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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    If It Isn't Ignorance, Then It's Hypocrisy


    By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
    Posted on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 04:34:00 PM EST
    Tags: Strategic National, republican political consulting firm, 2012 electioneering season, John Yob, Chuck Yob, conspiracy theorist double standard (all tags)

    There's been a great deal said on this site recently about a particular primary candidate, including some about his negatives, such as:

    • Congressional "career" spanning almost two decades
    • Voted for HR-3448 (Minimum Wage Increase Bill), which, in addition to increasing the minimum wage, also did a whole bunch of other messy things
    • Voted five times to raise the debt ceiling
    • Voted for the 2005 highway funding bill that included the infamous earmark for the Bridge to Nowhere
    • Voted for at least one very unpopular pro-gun control bill
    • Post-Congress employment has left him open to accusations of being a "Washington insider."
    • Is a current client of Strategic National

    And I'll bet that you think you know who I'm talking about, but you might want to grab your notepad and follow me below the fold.


    Strategic National is a full service political consulting firm with a wide range of experience.  According to the firm's website, their mission is: "To empower grassroots activists and average citizens, so we can help good candidates revolutionize their neighborhoods, states, and nation, one campaign at a time."  So far as I'm aware, they won't touch a democrat candidate's campaign with a twenty foot pole (except maybe to beat him with it), and they're reasonably selective within republican circles.

    I think it's a fair statement that some of StratNat's past clients have indeed been stinkers, but others not so much (this client list is either public record or public knowledge):

    • Sharon Angle, 2010 senate candidate from Nevada
    • Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State
    • Scott Brown, Senator from Massachusetts
    • George W. Bush, former President of the United States
    • Brian Calley, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (also ran his state house and state senate campaigns)
    • Mike Cox, former Michigan Attorney General
    • Kevin Elsenheimer, former Michigan House Minority Leader
    • The Genesis Code
    • Kevin Green, former Michigan House Minority Whip
    • Terri Lynn Land, former Michigan Secretary of State
    • Mitch Lyons, Michigan State University Board of Trustees
    • John McCain, 2008 presidential candidate
    • Andrea Fischer Newman, University of Michigan Board of Regents
    • Christine O'Donnell, 2010 senate candidate from Delaware
    • Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski, 2010 congressional candidate (MI-09)
    • Andrew Richner, University of Michigan Board of Regents
    • Bobby Schostak, MIGOP Chairman
    • Bill Schuette, Attorney General of Michigan
    • Paul Scott, former Michigan State Representative
    • Rick Snyder, Governor of Michigan
    • Value For Michigan, a 2011 marketing effort supporting Governor Snyder's budget proposal and other efforts to reinvent Michigan
    • Roger Villere, 2010 primary candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

    While there are several authors and commenters on this site (Corinthian Scales most notably) who have made a point of trashing candidates for no apparent reason other than that they're StratNat clients, I don't know that we'd have an issue with everyone on the current client list (all names confirmed with John Yob, CEO of StratNat):

    • Spencer Bachus, Congressman from Alabama (AL-06)
    • Justin Bernier, candidate for Congress (CT-05)
    • Herman Cain, former candidate for President of the United States
    • Newt Gingrich, candidate for President of the United States
    • Pete Hoekstra, candidate for Senator from Michigan
    • Josh Mandel, candidate for Senator from Ohio
    • Mike McAllister, candidate for Senator from Florida
    • Mark Neumann, candidate for Senator from Wisconsin
    • Sam Rohrer, candidate for Senator from Pennsylvania
    • Duane Sand, candidate for Senator from North Dakota
    • Rick Santorum, candidate for President of the United States
    • Jim Slezak, candidate for Congress (MI-05)

    And no, that next-to-last bullet point is not a typo.  Allow me to share with you an e-mail from Chuck Yob (founder of Strategic National), entitled "MI Leaders Endorse Santorum" (less the volunteer and contribution links):

    Dear Conservative -

    We are hereby endorsing Rick Santorum for President of the United States and asking you to join us on the Michigan for Santorum team.

    1. Rick Santorum is the most conservative candidate in the race.  He has been consistent on all major conservative issues including right to life, ObamaCare, and led on these issues in the United States Senate.

    2. Rick Santorum is the most electable candidate in the race.  He can unite the social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and national defense conservatives into a coalition that also appeals to Reagan Democrats.  As a result, he currently polls as the best candidate to defeat Barack Obama.

    3. Rick Santorum is competing in Michigan and asking for your votes whereas other candidates have chosen to skip the state.  Although some conservatives may have liked Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum is the only conservative candidate who is asking for your votes in Michigan.

    We urge all conservative voters, regardless of who they supported early in the process, to vote for Rick Santorum in the Michigan Republican Primary.  He is the best candidate we can nominate for President of the United States, and greatly deserves our support.

    I hope you will join us in endorsing Rick Santorum as the next President of the United States.

    He will make us proud.

    Sincerely,

    Chuck Yob, former Republican National Committeeman
    Jerry Zandstra, President of Pro-Life Federation of Michigan

    So, Scales, that "useful idiots" comment?  I suspect that'll have to be expanded to apply to Santorum as well (in addition to Snyder, McCain, Brown, Hoekstra, Gingrich, and Cain).  By your reckoning that, "anything with John Yob's Strategic National name associated to it must be defeated," you've narrowed your voting options on Tuesday to Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.  I suggest that you track down a large clothespin for your nose and decide which of the two will be represented by "heads" on that coin you'll be tossing in the voting booth.

    More importantly, given that the list I led this article with is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to overlap on negatives between Hoekstra and Santorum (compare this list on Liberty Counsel Action or this list on World Net Daily to Hoekstra's record), I want to know what the logic is behind ignoring these negatives with regard to Santorum, but hammering Hoekstra for the same negatives.  I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, suggesting that either of these candidates be given a pass with regard to the negative marks on their record.  What I am saying is that we should do our homework and not be imposing double standards on how we go about this, nor let it get personal.

    < Fridays Divertere: Han Shot First! | NO Reservation needed to see Rick Santorum at the Streeter's Reserved Room in Traverse City. >


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    Display: Sort:
    Hoekstra did the unforgiveable (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by JGillman on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 07:50:45 PM EST
    He took our money and gave it to private business.

    Then he expected us to understand that the banking system would collapse if it wasn't done.

    So?  It didn't make it right.

    So THEN he voted for cash for clunkers. All the logic in the world says destroy wealth, and you have less of it.  Upton and Pete pushed hard for round II even.

    So now, po folk have fewer used vehicles and the marked is unnaturally skewed.  Everything a simple hick from the hinterlands like me could understand, and actually PREDICTED!:

    "  For used car dealers, it will likely have an adverse effect. By creating an abnormal shortage of used vehicles of a particular class, the used car dealers will see higher prices to place those vehicles on their lots.  Further, the POOR will also be negatively affected, as new car financing won't be in the cards for them.  When those who could not afford to buy the new cars even under the program attempt to find a suitable "b" value used car, they will see the added cost reflected in their purchase."

    Poor judgment at best wanton ignorance most likely, and a dash of frankly I don't give a crap.

    I don't vote based on consultants (none / 0) (#2)
    by Republican Michigander on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 09:43:07 PM EST
    In the political rivalry between "Team Strategic National" and "Team Sterling," I'm on team Dan.

    If Strategic or Sterling is backing a good candidate, I'll support the candidate. If not, I won't.

    Is this an interview, or... (none / 0) (#3)
    by Corinthian Scales on Fri Feb 24, 2012 at 10:26:44 PM EST
    ...should RM start charging you a fee?

    Clarification:  "you've narrowed your voting options on Tuesday to Mitt Romney and Ron Paul"

    Look Mr. Heine if you've got a hardon for me, let's chat, eh?   You know better than to even assert any such thing.  Snyder, McCain, Brown, Hoekstra, Gingrich, and Cain... those are what you are considering success stories?  Please do explain.

    Mr. Heine, I wield a big stick for a reason.  I'm tired of bullsh!t.  This whiny b!tch post does not impress.  It was late last week when I was informed that old man Yob dislodged his head from his ass and got behind the Santorum train.  I pray to God it isn't too late.  Do you?  Somehow you never find time to answer those questions.

    Mr. Yob should've realized when Rick hit Michigan that this is the race... he's the closest to Reagan anyone's going to get this election, period.  That's it.

    A tip... Guv Nerdholm is sh!tting himself that Willard is going to lose this. Sometimes moles are a good thing...

    KRH, this time, I'll excuse this bullsh!t:  you've narrowed your voting options on Tuesday to Mitt Romney and Ron Paul

    You really do know better than that.

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