As I began rethinking my campaign with 46 days till the primary I got my second mailing from one of the candidates. I also got a reply to an email exhange from the fourth candidate who has yet to mail anything. This 16 year old blog continues to be the best place for me to comment so let me lay out a little of what these three pieces communicate.
The black and white piece from Democratic candidate Jen Schultz is only for the voters she represents in her Senate District. Its boring, safe and predictable. I presume her Senate District campaign paid for it but as a simnple
“2022 Legislative Report” she may have paid for it out of her pocket or perhaps her Democratic caucus paid for it. I doesen’t even mention that Jen is now Running for the Congress. I would guess she mailed it to about the same number of people I mailed my first 12,000 mailings to all in Eastern Duluth. Its just the sort of think I wouldn’t bother reading and other than reading her Dear neighbors part which fails to mention her Congressional ambitions I haven’t read the rest of it.
My ad from this weeks Reader is in the center and my intention is to format this as a simple post card to mail out if I can raise some money. My message is very brief and it will be read by the majority of people who will take five seconds to read the heading. Mine would go to all voters and mine gives all of them a reason to vote in the August 9th primary. I make sure to let them know that they can still vote for Jen in the November General election. (without mentioning her name)
Then you get the expensive glossy Motherhood and apple pie piece from Congressman Stauber. I presumed it was a “campaign piece” when I got it. Later when I looked more closely at is controversial promise to take care of veterans I noticed it was paid for from government funds. These are from the “franking priveleges” which Congressmen have had available perhaps since the dawn of time. I got four of them every year from Congressman Oberstar. Those were like Jen Schultz’s piece although more sophisticated. They could be described as a newsletter about what was happening in the nation’s capital……..Stauber”s is so clearly a campaign piece paid for by taxpayers that I am offended by it. Notwithstanding this is what is says in small print by my address “PUBLIC DOCUMENT OFFICIAL BUSINESS Paid for by official funds authorized by the House of Representatives.”
I have been reconciled to the franking privelege since I first heard about it. as Pete heads to the General election if he can survive my challenge in the Primary he has a million dollars to throw at the mail, television and the Internet.
What he says on the Internet is more useful than this glossy soon-to-be-trash: For instance after the Supreme Court that was packed by the Republicans overturned Roe v Wade today he was quick to put this up on Facebook:
One more things worth noting. Not only do I have a thirty year public record of fighting for Abortion rights in Republican circles I responded weeks before today by posting campaign podcasts on the subject. I’m afraid that Rep. Jen Schultz will approach the subject with all the piss and vinegar of her legislative mailer.
