Dullard Mush

If Nevada GOP Caucus Officials Can't Spell ...

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +0000

How they hell are they going to pull off the actual event? Perhaps a repeat of 2008's disaster is on tap.

Here's the lackluster, and error-riddled, caucus site.

Righthaven, Operation Donkey Punch and the Nastiest Campaign Ever?

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Oh, and a nice piece on how nasty elections are getting nowadays. Except that they have always been dirty.

You have to hand it to Anonymous, they do come up with some clever operation code names. The latest is OpDonkeyPunch, and their target? Democratic lawmakers who supported SOPA and PIPA. This could be quite interesting.
Speaking of SOPA and PIPA, do you get the feeling the MPAA regrets hiring ex-Senator Chris Dodd? The late Jack Valenti wouldn't have been so obtuse. Oh, and here's the petition mentioned above. It just passed the required 25K signatures.
In a way it's fitting the new owner of Righthaven.com is a web hosting firm that promises to not rollover to legal firms like, well, the former Righthaven.
Every election year is touted as the "dirtiest" or "nastiest ever." 2012 is no different. New York Magazine's "The Coming Tsunami of Slime."

Clark County Republicans Think Ron Paul is Party's Best Chance at Beating Obama

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:57:00 +0000

Either GoVote.com's polling is a little off, or Clark County Republicans are. I haven't seen any polls anywhere showing Ron Paul beating President Obama but, in fairness, only 24 percent of the respondents thought that. Heck, even 10% thought Rick Santorum was the GOP's best bet to win in November!

The poll of 2008 Clark County GOP caucus goers, also includes the relatively odd question of if Ron Paul makes an independent presidential run this year would you be less or more likely to support his son Rand Paul in his future political endeavors. Seems somewhat weird for a Nevada caucus but, I suppose, it foreshadows what most expect -- a Paul presidential run every four years. Kind of like the Bush family except, of course, the winning part.

Another Ron Paul Survey, No Perry Option

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:37:00 +0000

This evening's phone poll was the same Ron Paul one that called Wednesday, with only one minor difference -- no Rick Perry option. I wonder if the results have changed any? My answers did (just for the fun of it, of course).

Ron Paul Phone Survey Goes Straight, No Pushing

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Most of the time when you are polled by a candidate, the questions usually run along the lines of "Would you vote for X if you knew they did Y?" It's the rare bird that goes so straight you had no idea it was even a campaign paying for it until the end. But that happened last night with a Ron Paul campaign robo-poll.

It was a straightforward "who are you leaning towards" with Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Paul, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry as your choices (in that order). You were then asked how firmly your support was and who your second pick would be.

The last question was regarding issues and ran the gamut from abortion, guns and unions, to jobs, Obamacare and wars. I think a voter had 10 choices for "most important" and then a "second most important."

When it ended, quite frankly, I was thinking it was about time a media outlet polled our state but, alas, it was the Paul camp.

And as an aside, is anybody out there besides Paul doing anything in Nevada? Criminy, I received a President Obama email hyping the Democratic caucus and he's running unopposed.

Gary Johnson Just Can't Catch a Break

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:15:00 +0000

Just when it seemed like former GOP-turned-Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson was finally able to garner a bit of news with his surprise showing of 7% in a three-way race with President Obama and Mitt Romney, along comes Stephen Colbert to steal his thunder.

No Joke: Stephen Colbert ahead of Gary Johnson in National Poll

How to Sell Bum-Fudge Nowhere Property in Nevada

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

If you have 40 acres in the middle of the Nevada desert that you have been trying to unload for $40K forever, what just might be the secret sauce to finally selling the damn thing?

Play to the survivalist nuts -- big time!

Iranian nukes ... radiation fallout ...gun control. It's all there in this above-the-fold front-page ad in the Sparks Big Nickel. And hurry folks, before "the hordes are runnin the banks and the stores ... cuz then you're just too-damned-late."

"Conservative Call Center" Advertising on Reno Craigslist for Reps

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

Not sure the actual firm or possible candidate, as a temp agency is handling the account, but someone in Reno is looking for "Political Fund Raisers" and "Political Call Center Operators" on Craigslist. Pays not great, $9.25 to $10.25, but considering most of these positions are usually volunteers it's not bad I guess.

I wonder if it is Romney trying to wrap it up with the Silver State? You have to figure Ron Paul probably has enough free staff and Jon Huntsman doesn't have the money. Or maybe it's the Nevada GOP trying to cover expenses for their forgotten February caucus.

Here's Monday's ads:

POLITICAL FUND RAISING OPERATORS needed immediately for local conservative call center. Will be making outbound fund raising calls from scripts. Must have excellent reading and grammar skills as well as be able to work a flexible schedule, including some weekends. Previous exp. in fund raising helpful but not required. Please go online to www.appliedstaffing.com and fill out a "clerical" application and then call 398-5109 to schedule an appointment.

and

Political Call Center Operators needed for local, conservative call center. Looking for candidates who have done outbound calls and are comfortable working from a script. Must have excellent reading & grammar skills as well as be able to work a flexible schedule, including possible weekends during busy time. Please go to www.appliedstaffing.com and fill out a "clerical" application, then call 398-5109 to schedule an appointment.

An Unusual Ron Paul Theory Overheard at Macaroni Grill

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I've overheard a political conversation in a restaurant. In the past I have listened in (yes, it's a bad habit I can't seem to shake) to a few intelligent ones and, more often than not, some goofball ones. But recently I heard a Ron Paul scenario like no other while at Reno's Macaroni Grill.

As is often the case, it was one guy that tended to do the talking while the other patiently listened (or suffered in mostly silence, as it were). The first part of the conversation that caught my ear was the classic "benevolent dictator" form of government (and how we should have had this after WWII). Always popular in theory, especially if you are going to be the benevolent one, but when was there ever a case of an all-powerful dictator being altruistic on an ongoing basis? Ever?

Naturally, this progressed to today's presidential politics and the current crop of candidates. And while I'm about 99.9% sure his prognostication that Rick Santorum will crash as quickly as he has risen, when the conversation turned to Ron Paul, things took a decidedly odd turn. And while odd political talks and Paul tend to go hand-in-hand sometimes, this was different.

While at one point it seemed like the plate-side pundit sort of liked Paul's politics, his main concern seemed to be the potential shenanigans a third-party bid would do the general election (Ross Perot's name was mentioned a lot). But, instead of what almost every Republican fears, this guy's concern was that a Paul third-party bid would doom President Obama(?). He thought a Paul vs. Obama battle would be close (and the only GOP candidate to do so), but for some reason he was under the impression a Paul vs. Obama vs. Mitt Romney would tip the election to Mitt. I guess President Obama has secret and sizable libertarian base.

In fact, this infuriated the guy so much he actually hoped Paul would suffer a heart attack and die (true story). His friend, though, dampened that thought (and with a bit of glee, I might add) by telling him Paul runs seven miles every day with his son (not a true story). This then brought about the grand plan that Obama needs to cut a deal with Paul to keep him from launching a third-party bid. At that point I think his companion poured himself another well-deserved glass of vino. Something I think the former had imbibed in quite heavily.

Rick Santorum Might Want to Reconsider this Email Header

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:26:00 +0000

Yeah. And just think what people will find when they actually Google Rick Santorum.

How to Robocall Politicians

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

So far, only a Herman Cain robocall has interrupted the family dinner this political season. But it's early and, given our state's relatively small voter pool, that number is a lock to increase many fold in the coming year. And while some can be interesting (well, in a political-wonky way), let's face it, for most people they are pretty damn annoying.

But what if you could turn the tables and robocall them? Sure, it would probably have the same lackluster result, but at least it would feel good, right?

Well, it turns out you can. Reverse Robocall allows people to make automated calls to politicians (and some choice individuals and companies). It'll cost you, but the process seems simple enough and the satisfaction of bugging a candidate with a recorded message could be worth it. Okay, technically it will be some poor staffer or volunteer fielding the call (unfortunately Reverse Robocall doesn't utilize a politician's home number), but still, it's the thought that matters.

So how much does it cost to annoy, say Nevada's DC politicos? Surprisingly, not that much. Hitting up Mark Amodei, Shelley Berkley and Joe Heck's state and DC offices is just $0.99 for each rep. Same with Senators Dean Heller (three offices) and Harry Reid (four). Or you can phone bomb the whole lot (though it looks like Amodei may not be included) for just $2.99.

Need to tell off a presidential candidate (like this guy did to Michele Bachmann)? Send them all something for less than seven bucks. Or you can just call them yourself from a list like this off of Google, and do your harassing live.

The Simplest Campaign Email

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:51:00 +0000

When I first saw the title "Iraq" in this campaign email from President Barack Obama I wondered how this was going to work in the midst of the upcoming election. Was it a slam, an overt brag or (in what would seem impossible) the traditional beg?

But it wasn't.

Friend --

Early this morning, the last of our troops left Iraq.

As we honor and reflect on the sacrifices that millions of men and women made for this war, I wanted to make sure you heard the news.

Bringing this war to a responsible end was a cause that sparked many Americans to get involved in the political process for the first time. Today's outcome is a reminder that we all have a stake in our country's future, and a say in the direction we choose.

Thank you.

Barack

Herman Cain's Last Fling

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

How fast is the GOP presidential race changing? Fast enough where one week you are creating a mailer touting the latest polls showing yourself as the newest "front runner" and the only Republican beating President Obama, to hitting Nevada mailboxes as an already fallen candidate. And in Herman Cain's case, a fatally fallen candidate.

After receiving mailers from Ron Paul attacking Rick Perry and then Cain, both of whom were already toast by the time I received them, it prompted a discussion of how the lag time for mailer production was longer than some candidates' buzz. How do you attack a guy who is already gone by the time your ads arrive?

Well one reader (thanks RB) sent proof that lag times can almost be longer than their actual campaign. The Hermanator was riding high when his team giddily conceived this five-page mailer. And seeing how it appears only Paul was actively contesting the Silver State, who knows what kind of upset scenarios were dancing through their heads as they sent it off to the printers. But something happened in the week or two after. And it continued to happen, over and over again. Soon Cain was even toastier than Perry and Michele Bachmann combined.

So this may be the last piece of campaign advertising in the short, but colorful, political career of one Herman Cain. Here's the first page.

And here's the money pitch. I do, though, like his democratic poll. It's about the only one I've seen that included poor Gary Johnson.

Ron Paul Pro-Life Mailer Hits Nevada

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Keeping up the trend of relatively robust mailers, and about the only candidate doing anything in Nevada, Ron Paul went the pro-life route with his latest multi-paged letter that dropped this week. And, unlike his previous missives which attacked candidates who no longer were a threat, this one avoided his fellow GOP presidential hopefuls. But perhaps a Gingrich one is on the way.

$100K+ Deputy Wants Washoe County Commissioners to Raise Vehicle Registration Fee

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:54:00 +0000

You know, if you want to make a point about how underpaid a government worker is, and how you want a tax increase to avoid further cuts, it might help your cause quite a bit if you don't have people earning six-figures trying to make your case.

But that's who Washoe County employees sent to the podium last night to argue against cuts and to ask for an increase in the car registration fee, an act political pundit Jon Ralston called tone-deaf.

In the Reno Gazette-Journal story on the ongoing struggle to close an additional $6.8 million in the Washoe County budget, one of the employees quoted was a sheriff's deputy named Brandon Zirkle. His money quote was how he was paid less than a school police officer and a garbageman(!).

The only problem is, Zirkle earned $144,629.02 in wage and benefits in 2009 (the last year reported). And, since a lot of people will complain about including benefits in reported pay packages, we'll look at actual earnings. Zirkle had a base pay of $62,495, overtime of $20,079.36 and $18,505.63 in other pay (e.g., longevity, bonus pay, premium pays, allowances and mileage reimbursement) for a total of $101,079.99 in earnings.

As for his claims of Washoe County school officers making more, that doesn't wash as the highest total pay and benefit package for 2009 was $107,726.77. In other words, the highest paid school officer made 34% less than Zirkle did in 2009. And I highly doubt there are any sanitation collectors pulling down $100K a year in Reno.

The other quoted county employees were a maintenance technician with a 2010 pay and benefit package of $97K and a mailroom clerk at $57K. Both packages I think most private sector workers in the same positions would find quite envious.

Uh Oh, Hillary Clinton's Campaign Sends Out Email

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Given President Obama's low approval ratings, seeing an email suddenly appear from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign titled "History Disappearing" probably caused a few hearts to skip. Could it be ... a primary rematch?

Nahhh. Clinton's still just trying to pay off 2008's campaign debt. I guess Bill isn't helping pick up the tab. But he is allowing some of his speeches to be hawked for fans. $250 will get you a signed DVD (and that's Bill's, not Hill's, John Henry).

Dear Anon,

Together, we made history in the last presidential election.

From Hillary's speech at the Democratic National Convention, to the work and support that each of us brought to the campaign, that story lives on -- in the history books, in our memories, and in the mementos that commemorate that time.

Now, those mementos are disappearing as your fellow supporters claim the last of them.

We only have a few official campaign posters, buttons and t-shirts left. We're running out of the DVDs with Hillary's historic speech at the 2008 Denver convention, the inspiring video that introduced her, and President Clinton's speech -- some of which are signed by President Clinton himself.

Once these last items are gone, they're gone forever.

Make a contribution today and we'll send you one of the last DVDs with Hillary's and President Clinton's convention speeches.

In her speech in Denver, Hillary told us, "You allowed me to become part of your lives. And you became part of mine."

As we all know, campaigns are tough, but having loyal supporters like you helped make Hillary's campaign one that will never be forgotten.

By making a contribution today, you will have your own personal remembrance of the "determination to keep going, often in the face of enormous obstacles" -- one of the last such mementos there will ever be. And all contributions will go to paying the last of the expenses the campaign incurred while making our historic stand.

Contribute today to receive one of the last commemorative campaign DVDs or another one of our last few items.

"You never gave in. You never gave up. And together, we made history."

Those words are as true today as they were when Hillary first spoke them. I hope you'll reserve your piece of history today.

Thank you again,

Allison
Hillary Clinton for President

Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President

Ron Paul Drops Huge (and Insanely Detailed) Mailer in Nevada

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

I guess when most people open their mailbox and see a big yellow-brown 9 x 12 manila envelope stuffed into it they get a little excited. Oh the possibilities. But when those possibilities turn out to be another political mailer, well, for 99% of the population at least, it's quite a bit less thrilling. But for us one-percenters, it is exciting (okay, maybe "interesting" is a better word choice).

As has been the case this Nevada caucus season, and it has been slim pickings, Monday's package was from the Ron Paul campaign. And it was big. A six-page letter from Paul (initially I thought it was 10 pages, but two duplicate sheets were enclosed), a fundraising form and, the piece de resistance, a 12-page glossy "Plan to Restore America" booklet.

Whatever you think of Paul, and there are plenty who think he's nuts, you have to give credit to a candidate who actually shows you (in insane detail) what kind of budget he would submit if elected. It's 10 pages of pure numbers, pie charts and graphs. The gist is, a budget surplus in 2015.

Of course, to get to that point there are a raft of budget cuts to be made. And, unlike every other politician on the planet, Paul is very specific. In fact, one could say painfully specific. Who else would have the stones to include the line "(Supplemental nutrition for women, children, etc.: disc - Eliminated)" in a campaign piece?

And for economic wonks, there is also this beauty -- "*deficits don't equal the delta between revenues and outlays as a result of interest savings from the Budget Control Act calculations (See Aug 2011 CBO Budget Outlook)."

As for the letter portion, once again production lag times have run up against the incredible fluidity of the GOP contest thus far. In Paul's last mailer, he went after Rick Perry on immigration in what probably at the time of creation was considered a prudent move. Unfortunately, by the time the mailer dropped, so had Perry.

This time he goes after perennial front-runner Mitt Romney, Rick Perry again (it must just be a Texas grudge match or something) and newly minted front-runner Herman Cain. Except, of course, Cain has imploded and Romney has momentarily faded to the one candidate Paul didn't mention -- Newt Gingrich.

Somehow I get the feeling somewhere a Paul staffer is working feverishly on a Gingrich hit piece that will drop the precise moment Jon Huntsman becomes the latest Anybody-but-Mitt.

Amodei Sends Out First Official Franking Letter

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:20:00 +0000

I guess considering Congressman Mark Amodei is new on the job and, sadly, probably a good many CD-2 constituents couldn't name him if their life depended on it (not to say a Dean Heller or Shelley Berkley have 100% name recognition), sending out a gratuitous letter on the taxpayers' dime this time of season is probably okay. I mean he does list some names to contact if you are having passport problems and such.

But let's say a certain three-time loser decides to once again fleece conservative donors for yet another divisive GOP primary challenge, and another one of these conveniently drops right in the heart of the campaign, I'll have to call franking shenanigans.

Is Helmuth Lehmann Running for U.S. Senate in 2012?

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:47:00 +0000

If this Craigslist ad for signature gatherers is true (and the phone number matches), it appears Helmuth Lehmann may be gearing up for another independent campaign run. And since it does say "statewide office" one could assume it means Dean Heller's U.S. Senate seat.

Lehmann finished third in Nevada's 2011 CD-2 special election (which, ironically enough, was to fill Heller's seat after he moved to the Senate) with 4.14% of the vote.

He is currently promoting his third book Losing America: How Self-Serving Leaders are Destroying Our Future.

It's Probably Safe to Say This Guy Isn't Voting Obama in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Saw this in South Reno before Thanksgiving. Ironically, in the same Winco parking lot everyone's favorite Sharron Angle sign was spotted. (The lower left sticker says "Official Member: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.")

Somehow I Don't Think This Restaurant's Ad Would Work Here

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:46:00 +0000

Perhaps too smart, or just plain taxing on the history-deficient (though Nando's P.W. Botha reference is quite South Africa-centric).

The Perfect Christmas Card for Our Little Skeptic

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

For a kid who a couple Christmases ago questioned why everything was labeled "Made in China" when Santa Claus and his crew of elves supposedly lived in the North Pole, and has investigated Henry Wienhard and Willy Wonka for false advertising, this seems like the perfect Xmas card.

Available at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry's online store -- CSI Holiday Card Pack (10 cards for $10).

Did Chuck Muth's Citizen Outreach Foundation Break IRS Law?

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:50:00 +0000

It seemed like the main news that swirled around Twitter after Nevada Assemblyman Richard McArthur announced he was running for the state senate was that conservative activist Chuck Muth was hyping the possibility of his candidacy without revealing he appeared to be working for, or at least with, McArthur already. "Unethical" and "laughable" seemed to be the favored charges among a few Nevada political watchers.

But one individual in particular, blogger and former AD-25 GOP candidate Orrin Johnson, took a different tack and, instead of focusing on whether it was ethical of Muth, questioned whether it was even legal. As Johnson discovered, the problem for Muth is it appears his Citizen Outreach Foundation (as opposed to some of his other political entities) was behind the email (the footer would seem to indicate so). This is a problem because 501(c)(3) foundations, being supported by tax-deductible donations, aren't suppose to participate or intervene in any political campaign.

For details and screenshots, check out Johnson's original story on the Muth/McArthur email and his followup as to whether he thinks Citizen Outreach Foundation violated IRS regulations.

Muth responded to Johnson's charges in the usual Muthian manner but, based on a comment on Johnson's blog, seems already resigned to the possibility of a formal complaint being filed with the IRS. So we'll see how this plays out.

I suspect somewhere a lot of beleaguered Nevada Republicans are secretly cheering.

Mormons for Ron Paul

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Well, at least one Mormon. Dustin Peterson.

Peterson is the LDS Outreach Director for Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign and is the lone supporter in the video below. But at least the Paul campaign is targeting a sizable voting block in Nevada. Of course, it seems like actual Mormon Mitt Romney wins here just by having his name on the ballot.

The video also prominently features quotes from Ezra Taft Benson, identified as former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. For Mormons, though, they may be more familiar with his role as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1985-94.

Quite Possibly the Oddest GOP Presidential Poll Ever Taken

noreply@blogger.com (The Anon Guy) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:48:00 +0000

While I guess the premise is somewhat unique, think of the GOP presidential race as "Survivor" and vote a candidate off, any poll that finds Rick Santorum the "winner" has to be considered with the smallest of grains of salt. But, now that I think of it, it's probably because almost nobody has heard of Santorum. (Google him for the messy details.)

Not surprisingly, Michele Bachmann was the first choice to be booted by virtually all demographics (only Republicans went with someone else first -- poor Jon Huntsman). Overall, Herman Cain was second choice, Huntsman third and Newt Gingrich fourth. Interestingly, Hispanic voters disliked Gingrich the most while none had apparently heard of Santorum.

Good news for Mitt Romney though. Only 5.2% picked him to leave the island first.

Here are the complete Poll Position results.