This Is Not The Time For Dumb Mistakes
The Republican party has a great opportunity. The public is not enamored of the current administration. The Democrats have overreached on healthcare to the point that a Republican was just made a senator in Massachusetts of all places. Several Democrats have chosen to announce retirement rather than face tough re-election battles. The Conservative movement has managed to gain momentum and put Liberal politicians on the defensive. This is not the time to make dumb mistakes.
So why would the GOP send out solictiations for donations that attempt to confuse the recipients into thinking the mailing is tied to the census?
A survey and fundraising mailer from the Republican National Committee confused some Minnesota recipients with a label that marked it as “2010 Congressional District Census.”
The mailings have been showing up this week in homes in Minnesota and other states. One ended up at the home of St. Paul City Council President Kathy Lantry, who said she initially thought it was her official census form.
The U.S. Census Bureau is in the midst of a $300 million promotional campaign to get people to fill out their once-a-decade census forms starting in March. Minnesota’s number of congressional seat and billions in federal aid could be at stake.
The mailer identifies its origin as the Republican National Committee. But the timing is terrible. This is the sort of thing that will bring negative publicity on the GOP at a time when its perception is the highest it’s been in years.
Let me be clear: this isn’t on the level of nationwide sock puppetry or promising transparency while soaping the windows. I don’t doubt that the idea was to get the recipient to open the envelope and read the form. But it’s the kind of stupid misstep that risks blunting momentum for no real payoff.
The party needs to be smarter than this.
