My email in-box these days is crowded with big-name Democrats who seem to be on a first-name basis with me:

“I need you, Brandt,” writes President Obama.

“Let’s get this done, Brandt,” says Vice President Biden.

“I’m begging you, Brandt,” pleads Nancy Pelosi.

“We’ll fly you to meet the president, Brandt,” offers the Democratic Campaign and later apologizes, “I know we’ve sent you a lot of emails, Brandt,” and even later scolds, “Your name is not listed, Brandt.”

Do they all seek my advice, my heart, my soul? No, you guessed it. They want my money, usually $5 or $10. Not much.

Obviously, these appeals are part of a sophisticated fundraising effort, which both parties use to raise campaign funds, relied on more by Democrats who make a special effort to reach average voters because they lack the battery of billionaires who fund the GOP.

There is something healthy about a party that reaches out broadly for small contributions from many voters as opposed to a few super-rich, each of whom contributes millions.

Fundraising operations for both parties are beyond the imagination of the average Joe. They take up floors of expensive buildings with battalions of workers manning telephones, Internet and iPhones, hurried meetings of campaign captains and a harassed field general overseeing the whole effort.

But there is a difference in quality and emphasis between the two parties in this election cycle.

Both parties rely on political action committees, outside the party structure to a certain extent, but the Democratic PACs are more coordinated than the Republican PACs, reflecting fractures in the GOP.

In the misty outer edges of the Republican Party, where the tea party lives, there has been a tendency to nominate candidates whose zaniness has outshone electability.

In past elections, the tea party’s decision to run unelectable candidates, such as Christine O’Donnell in Delaware and Todd Akin of Missouri, negatively affected the party, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The diplomatic effort — convincing tea party groups and their supporters that a traditional conservative is better than a Democrat — appears to be paying off in places such as North Carolina, where state House Speaker Thom Tillis “has a clear financial advantage” over more marginal challengers in the bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, according to the Journal.

In Colorado, the mainstream GOP persuaded tea party candidate Ken Buck to forgo challenging Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat, and instead run for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Cory Gardner, “clearing the way for Mr. Gardner to seek the Senate nomination,” the Journal said.

Diverting funds to insure that more mainstream Republicans are nominated has cost the GOP treasury, but not to worry. The battalion of billionaires lined up to support the Grand Old Party is enough to outspend Democrats.

Democratic and liberal outside groups have spent $77 million on political advertising, according to a report in The New York Times, but Republican groups have spent about $113 million, which includes some money by establishment Republicans to beat back tea party-like challengers.

The billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch have said they will spend $125 million, half of which will be used to support a permanent ground operation to support state offices and get ready for the general election.

It would be impossible to calculate how much the Kochs have raised and spent in their network of groups such as Americans for Prosperity because the source of those funds is secret and the press is not invited to their twice-yearly donor conference meetings.

You can imagine, however, how those meetings would go at, say, the Petroleum Club in Dallas. Charles or David would say, “How many want more regulation of their business and more taxes? Seeing no hands, we’re counting on y’all to match our $100 million-plus donation to the Republican Party.”

By contrast, what is it the Democratic outside groups want? Those groups back specific issues such as fair play for women and protection of the environment.

Two men are willing to spend chunks of their fortunes to put on the ground a perpetual campaign for their self interest, more than the support for women and the environment combined.

The choice is ours to make.

H. Brandt Ayers is the publisher of The Anniston Star and chairman of Consolidated Publishing Co. Write to him at P.O. Box 189, Anniston, AL 36202-0189.

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