Minn. GOP Asks Activists to Report on Neighbors' Politics

[radfringe]

Minn. GOP Asks Activists to Report on Neighbors' Politics
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A58309-2004Jul17?language=printer
By Brian Faler
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, July 18, 2004; Page A05


All politics is local. But this year, it is getting downright neighborly.

Take Minnesota. The state Republican Party has developed a Web site that allows its activists to tap into a database of voters whose political allegiances and concerns it would like to know. But it is not just any group of voters -- they are the activists' neighbors.

The project, dubbed WebVoter, gives GOP activists the names and addresses of 25 people who live, in most cases, within a couple of blocks from them. The party has asked 60,000 supporters from across the state to figure out what issues animate their neighbors and where they stand in the political spectrum, and report that information back to the party -- with or, possibly, without their neighbors' permission.

Those who seem persuadable will receive campaign literature from Republican candidates -- including President Bush -- with whom the party plans to share its data. Those deemed incorrigible Democrats will be struck from the list.

[Mountainman]

1. This is similar to asking churches for the membership lists.

It is poor marketing if the right can't find their target market without asking people to report on their neighbors views. It is also scary that we have come to the point where people don't feel bad about reporting on their neighbors.

[Hubert Flottz]

4. The GOPstapo is in charge of the next Selection too!

A finger in every high pie!

[BeFree]

2. Disinfo campaign, anyone?

Imagine reporting that your fundie neighbor is ready to bail on boosh and he needs RNC to mail him tons of material... the wasted resources could add up...

[TankLV]

3. Although not as crude, the Dem party does this all the time.

Any modern campaign does it. It creates better efficiency when canvassing neighborhoods for voter-turn out drives.

I was a precinct captain. We had lists gleaned from voter registration rolls, and would strike the repukes and go after the dems - and knock on the doors of only dems.

Did this a half dozen times thru-out the election cycle.

This is not a big issue.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

6. cross-post

yeah, I used to be a precinct worker way back when, and I agree with you.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

5. Isnt that what precinct captains are for?

I dont see this as that sinister, but I would think the GOP should just call its neighborhood actvitsts '"precinct captains" and be done with it.