could come up with. Hope this helps everyone out, and you can go to the links if you want to read the negative comments. :shrug:

A small Staten Island company has been entrusted with mailing 1 million invites to what promises to be the year's biggest party: The inauguration of Barack Obama as this country's 44th President.
Prompt Mailers Inc. at 66 Willow Ave., Clifton, received word just before Christmas that its strategic business partner, Precise Continental in Brooklyn, had won the bid to produce the gold and black engraved commemorative invitations, and that Prompt would be doing the mailing.

<snip>

Since Harry S. Truman's Jan. 20, 1949 inaugural, the printed invitations have had the same look. However, this year, the invitations were printed on cream colored recycled paper, with the traditional inaugural seal at the top in gold.
In black script, the invitation reads: "The Presidential Inaugural Committee requests the honor of your presence to attend and participate in the Inauguration of Barack H. Obama as President of the United States of America and Joseph R. Biden Jr. as Vice President of the United States of America on Tuesday, the twentieth of January two thousand and nine in the city of Washington."

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1230902117247620.xml&coll=1

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Inauguration/Story?id=6551979&page=2

· You can't actually use it to get into the inauguration or official balls in Washington - it is a commemorative invitation, and it's a gesture of inclusion that continues the theme of inclusion present in Obama's campaign and transition process. On the accompanying sheet of paper, you'll see that it invites you to all "public events" in Washington on inauguration day (I think they'll have large video screens set up at various locations in Washington D.C. that day, as well as other events open to non-ticketholders) - basically, they just want people to feel like they're invited to share in the historic moment, whether in the capitol city or in spirit. It's not a marketing scam - it's put out by the real, official inaugural committee. The merchandise in that little pamphlet is put out by the inaugural committee, and the proceeds are used to fund the inaugural events, as money from PACs, lobbyists, and corporations is not being accepted (the same standards Obama had for his campaign contributions.)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090109111352AAQ4VEr

It's a shame some of you are so disappointed about receiving an invitation, but for what it's worth 1,000,000 of these were produced and mailed out to many and varied people, not all of which were contributors to the campaign.
Invitations almost identical to this have been sent out for decades now, with the same highest quality printing and gold seal, but for the first time regular common folk like you and I are now privvy to this once elite only distribution.
I for one will be framing mine with a view to handing it down to future generations.

http://relationshaping.com/2009/01/07/obama-inaugural-invitation.html

[ecstatic]

23. Are you guys sure it's not real?

:cry: