Here is the latest from the local GOP apparat. Now some of you may think this is a productive focus as it also involves hitting the bricks and or phones and importuning people to vote absentee. If so consider our passing it on a service at that level. However, we think it needs a little truth in advertising, some accurate sloganeering if you will, which follows:
What the early vote push is really about — our truth in advertising:
Hurry up and vote for me before you change your mind!
Vote now, right now dammit!
We are watching you. We know when you vote.
Vote now or we will make your phone ring off the hook
Smart people vote early otherwise they will forget there is an election.
Early voting/absentee voting has grown to be a project undertaken by “leaders” who cannot think of anything better to do then to organize an effort to cajole people who invariably vote, to vote early. Rather than concentrate on advocacy to, in a manner of speaking, expand the party pie, they think victory comes from a bigger slice of “vote early” than a bigger Republican pie.
Early vote lie
You will not get those annoying vote early calls if you vote early
All the slogans mentioned above are the essence of the vote early message. We hold that emphasizing early voting is unbecoming, even antithetical to good citizenship. It is a tool of Democrats of course but does not help Republicans, and we maintain, increases split ticket voting by Republicans. It does not help turnout or so marginally as to be a poor use of energy, ad space dollars, etc., compared to focusing on persuasion to vote Republican, placing yard signs, even leaving people alone. It complicates messaging and is more susceptible to fraud. There are studies that show early voting does not help turn-out, one could even make the case that it is contra-indicated as generally practiced by Republicans. We can flesh out these assertions and intend to, but thought you might want to consider them before you got carried away with the pizza offer.
R Mall
