by Phil Sparks
The mailer has been sent to thousands of households, from Georgia to Minnesota, and tells recipients that “strengthening our party for the (next)… elections will take a massive grassroots effort. As a key facet of our overall campaign strategy, the Republican Party is conducting a Census of Congressional Districts all across America.” The mailer misleads people by saying on the front of the envelope, in bold letters, that the mailer is a Congressional District Census. Above the recipient’s address the mailer says “Census Document Registered To.” There is even a “Census Tracking Code.” notice attached to the mailer.
(Click here to see a PDF copy of the mailer.)
And the object of the mailer itself? To raise money for the GOP. The mailer is straight from the Republican National Committee (RNC). What hypocrisy! This is the political party of Minnesota Republican Congresswomen Michele Bachmann, who urges her constituents not to fill out portions of the real U.S. Census form that will being arriving in mailboxes this year. She says the official census form is too invasive. Well, take a look at this faux effort by the GOP headquarters. The Republican survey asks 36 questions about political affiliation and recent voting activity. These are hardly subjects the real census would be asking anybody.
This is the party of Senator David Vitter, who introduced legislation to mandate that the Census Bureau doesn’t count everybody in America for purposes of Congressional reapportionment. The fundraiser asks recipients: “how much does it concern you that the Democrats have total control of the federal government?”
“The purpose of this document is to gather Republican opinion from across the country and raise a little money,” says RNC spokesman LeRoy Coleman. Unfortunately, this is an old GOP trick. In 2000, the RNC sent out a similar fundraising letter, disguised as a census form. The effort was quickly exposed for what it was– a scam on the American people. I guess the GOP figures that since 10 years have passed, they can gear up for another fundraising effort now that Census 2010 is ready to roll out. In the process, the GOP will tarnish the reputation of Census 2010.
In response to the scam, the head of the American Association for Public Opinion Research wrote to Michael Steele, head of the RNC, expressing dismay at this fundraising scheme masquerading as a Census 2010 form. He said, “there is potential damage to participation in the real Census if U.S. residents view the Census mailing as partisan or just another piece of junk mail.” I don’t think the GOP cares.
One Republican operative was quoted in the political newspaper Politico as declaring: “of course duping people is the point… that’s one of the reasons it works so well… they will likely mail millions this year.”
4 responses so far ↓
Richard Levy // February 2, 2010 at 3:16 pm |
This is a shameful ploy, to be sure. But what strikes me as particularly odd is the effect of this mailer might be to decrease Republican participation in the census. How many Republicans might think upon receiving the real census, “Hey, didn’t I already complete something like this? Why is the damn government bugging me again?” and be leery of completing the actual form…which would only serve to complicate non-response follow up and potentially decrease their inclusion in the headcount.
As a former Census employee and data user it saddens me so the extent to which a humble data collection effort — just asking people the most basic of questions to form the backbone of our information infrastructure — is chronically politicized.
Mary Ann // February 4, 2010 at 11:25 pm |
No worries, Richard…we know what the forms look like and we can READ so we can ensure we will complete the correct form…what’s shameful is 2.5 million for a super bowl ad and 13 billion for this project, it’s time to REDUCE all this WASTE.
Might be a good idea that liberals, leftists whatever you call them start caring about AMERICA or there is an alternative…go to France or Cuba if it’s so damn bad here – personally, I appreciate our nations history – good and bad, like me America isn’t perfect, so unlike the left, I guess.
Patty Becker // February 2, 2010 at 5:11 pm |
It would be a riot if I received one of these! I’d fill it all out, with my “left-wing” political views shining right out, and send it back in their postage paid envelope without any accompanying contribution!
It will be too bad if it decreases Republican participation in the census, since that will just increase costs in non-response folow-up. I’m more concerned that it might decrease response to the ACS!
Catching the Census Spirit (Or Not) « The Census Project Blog // February 16, 2010 at 11:24 am |
[...] the other corner we have … ummm, well, we have the Republican National Committee sending out an “Official Document” that is a fundraising appea…. We have House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) signing a similar plea for funds on behalf of [...]