A summary of US politics

[Kluge]

I received this in my spam box today from the US GOP. It is legit. I didn't bother carrying the links over, but wherever you see the special sock offer, there was a link there.

"[recipient name],

I don’t know what your guilty pleasures are in life, but one of mine is socks.

I’m a self-proclaimed sock man. The louder, the brighter, the crazier the pattern -- the better! It’s usually the first thing people notice I’m wearing whenever I’m out in public and that’s the way I like it.

So when Chairman Reince Priebus asked me to write to you on behalf of the Republican National Committee (RNC), I told him I’d be happy to do it. But on one condition: my letter to you had to involve socks.

I’m proud to say the RNC has commissioned a limited-edition pair of socks in my honor. Embroidered with the Republican elephant and my signature on them, they’re sure to get you noticed.

You can get your own pair today or as a gift for your favorite Republican by sending a special campaign contribution of $35 or more to the RNC now.

[recipient name], it’s important you act now on this offer. Chairman Priebus assures me these will go fast since only a limited number were produced -- and the RNC needs your immediate support to lay the foundation for victory in the critical 2014 mid-term elections.

As a former RNC Chairman, I know that nothing is more vital to our Party’s success than a strong and well-funded RNC.

And I understand the difficult challenges Reince is facing as he works to build and prepare our Party to elect Republican majorities at every level of government in November.

Republicans are up against an opposition that is willing to do, say and spend whatever it takes to expand their hold on power. The Democrats are desperate and determined to fully implement ObamaCare and force their agenda of higher taxes, more spending and less freedom on the American people.

Of course, the liberal special interest groups and the mainstream media will do their part to help the Democrats win back the U.S. House and retain control of the U.S. Senate. Nothing has changed in that respect since I left the White House.

But what has changed since I was in office is the way the RNC is preparing for the 2014 mid-term elections.

Our Party has made it a priority to have a permanent presence in EVERY state and EVERY community earlier than ever before in an off year election.

The RNC already has staff in nearly all 50 states. Their efforts to reach out and connect with new voters precinct-by-precinct, block-by-block is vital to growing our Party and setting the stage for nationwide Republican victories.

But our Party cannot succeed unless good friends and steadfast Republican supporters like you play an active role in helping the RNC provide the resources and tools our candidates need to run winning campaigns.

With your financial commitment today, I’m confident Republicans can strengthen our Majority in the U.S. House, reclaim control of the U.S. Senate, and elect more governors and state legislators this November.

So please take advantage of this special offer to get your very own pair of limited-edition socks embroidered with the Republican elephant and my signature by making your generous online gift of $35 or more to the RNC today.

[recipient name], thank you for your friendship over the years. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

George H.W. Bush
 

P.S. [recipient name], I am deeply touched the RNC has chosen to make a limited-edition pair of socks with the Republican elephant in my honor. I hope you will get a pair for yourself or as a gift for a friend by sending a special campaign donation of $35 or more to the RNC today. Your contribution is vital to helping elect Republicans from the county courthouse to the corridors of Congress in the critical 2014 elections. Thank you."

[Chef Ramsay]

Let me guess, they say, "Read my lips, no new taxes" on them. Guess they blew their wad fighting against Tea Party and liberty types in taxpayer funded primaries recently and now they've called on their throwback boy to do a pitch to the diminishing party base. If I were inclined to donate to the RNC (which I'm not), I'd just send them the money and tell them to hold the smelly socks. While I'm a republican party delegate in my state and county, I only hold membership dues in my district's party. Until the state and national leadership starts recognizing and accepting that the party base wants a turn away from status quo garbage, I'm withholding. I only donate to politicians or candidates in the mold of Rand Paul and Justin Amash but I will show up to the state conventions to vote for legitimate national delegates and/or when state party leadership is up for election.

Finally, everyone of us US BTC liberty types need to attend their county conventions and get potentially elevated to delegate or alternate status so they can join the likes of me to help foster leadership change which affects endorsements for public office holders, donations from district parties as well as help push through resolutions like those attempting to gut the primary system in favor of a intra-party caucus-convention where taxpayers don't foot the bill nor can establishment goons use their corporate lobbyists to funnel big money into state and federal races to sway elections against the grassroots' picks. Case in point, the big schmucks are trying to unseat Rep Amash yet again and are pouring corporate money into the race for the benefit of the "business'' republican that is up against him. Meijer and Home Depot, among others, has big money going in on this. In a caucus, the sitting rep would be judged by party delegates as to whether or not his voting record jives w/ the platform and then if it didn't, he'd be dethroned as the nominee and someone else put in his or her stead. This happened at the Utah GOP state convention in 2010 when sitting US Senator Bennett was kicked to the curb and current Senator Mike Lee was nominated and subsequently elected in the general. This is how we clean house and it needs to happen everywhere.

[Ron~Popeil]

It is long past time for the libertarian wing of the GOP to step up and take a leadership role. I generally vote republican while holding my nose because the opposition is even worse. Rand Paul would be the first republican I could vote for with a clear conscience. 

[Elwar]

When it comes down to it, we form opinions based upon the information we take in.

The politicians have to raise money in order to pay to get their message in front of as many people as possible so that those people will form a positive opinion on that candidate.

The fact that the vast majority does not do research on the candidates on their own leaves them the short amount of time to form their opinions on the candidates based upon things like TV commercials.

It is those who are not willing to do the simplest of research from fairly unbiased sources that cause politicians to beg for money, promise favors and skew their principles just so that they can get the funding to put their message out in front of people.

Fix that simple problem at its source and you will fix US politics.

[bryant.coleman]

It is long past time for the libertarian wing of the GOP to step up and take a leadership role. I generally vote republican while holding my nose because the opposition is even worse. Rand Paul would be the first republican I could vote for with a clear conscience. 

It is an extremely tough task. The Libertarian faction of the GOP is a small minority within the Republican Party, with the religious nuts constituting the overwhelming majority.

[Satan666]

It is long past time for the libertarian wing of the GOP to step up and take a leadership role. I generally vote republican while holding my nose because the opposition is even worse. Rand Paul would be the first republican I could vote for with a clear conscience. 

Don't worry.  When you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil.  For that, I must thank you.

[Chef Ramsay]

It is long past time for the libertarian wing of the GOP to step up and take a leadership role. I generally vote republican while holding my nose because the opposition is even worse. Rand Paul would be the first republican I could vote for with a clear conscience. 

Don't worry.  When you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil.  For that, I must thank you.

At some point it boils down to a self defense vote but I generally agree. I mostly log protest votes for the Libertarian guy but there are some decent local republicans that are worth my vote though my district leans democrat. Typically, I focus on different races throughout the country that have a libertarian leaning republican running for an open seat against that of an establishment guy, for instance and locally here in MI-8 CD: current Rep Mike Rogers (the pro-NSA surveillance police state motherfocker) is retiring to spread his nonsense on the radio waves so the former speaker of the state house Mike Bishop is his pick to take his spot. We got state rep Tom McMillin running here and he's got a good squad of volunteers and part of the national liberty political donor community backing him. So, we got Rep Amash on the west side as our solid liberty Ace and another potential Congressman in McMillin. These open races have great potential for adding to our liberty portfolio in Washington DC. But this one in particular, there's bragging rights on the line and it would be a referendum on the NSA since both candidates are diametrically opposed on this issue.

[Satan666]

It is long past time for the libertarian wing of the GOP to step up and take a leadership role. I generally vote republican while holding my nose because the opposition is even worse. Rand Paul would be the first republican I could vote for with a clear conscience.  

Don't worry.  When you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil.  For that, I must thank you.

At some point it boils down to a self defense vote but I generally agree. I mostly log protest votes for the Libertarian guy but there are some decent local republicans that are worth my vote though my district leans democrat. Typically, I focus on different races throughout the country that have a libertarian leaning republican running for an open seat against that of an establishment guy, for instance and locally here in MI-8 CD: current Rep Mike Rogers (the pro-NSA surveillance police state motherfocker) is retiring to spread his nonsense on the radio waves so the former speaker of the state house Mike Bishop is his pick to take his spot. We got state rep Tom McMillin running here and he's got a good squad of volunteers and part of the national liberty political donor community backing him. So, we got Rep Amash on the west side as our solid liberty Ace and another potential Congressman in McMillin. These open races have great potential for adding to our liberty portfolio in Washington DC. But this one in particular, there's bragging rights on the line and it would be a referendum on the NSA since both candidates are diametrically opposed on this issue.

As long as you continue to have faith in and continue to participate in the political process, I'm happy.

[Chef Ramsay]

It is long past time for the libertarian wing of the GOP to step up and take a leadership role. I generally vote republican while holding my nose because the opposition is even worse. Rand Paul would be the first republican I could vote for with a clear conscience.  

Don't worry.  When you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil.  For that, I must thank you.

At some point it boils down to a self defense vote but I generally agree. I mostly log protest votes for the Libertarian guy but there are some decent local republicans that are worth my vote though my district leans democrat. Typically, I focus on different races throughout the country that have a libertarian leaning republican running for an open seat against that of an establishment guy, for instance and locally here in MI-8 CD: current Rep Mike Rogers (the pro-NSA surveillance police state motherfocker) is retiring to spread his nonsense on the radio waves so the former speaker of the state house Mike Bishop is his pick to take his spot. We got state rep Tom McMillin running here and he's got a good squad of volunteers and part of the national liberty political donor community backing him. So, we got Rep Amash on the west side as our solid liberty Ace and another potential Congressman in McMillin. These open races have great potential for adding to our liberty portfolio in Washington DC. But this one in particular, there's bragging rights on the line and it would be a referendum on the NSA since both candidates are diametrically opposed on this issue.

As long as you continue to have faith in and continue to participate in the political process, I'm happy.

As long as the state exists and we have families, friends and neighbors who hold it in some regard, it's what we have to deal with. I'm perfectly aware of the voluntary alternatives but society as a whole won't shift into intelligence until the likes of BTC and crypto frees them from it, likely w/o them even knowing about it. So many people are just living their lives the best they can under the given circumstances that they have no time outside of their hobbies to up their participation or education level in the political process. It's like pulling teeth to get most people to understand the issues writ large yet it's the political money that buys mailers and tv ads to give these low info voters the tidbits of information they use to vote on. Problem is, their votes as a whole affect me and mine so it's incumbent on those that favor liberty related issues to hedge their wallets for donations to politicians or candidates that advocate for the right things but also can have an impact w/ a winning chance at election and reelection. We all know the entrenched special interests use their PAC money against us so if we chill, we lose w/o even a fight. That's why I'm happy to have a guy like Rand Paul in the mix who's been fine tuning the liberty message for wider consumption that is mostly bullet proof from media demagoguery.

[Gimmelfarb]

i work in fundraising/campaign law and end up getting lots and lots of very similar spam emails. they are often sent out by less-than-ethical campaign consultants/strategists, and it's hard to say that that this one was actually authorized by the GOP... seems unlikely.

[Kluge]

i work in fundraising/campaign law and end up getting lots and lots of very similar spam emails. they are often sent out by less-than-ethical campaign consultants/strategists, and it's hard to say that that this one was actually authorized by the GOP... seems unlikely.

They are indeed selling the stupid socks on their website, fwiw. http://www.gop.com/act/george-hw-bush-socks They look like what I'd imagine Gay Pride socks would. I'd guess it was "proxy-authorized" by someone allowed to "handle spam." I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse.

HW obviously didn't write that. -Or he's in mid-stage Alzheimer's with a case of the I-just-don't-give-a-fuck-anymores. Even candidates I'm quite fond of have obnoxious and obviously fake emails.... very disappointing. It would be kind of interesting if the alleged fundraiser came out and distanced himself from this kind of ghost-written spam. Has that ever happened before? They're kind of pigeonholed... HW wouldn't want to cause a controversy. Maybe they pay him some kind of %split from donations off the email's reflinks? Would be interested to hear how that generally works.

[zolace]

i work in fundraising/campaign law and end up getting lots and lots of very similar spam emails. they are often sent out by less-than-ethical campaign consultants/strategists, and it's hard to say that that this one was actually authorized by the GOP... seems unlikely.

They are indeed selling the stupid socks on their website, fwiw. http://www.gop.com/act/george-hw-bush-socks They look like what I'd imagine Gay Pride socks would. I'd guess it was "proxy-authorized" by someone allowed to "handle spam." I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse.

HW obviously didn't write that. -Or he's in mid-stage Alzheimer's with a case of the I-just-don't-give-a-fuck-anymores. Even candidates I'm quite fond of have obnoxious and obviously fake emails.... very disappointing. It would be kind of interesting if the alleged fundraiser came out and distanced himself from this kind of ghost-written spam. Has that ever happened before? They're kind of pigeonholed... HW wouldn't want to cause a controversy. Maybe they pay him some kind of %split from donations off the email's reflinks? Would be interested to hear how that generally works.

yea no doubt there are proxy accounts I heard someone else had made this accusation on HW.  Ill see if I can find it.  Im sure they hired people to do this also.