By Mike Dorning
GREENVILLE, S.C.—Hillary Clinton wants to make eye contact with you at the next presidential debate.
That is, if you are a lucky campaign donor.
“One of my favorite moments in any debate — like the one we had last night — is when I look out into the audience and make eye contact with someone I know,” Clinton wrote in an e-mail sent out to supporters this morning. “Sometimes it’s a friend, or a family member. Often it is someone I just met who shared their story with me.”
“Next Thursday, I want you to be that person,” She continued. “Would you come to an upcoming debate and be there for me in the audience?”
The campaign already has seen plenty of pitches to rouse interest from small-dollar Internet donors: Among them, box seats for a baseball game with Mitt Romney’s son Tagg, a pie recipe from John Edwards’ mother, and dinner with Barack Obama.
Now add the lure of a presidential debate, with eye contact from Hillary Clinton included.
“Enter before midnight Saturday,” the pitch continued, “and you and a friend could join me at the January 31 debate in Los Angeles.”