A couple of days ago I highlighted this story about the GOP in CT having their twitter accounts shut down by twitter for violating the terms of use that prohibit impersonation. They thought that impersonation was a free speech issue.
Now comes word from Georgia that the “…Republican Party is sending out a political mailer disguised to look like an official U.S. Census survey.” The disguise is quite deliberate as you can judge for yourself.
Nixon would be proud.
Please share widely!
But there isn’t even a molehill. That mailer immediatly identifies itself a Republican Party mailer — twice. Then, from the content, one can ascertain that the initial identification was accurate based on the questions. If that didn’t tip you off, the request for donations to the Republican Party that comes at the end of that mailer would CERTAINLY give it away.
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p>Also, to get mailers like that, one must normally participate in some sort of even or submit their mailing address to the Republican Party. They don’t send them to everyone. Thus, the “what kind of Republican” are you question.
And you seem to miss the larger point. Deceptive marketing practices, like calling this fundraising mailer a census, are symptomatic of a larger problem in the Republican party. Fake tweets, too? What’s next? Buying congressional seats off the backs of matchbooks? Draw Max the Bunny and win a senate seat?
It is completely open and honest about what it is. Even calling itself a census* is accurate. The US Government does not have a trademark on the word, and the Republican mailer doesn’t make any attempt to fool you into thinking it’s a US Government Census.
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p>Have you ever even seen a census form? The last one doesn’t look ANYTHING like this mailer.
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p>* While fundraising is important, knowing the age, gender and other demographics of donors is crucial when designing an ad campaign for elections or issues. People who donate are more likely to vote, thus knowing how to target those people with ads is invaluable.
better suited to a pull-out ad in the TV Guide.
Commercial interests with something to sell have also been known to send out very official looking notices.
I want to know how many people check off “unsure” for the 08 presidential election on question 3.
On the envelope it is marked as an Official Republican Party Document or something. It went into the trash without me opening it, so I can’t scan it in.