The envelope contained a letter and a 4-page "2010 Congressional District Census."
(I'm not sure how I ended up on the RNC's mailing list. My only guess is that it happened because I've written a few letters to Republican congresspeople in Oklahoma. I'm registered as Independent; I'd describe myself as a left-leaning moderate.)
Letter, page 1:
I've never gotten anything like this from the Democratic National Committee, but I do receive mailings from some humanitarian and liberal organizations. For example, a couple of years ago, I wrote a post about a mailing I received from the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project and its generous use of pathos to solicit more donations. This document is similarly interesting because of it's rhetorical appeals.
Letter, page 2:
While the first page of the letter was rather calm in tone, this page calls up some of the most common conservative rallying points. What I find most interesting is the third full paragraph:
I could dissect and rebut this in a number of ways, but what I'm most interested in is the tactic of maintaining that Obama and the Dems were, are, and presumably always will be, up to something other than what they're claiming. This suggestion plants a seed, or nourishes one already sprouted, that the reader of this letter should (continue to) mistrust the Obama Administration. It's part of a long-term strategy to keep conservative readers/voters in a state of mistrust. Whatever Obama or the Democrats say they want, you can bet they're actually planning something much more insidious. It's implication without proof.
Barack Obama was barely in the White House a month when he dropped all pretense of "hope" and "change" and laid bare his real agenda of massive tax increases, government-run health care, amnesty for illegal aliens, and bigger, more intrusive government. Today the Democrats' disastrous agenda is becoming a reality for all Americans and we must stop them.
Letter, page 3:
I like the question that starts on p2 and ends on p3:
Should Republicans continue to stand firm and united to block the creation and expansion of government programs that will crush future economic growth?This wording is really clever-- the question is not whether or not the expansion of programs will stymie growth-- that is presumed as true. The question is whether or not Republicans should fight against this crushing force.
But wait! There's more!
I've also scanned in all 4 pages of the census-ish document.
I like this document so much because it's attempting to balance formality and objectivity (through it's census-like format and psuedo-official format) with typical talking points and scare tactics. Take a look:
Page 1:
Page 2:
Page 3:
Question 5 is one of my favorites:
Do you think the record trillion dollar federal deficit the Democrats are creating with their out-of-control spending is going to have disastrous consequences for our nation?Who would answer "No" to that question, worded that way?
Page 4:
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3 comments:
Really interesting stuff, Meagan. From the perspective of rhetorical analysis, what I find interesting is the fact that the "census" itself serves as a kind of clearinghouse for talking points and is itself an attempt at persuasion. The wording of the questions already presupposes a particular viewpoint, or, worse, tacitly assumes it to already be true.
I also like how the "census" has the all the simulacra of an official government document. It gives someone the feel that Republican politics somehow has the imprimatur of government approval.
I would be interested to know how this is to be used. From the way the questions are constructed, I can't imagine this would yield any substantive information, but would only reinforce someone's preexisting opinion and give them at least the sensation that they are participating in their own political fate.
I think you're right-- it's not about the data they gather-- it's about instilling a feeling in the respondent that her words are valued.
It sorta reminds me of the Publishers Clearing House envelopes that used to arrive every year. I don't know if you've ever seen them, but in order to fill out the form completely, you have to dig through the full envelope to find stickers and codes. Doing this forces your eyes to glance across the other ads that come in the envelope. It also, I think, makes you feel more invested in it, so you're more likely to send it in and take the whole thing more seriously.
Mom wouldn't ever send the forms in, and I always knew that from the beginning, but something in me loves filling out forms, so I'd do it anyway.
I am a giant nerd.
Also interesting, this is now illegal. They're not allowed to send you to anything that says "census" anywhere on it.
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