Cruz tries to shame Iowa voters by sending out mailers with their personal information.

[denem]

Last edited Sat Jan 30, 2016, 07:01 PM - Edit history (6)

Source: Cow Generation (+ The Hill, Wapo)



Across social media, pictures of “Voting Violation” mailers issued by the Cruz campaign have been circulating.

The mailers include the party affiliation of the resident, along with their regularity grade of caucusing.

Labeled in all capital letters, one side of the card read, “ELECTION ALERT,” “VOTER VIOLATION,” “PUBLIC RECORD,” and “FURTHER ACTION NEEDED.” On the other side, in red letters at the top, the mailer said, “VOTING VIOLATION.” The text then reads:

“You are receiving this election notice because of low expected voter turnout in your area. Your individual voting history as well as your neighbors’ are public record. Their scores are published below, and many of them will see your score as well. CAUCUS ON MONDAY TO IMPROVE YOUR SCORE and please encourage your neighbors to caucus as well. A follow-up notice may be issued following Monday’s caucuses.”

Read more: http://cowgernation.com/2016/01/30/cruz-tries-to-shame-iowa-voters-by-sending-out-mailers-with-their-personal-information/

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(All but) informing citizens that they must vote is as much an offence as saying they must not vote. The Cruz Campaign has apparently confirmed that the mailers were real.

The envelopes received at people's houses are an affront to decency, the democratic process and the law.

ADDENDUM: "Your individual voting history (is on the) public record" ... many of (your neighbors) will see your score as well" ... "A follow-up notice may be issued following Monday’s caucuses.” WTF !!!

[TDale313]

1. Disgusting. n/t

[yeoman6987]

6. Speechless

I hope the results are
Ben Carson
Rubio
Trump
Rand Paul
Cruz


I hate Cruz the most out of all of them. Ben won't get traction. Rubio won't get traction at least not NH. Trump and Cruz will be hurt and that is needed. Remember 1 of these guys will win. Which one is the question. My scenario is best. Hope it works.

[StevieM]

8. Rubio, in some ways, is the most unethical candidate out of all of them. (eom)

[yeoman6987]

11. I hate Cruz so much that even Rubio can't be lower then him

I think our candidate can beat Rubio.

[persuadable]

15. Rubio is the one we are least likely to beat

[forest444]

35. In any other advanced country, someone like Narco Rubio wouldn't have been able to stay

much less run for office (and president at that!).

http://www.businessinsider.com/florida-senator-marco-rubios-brother-in-law-is-a-convicted-drug-trafficker-2011-7

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/30/marco-rubio-helped-brother-in-law-get-real-estate-license-after-prison-release-report-says/?_r=0

[persuadable]

48. But on the whole, you never hear about this

and you never will

[forest444]

49. Big media has, by and large, become accomplices after the fact.

Covering up fo the scandalous and growing influence of the drug rackets in both our evonomy and politics is a big part of that - plus, it's something a lot of people don't want to hear about anyway, as it's so depressing.

[StevieM]

62. I'm actually not sure about that. I think that Bush would be tougher.

Eventually, the voters will realize what a ridiculous clown Marco Rubio is.

I would rather run against Rubio or Christie than Bush or Kasich.

[persuadable]

64. Bush would be a pushover, he stands no chance.

He is old line establishment, and represents no change to Republicans, as Hillary represents no change to Democrats. The two just represent different types of no change.

People do not realize how far to the right Rubio is, he is seen as being young, handsome, and dynamic, a 21th century candidate. The Sanders youth vote may very well go to him. or sit this election out. People do not realize he was elected Senator as a Tea-bager. He has a great personal story, and many people think he is middle of the road, that is why he gets no support in the Republican electorate now.

Kasich would be tough, if this election was based on experience and qualifications, but it is not. But why are we even talking about this. After Monday, Trump will be the Republican candidate. and he may very well beat Hillary in this crazy election year.

BTW, I support Hillary because I believe in experience and a stronger foreign policy.

[cannabis_flower]

23. I don't hate all of them but..

I wouldn't vote for any of them.

I think Ben Carson is weird and crazy.
I hate Trump because he's crazy like a fox, evil and very smart.
Fiorina is an hateful witch.
I'm surprised I haven't heard Trump say that Christie is yyuggee!
I think Rubio (and Jindal was also) is slimy and weaselly.
Rand Paul is Libertarian only where it suits him.
Cruz is creepy and evil.

I don't agree with everything most of their positions but I didn't hate Lindsey Graham and I don't hate John Kaisich, although I might feel differently if I lived in Ohio or South Carolina. Heck, I don't hate Rick Perry even though I'm from Texas, but I thought he wasn't the brightest tool in the shed. I thought he was bad but Greg Abbott is 100 times worse.

Oh, I forgot Scott Walker, I thought he was boring and I had heard some bad things about him but I can't remember what it was. I think I put him in the same category as Rick Perry.

Did I leave anyone out?

[trillion]

59. I can't see any "smart" in Trump.

I'm not a tv watcher. I only really watch Democracy Now's daily news hour and Netflix and then listen to npr in my car.

So I missed The View entirely(if that is the show trump came from.)

When he showed up for president and started speaking I couldn't believe how utterly unintelligent and "unsmart" he was. I bet I'm right that daft Carson is brighter than Trump.

[Sunlei]

70. discusting & slimey but legal. Like what MLK said, "Remember, Everything hitler Did Was Legal"

many times just a few hundred votes win.

[noamnety]

2. Nothing could go wrong with that plan. (nt)

[valerief]

3. Can he be arrested for that shit? A violation!!! Maybe arrested for mail fraud?

Or is mail fraud legal now in the U.S.?

[jmowreader]

12. CAN and WILL are two different things

They probably WON'T arrest him for that shit, but he'll probably come out of Iowa behind the "GOP Presidential Candidate" who was picked up by the cops last week for trying to go to Malheur to kill federal agents.

[onenote]

38. No he can't be arrested. It's not mail fraud.

Yes, mail fraud is still illegal. But Cruz's mailing, while tacky, tasteless, incredibly bad form, etc. is not in any way unlawful under the mail fraud statute which requires the government to prove all of the following beyond a reasonable doubt: the defendant (1) used either mail or wire communications in the foreseeable furtherance, (2) of a scheme to defraud, (3) involving a material deception, (4) with the intent to deprive another of, (5) either property or honest services.

[KingCharlemagne]

65. I get your point, but I'm wondering whether a statute forbids using

the mail to deliver threats. The threatening language here is really creepy.

[onenote]

68. the only criminal acts involving threats of which I'm aware

require a threat of physical harm.

[KingCharlemagne]

73. Yeah, again I take your point. Since you and I last posted, the

Iowa Sec of State has weighed in that this mailer comes right up to the line (suggesting that Iowans have broken the law by not caucusing and suggesting that the state of Iowa is 'grading' voters' conduct).

Hope this dominates the local airwaves today and tomorrow to cripple Cruz.

[rurallib]

4. Cruz and Trump are setting new lows that may stand for a long time

Even for Republicnas these guys are lower that low lifes.

No doubt their tactics will be studied in great detail by future Republican politicians.

[Retrograde]

5. Party affiliation is public information in my state

as is whether or not you've voted in the last election.

Cruz is still a scumbag, though.

[denem]

9. Labelling such public information as "VOTER VIOLATION"

is criminal misfeasance.

[onenote]

39. No its not.

I"m not sure what you think "criminal malfeasance" is but I can assure you that Cruz's mailing isn't a criminal act. Its a lot of bad things, but its not criminal.

[retrowire]

7. holy fucking shit

WOWWWWW

[forest444]

10. He must think this is Cuba.

[riversedge]

13. Whow. does his camp think this vile tactic will draw people to caucus?? whow

[CTyankee]

46. My theory is that he is building a list of like minded people to him. They will appreciate

this approach becasue they think like he does. He knows this batter than anybody and that is why he is doing it.

[FailureToCommunicate]

14. If it looks like a duck...

[snagglepuss]

29. My very thought. Hit me like a lead balloon.

[MariaThinks]

16. another disgusting, big brother watching, glimpse into the type of big government (ironic)

revolting state a cruz government would create.

he has no understanding of what is morally right or wrong.

assuming most of these went out to republican voters so that's a good way to piss them off.

[tanyev]

17. Oh yeah, Teddy, that will really make them want to vote for you.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. Next speech? Tomatoes.

[denem]

19. "Follow-up notices may be issued following Monday's caucuses"

What the hell is this supposed to mean? We will be reporting you to your neighbors? You are now a person of interest?

This should go to the MSM, the DOJ and anyone else who supposedly treasures democracy. Voter intimation, pure and simple. Disgraceful.

[Politicub]

20. Cruz acts as shady as he looks

Disgusting.

[Botany]

30. He looks like Mr. Haney from "Green Acres."

BTW I stole this meme from a caller on last friday's Steph Miller show.

[StevieM]

21. Seriously? He thinks this will be attractive to caucus-goers? (eom)

[Live and Learn]

22. What a disgusting tactic from a disgusting man.

That said, it certainly would get me out to caucus for anyone but him.

[Odin2005]

24. This has to violate some kind of law.

It looks like impersonation of government authorities to me.

[WhiteHat]

25. Right. That'll work.

Hard to imagine Cruz doing his thing this badly, but if he wanted to piss off the majority of his correspondents, he's found the magic button. One minute's reflection will flip those voters to Bernie.

Threatening voters with exposure, publicity, etc., is so unAmerican you can't even see Democracy from there. How horrific for people who really would prefer to vote GOP.

Hope it's a wake-up call.

[PoliticalMalcontent]

26. Cruz (and apparently his staff) have no ability to relate to people

[ejbr]

27. Though this is bullshit

I fortunately would not give a shit what my neighbors thought of my voting record.

[exboyfil]

28. Apparently MoveOn did something similar for

Obama in 2012.

http://journal.ijreview.com/2016/01/252498-said-undecided-iowan-received-controversial-mailer-ted-cruz/

http://www.slate.com/blogs/victory_lab/2012/10/31/moveon_can_its_voter_report_card_shame_slackers_into_turning_out.html

Not as egregious but still sucks. At least the names of the neighbors are not in the mailing by MoveOn.


This topic is up to nearly a 1000 comments in Free Republic. It has hit a nerve. Some speculation is that it is a rival's false flag, but the Cruz camp has confirmed it is theirs. Wonder how many heads will roll.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3390550/posts

[TIME TO PANIC]

31. How is this legal?

[Nye Bevan]

60. It's public information, and we have a First Amendment.

I could look up everything I could find out about you from public records (if I knew who you were), print it all out and send copies to your neighbors, and I would not have broken any law. Of course just because something is legal doesn't mean it's not one of the worst ideas a campaign has ever had.

[TIME TO PANIC]

61. I guess it's so screwed up; it just seems illegal.

Cruz is like some kind of comic book villain, you can just look at him and tell he's full of shit.

[karynnj]

32. Aside from the creepiness - he is not just listing your info, but the others included on the page

- if I am seeing this correctly.

I don't see how anyone on his team thought this would make people more eager to come out to vote for him. (In fact, the story would make more sense if say - Rubio - sent it out as if it were from Trump.)

[SusanCalvin]

33. Well, that should lose him a lot of votes.

And he's just proved himself an idiot - guess that reputation for being smart, if smarmy, was not deserved.

[BillZBubb]

45. cruz is smart just like jeb? is.

In republican land it isn't too hard to become known as smart. The bar is very low.

[Turbineguy]

34. Always go low.

It's the republican way now.

[Old Codger]

36. Piece of shit

With all apologies the shit .... He is the lowest low end politician I have ever had the displeasure if seeing in my entire life... anyone who seriously considers him presidential material should be committed to the nearest asylum

[gregcrawford]

37. Even brain-dead Teabaggers...

... should be saying, "All right! Enough is enough! FUCK this asshole!"

[A Simple Game]

40. I feel better about Ted now. No way if this man was elected President would he

use all of the illegal data collected by the NSA against American citizens.

Yes sarcasm.

[KingCharlemagne]

66. Without mentioning specific plans, all leftists should consider

What they will do in the event Cruz wins.

Hope for the best but plan for the worst.

[A Simple Game]

71. A list would be good. What I can't decide is if

suicide should be the first or last option.

[KingCharlemagne]

72. The last. Read Nazim Hikmet's poem "On Living" for

more on this question.

On a tablet, so cannot easily copy and paste.

[Android3.14]

41. The authoritarians will eat it up.

There is a fairly large contingent of people who like the idea that someone will tell them what to do to become better people.

[Nay]

42. What a scumbag. Is this actionable? nt

[AngryOldDem]

44. I'd say probably not.

Because it most likely comes right up to, but doesn't cross, the line.

As I said below, this reminds me of those government-envelope and official-language pieces of junk mail I get from time to time. I have no clue what the scam is because I toss it immediately after taking it from the mailbox.

Totally disgusting, authoritarian tactic -- make people vote out of fear.

It should be illegal to design anything that looks like anything close to an official government mailing/document. Like counterfeiting.

[muriel_volestrangler]

47. But could it also be seen as possibly suppressing the vote?

If you send out something screaming "VOTER VIOLATION" on the front, it could make the recipient think there's something wrong with how they've registered, or that they shouldn't be voting at all. The campaign says these are very narrowly targeted at "people who haven’t voted before", and Trump could easily claim that such people would be more likely to vote for him, since he's the biggest 'outsider' in the Republican contest.

That the small print is encouraging (well, bullying) the recipient to vote might not be good enough.

[denem]

50. Intimidating people to vote is a crime under the Iowa State Code

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027574317

[denem]

52. Intimidating poeple to vote is a crime under the Iowa State Code

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=edit&forum=1002&thread=7574317&pid=7574342

[AngryOldDem]

43. What cynicism toward his constituents...

Especially among people who probably don't know any better, sort of like those "official" pieces of junk mail that take in clueless saps all the time. NOT the way to win friends and influence people.

The only place this needs to go is straight into shredder.

(I'd add that Cruz should be ashamed of himself, but I know that's not possible.)

[saltpoint]

51. Folks on this site have already strongly

inferred that Ted Cruz is an immoral slimeball.

But it never hurts to say it again, especially when it's so demonstrably true.

It does not speak very well for the so-called "evangelical Christians" supporting him that he appeals to their sense of mission.

One of the verses in "Swinging On A Star" asks listeners, "Or would you rather be a pig?"

Just sayin'.

[47of74]

53. Yeah, the Iowa SoS is not too happy about this either

The Iowa Secretary of State is weighing in on this;

DES MOINES – "Today I was shown a piece of literature from the Cruz for President campaign that misrepresents the role of my office, and worse, misrepresents Iowa election law. Accusing citizens of Iowa of a "voting violation" based on Iowa Caucus participation, or lack thereof, is false representation of an official act. There is no such thing as an election violation related to frequency of voting. Any insinuation or statement to the contrary is wrong and I believe it is not in keeping in the spirit of the Iowa Caucuses.

Additionally, the Iowa Secretary of State's Office never "grades" voters. Nor does the Secretary of State maintain records related to Iowa Caucus participation. Caucuses are organized and directed by the state political parties, not the Secretary of State, nor local elections officials. Also, the Iowa Secretary of State does not "distribute" voter records. They are available for purchase for political purposes only, under Iowa Code.” - Paul D. Pate, Iowa Secretary of State

[trillion]

54. Cruz tops Trump by inventing a new campain low.

[LiberalElite]

55. It looks chintzy, like it came from Publishers Clearing House nt

[Judi Lynn]

56. People, including bullies, resent and despise being bullied. Who would respond favorably to him? n/t

[trillion]

57. Not just bully tactics but public shaming dispicable bully tactics.

Congratulations Ted Cruz, you have taken me, a liberal who believes we should stop all deportations, and made me realize you should be deported back to Canada.

[Nye Bevan]

58. If I was running the Cruz campaign, I would have Cruz visit this guy personally to apologize,

and fire whoever came up with the idea, which is probably about the worst tactic in the history of the Iowa caucuses.

[0rganism]

63. this... is pretty fucked up

damn, really?
well i guess we know what kind of dystopian future he'd like to promote

[Liberal_in_LA]

67. Lead story on cnn.Iowa's secretary of state rips Cruz over campaign mailer

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/30/politics/ted-cruz-mailer-iowa-caucuses-voter-violation/index.html

Pate continued, "Additionally, the Iowa Secretary of State's Office never 'grades' voters. Nor does the Secretary of State maintain records related to Iowa Caucus participation," Pate said. "Also, the Iowa Secretary of State does not 'distribute' voter records. They are available for purchase for political purposes only, under Iowa Code."

Cruz, however, was defiant to reporters when asked about the mailer in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday night.

"I will apologize to no one for using every tool we can to encourage Iowa voters to come out and vote," he said.

[Sunlei]

69. His campaign said, Rs used similar mailer in 2014 and thats what won 2014 for republicans.

exclude democratic votes and drag in R votes even if a vote costs money to bring in- WINS.

[Ana Hauhet]

74. glad it is legal

That way Cruz is able to show his true colors! Creepy!