Friends,

I have just received the most mendacious piece of mail I think I’ve ever received. It is a Republican “Census Document Questionnaire”, posing as a “survey”.

Some of the questions:

“Do you support President Bush’s initiatives to promote the safety and security of all Americans?” (Of course everyone wishes to promote safety and security; do I think the two wars, alienating our allies and spying on library check-out lists is the way to do it?)

“Do you support the use of air strikes against any country that offers safe harbor or aid to individuals or organizations committed to further attacks on America?” (Of course everyone opposes countries that do these things. Do I think bombing them is the best way to ensure safety and peace? Hardly.)

“Do you support President Bush’s tax plan recently passed by Congress to create more jobs and improve the economy?” (Of course everyone wants to create more jobs and improve the economy. Do I think tax returns to the richest Americans and bankrupting Social Security in the future is the way to do it? No.)

“Do you agree that teaching our children to read and decreasing literacy rates should be a national priority?” (Of course everyone wants these things. Do I think the president’s policies are the way to do this? No. Schools are worse off now than they were before Mr. Bush was elected.)

And on and on. I will not trouble you with the rest of this document. But I do want to share with you what I have written back to the Republican National Committee, using the pre-paid envelope the “survey” came in:

“Sirs:

“I have never seen questions so carefully designed to deceive and gain only the information desired, and I am appalled at what has become of the Grand Old Party that I used to be proud to belong to.

“I find very many current Republican stances to be exclusive, prejudiced, and polarizing, and I am deeply dismayed at the clear take-over of the party by hard-line, far-right demagogues who desire to shove narrow-minded policies down the throats of good Americans.

“As a result of your “survey” I am herewith sending a $50 contribution to the Democratic National Committee, just as I have previously send money to Governor Dean. I plan to send an equal sum to the Democratic Party, and later to their chosen candidate, every time the Republican Party embraces another exclusionary policy seeks to deceive the American public with something like this “survey.”

“Sincerely yours, etc.”

I urge others to do something of the same sort.

Nat

Do you support lying about a war that has killed thousands of people?

Do you support job losses of 3 million people?

Do you support high unemployment?

Do you support record deficits?

Is so, we thank you for your support of Pres Bush.

How did you get this particular piece of mail? Did it come directly to you or to someone who used to live at your address? If it came to you, you would have to be on some sort of mailing list that would at least seem to be fertile ground for Republican donors. They don't send these things out to just completely random addresses. Of course, it's always a gamble, but this type of letter is not going to be sent to, say, The Nation's list of subsribers, or for that matter the New Republics, since it would be seen as too "moderate" for the true believers who contribute to direct mail appeals.

For what it's worth, the Democrats send out exactly the same kind of letters, as do "non-partisan" advocacy/interest groups. It's a common direct mail technique, and McA of the DNC has promised to significantly increase the dems presence in the direct mail market. So maybe you'll get one from the Dems too.

Sounds like the R.N.C. is plenty worried to me, as well they should be.

I get fundraising letters all the time from the DNC for my big whopping $25 check I sent to Hillary Clinton in 2000.

Now I just open them for the extra mailing labels

Oh, please. The purpose of this "survey" is not to get anybody's opinion but to raise money. Repubs, Dems, everybody does this. Are you honestly saying that if the RNC was not "worried," they would suspend all fundraising operations? That's just absurd. The RNC would be sending this stuff out whether they are worried or not. I can guarantee you they sent something like this last year, the year before that, the year before that, the year before that, etc.

And for what it's worth, the RNC should always be "worried," as should the DNC, because at any given moment there are about a trillion things that can go wrong in any given campaign.

True that. I get these screaming things all the time from the DNC and toss them in the trash, both because the DNC in general doesn't do a damn thing to address the very issues they hystericize, and because I think Terry McAuliffe is as great a threat to Democratic and progressive electoral success as W and the Republicans. I've written him about 5 times and NEVER received even a form-mail response, so truly, he can shill elsewhere for a few dollars.

william said at any time there can be a trillion things that can go wrong in any campaign . You must be talking about the current state of Shrubs' campaign, right?

Sure, and everything's absolutely perfect with the Dems' candidates campaigns - they have no liabilities, no weaknesses, no faults, no nothing that could possibly stop them from winning every single state, right? Gee, must be nice to have no worries going into a presidential election.

I take it you're not heavily involved in politics...

[ September 25, 2003, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: William1865 ]

Funny survey. When I was working for a local politico, we did caller surveys that stressed our candidate's talking points and the opponent's weaknesses. Both sides do this, that is why I rarely trust polls. Even "unbiased" pollsters have to ask the questions a certain way.

The funniest one I have ever been a part of was in Virginia's most recent statewide election. The Lt. Governor's race was between a very conservative Republican backed by Falwell and Robertson (so fun to live in the same state as those two), while the Dem was a progressive guy from Richmond who actually was brave enough to say that one day he hoped the state would permit civil unions.

Anyway I answered the phone and a guy asked if I would take an independant survey. I love this stuff, so I said yes, knowing full well it would be slanted one way or another. After the normal first questions, are you a registered voter, etc., he asked whether I would be support or oppose a candidate that supported marriage for "the homosexuals". That floored me, wasn't expecting that question, but I said "support". The guy hesitated and said "Oppose?" and I said, "no, support." He probably hadn't heard that response from someone in my very rural and conservative area, because he got all flustered and could barely read the next question, something about supporting or opposing a candidate who was in favor of "special rights for the homosexuals". Of course I supported and he gave up, said thank you, and hung up. I hadn't had that good a laugh in weeks.

BTW, because he ran on the coattails of a candidate for governor, the dem lt. governor candidate, Tim Kaine, actually won, and he is setting up for a run for governor in 2005. He will face more of the same from the religious right, I fear, especially because of his support of gay issues.