Two weeks ago the folks who run Republican fundraising made a sloppy mistake. They left the blueprint for their party fundraising plans at a posh resort where they had hosted a GOP retreat. That document is now in the hands of the media. RNC Chairman Michael Steele is having to put a good light on that pathetically cynical document. Money is short in GOP coffers these days. The RNC has less money in the bank than they have seen in a decade. This fundraising blueprint that is circulating shows a sense of desperation. The plan separates Republican donors into two groups. Group one is the small donor that is described as a "visceral." If you fall into the RNC's classification of "visceral" donor and the RNC sends you a stylish plaque thanking you for your "visceral" giving, here's my advice: HIDE THE PLAQUE! The term "visceral" in any dictionary describes personalities that are thoroughly "non-intellectual" and "non-analytical." It describes a person driven by fear and raw emotion. It's an odd choice of words for fundraisers to use about people who give Republicans money.
According to the RNC fundraising blueprint, Steele intends to raise about 90% of their money from "viscerals"
Steele has planned a fundraising event in Las Vegas for his "visceral" donors. They can attend a no-rules ultimate fighting championship if they fork over a little campaign dough.
The Steele blueprint shows that there is another "class" of target donors who probably won't be invited to the blood and rage fest in Las Vegas. The memo refers to that other class of donors as the "ego-driven" big donors.
This crowd is willing to give big money if they can have their picture taken with political celebrities. Also, according to the memo it's important to give the wealthy fat cats a "Tchotchke" or two.
"Tchotchke" is a Yiddish term that describes something that is "disposable," "worthless," and "tacky."
If you are one of those major donors and you receive a plaque with your picture next to Michael Steele or Ann Coulter with the term "Tchotchke" printed on the bottom, DO NOT show it to any of your Jewish friends. They will quickly figure out what the RNC really thinks about you.
Instead of bloody fight events, big donors are to be entertained at more high brow venues like $10,000 per plate chicken dinners.
The GOP memo doesn't stop there. It doesn't simply trash its donors. It trashes all the GOP party members by proclaiming that at the heart of the GOP fundraising effort will be the use of "fear." GOP leadership believes that "fear" is the most effective motivator for the elephant crowd. That fear campaign started a year ago with insane conspiracy stories about Obama setting up socialist-run gulags for patriotic vocal conservatives. Those kinds of stories have been floated regularly by neo-nut fanatics who are so crazy that their heads must surely glow in the dark.
There is really no way to put a good face on the newly discovered 72-page GOP fundraising plan.
It is a document that reduces all GOP donors both "emotional viscerals" and "ego-driven big donors" as little more than "Tchotchkes."