Bringing Out The Dead
SENATOR CATHERINE CEIPS IS REACHING … BEYOND THE GRAVE
FITSNews - June 4, 2008 - “Everybody else is doing it, why shouldn’t you?”
It’s an advertising tactic known as the “bandwagon effect” … and political consultants have been using it for years to generate a sense of universal support for their candidates.
Rod Shealy, in particular, is well-known for closing out his campaigns with mailings that feature hundreds of local supporters - all of them allegedly endorsing his candidates. Unfortunately, Shealy’s latest use of this cookie-cutter political tool (on behalf of embattled State Sen. Catherine Ceips) has backfired … big-time. Specifically, dozens of the “proud supporters” of Ceips listed in the mail piece are actually supporting her opponent, former gubernatorial Chief-of-Staff Tom Davis.
But it gets better … Ceips’ list is also littered with people who won’t be casting votes for anybody - seeing as they’re dead.
From the Beaufort Gazette, we learn:
A recent mailer from Sen. Catherine Ceips’ re-election campaign lists hundreds of locals’ names along with the message, “We Proudly Support Catherine Ceips,” though several on the list have come forward to say they don’t.
Several others on the list can’t support anyone — because they’re dead.
After “briefly” reviewing the mailer, Ceips’ Republican primary opponent Tom Davis identified 53 of his supporters in the list, plus 10 dead people.
Ceips’ mail piece also lists a recently-appointed state judge - a big ethical no-no according to the state code of judicial conduct.
Not surprisingly, neither Ceips nor Shealy were available for comment.
The Davis-Ceips contest has been the highest profile State Senate race in recent memory, as the Senate Republican Caucus has dumped nearly $100,000 in soft money contributions into the race on Ceips’ behalf. Ceips has also benefited from illegal automated phone calls that the Caucus has coordinated with a third party advocacy group, coordination which is also in violation of state law.
“It is no holds-barred,” said one State House observer. “Tom Davis is seen as the governor’s proxy, and they are bent on teaching the governor a lesson by sending him down to defeat.”
Even if it takes breaking laws and employing the help of the non-living, apparently …
Comments
By Palmetto Pulse on June 4th, 2008 at 11:01 am
And coming mid-summer for your viewing pleasure…
State House Seance…where incumbents channel the dead in hopes of saving their campaigns.
By Don Johnson on June 4th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I’m not quite dead yet!
You will be soon enough.
I’m getting better…..
By Lowcountry Boil on June 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I feel happy…i feeel happyyyy
excellent reference
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on June 4th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
sic(k) willie,
You need to be honest with your 3 readers. Share your very short list of clients. It would help people understand why you blog this cr@p.
How much are the gub’ners stooges paying you for your attacks on Ms. Ceips? Are they still laundering their money through the SCRG?
And you have slowed you attacks on public education. We assume that is because the voucher scam checks started to bounce, again.
BIN News Editorial Staff
By fitsnews on June 4th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
BIN-
And how much are you getting paid to post thousands of anonymous comments on a website that nobody reads?
-FITSNews
By Einstein on June 4th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
BIN = Rod Shealy?
By Elizabeth Dole on June 4th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Tonight’s important information about what to do if your loved one has a stroke:
1) Walk up to them and see if they are conscious, then
2) Take their pulse and look for signs of breathing.
If there are signs of life, call 911.
If there are no signs of life, call Rod Shealy. He may need another endorsee.
By Trey on June 4th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
That’d be really funny.
sic, can we assume this doubles as an “undorsement” of Ceips?
By Elizabeth Dole on June 4th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
He can’t endorse her. He’s … alive.
By Mrs. Ethel Krabitz on June 5th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
read the article to the tunes of “Wanted: Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi.
All i hope is that Ceips campaign is DEAD in the water. Anybody but Ceips. In fact, I would personally vote for a dead person over her.
By q. on June 5th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Is this the biggest news in SC right now? Geez, sometimes being away from home IS all it’s cracked up to be. Anyway, anyone who’s ever done anything (worthwhile) in politics knows that these kinds of mistakes happen on every campaign. But the song remains the same: Senator Ceips has a long career ahead of her thanks to a solid record in the General Assembly.
~Quintus
P.S. I used capital letters for you, this time, FITS. Please, please don’t ban me!