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COLUMNISTS
TODAY'S STORIES
21.02.2008
"Liberal Media!" Now Give Us All Your $$

How classic is this? I just got an online call for cash from the RNC with the message line, “Shameless Liberal Media.” The email reads, in its entirety:

Dear Republican,

The New York Times has proven once again that the liberal mainstream media will do whatever it takes to put Senator Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House.

From the beginning of Campaign 2008, liberal media pundits have fawned over the Democrat presidential candidates while ignoring their lack of substance on the issues.  You can be certain that as the campaign heats up they will continue to mislead voters with their anti-Republican agenda.

Republican, Republicans must fight back against the mainstream media's clear liberal bias -- and we need your help to do it.

Please make an urgent secure online contribution of $1,000, $500, $100, $50, or $25 to help the RNC get our responsible message of lower taxes, a strong national defense, and limited government past the liberal media filter and directly to the voters.Thank you in advance for your support.

Best Wishes,

Robert M. “Mike” Duncan

Chairman, Republican National Committee

Anyone notice anything odd? Chairman Mike goes on and on about the venality of the liberal MSM—but never mentions what exactly it is that the Times has done. Obviously, the RNC doesn’t want to detail the allegations being leveled at its presumptive nominee. But it tells you something about the committee’s view of its supporters that Duncan’s solicitation need not bother with even a cursory explanation of the Times’s latest transgression. (McCain’s name appears doesn’t even appear in the email!) Simply brandish the phrase “liberal media,” and the party faithful are expected to whip out their checkbooks, no questions asked.

--Michelle Cottle

Posted: Thursday, February 21, 2008 9:44 PM with 8 comment(s)

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CharlesFosterKane said:

Can we refer to you as "Republican" from now on? (my favorite sentence in there begins, "Republican, Republicans must fight back...")

February 21, 2008 5:03 PM

BryanRDC said:

"Simply brandish the phrase “liberal media,” and the party faithful are expected to whip out their checkbooks, no questions asked."

And they will. Baaaaaaaa!

February 21, 2008 5:15 PM

aculimic said:

I think "Republican, Republicans..." is proof that this is from a template that they send out maybe once a month.  That they reference the NYT is a happy coincidence.  Next time it will be Parade Magazine or Cat Fancy.

February 21, 2008 5:23 PM

Rhubarbs said:

Oddly, I'm on more right-wing mailing lists than left-wing mailings lists. I think it's because I subscribed to the History Book of the Month Club for about a week a million years ago. Anyway, point is that this kind of vaguely paranoid fundraising letter is absolutely boilerplate on the right. Anyone reading Republican-leaning direct mail probably believes that American civilization is a single $100 donation away from being turned into a godless socialist forced-abortion reeducation camp by the ACLU/gun grabbers/Democrats/liberal media/abortion industry/America-haters. Specificity might prompt the recipient to think about actual issues instead of cultural identity and fear, so explicit references to actual reality are always minimized.

I'm one of the only people I encounter at the shooting range who _doesn't_ belong to the NRA, and among the guys I talk to at the range it seems to be Pavlovian that when the NRA sends them an "urgent" fundraising appeal every other week, they've just gotta write that $25 check. If they don't, some combination of Marion Barry, Ted Kennedy, and the Chinese Communist Party might very well burn down their house that very night to confiscate their firearms.

February 21, 2008 5:23 PM

BHLnyc said:

Not only do they not mention what the NY Times did, they don't even mention McCain.

February 21, 2008 5:35 PM

phargle said:

Fundraising on our side, OTOH, is a picture of ethics and honesty, and would never stoop to cater to the biases of those who might donate, nor would it ever think of fear-mongering to get cash.  Nope.

Did anybody else hear that sound of crashing glass?  No?  Well, I guess we better get back to work.  These stones won't throw themselves, you know.

February 21, 2008 5:45 PM

www.buzzflash.net said:

Simply brandish the phrase “liberal media,” and the party faithful are expected to whip out their checkbooks, no questions asked.

February 22, 2008 8:18 AM

byron7 said:

The right sucks, but the left swallows.  Nobody on either political side of the isle has the right to bash the other for what is said in pursuit of campaign money.  What strikes me among the comments is the lack of criticism of the left's total hypocrisy in issues like education (I'm from N. California and the schools are totally run by the far left and are among the worst in the nation) as well as genuinely good criticism of the right wing in that they themselves are just as outrageously wrong on their own claims of opposition candidates from the radio perspective.  Both of the fore mentioned points are major money getters for the parties.  Also, both of the fore mentioned points are as ripe with total slim balls that participate in them as they are masters at feeding a political cultist exactly what they want to hear/fear in order to get the cash.

Be real people and show you actually have an educated mind and not just decent enough oratory skills to make people think you are educated.  Criticize both parties heavily and then maybe we'll get some real change in this country.

February 22, 2008 1:19 PM