Looks Can Be Deceiving

The other day I received an official-looking envelope in the mail that warned me DO NOT DESTROY, because this was an OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. Inside was a large piece of paper titled the 2019 Congressional District Census, and a letter indicating the mailing had been commissioned by the Republican Party.

I am a regular voter, but I've never aligned myself with any political party, and I value my independence. My area leans Republican, so I suppose the mailing honchos thought they were safe sending these out randomly. The documents told me that "My participation was urgently needed" to "build a nationwide grassroots network that will help show the President has the support of the American people". Pretty partisan stuff.

Not being part of the survey's target market, my first inclination was to immediately toss it in the recycling bin. However, I decided it would be fun to share my opinions (even if much of them didn't completely match what the group was hoping for).

The Census had five sections. First, it started with some basic information, like my political affiliation, how much I supported the President, and where I got my political news. Next it asked questions about General Issues, Domestic Issues, and National Defense. All of the questions were posed in a pro-President manner. The fifth section asked me to certify if the answers to the questions were really what I thought, and if I wanted to send a donation.

At that point I wondered if they even cared about the answers to the questions, or just cashed the checks and moved on. Snopes said that both parties do this, and the practice of sending out a fundraising mailer disguised as a survey is so common it's referred to as Fund-Raising Under the Guise of Research, or FRUGing. Based on that information it wasn't worth it to me to waste the money on a stamp to express my opinions to the Republican Party. I followed through on my first inclination and tossed the whole thing in the recycling bin.

Five years ago today: Chocolate Milk With A Twist