Florida Republican Mailer (absentee ballot request)

[angrycarpenter]

The text is about what you would expect. A bunch of out of context assertions.





These are the cards that you tear out and send in for a ballot.







It was sent to a local address.





But one card has a return address that is different from the one on the front and in the next county. And the other has no return address at all.







I smell a rat. This looks like some attempt to rob someone of their vote. Hopefully someone can shed some light on this.

[d_b]

1. rec

[SeattleGirl]

2. Been happening in a number of states. The addresses of

where to mail these requests in are apparently incorrect, among other things.

Why in the HELL aren't these people being charged with mail fraud?

[PerfectSage]

3. You owe me a new pair of underwear.

I shit my pants from laughing so hard.

Who would fall for such KBR/blatantly obvious bridge to nowhere BS.
The real wasteful pork is in the pentagon.

[angrycarpenter]

4. The real crime here

Is that anyone sending in this request will have their ballot sent to another address or not at all. This has to be illegal.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. has to be. Wexler would probably jump on this, don't you think? nt

[SeattleGirl]

6. Somebody better jump on it.

They are knowingly sending absentee ballot applications that will not go to their precincts.

God, why doesn't the RNC just hold all the Dems at gunpoint? They are getting more and more blatant in their efforts to steal the election.

[thecrow]

7. Only if somebody sends it to him

[angrycarpenter]

8. Yes

I think it is a clear cut case of fraud. It tells you to verify the information on the back. The address it was sent to is printed in large bold letters where the wrong address is the smallest print on the whole thing. Telling you to verify probably puts them in clear but the spirit behind it is sneaky and mean.

[ddeclue]

12. Folks..if this were an attempt to deceive Dems and cage them..

it would NOT have anti-Democratic copy attached.

The copy is written to energize REPUBLICANS to sign up for ABR's NOT Democrats.

So the only way this is "caging" is if the FDP is doing it.

This is a legitimate ABR drive here in Florida. ABR's are more accurately described as "vote by mail" here in FL and this is just an attempt (however poor in execution) by the RPOF to get their OWN base to register for ABR's. It will fail however because of the kooky copy and because these things work MUCH better door to door with volunteers than through the mail.


Thanks,

Doug De Clue
Democratic Activist and Consultant
Orlando, FL

[Eric J in MN]

9. Maybe you can email the Florida Democratic Party abou this. NT

NT

[KharmaTrain]

10. Where We Need 527 Action

I'd email this to MoveOn...seems like these caging games are starting to get out of hand and voters need to be aware...especially older ones who don't have the internet and may bite at this ploy to get the absentee ballot.

The only way to reach these people is directly...door to door or with a large TV & radio blitz...one that a 527 can do and its strictly within bounds. They're not advocating a candidate...rather pointing out the scheme.

[ddeclue]

11. Actually NOT an attempt to "cage" Democrats in FL..

They may be using fake absentees to cage in other states but this looks legit (but stupid) to me as someone who has worked a lot of FL campaigns in the last few years.

This is an attempt to encourage Republicans to register for absentee votes.

Here in Florida you don't actually have to be "absent" to vote absentee.

It would be more accurate to call it vote by mail.

In fact once you register your absentee ballot requests are good until the November 2010 election thanks to a change in the laws.

Both parties are working to get ABR's like crazy here and the Republicans are desperate because they didn't think the Dems would keep up (and in some cases surpass them) when they changed the law.

So now they are sending out nasty negative scare lit with the ABR to try to get their base energized to vote by mail.

I don't think it will work though because the lit copy just sounds nutso..

It is better to do these ABR drives door to door with volunteers talking to voters - that's how we do it anyways. The Republican approach is to throw money at it and send out these bulk mail pieces and they don't really work very effectively.

There's a study that says door to door is effective on a 1 out of 14 contacts basis whereas mailers are more like 1 in 140.

Anyways we have been kicking ass in the ABR department in Orange County Florida and in Congressional District 8 and in several central FL state house districts and the Republicans know they are in for a severe beating in our area this fall and this is Greer's (RPOF Chair) response.

If you are looking for Republican dirty tricks here in Florida, the place to look is with the ECO's (Electioneering Communications Organizations) like "All Children Matter" which have repeatedly tried to help the weakest Dem candidates during primary season so that the could hand pick their Dem opponent for the general and/or those that run negative pieces against Dems in the General. These groups are difficult to trace through the dept of state and places like Sunbiz.org, etc. and often use deceptively positive sounding names like "Moms for Apple Pie and American Flags" that tell you nothing or worse yet try to deceive you as to their real goals. You have to find out WHO is behind them to figure out WHAT they want to do and HOW they are going to screw you.

Thanks,

Doug De Clue
Democratic Activist and Consultant
Orlando, FL