The Latest "Here Are Your Opinions" Missive From Michael Steele

[ChoppinBroccoli]

As I've said before, my wife is a reformed Republican who still appears on their lists. As a result, they keep sending her these little "surveys" to complete and send back to them. I just got another one today (this one is entitled "2009 Obama Agenda Survey"), which like all the other ones I've gotten, I fully plan to fill out and send back to them (making the envelope as heavy as humanly possible since the Republican Party pays for the postage--I'm considering taping it to a cinder block and sending it back that way). The word "surveys" is in quotes because essentially it's just a sheet of paper saying, "This is how we want you to answer." They're not interested in getting the actual opinions of their constituents (as if Republicans actually HAD opinions that weren't spoon-fed to them by their right-wing media overlords). Here is a sampling of some of the more humorous ways their "opinion questions" are worded (don't worry, the way the questions are worded IN NO WAY suggests the answer they're looking for). Have fun tearing these to shreds. Number 13 is my personal favorite.


1. Do you agree with Barack Obama's budget plan that will lead to a $23.1 trillion deficit over the next ten years?

2. Do you believe the federal government has gone too far in bailing out failing banks, insurance companies and the auto industry?

3. Do you support amnesty for illegal immigrants?

4. Should English be the official language of the United States?

5. Are you in favor of granting retroactive Social Security eligibility to illegal immigrants who gain U.S. citizenship through an amnesty program?

6. Are you in favor of the expanded welfare benefits and unlimited eligibility (no time, education, or work requirements) that Democrats in Congress are pushing to pass?

7. Do you believe that Barack Obama's nominees for federal courts should be immediately and unquestionably approved for their lifetime appointments by the U.S. Senate?

8. Do you believe that the best way to increase the quality and effectiveness of public education in the U.S. is to rapidly expand federal funding while eliminating performance standards and accountability?

9. Do you support the creation of a national health insurance plan that would be administered by bureaucrats in Washington D.C.?

10. Do you believe that the quality and availability of healthcare will increase if the federal government dictates pricing to doctors and hospitals?

11. Are you confident that new medicines and medical treatments will continue to be developed if the federal government controls prescription drug prices and sets profit margins for research and pharmaceutical companies?

12. Are you in favor of creating a government-funded "Citizen Volunteer Corps" that would pay young people to do work now done by churches and charities, earning Corps Members the same pay and benefits given to military veterans?

13. Are you in favor of reinstituting the military draft, as Democrats in Congress have proposed?

14. Do you believe that the federal government should allow the unionization of Department of Homeland Security employees who serve in positions critical to the safety and security of our nation?

15. Do you support Democrats' drive to eliminate workers' right to a private ballot when considering unionization of their place of employment?


This one isn't nearly as bad as some of the previous ones. The last several had a box below the survey asking for donations, with some boxes you could fill in with different monetary denominations next to them, and the last box said, "No thanks. I wish to see liberals control all branches of government for the next 10 years." I always marked that box.

What's really funny is that this "survey" ends with a donation solicitation that reads, "I believe the principles and policies of the Republican Party are worth fighting for. And I want to help rebuild and refocus our Party all across the country to recruit and elect leaders that will listen to my concerns and fight for my interests." Yeah, that's what I call "listening to my concerns"; sending out a "survey" TELLING you what your opinions SHOULD be.

[KingFlorez]

1. Yeah, that's a survey all right

What is the point in taking a survey if you aren't going to ask serious questions? All they want is people to rubberstamp this paper so they can put out bogus polls. They have nothing on the Soviet Communist Party when it comes to group think and cheap propaganda.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

2. And Here Are Some Gems From The Accompanying Letter

"You know that the liberal media elites and the Obama Democrats are hoping you will put this letter down right now and do nothing. They want you to give up, desert your Party, and walk away from your conservative principles."

"We have a strong minority in the U.S. House and in the U.S. Senate. We intend to use both to actively oppose and expose the truth about the Obama Democrat agenda."

"We believe that you and every one of the more than 60 million voters all across our country who did not vote for Barack Obama deserve to have a voice in the way this country is governed."

"There is so much about the Obama agenda that most Americans do not know about, thanks to the non-stop, swooning coverage of the ultra-biased media. But with your help, we are going to expose the Obama agenda for all Americans to see so that we create a groundswell of opposition."

"We need solid proof from the results of this survey to show that regardless of what the left-wing media is saying, there is not overwhelming support for many of the radical proposals being put forward by Obama and the Democrats. That's why we're asking where you stand on Barack Obama's promise to raise taxes, on his plans to give amnesty to illegal immigrants, which could lead to billions of dollars of government handouts and possibly bankrupt Social Security. And how do you feel about Obama's efforts to nationalize health care and have it run by bureaucrats in Washington D.C.? These are Obama's top priorities!"

"He intends to bring about 'change' that will stifle our fragile economy, undermine our nation's sovereignty and create a massive new government bureaucracy. We don't have a moment to waste."

"You and I know that Obama and the Democrats ran away from their own liberal agenda during the 2008 elections, obscuring their plans for massive tax increases and the largest, most expensive expansion of our federal government in history. But they have nowhere to hide now."

"We cannot afford to wait. Or the Obama Democrats will dig in, using their massive fundraising network to mount an all-out propaganda campaign to obscure their actions in Washington and hide the fact that their agenda is dictated by, and benefits, the special interests that bankroll their election campaigns."

"Even though the media acts as though the outcome of the past election was a unanimous, 100% vote in favor of Barack Obama and his liberal agenda, over 60 million Americans did not support Obama and the Democrats."

"We have been on the defensive as the Democrats in Congress put partisan politics in front of the best interests of the nation, attacked our leaders with personal smears, and saturated the media with propaganda. In 2009 that all changes. The Democrats will have to offer the nation more than just pessimism and attacks on Republicans. And we have already heard their calls for the largest tax increases and the most massive expansion of government ever. So please help the Republican Party refocus and rebuild so that we are ready to expose the Obama Democrat agenda of special interest handouts and ultra-liberal big government policies."

[stuball111]

3. Why is their shit all fear based?

I would probably agree with everything they say in there, IF it was true. thing is, it's designed to coerce the average conservative to agree with them and thus give their racist, fear driven "poll" credibility. They KNOW that their "base" has the collective IQ of the common house plant. To anyone with a smattering of intelligence and reason, this is beyond any word in the English language capable of describing it's ... well.... bullshit

[stuball111]

4. deleted due to double post by OP

[ChoppinBroccoli]

5. And This Is Probably The Tamest One I've Gotten

This one is probably the one LEAST saturated with partisan rhetoric. Most of them are filled with questions that start out with crap like, "Do you agree with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the liberals in Congress....." and "Do you agree with ultra-liberals Barney Frank and Chris Dodd...."

There is a formula to way they ask the questions, too. They create a false premise, assume it's true, and then ask if the reader supports the patently false assumption. Just like #13. The Democrats are proposing legislation RIGHT NOW to reinstitute the military draft and send your children into the line of fire AGAINST THEIR WILL!!! Do you support this?

A prior poll asked the question, "Do support Barack Obama's PROMISE TO INSTITUTE MASSIVE TAX INCREASES on the middle class?" Well, gee whiz, Scooter. IF THAT HAD EVER REALLY HAPPENED, which it didn't, I probably wouldn't support it.

There was also a prior question about about whether you agree with the Democrats trying to get right-wing screamers off the air by bringing back the Fairness Doctrine.

So, not only do they not really give a shit what their constituents think, the only way they can spur them into action is to lie, lie, lie, and then lie some more. The question I have is if Republicans ever told ANYONE the truth, would ANYONE still be a Republican? They've built their entire Party on the lie that they give two shits about working class stiffs, but only the dumbest among us actually believe it when they say it.