With all the tea baggers and angry voters who have never been interested in politics until now (NOT) frothing at the mouth on the teevee this summer, one would think that the Democrats and Obama are the worst stewards of government in history. So the North Carolina republican Party actually bought the hype and engaged in a silly political stunt this past Tuesday with the intention of showing the North Carolina Democrats how angry conservatives are at their party. Perhaps the word "their" should modify the word "republican" and not the word "Democrat"
The NC republicans sent a survey to republicans/conservatives called a "Conservative Voter Survey" asking people's opinions on the issues. The "survey" was also a gimmick to raise money. The State Senate republican leader then showed off a wheelbarrow full of the surveys that he sent to Democratic Governor Bev Perdue's office. Story Here
Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger showed off a wheelbarrow full of "Conservative Voter Surveys" Tuesday that he said reflected lots of anger and frustration with Democrats.
[Governor]Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson, responding to a request from Dome, said she had skimmed about a third of the 3,000 or so surveys. She noted comments written to the Republican Party included:
"I am embarrassed to be associated with this organization. Your tactics are disgusting and you're going to lose a generation of voters."
Remember the survey was also a fundraising gimmick.
And then there was the check. A staff member found a $50 campaign contribution made out to Berger tucked in the surveys, which were, after all, a fundraising ploy.
"I was surprised to find a check," Pearson said, noting that one woman wrote to the party, "Don't just throw this away, read it."
Pearson said the office intended to forward the check to its intended recipient
Here's some more negative comments directed to the republicans in their own survey:
Another comment: "Stop wording questions so geared up to get the answers you want and start wording them to actually find out the people's opinion, not just confirm your own. There are probably only three questions on here that are legitimate."
On Dome's own sample survey, a Harrisburg woman wrote in the box for including a credit card contribution: "Not sending you any more money."
Is there a silent majority of republicans who are fed up with their party's tactics? Sure, staging angry protests at townhalls, voting against anti-rape legislation for Haliburton employees, and questioning Obama's citizenship may get you some short-term gain, but what does that get the GOP in the long-run? This Washington Post Poll shows only 20% of people self-identify as republicans. The lowest since 1983.
It's probably too optimistic to think this "Conservative Voter Survey" means a huge rejection of the GOP by its own members. Only a few North Carolina republicans, all 100 of them that are literate, are capable of actually responding to a written survey.