Again, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Obama have a fantastic fundraising quarter. He’s the incumbent, he has no Democrat primary opposition, he’s done a ton of fundraisers (often several per week) and his campaign is pulling out the stops. But tell me if you see a certain help-help-we-need-a-surge-to-avoid-bad-headlines tone to the latest message:

Friend –

If you’re planning on donating to this campaign at any point in the next 16 months, you should do it now.

Tonight at midnight is not just your last chance to enter the “Dinner with Barack and Joe” contest, it’s also a hugely important fundraising deadline for this campaign — the first time we’ll report on our progress to the public and the press.

The next few hours are critical for us. Please donate $5 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner

Come next fall, people might not remember this date — or make the connection between the strength of our campaign then and the steps we took in these early months. But anyone worth their salt in politics knows tonight is one of the most important tests we’ll face as a campaign this year. Let’s hit it out of the park.

Thanks,Messina

Jim Messina

Campaign Manager

Obama for America

Really? Obama needs a donation now as opposed to later this year or at any point in 2012? Tonight is one of the most important tests they’ll face this year?

Call me crazy, but I think the most important tests will come in the first Friday of every month, when the new unemployment rate figures are announced…