The outside says "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton" in bold type with nothing else in the upper left. Across the middle it says "2005 Critical National Issues Survey" and below "Official Documents Enclosed for:" (address window), and "Please respond within the next 10 days" in red, pseudo-handwritten font.
The back flap has the return address as "Friends of Hillary, PO Box 3150, NY, NY 10116-3150, www.hillaryclinton.com"
I open it to examine the contents after the fold...
Enclosed is a two-sided letter from Hill addressed to "Dear Friend". It took all of a half second of scanning to zero in on the donation request in an indented paragraph at the top of the bottom fold.
Some emotion eliciting language:
"...deep concern over the effect the extreme Bush agenda is having on America"
"Republicans want to take control of the campaign debate right now."
"...there are some who mistakenly believe the election results of 2004 give them a green light to move forward with their radical, right-wing agenda."
"...grandmother who is deeply worried about George Bush's plan to privatize Social Security."
"...parents who know fiscal irresponsibility in Washington is piling up debt..."
"...standing up to a special interest agenda that would further divide America and dim the dreams of our children."
"...the National Republican Senatorial Committee and their right-wing allies have already begun invoking my name to try to build support for their radical political agenda and policy goals."
"...they are blasting out negative attacks designed to distort my record and undercut my support..."
"...you can't sit back and let baseless attacks go unanswered."
"With the Republicans already working overtime to attack me..."
"...[if]you believe the Bush Administration and its allies in Congress have turned a deaf ear to the issues that are important to you..."
Then the survey starts out right away with half page contribution request. They request that we sign and date, and that they "cannot process unsigned surveys." (Why is this?)
Part 1: Ranking the Issues
1) Please rank the following issues in their order of importance to you by placing a number in each box:
Economy/Jobs, Environment, Social Security/Medicare, Education, Homeland Security, Health Care, Tax Cuts, Reproductive Rights, Separation of Church and State
The balance of the survey has the option of checking "Very concerned", "Somewhat concerned", or "Unconcerned" to the following questions:
2) How concerned are you (HCAY) that President Bush is not doing enough to get Americans back to work, create more jobs, and get the economy moving again?
- HCAY that the massive budget deficits caused by Republican economic and tax policies will inevitably result in drastic cuts in Social Security, Medicare, education, and social services?
- HCAY that the Adminsitration proposals for Homeland Security underfund critically important first responders, such as firefighters, police officer, and local health agencies?
- HCAY about ongoing Republican proposals to privatize Social Security by investing some of it in the stock market and putting the retirement of millions of Americans at risk?
- HCAY that the Bush Administration continues to weaken environmental laws designed to protect our air, water, and wilderness areas?
- HCAY that social conservatives who now control the Republican Party will ultimately deny women their reproductive rights by stacking the Supreme Court and overturning Roe v. Wade?
- HCAY that our children will continue to lose teachers and classrooms because of th eBush Administration's failure to adequately fund public education?
- HCAY that the Administration's unilateral policies have reduced our number of allies and endangered our national security?
- HCAY that George W. Bush could shape the fate of the Supreme Court for decades to come?
The next section has two choices: "Democrat" or "Republican".
Part 2: Rating the Political Parties
- Which of the two political parties do you trust the most (WOTTPPDYTTM) to protect the Social Securiyt and Medicare benefits of senior citizens?
- WOTTPPDYTTM to protect the environment from those who would harm it for profit?
- WOTTPPDYTTM to get our economy moving again and to put Americans back to work?
- WOTTPPDYTTM to protect the reproductive rights of American women?
- WOTTPPDYTTM when it comes to the education of our children?
I'll put the answers under these since they don't repeat as above:
Part 3: Expressing Opinions
1) How do you feel about President Bush's decision to deny federal funding to international family planning organizations that provide reproductive health counseling to poor women in underdeveloped countries?
Agree, Disagree, Undecided
2) Which is more important to you, more tax cuts or a balanced budget?
Tax cuts, A balanced budget
3) How important is it to you for Congress to find more money to extend health care to low-income Americans who can't afford health insurance?
Very important, Somewhat important, Not important
Part 4 asks general (optional) statistical info about age, do you consider yourself a liberal, moderate, or conservative, did you register and vote in the last election, and how often do you vote for Democratic candidates.
Are these questions designed to manipulate us into sending money?