[geoffschmidt]

If you're a campaign manager, the reason you run a "sign my petition" appeal like this is usually to build up a mailing list, not because you think anyone with power will actually care much about your petition. Petitions are cheap.

Then you execute step two, where you leverage that list to get people to do things that you think will actually affect the issue, like making phone calls (to legislators or to voters) or sending in money for media buys.

It is true that getting all that email is irritating. But if you're the average busy citizen, the best way to help is to find a group of organizers you trust, get on their list, and then do the little bite-sized things they ask you to do.