My opponent starts with the dirty politics...

[GunnyFreedom]

Haven't seen the mailpiece yet, but a friend has told me about it.

Two pictures of me (no idea what they look like) with the headline:


GLEN BRADLEY
will take away your right to vote for US Senators

Looks like they are running scared.... :D

[MRoCkEd]

lol

[teacherone]

is it true? are you an anti-17th-er?

[GunnyFreedom]

is it true? are you an anti-17th-er?

I would rather not have a 17th Amendment, as it has increased rather than decreased corruption, and it has decreased, rather than increased accountability for Senators, but whenever I have discussed the 17thA it was made crystal clear that 1) no action could be taken on it for more than a decade, and then only if the majority of America wants it, and 2) a single state legislator has pretty much no power to even influence the Federal Amendment Process, much less to initiate it and get it passed.

John May clearly does not know how a State Legislature works, an amazing feat for someone who has spent the last year there. Even a majority of both houses in a single State Legislature has no power to amend the US Constitution. You would need a majority in all 50 State Legislatures AND a supermajority in the US Congress to even initiate the amendment process.

John May is giving me an awful lot of credit - being able to wrap a 20 year process down into two years, and being able to secure majority votes in all 50 State Legislatures PLUS a supermajority in the US Congress - apparently all by myself.

The reality, which Mr. May well knows, is that no one legislator can do anything without building coalitions. If John May really thinks I am capable of building a coalition within 2 years to include half of every State House and State Senate in America, PLUS three quarters of the US House and US Senate, then there is no wonder his campaign is seriously afraid of me, and it explains why he is doing anything and everything in their power to paint me as something that I am not.

[teacherone]

^^^^
nice-- sweet debate rebuttal!

[Brett]

John May is giving me an awful lot of credit - being able to wrap a 20 year process down into two years, and being able to secure majority votes in all 50 State Legislatures PLUS a supermajority in the US Congress - apparently all by myself.

If he sees you in that light I can see why he's running scared :D

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

If you are catching flak than you know you are over the target.... Semper Fi Gunny

[GunnyFreedom]

cribbed together a phonebanking script:

Hello Sir/Maam

I am a volunteer for Glen Bradley for NC State House, and I'd like to introduce Glen and respond to a recent attempt by our opponent to distort the record. Is this a good time?

y/n

Thank you, Glen Bradley served in the US Marines and attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a firm believer in a government that obeys the law and that remains accountable to the citizens. Glen Bradley believes that the best way to grow jobs is to lift the burden of big government from the small businesses who hire, and allow them to expand operations to meet growing markets, and to use that revenue to hire new employees and to pay them a fair wage.

Our opponent recently sent a direct mail piece into your area claiming that "Glen Bradley will take away your right to vote for US Senators." This is a distortion and a lie.

Philosophically, Glen believes that there would probably be less lobbyist, big money corporate, and special interest influence in the US Senate if the 17th Amendment were repealed. Glen also recognizes (unlike his opponent) that repealing Amendments to the US Constitution belongs in the FEDERAL US Congress, rather than in the NC STATE House, and that any such goal could only be acted on with a true majority of support from the American people, a majority in all 50 State Legislatures, and a supermajority of three quarters of the US Congress.

It's simply not possible for a single State legislator to repeal the 17th Amendment to the Federal Constitution, and as an incumbent State Representative, our opponent should obviously know that.

I would like to ask you please do not give in to the politics of fear, which our opponent is trying to use, to hang on to an appointed seat which he does not deserve. Do please go out and vote for Glen Bradley for NC State House, and let's finally put "politics as usual" behind us.

Do you have any questions I can answer, or messages you would like to pass on to the candidate?

Thank you so much for your time, please vote Glen Bradley for NC State House, and do have a wonderful day.

[jacque]

Excellent response. When can I start making these phone calls? ;)

[GunnyFreedom]

Just got off the phone w John Edwards the (R) regarding media Markets. I will compile the appropriate lists and divvy them off 100 numbers at a time. Let's polish the script above through the night and then get calls going out on this Monday.

[jacque]

OK Did u get my text?

[TCE]

Be VERY careful here. Clearly, May does not expect this to make any dent, he is merely gauging your reaction. His goal is to define the race and write the script. His strategy is obvious: attack you, hope you defend, attack you again, etc. If he can create an environment where all you are doing is playing defense, he has already won. Don't allow him to define the race. You are FOR something, liberty, he is AGAINST you. That being said, I like what you've done with the script. It was 50/50, containing a bit of a biography with defense to the ad.

Again though, I would caution you taking this approach. If you do this script with the 17th Amendment portion, you are now in a scenario where the 17th Amendment is an issue in this race and it will continue to be. If that is what you're looking for, go for it, if not, I would investigate alternatives. Personally, I'm not sure what I would do here. There are pros and cons to both alternatives.

If you do keep this script, I would recommend adding a little something at the top section, it goes along with your platform: There is a debate going on now as to if the federal tax cuts should be extended another year because of the recession. Glen believes this is the wrong question to ask and it is typical of politicians. Taxes should not be raised in a recession nor any other time. A tax increase hurts businesses, hurts families, and hurts the economy WHENEVER it is enacted. Government must first cut spending before it asks us to give more of our paychecks to fund it.

Not sure whether I would put it in here or not, but I like the basic idea.

[rancher89]

I like your response Gunny, but TCE may be right, it does you no good to be on the defensive...a simple one line response something like this.... "Our opponent recently sent a direct mail piece into your area claiming that 'Glen Bradley will take away your right to vote for US Senators.' This is a distortion and a lie, if May knew how the Constitutional Amendment process worked, and he were honest, he would not make such statements."
.
TCE is right here as well:

I would recommend adding a little something at the top section, it goes along with your platform: There is a debate going on now as to if the federal tax cuts should be extended another year because of the recession. Glen believes this is the wrong question to ask and it is typical of politicians. Taxes should not be raised in a recession nor any other time. A tax increase hurts businesses, hurts families, and hurts the economy WHENEVER it is enacted. Government must first cut spending before it asks us to give more of our paychecks to fund it.

[GunnyFreedom]

TCE makes a great point. the accusation sounds ludicrous on it's face. There is only a small germ of truth to it, but it was so heavily distorted that it becomes as much of a lie in reality as it sounds like on it's face. I'm almost better to just push on like it never happened, but just have a stock response at the ready for when someone asks me about it. :D

[phill4paul]

I'm almost better to just push on like it never happened, but just have a stock response at the ready for when someone asks me about it. :D

^^^ This.

Stay on point. All resources to your beliefs. None to countering negative ads unless presented with an opportunity to do it for free. Radio show. TV interview etc.

Then have a very pat response that brings your opponents knowledge of the Constitution into question. Then remind him that you are running for a house seat and there are enough issues that are of "imminent importance" concerning the problems within your district and N.C.

[TCE]

TCE makes a great point. the accusation sounds ludicrous on it's face. There is only a small germ of truth to it, but it was so heavily distorted that it becomes as much of a lie in reality as it sounds like on it's face. I'm almost better to just push on like it never happened, but just have a stock response at the ready for when someone asks me about it. :D

That's a safer strategy. I don't know how many North Carolinians are receiving that mailer and saying "WHAT!?!?!? He wants to repeal the 17th Amendment!?!? I hate him." Again, from what I can tell, this is his way of sending feelers out to see what you're going to do.

[Sola_Fide]

Go Glen!

[phill4paul]

That's a safer strategy. I don't know how many North Carolinians are receiving that mailer and saying "WHAT!?!?!? He wants to repeal the 17th Amendment!?!? I hate him." Again, from what I can tell, this is his way of sending feelers out to see what you're going to do.

I think the original said "He wants to take away our right to vote for Senators."

It is an out of context jab. It may fool the few add fire to those that would not have voted for him anyway.

This late in the game it should be viewed as the trite that it is.

Best to answer.. "Obviously my opponent is either seeking to deliberately misinterpret my position in an effort to slander me or he hasn't taken the time to read the Constitution. Either I feel disqualifies him for this position. Wouldn't you agree?";)

[ronpaulhawaii]

If I get asked I'll probably just laugh it off as, "another ridiculous example of dirty campaigning..."

[TCE]

I think the original said "He wants to take away our right to vote for Senators."

It is an out of context jab. It may fool the few add fire to those that would not have voted for him anyway.

This late in the game it should be viewed as the trite that it is.

Best to answer.. "Obviously my opponent is either seeking to deliberately misinterpret my position in an effort to slander me or he hasn't taken the time to read the Constitution. Either I feel disqualifies him for this position. Wouldn't you agree?";)

I misstated it, that was my error. Still, to rephrase, I don't know how effective of a message that will be. He is seemingly pulling that out of nowhere to the average voter. It sounds so much like a dirty political trick (on May's part), that I can't see many undecideds being persuaded by it. Additionally, most people throw away the direct mailers anyway, so Gunny should be just fine.

RPH: Right on. May is so unbelievably off base with his statement that it speaks for itself.

[ronpaulhawaii]

Glen has a candidate forum tonight and I am wondering if he should put a sentence about being "new to politics and still getting used to being attacked with gutter campaigning..." in his opening statement? Or just wait and see if anyone goes there...?

[teacherone]

i don't know...it's not really "gutter" politics as it doesn't get personal.

and...it's really only a mis-characterization which could be changed with one word:


Glen Bradly will wants to take away your right to vote for US Senators

glen could counteract by giving his rebuttal in post4 of this thread (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showpost.php?p=2936715&postcount=4) without acting aggrieved.

[ronpaulhawaii]

i don't know...it's not really "gutter" politics as it doesn't get personal.

and...it's really only a mis-characterization which could be changed with one word:



glen could counteract by giving his rebuttal in post4 of this thread (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showpost.php?p=2936715&postcount=4) without acting aggrieved.

Yes, I hear you. And the wisdom is to ignore attacks if at all possible...

This mailer is part of a narrative which has the opponent mentioning JBS and other unnamed "fringe" groups that Glen is allegedly a part of...

Voters are sick and tired of dirty campaigning...

[Imperial]

Yes, I hear you. And the wisdom is to ignore attacks if at all possible...

This mailer is part of a narrative which has the opponent mentioning JBS and other unnamed "fringe" groups that Glen is allegedly a part of...

Voters are sick and tired of dirty campaigning...

Take Rand Paul's approach, which has been working very well. Attack the negative campaigning, mention you are a man of integrity and were a marine, and move on.

[jacque]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs459.ash2/73258_1655471945084_1185633984_1835279_3679370_n.j pg
Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Forum.
Fine picture of RPH, GunnyFreedom and Tom Rose :)

[GunnyFreedom]

looks like you caught me goofy... :D