NC-11: It’s all about the Lincolns, baby.
By
A novel concept, via the AC-T:
Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower has launched his “Lincoln Campaign,” an effort to raise money $5 at a time.
In a press release this week, Mumpower says “there is simply no such thing as clean special interest money” and asks his supporters to make a $5 donation to his campaign and ask three friends to do the same.
“We are grateful for any contribution within legal limits, but $5 from enough people can be more powerful than a lot of money from those accustomed to buying America’s future,” Mumpower said.
Just as an aside, am I the only one who thought of Ren & Stimpy shouting “FIVE BUCKS!!??!” while reading this article/press release? Anyway, I digress…
Mumpower garnered total contributions of $27,744 and had $2,172 cash on hand during the same time period, according to Federal Election Commission. To close the cash on hand gap at $5 per donation, Mumpower would need contributions from 146,706 people.
That’s the cash on hand gap as it stands now. By the time late September/early October rolls around, he may need FIVE BUCKS!!??! from all 166,427 registered Republicans in the 11th district, as well as some of the 115,778 unaffiliateds. But I’m just spitballing here.
Oh, and, what would an article about the NC-11 Congressional race be without at least dropping Bill Sabo’s name?
Congressional incumbents win re-election more than 90 percent of the time, according to UNC-Asheville political science professor Bill Sabo, and a challenger needs at least $800,000 to mount a serious challenge.
“I am going to win or lose standing up straight through our “Lincoln Campaign” – obligated only to the common good and holding fast to a committed set of principles,” Mumpower said.
It’s ambitious. It makes good copy. Time will tell if Mumpower & the Principles (hey, sounds like a good band name, doesn’t it?) will stand up and insist that the NRCC and the inevitable glut of other special interests and lobbying groups refrain from flooding the WNC/Upstate SC radio and TV markets with Shuler attack ads, but in the meantime we wish Teh Mump the best of luck with this strategy.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for someone to give five bucks to and the thought of giving it to Mumpower makes you throw up in your mouth a little bit, give it to Heath Shuler. On the other hand, Professor Sabo does have a point about the high percentage of incumbent Congressional re-elections, and there are a few challengers running in NC who do need your help:
- Larry Kissell, who was 330 votes shy of defeating Flip-Floppin’ Robin Hayes in the 8th District in 2006 and declared a 2008 rematch just mere seconds after conceding
- Roy Carter, who’s running against current 5th District Bush rubber stamp Virginia Foxx
- Daniel Johnson, who could very well be the one to defeat that obsequious creep in the 10th District, Patrick McHenry
Or, heck, you could even click on the button at the top of the left sidebar and help us out with our operating costs! 
12 Comments
May 29th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I think Mumpower’s chances are much better than you give him credit for.
When given a choice between a Republican who sounds and acts like a Republican – and a Democrat who sounds and acts like a Republican, voters go for the former.
Teh Mumps is smart. Teh Mumps carefully crafts his language to appeal to libertarians and conservastive knuckle-draggers. Teh Mumps shows up on the Asheville Channel, and blames our social ills on Mexicans and outdoor drug markets.
In other words, he has a strategy with a track-record of success.
All Shuler has to appeal to voters is the fear of something worse. Essentialy his campaign will boil down to: “Vote for me or the ikky Republican will win.”
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May 29th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Nonsense, Low Key.
The “Democrat who acts like a Republican” has voted to increased minimum wage, expand education loans to low income folks, brought million in small business grants here to WNC, voted to protect the environment and grow alternative energies, etc.
Hardly the Republican positions.
I know he’s come in on the wrong side of FISA, stem cells, and human rights. I know he hasn’t led on getting us out of Iraq. But he’s still 80% better than what we had before and 98% better than Army of Mumpower.
Democrats always want to fall in love with their candidates. When spurned on couple of issues, they’re ready to jump into the arms of his rival. Fickle Dems who vote for Mumpower will vote against their own best interest.
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May 29th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Low Key, two words top the list of Shuler’s appeal to WNC:
SAVE Act.
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May 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Awww snap. Everytime I try useing the formatting tags I mess up.
!@#%$ it.
“The “Democrat who acts like a Republican” has voted to increased minimum wage”
Empty gestures are worse than doing nothing, because they make the fight for economic justice harder.
Rather than fight for a living wage – which is the logical, proven, solution; Shuler helped bump the minimum to $7.25. The raise wasn’t even immediate; instead, it doesn’t take effect until July 24, 2009.
Considering the inflation higher gas prices are causing, 7.25 means squat. That we congratulate our elected officials for such an “achievement” is pathetic.
At least a Republicans like Mumpower are upfront about their contempt for the poor, and don’t pretend they are doing anything for them by raising the minimum pittance.
“expand education loans to low income folks”
Explain why Mumpower would have opposed this? Republicans have a long history of disguising subsidies to loan corporations as education aid for the poor.
The result is that most students from the working classes graduate into debt bondage.
In civilized countries, higher education is free to the poor. Where is Shuler’s leadership for this real solution?
“brought million in small business grants here to WNC”"
Mumpower would have done the same, because – like Shuler – Republicans believe business classes deserve grants – and workers deserve a minimum wage or debt servitude.
“voted to protect the environment and grow alternative energies, etc.”
Mumpower has supported high environmental standards as well – so Shuler can’t really appeal to voters on this. If anything, it demonstrates that Shuler only moves when it’s politically expedient.
“98% better than Army of Mumpower.”
Shuler has voted to fund the occupation of Iraq, refuses to show leadership to reform America’s healthcare system, and has not supported holding the Bush Administration accountable for their crimes. In fact, as a Bluedog, he is one of the main obsticles to serious changes in DC.
I’d rather vote for 2% of what I want, and not get it – than support 98% of what I don’t want get it.
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May 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I kind of liked the blockquote infinity effect you created, lowkey.
You’d rather get none of what you want than some of it. Mumpower’s counting on you. He’ll continue the War in Iraq with abandon, stop bringing any money at all to the district, end any “socialist” programs, and hamstring the “envirojackers”.
Come on, lowkey. You’re angry at Shuler, but that doesn’t mean you have to support someone worse.
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May 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I kind of liked the blockquote infinity effect you created, lowkey.
One of these days I’m going to experiment in a dead thread to work out once-and-for-all what the formatting rules are here.
You’d rather get none of what you want than some of it. Mumpower’s counting on you.
Thank you for proving my point: Against a real Republican, Shuler will depend on a fear-based campaign – rather than what he’s done for District 11.
This is a recepe for disaster.
He’ll continue the War in Iraq with abandon.
Like Shuler does?
OH NOES!!!111
stop bringing any money at all to the district
[citation needed]
Plenty of money will come – it will go to public projects, loans for the poor, and corporate handouts.
You know, like what Shuler does.
end any “socialist” programs, and hamstring the “envirojackers”.
I’m not worried about Mumpy’s efforts against environmentalists. When the proverbial poop hits the fan, he’ll be forced to vote for reforms.
Just like Shuler would have.
At least with teh Mump you know what you are getting. Mumpower won’t have the luxury of hiding behind the Democratic label when it comes to environmental issues.
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May 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
What you see above the text field for comments is what you get. What’s included in that PHP array of allowable HTML tags is a handful of antiquated “Web 1.0″ that were invented when it was thought that the Internet was going to only be an academic thing.
Here’s what will be allowed once I get my dirty mitts on the PHP array:
the anchor (”a”) tag w/the “href” attribute
“b” and “strong” (for boldface type – we prefer “strong” because it’s XHTML compliant)
“i” and “em” (for italics – we prefer “em”)
“code”
“del” and “strike” (both produce strikethrough text)
“blockquote” w/o the “cite” attribute
and that’s about it, really. Anything else will be automatically scrubbed. (Site admins, however, can use any HTML they want while they’re logged in, so NERRRR!)
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June 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 am
Now that a few days has passed, I will now test what I’ve learned:
This is a test for a hyperlink. I hope it works.
And here is a quote:
This should be bold.
This should be italics.
NO FORMATTING TAGS NEEDED FOR THIS. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND CONSERVATIVES THAT WHILE “ALL CAPS” IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL, YOU STILL NEED TO DRIVE.
Okay, let’s see happens after I submit this comment.
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June 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Okay, how the heck to these hyperlinks work? Why do links get the SH.us added to them?
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June 2nd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Low Key – you’re forgetting the “http://”. It’s required in the anchor tag – without it, most browsers will parse that as a reference to a file located in the directory of the same page you’re viewing or editing, which is why the link came out funny. (any kind of request/response protocol callout works in the anchor tag, like http, rstp, mailto, ftp, gopher, etc., but it needs to be present in order for it to work correctly)
(If anyone smarter than I am can tell me how to edit the allowable tags array in WordPress without borking the whole damn site, I’d appreciate it…)
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June 2nd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Thanks for the clarification. So I should make links like this.
Gosh, I hope that works.
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June 5th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I am one of those “knuckle dragging” libertarians but I just happen to think the choice is pretty clear here. Shuler awash in special interest money, joined at the hip to his party all the while pretending to be a conservative (dare I say Republican)OR someone willing to try a new way by refusing PAC, Party, and special Interest $$$ and asking (God Forbid) the people of the 11th district to help him get elected. Maybe he will be our Congressman, not special interests. Two more things 1. It seems that you are consistent in pursuing the hidden agenda of Dr. Mumpower but spend little or no time providing the same courtesy to Mr. Shuler and 2. Did Dr. Mumpower finally convince you he is not a party hack by saying he would support the impeachment of GWB over the “President’s” disregard for the Constitution and rule of law. Oh! you haven’t covered that maybe it is just a lack of intellectual honesty on your part.
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