Revered or reviled, invoking the name of POTUS-heckling Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) has proven a fundraising boon, draining the pockets of the agitated activist bases of both parties.
The Internet has not only accelerated the pace of campaign fundraising, but online media – particularly blogs and e-mail – have amped up the urgency of the appeals, igniting a duel for dollars each time a campaign fires off a new plea for funds. All one campaign needs to do is subscribe to their opponent’s email list, wait for the next solicitation, forward it to their own supporters, sprinkle in a few lines of red meat rhetoric, then sit back and rake in the dough.
As the clock ticked down to Thursday’s quarterly FEC filing deadline, this vicious cycle intensified. Around noon on Wednesday, Wilson’s campaign sent an appeal with the battle cry “Let’s Take Back Washington,”
linking to a video of Wilson vowing, “I will not be muzzled.”
About an hour later, a message with this subject line materialized in the inboxes of subscribers to Miller’s e-mail list: “FW: Can You Believe This?” The sender was Miller campaign manager Lindsay Zoeller, asking, with affected astonishment, “Can you believe he’s turning himself into a conservative martyr?” and urging recipients to “stand with us against Joe Wilson’s shameless grandstanding.”
Wilson himself has been spreading the wealth – and the rancor – around, by lending his name to fellow Republicans nationwide. And their opponents have not failed to capitalize on Wilson’s 15 minutes of national renown – and enmity among Democrats across America.
Perhaps nervous that Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell’s downplaying of the provocatively arch-conservative take on gays and women he proffered in his recently-unearthed grad school thesis, would dampen turnout among those base voters they need to retain the State House, Virginia Republicans
secured the signature of Joe Wilson, a man with impeccable credentials amongst consternated conservative email-recipients, raising the specter of ACORN and “Big Labor” “swarming” Virginia to topple a Republican Speaker.
Not to be outdone, the Democratic Governor’s Association, trying to scare up funds to retain the governor’s office in the Old Dominion, and New Jersey, this November, got ahold of this missive and forwarded it their list – with a simple, but savvy, subject line: “FW: Email from Joe Wilson” – sounding an alarm that Wilson is “using his newfound ‘celebrity’ to raise money so that other Republicans can flaunt the rules and redistrict themselves back into power.”
This spiral must be giving fits to advocates for campaign finance regulation, as they struggle to keep up with the breakneck speed of these trends. But, before they have a chance to cry out for more rules, this back and forth may reach a pitch so fevered that the dueling messages soon become background noise, rendering this tactic toothless; no longer a viable conduit for campaign cash.
Here’s the text of Wilson’s and Miller’s dueling appeals:
from: Lindsay B. Zoeller
date: Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 1:08 PM
subj: FW: Can You Believe This?
Dear Friend,
Rob’s wife just forwarded me this message from Joe Wilson’s campaign. Can you believe he’s turning himself into a conservative martyr? We’re 11 hours from the fundraising deadline and need you to stand with us against Joe Wilson’s shameless grandstanding. Tonight at midnight marks our deadline where we both have to report how much money our campaigns have in the bank. Wilson is claiming to have raised millions – we can’t let him get away with this. Please help us today.
Contribute before midnight tonight!
Your support to this point has put Joe Wilson on the defensive. Can you help us one more time before the fundraising deadline? Let’s show Joe Wilson we deserve better.
Thank you,
Lindsay B. Zoeller
Campaign Manager
Rob Miller for Congress
P.S. We’ve removed the link to Joe Wilson’s video so you don’t have to suffer through it.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From: Rep. Joe Wilson
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 12:05 PM
To: XXXXXX
Subject: Fw: VIDEO: Let’s Take Back Washington
In these past weeks I have rattled the cage of liberal Democrats in Washington with my staunch opposition to their big government policies. Now, they are targeting me with everything they’ve got. They have produced ads attacking me and are raising millions for my liberal opponent.
Despite their attacks – I will not be muzzled. I will continue to stand arm-in-arm with every patriot in America to ensure our voices are heard in Washington.
As you may know, Wednesday, September 30 is the end of the third-quarter for fundraising. The amount of money we raise in this quarter will be scrutinized by the liberal mainstream media and compared to that of my opponent who has raised more than a million dollars.
We have set a goal to raise $25,000 by midnight to keep up the fight against the escalating attacks from liberal Democrats and end the third-quarter strong.Will you please watch this video and donate to my campaign today to help us take back Washington?
I have been humbled by the support you have shown my family and me over the past few weeks. The emails, letters, Facebook messages, Tweets and comments I have received have strengthened my resolve to not back down. As the liberal Democrats in Washington continue their attacks on me, I will continue to stand with you and fight for real solutions to our nation’s problems.
But I can not do it alone.
Please, take a few minutes today to watch this video and make a donation to help us reach our goal of $25,000 to take back Washington.
Together, we will take back Washington.
Proud to stand with you,
Joe Wilson
U.S. Representative
| Paid for by Rob Miller for Congress |
