Politics

Why Your Mailbox Is a Chamber of Political Horrors

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nevada Sen. Harry Reid is “an illegal alien’s best friend.“ His opponent let insurance companies ”refuse to cover colon cancer tests.” In New Hampshire, the governor freed a man who “sexually molested a 7 year old.”

Oh, that campaign mail.

Even basketball star LeBron James is — unwittingly — part of the mailbox action. The player who spurned Cleveland for Miami is featured in an anti-handgun message in Ohio despite having nothing to do with that or any political issue.

Voters are being flooded with millions of pieces of political mail just days before they pick candidates Tuesday. The candidates, their allies — and certainly, their enemies — are using glossy mailers to convey some of the election’s harshest rhetoric.

“Reid’s policies have led to 14 percent unemployment, the highest in the country,” one flier from Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle says of her rival, the Senate’s top Democrat. “Nevada can’t afford Harry Reid any more.”

Below that statement: an angry looking Reid showing a cartoon of Mexico with “amnesty” written in it.

Reid fires back in a booklet contending: “Angle was one of only two votes allowing insurance companies to refuse to cover colon cancer tests.” He also tells voters that Angle opposed background checks to keep sex offenders away from children, wants to privatize the Veterans Administration and didn’t support protections for domestic violence victims.

“It’s direct mail — the bomb-throwing language always does well,” said Chris Maiorana, a Republican strategist who has designed Senate candidates’ mail programs.

Mail is by no means a new tool in campaigns and the final days always bring a pile of political paper as campaigns compete for the last undecided voters. Often, the most effective attacks don’t come from the candidates.

Americans United for Safe Streets, an anti-handgun group based in Washington, is sending 175,000 pieces of mail into Ohio with the image of James, whose dramatic abandonment of his hometown team in favor of Miami has left Cleveland residents sore.

What’s he got to do with guns and politics? Nothing, really.

“Florida took LeBron,” the flier says on its front. “What did we get in return?” The flier goes on: “They sent us 92 illegal guns and gun-toting criminals. And Richard Cordray is letting them do it.” That’s the Democratic attorney general. A study found 92 guns were recovered in Ohio crimes in 2009 that were traced back to Florida.

It’s merely one example of allied groups trying to influence the election with some dubious claims and associations.

In Wisconsin, where Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold is fighting to keep his seat, the state AFL-CIO has sent mailers attacking his GOP rival, Ron Johnson, as an “anti-worker, job-killing candidate for U.S. Senate.”

The mailer contends Johnson supported two liberalized trade deals that together cost Wisconsin more than 25,000 jobs. It doesn’t stop there. “Johnson compared Social Security to a ‘Ponzi scheme’ and supports a risky plan to gamble our retirement in the stock market. And if the budget gets tight, he’s willing to gut pensions.”

The state party also sent mailers for Feingold that feature a factory worker, looking stressed, an empty factory and the claim that Wisconsin “lost over 64,000 jobs” from the North American Free Trade Agreement alone.

Not exactly in step on the math.

In Indiana, state Democrats sent a campaign flier to conservative voters in the southeast corner of the state promoting the Libertarian candidate as “the real conservative” in the closely fought race. Democratic Rep. Baron Hill faces Republican Todd Young and Libertarian Greg Knott there in a toss-up between Hill and Young.

The mailing is aimed at persuading some conservatives to vote for Knott instead of Young. State GOP Chairman Murray Clark called the flier one “the most underhanded political stunts” he’s seen.

Then look to New Hampshire, where the social conservative organization Cornerstone Action sent mail to independent voters last weekend that features four mug shots of sex offenders who won parole from an early parole bill signed by Democratic Gov. John Lynch. Under photos of Lynch and the offenders: “Governor: NH ‘safer’ with early inmate parole.”

Never mind that most Republicans in the statehouse voted for the bill, too. Subtlety is not the strength of these efforts.

___

Associated Press writers Cristina Silva in Las Vegas, Deanna Martin in Indianapolis, Holly Ramer and Norma Love in Concord, N.H., Ryan J. Foley in Madison, Wis., and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.

Comments (30)

  • wash1776
    Posted on November 1, 2010 at 8:39pm

    If this kind of crap really does well, it is a bad reflection on our society. No one has a chance to address or disprove anything said about them. I personally detest the backbiting, backstabbing of these politicians. What they are proving is that they can’t run a decent campaign and are scared.

    Report Post »  
  • DRAGONSEED
    Posted on November 1, 2010 at 4:33am

    P.S. Scott,

    What happened to Liz?

    Report Post » DRAGONSEED  
  • DRAGONSEED
    Posted on November 1, 2010 at 4:29am

    Yeah, the whole thing is totally OUT OF CONTROL… 24/7 robo-calls blasting our phone machine, telling us who and what to vote for! 24/7 ads on TV blasting our eardrums, telling us who and what to vote for! 24/7 ads on radio blasting our brains, telling us who and what to vote for! And our mailboxes choked to death with asinine flyers and four-color-press print jobs (UNION, of course, BTW, who is paying for all this??), telling us what and who to vote for!

    –OUT OF CONTROL!

    We American voters will DECIDE FOR OURSELVES who and what we are voting for! So LEAVE US ALONE, for God’s sake. (We finally turned off the bell and the phone machine to get a little peace the final days of this run-amok election.) Can’t wait till this nutty election is over, and may GOD prevail at the polls!

    Report Post » DRAGONSEED  
  • independentvoteril
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 11:27pm

    I’d feel bad for the mail carriers but they are FEDERAL Employees..soon they will be able to collect early retirement claiming they put their backs out carrying all the political mail..that people THROW AWAY..

    Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • jakartaman
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 3:27pm

    Hey Al it’s not institutionalism – It’s because they did not graduate from High School. They were raised in a mother only environment and a lot of them have criminal records.
    The fundamental reason is the Democratic party and people like big Al giving them hand outs instead of a kick in the Arse. There are no free lunches Kids – someone is paying for them!

    Report Post »  
  • Miss_E
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 2:35pm

    Last night I slipped & fell because of a flyer the Democratic party dropped on my doorstep.
    Leaves blew over it & it was dark. Oh I was mad!!

    The stuff in the mailbox is bad enough, it’s the way the streetwalkers toss their
    propaganda that is annoying.

    Report Post » Miss_E  
  • Sage0925
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 11:22am

    I never bother reading any of that crap. Waste of paper…it goes straight into the woodstove. I knew who I was voting for long ago…I keep up with politics and politicians on the ‘Net…I don’t need to waste yet more time reading smear mail.

    Report Post »  
  • Flagwaver
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 10:55am

    Whenever I get a piece of mail from a candidate, it goes immediately in the round-file. I have little time for junk mail in my life.

    And for the love of Pete, stop thread-jacking with your personal stories.

    Report Post » Flagwaver  
  • LifeProject2012
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 10:12am

    Tuesday November 2nd is the National Day of Prayer. Tuesday evening, whenever the Republicans get enough seats to take over the House, please say the following Prayer:

    “Na na na na, Na na na na, Hey hey hey, Go-od Bye!” Repeat daily until January 2013!

    Report Post »  
    • MrObvious
      Posted on November 1, 2010 at 1:21am

      And add, the following chant: B H O has got to go, hey hey.

      Report Post »  
    • 3212Brandy
      Posted on November 2, 2010 at 6:43am

      LifeProject2012 & MrObvious = PRICELESS!!! LOL & Thanks for the much needed spot of humor!

      Report Post » 3212Brandy  
  • felina g
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:48am

    Liberals are horrified at juice boxes from the kiddies lunch box, but don`t blink an eye on the tonnage of placards etc. calling us Nazis. (see crap left at 10-2-10)

    Who makes those boxes anyway…….and the straws ?

    Report Post »  
  • Punky
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:41am

    I get a big piece of Russ Feingold or Ron Johnson cardboard in the mailbox just about every day. So far, I have read zero of them. I‘m saving them to use as campfire starter so they won’t be a complete waste.

    Report Post »  
  • 5
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:03am

    Freelancer, They took it back off smartass.

    Report Post »  
  • 5
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 8:40am

    “IN GOD WE TRUST” is not on THE NEW COIN DOLLARS WITH THE PRESIDENTS. if you care about our country “do not take these as change. for the next ten years they will be releasing 4 a year.
    IF EVER A REASON TO BOYCOTT this is it. DO IT FOR ALL THE PRESIDENT, OBAMA? not so much. I think He like them, but I know I will never hold one of these coins or carry one in my pocket.
    PLEASE LOOK AT THE LINK BELOW & LET THEM KNOW. TOGETHER WE ACN DO IT.

    THEY COME STEP BY STEP TO TAKE GOD AWAY AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY OUR MORALS ARE GONE or GOING AWAY. THE KIDS TODAY DON’T HAVE A CHANCE!

    http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

     
    • Nvrforget
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 8:55am

      Dude, I stopped reading at the third line. Your writing style is terrible. Please stop with the random caps, it’s extremely annoying.

      Report Post »  
    • Freelancer
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 8:56am

      Ummmm…. Did you even BOTHER to read your link? It completely destroys your comment and clearly shows “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the coin. They moved it to the edge to allow larger artwork on the coin face. DUH!

      Report Post » Freelancer  
    • 5
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 8:56am

      P.S. I’m sick of the DNC & RNC junk mail. I knew who I was voting for 30 years ago. I’m 52 and Reagan made Me the man I am today.

      President Ronald Reagan, “Goverment is not the answer to your problem, it is the problem.”
      JFK, “Don’t ask what (GOVERMENT) can do for you, but what you can do for your Country.”

      Report Post »  
    • Freelancer
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:00am

      I forgot to add that starting in 2009, the phrase WAS ADDED to the front of the coin by an act of Congress.

      Report Post » Freelancer  
    • 5
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:01am

      Nvrforget Dude, Your name is like a Morons so I never have read anything you wrote. Nvrforget F.O.They took GOD off the money you Lib/terd. Holy Crap you sound like an Old Lady that hasn’t been laid right in 20 years.

      Report Post »  
    • Freelancer
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:04am

      Sorry there 5… Reagan didn‘t make you stupid so don’t blame it on him.

      Report Post » Freelancer  
    • MAULEMALL
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:09am

      Don’t be a douche…
      Look at the edge of the coin then check out the first coinage minted in America…

      You made yourself look STOOOOOPID…

      Report Post » MAULEMALL  
    • MAULEMALL
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:13am

      http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

      Heres your proof and heres your sign

      Report Post » MAULEMALL  
    • Freelancer
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:21am

      I know that this may be difficult for you, but scroll down toward the bottom and look at the coin. The first few years had “IN GOD WE TRUST” engraved on the edges. Starting in 2009, it was moved back to the front. The explanation is clearly listed on the page but the first few paragraphs were EXAMPLE emails circulating maing the FALSE claim that the phrase was removed.

      Report Post » Freelancer  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 9:22am

      @Freelancer

      Good point about him appenrantly not reading the complete article. Also this Letter bobing with the propaganda is to put it simply a mega size annoyance. Both sides and their dubious allies seem to love just making loosely tied togeather facts look like reality.

      Wonder if on Wed the 3rd the Progressives will send out fliers asking of America “What happened?”

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Cricket
      Posted on October 31, 2010 at 10:08am

      Wow how did this get so far off track? I’ll put in my 2 cents…People who don’t understand how to use the information on the internet need to take a class, or just don’t need to try to use the information.
      Quote from Snopes:

      Claim: New U.S. Dollar coins were designed with the motto “In God We Trust” omitted.

      (big red dot) FALSE

      or

      Claim: New versions of the Lincoln Cent will omit the motto “In God We Trst”

      (big red dot) FALSE
      (end quote)
      Seems like 5 you are on the wrong side of this argument….

      Please don’t believe all of the e-mails that you get. If it’s a forwarded e-mail it’s probably false. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet…

      Report Post »  

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