My Mail From Mitt

Now, that's a mondo-fantastic dollar string for sure, but this is the most bottom-line minimalist piece of campaign fundraising mail I've seen yet this cycle.

Most of the reply device is a blue half-tone photograph of President Obama frowning as he stands outside the White House, printed behind a headline and subheads about Americans suffering and things getting worse. The return envelope is plain canary, printed blue with the Romney campaign font and a D.C. P.O. box. The backflap includes a line about contributing online with the same URL spelled out in the letter — the most stand-out piece of political mail I've seen in some time.

And from the Obamas

As Mitt Romney seems to be camped out in my mailbox, during the same time frame I heard from the president only once (he and the first lady have e-mailed, however). The president's one letter arrived in a metered closed-face white No. 10 with "President Barack Obama" printed in the cornercard in navy blue. "DSCC" and a Washington, D.C. address are on the backflap.

Inside, a two-sheet, four-page letter describes how the election is a choice and spells out those choices in language that is consistent with the president's messaging, although in this case he is writing on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Most of the package is not remarkable; it's a classic offer we've all seen, one that works in large part because of the signer.

One component stands out, though, a little tent-fold cardstock insert titled "Senate Democrats: Advancing America." The inside is printed with "Key Democratic Victories: What we've accomplished, and what's at stake." It's a nice little takeaway, handy talking points for the next time you're arguing politics at the next family get-together, I suppose.

With many weeks between now and Election Day, I suspect I haven't heard the last from either White House contender, but I'm ready. And it should be interesting, for sure.