Civitas Poll Luncheon May 2008
Submitted by Jerimee on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 1:33pm
Civitas has a luncheon every month or so to spin the results of their push polls. These meetings are primarily used to offer advice to Republican elected officials and GOP campaign workers on how to win elections. Given that Civitas claims a 501(c)3 tax free status, this ought to be illegal.
As a staff person of the North Carolina Democratic Party I attended the lunch yesterday. Ric Killian (R, District 105) was the guest. We tried to tape the presentation, but a Civitas staff person prevented us from doing so.
Click here for a pdf of the poll results. (You can also click here to see the results on the Civitas website)
For some reason they let Dallas Woodhouse speak. He twice described himself and his audience as being in "support of Conservative and Libertarian causes." Is Libertarian a descriptive word distinct from the political party?
Francis De Luca (the guy who replaced Jack Hawke) spun the numbers for us. When talking about poll numbers favorable to Democrats or unfavorable to the GOP he would explain how they are potentially misleading, an effort he did not make for numbers favorable to the GOP or unfavorable to Dems. For example, Obama within 5 points of McCain is because Obama spent "billions" in North Carolina and actually just goes to show how intrinsically undefeatable McCain actually is.
Chris Hayes (Civitas pollster) got all excited about his claim that white folks won't vote for Obama. "Obama has to get a huge, huge chunk of the white vote" and he won't be able to do it.
Hayes also said something about how Elizabeth Dole needs to "reestablish" her North Carolina roots (or lack thereof).
When talking about education, Chris and De Luca were critical of the NEA. Killian wanted to take it further and seemed to go out of his way to say that the teachers themselves as individuals are the source of the problem. They are lazy, they don't want to be there, teachers want to be in the classroom less. I think Killian is proponent of home schooling, but it seemed bizarre that he would go out of his way to disparage public school teachers as a whole.
De Luca made a joke about how Raleigh has a "garbage collector's union." He seemed to find the concept in and of itself to be funny.
They did a poll question about Linda Daves' racist ad that showed that nobody had actually saw it, and that Democrats were more likely to have heard about it than Republicans. Deluca repeatedly described the ad as a non-event: "much ado about nothing."
At the end of the event someone asked a question: how can we paint Democrats as corrupt and how do we stop Republicans from being painted with the same brush? Ric Killian responded, "We as a conservative group, as the Republican party, need to . . ." Deluca let him finish his point and then made a statement reminding everyone about how Civitas is a 501(c)3 organization and everyone had a good laugh.
Ric Killian
Killian, by the way, is unopposed. His district is the Southern tip of Mecklenburg, on the border of SC and Union county.
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http://twitter.com/Jerimee
Therapy session now open for Civitas Deniers?
Killian, by the way, is unopposed. His district is the Southern tip of Mecklenburg, on the border of SC and Union county* Jerimee with his hidden Cell Phone Cam on the Mexican and USA border after being censor by Art Pope border thugs.
Sounds like a Skrink could have made a forture in Diesel Therapy from all of that Denial in that love hug group of Republicans or as my old weather predictor friend once said. It appears that this idiot is pissing in the wind and thinking it is rain.
Hey Roy Cooper!
Seems to me that our Attorney General might wanna look into this.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
You know, our state auditor and secretary of state might be able
to look into it as well.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
Would not count on the Auditor
At least until after November when Beth Woods wins the election and Les Merrit is thrown out.
"jump in where you can and hang on"
Briscoe Darling to Sheriff Andy
But I thought
He was a fair and impartial public official rooting out corruption. Not a Republican hack looking to score cheap political points.
Guess not.
"Keep the Faith"
"Keep the Faith"
Taping Meetings
I don't believe they can stop you from recording the luncheons.
But, if they insist, then I suggest you use an MP3 Player that has a record function. A lot of them are really small, and record pretty good audio. If you want video, there are a lot of consumer digital cameras available that record video. Some of the newer Kodak cameras record HD Video (but 320x240 is good enough for youtube).
If all else fails, use the camera to record audio to extract out of the video file later. Just be sure to cover the record light with a piece of tape.
I'm a conservative, but I bristle at attempts to stop a member of the media (especially the New Media) from recording a meeting.
I could see not being allowed to record the meeting if it was a members only meeting.
Thunder Pig does not object to the FBI micro chip up his rear?
I'm a conservative, but I bristle at attempts to stop a member of the media (especially the New Media) from recording a meeting.* Thunder Pig
Good for you Thunder Pig, but aren't you the neo-conservative racist republican dude from western North Carolina, who believes the Patriot Act was the greatest thing since butter bread without a warrent?
So how does feel to know that you were voted Dumbest Terrorist of the week by Homeland Security?
MaxTheDog2 Attacks
Do you still beat your wife?
I am a conservative who studies Richard Weaver, Russell Kirk, Albert Jay Nock, and lately, Leo Strauss. If that qualifies me as a neocon ala the Ron Palueroids, then so be it.
If believing that people should be judged by the content of their character without regard, or respect, to their skin color is racist, then so be it.
I stand guilty as charged on the PATRIOT Act, and have assisted in identifying targets for scrutiny.
As far as the Dumbest Terrorist, if you only knew the half of it.
I guess there is one dog who will bite the hand that is attempting to feed it some advice.
Thunder Pig gets BBQ by a dog?
MaxTheDog2 Attacks
Do you still beat your wife?*ThunderPig
Never! My wife is a big supporter of Jesse Ventura and stands 6'8" and was one the Sparta bit actors in the 300's movie.
I am a conservative who studies Richard Weaver, Russell Kirk, Albert Jay Nock, and lately, Leo Strauss. If that qualifies me as a neocon ala the Ron Palueroids, then so be it.*ThunderPig
No wonder you are screw up with your political thinking. If you had said Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, John Adams as your source of studies for conservatism, than you might have not try to make a excuse for your stupidity. And what makes you think that Congressman Ron Paul and his fans are communists?
If believing that people should be judged by the content of their character without regard, or respect, to their skin color is racist, then so be it.*ThunderPig
So you are really are a class diversity racist who believes a superior education at Yale makes you a closet bigot.
I stand guilty as charged on the PATRIOT Act, and have assisted in identifying targets for scrutiny.*ThunderPig
In Cuba! You would be consider a "snitch" for the Cuba Police State.
As far as the Dumbest Terrorist, if you only knew the half of it.*ThunderPig
Tell that to Homeland secruity and your lawyer if you are lucky to have one in your defense.
I guess there is one dog who will bite the hand that is attempting to feed it some advice.*ThunderPig
Sorry Dude! This dog does not believe in Masters and Slavery that you are trying to promote as Fascist Republican Freedom.
I have the solution!
Let's give EVERYONE tax free status! ;-)
Space Taxes?
I have the solution!
Let's give EVERYONE tax free status! ;-)*FireofLiberty
No you don't! No doubt you saw that movie " Armggdom" with Bruce Willis where a large Astronoid is about to hit Earth and destroy it. Bruce and his Oil crew is promise that they will never have to pay the IRS ever again, if they save the Earth! In the end. Bruce is killed and never has to pay the IRS, but his Crew lives and returns to Earth as Hero's until the IRS Liens their return Spaceship with a note attached to the Spaceship " We Lie" With love the IRS :>{
Wesley Snipes
In the sequel, Bruce and his crew enlist the help of Wesley Snipes to take down the IRS...
Wesley Snipes just got snip by the IRS and Bush forever!
Wesley made many mistakes with the IRS.
1. He shouldn't have cash the 2.5 million refund check from the IRS after they told him not to!
2. He change lawyers like they were going out of style with a 1040 in his case.
3. He should have stay in Africa instead of turning himself in like a idiot and became a King.
4. Never trust your close buddies when they tell you that you will never have to pay a tax if you take this Tax unenhancement course on the internet by a group of failed Tax protesters
5. Always hire the best establishment accountants in the world and if they screw up, claim insanity!
6. He should have worked a plea with the IRS and claim a group of Terrorists force him to be a evil twin person in his lastest movie.
7. Never appear on TV show with Opra and say you support Obama with the present Republican Justice Department in power.
8. If you think that Bruce Willis is going to save him while doing a 125 years in a Federal Dentention Center, than you better check and find out why Bruce is supporting Lunatic McCain and not dealing with reality.
9.No doubt Wesley will become somebody wife in the future when the brothers find out he was a real pussy in the world of the IRS.
10. Should have listen to Willie Nelson and claim it was a inside job and the IRS was blowing Pot up his rear in the back of Bus.
Concession
Submitted by FireofLiberty on Fri, 05/30/2008 - 9:43pm.
Ok, that was funny. I will note that you have received three points for funny.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-Edmund Burke
Oh, yeah. That will work.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
I should mention
I should mention that despite what I assume is a visible loathing for the entire proceedings, every time I've been to one of these events I'm received some token of politeness from Civitas staff. For example, I never know who the speakers are, and inevitably the Republican sitting next to me has to answer the question "Who is that guy?" like 5 or 6 times. If the shoe was on the other foot I'm not sure how I'd behave.
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http://twitter.com/Jerimee
Oh, you'd be polite.
I'm surprised they wouldn't let you tape - but instead of surreptitiously doing it, next time have someone go with you who knows short hand, or develop a short hand of your own. It makes it hard to look at people or participate in discussions, but you get all the notes.
Warning - if people discover you have this ability, you will wind up as Secretary of all organizations to which you belong.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
Same experience
When I was at PPP, I would often attend the luncheon and they were very nice to me as well. But yeah it is kind of awkward to explain what you do to the others at your table. I always felt like I killed the table discussion after that because nobody wanted to say anything "interesting."
Like your mother taught you
You must be polite. But I have to say the image in my head of you sitting there surrounded by these folks gives me a laugh.
You can and should record the proceedings. There are small recorders these days that do a good job while being easily concealed.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-Edmund Burke
These events are open to everyone, aren't they?
How big is a table, Jerimee? I'll bet we could fill one, if we had enough notice for when the next event was. I'd even wear grown up clothes and behave nicely for that time period -- as long as I got to go for a beverage of my choice afterwards.
BlueNC goes to Civitas. Now that puts a smile on my face.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
You are so delightfully
full of excellent ideas. :) I like it.
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." - Harry Truman
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
Me too.
The idea of playing dress up Republican just tickles me no end. I've tried to do it before, pearls and heels and all.
Progressive Democrats of North Carolina
Progressives are the true conservatives.
I bet they'd let you in for free if you wear
that bowtie. :)
I think I would explode if I tried to attend any Civitas function.
Linda - So you think you could bottle the "Jersey girl" for the duration of one of those meetings? :)
Person County Democrats
Environmental Defense Fund
Cell phones will be to the 21st century what tobacco was to the 20th.
I do it all the time.
You wouldn't even know me.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
only costs $10 to go, and you get lunch
If yall want to come to Raleigh next month I think it would be fun. It's a shame you never got to see McCrory's campaign manager Jack Hawke do it, he would really show out.
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http://twitter.com/Jerimee