Over the years, the GOP has done some really horrible things in order to win elections, raise money, and make sure they maintain control of the House of Representatives and a majority of the state legislatures. Richard Nixon was a master of what became known as “dirty tricks,” and this was in part what led to his destruction.
Fear is an oft-used tool of Republicans: Be afraid of ISIS; minorities may replace you at work as a result of affirmative action; the government wants to indoctrinate your child with radical ideas in school. Be afraid! Be very afraid!
And now Rachel Maddow has exposed the GOP’s latest dirty trick: The fake fundraising letter disguised as an overdue bill. We all have a fear of forgetting to pay a bill and getting a notice in the mail that your internet service, water, or electricity will be cut off if you do not ACT IMMEDIATELY!
The GOP has added a nasty twist to our fear of not paying a bill: A fundraiser that resembles a bill, complete with an envelope announcing in scary bold red letters, “NOTICE OF DELINQUENCY. What makes this even worse is that often this letter is being sent specifically to the elderly as a way of getting them to open the correspondence, which then begs for money, OR ELSE!
Yes, this is all probably legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less wrong or underhanded. And these letters even carry the signature of the Chief GOP Weasel himself, Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus, whose name will always sound like a medical procedure you never want to hear you need: Mrs. Smith, I’m afraid we’re gonna have to reince that priebus on your buttocks.
The GOP is famous for doing anything to win an election, but this is a new low. If you happen to get one of these, do what my dad used to do: He would singe the corners of the letter and mail it back with a note attached that said:
“This is what I think of your bullshit!”
That may not have kept Dad from getting any other unwanted letters, but it sure as hell made him feel better.
Here’s the segment from last night’s “Rachel Maddow Show”
Featured Image Via YouTube Screengrab
