FITS 2024
“Weaponized” SCGOP State Executive Committee Blocks Jeff Davis’ Attendance
Greenville State EC Met By Police …
SCGOP State Executive Committee members from all 46 counties across South Carolina were welcomed to the State EC meeting in Columbia on Saturday … except for one … attorney, CPA, school choice advocate, mySCGOP.com co-founder, the #2 voter-getter for State Chairman at the May 20th SCGOP State Convention (with 309 votes, 33.0%) (HERE & HERE)… former Greenville County Chairman and current Greenville State Executive Committeeman, Jeff Davis.
Upon arrival, Mr. Davis was met by two City of Columbia police officers and told he would not be allowed into the meeting.
Seriously, what is Drew & the “establishment” scared of? Perhaps they should be scared … but this only makes it worse!
Is this because Chairman Drew McKissick only squeaked by, with his re-election on May 20th, by 16 votes … and this is just another desperate attempt to cancel his opponents? It seems that way to us.
What do you think?
NO UNITY FROM DREW!
Well, we have been asking for UNITY (HERE & HERE) … but now we know the answer from Drew McKissick and the SCGOP “establishment” … it’s going to be more of the same.
No unity, not working together to further the South Carolina Republican Platform … just more of the same heavy handed, dictatorial & tyrannical leadership of Drew McKissick.
Doesn’t this sound like the same thing the “weaponized” Biden Department of Justice is doing today to President TRUMP? The actions that Republicans are all up in arms about across this country … and the actions which have skyrocketed the TRUMP campaign poll numbers (and tanked Ron DeSantis)?
Does anyone see much of a difference between the actions of Drew … and the actions of Biden & his cronies? We surely don’t … they both seem eerily the same!
Formal Protests … is this legal?
Formal protests by other members of the State EC were made at the meeting … and after a Motion by Greenville Chairman Yvonne Julian to allow Mr. Davis into the meeting … reportedly only 60% of the body agreed to the barring … so BRAVO to the 40% that see this as a “problem” for the SCGOP’s image (if not also a major legal problem for the SCGOP and involved parties).
Experts in Robert’s Rules of Order have all concluded thus far that the actions of Chairman McKissick, Hope Walker, and the 60% of the State EC supporting them, were improper. Legal experts are also questioning the actions. It certainly does not pass the smell test to us.
Stay tuned …
“We don’t care …”:
What was however particularly offensive was the attitude of some parties in attendance at the State Executive Committee meeting on Saturday.
Particularly offensive were the statements of Lancaster Chairman & former SC House Rep. Sandra McGarry (954-821-4203 ·mumsy241@yahoo.com sandymcgarrysc44@gmail.com), who was one of the 60% supporting this barring. Ms. McGarry went so far as to state that even though Jeff Davis received 456 votes for State EC at the April 24th Greenville County Republican Party Convention … “they” did not care how many votes Davis received, whether it was 456 or 3.
Basically Ms. McGarry does not care what the Republican voters of Greenville County want … even though Greenville represents well over 11% of the state population … and a much larger percentage of Republicans in South Carolina.
“This is the sort of elitism, arrogance, and tone deafness that is destroying the Republican brand and the Republican Party itself … and why so many new folks are getting involved on a daily basis to rid the GOP of these sort of influences” … Jeff Davis
Hope Walker Email (6/15/2023):
Although Davis announced months ago that he was running for State EC from Greenville County … specifically to attend these State EC meetings to represent the America FIRST movement … it was not until 1 day before this past weekend’s first State EC meeting that SCGOP Executive Director Hope Walker sent an email stating that Davis could not attend.
[NOTE: This is a typical “tactic” … wait until the last minute to raise any issues so that the matter could not be resolved timely.]
Hope’s “excuse”? A vote on December 11, 2021, whereby Davis was barred from State EC meetings because he allegedly lied about an ongoing criminal SLED investigation of Newberry County State EC & former SCGOP Chairman, Chad Connelly. Chad is Drew McKissick’s mentor … so the statement about the SLED investigation, even though true, did not sit well with Chairman McKissick.
Although Mr. Connelly admittedly denied there was a SLED investigation … two days later, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed an ongoing year and a half investigation into the alleged embezzelment of $275,406 by Connelly from a school choice scholarship program for K-12 children with special needs. Davis was aware of the investigation since he had reported the matter and met with SLED on multiple occasions.
A few days later, SC Attorney General Alan Wilson’s Office stated they would not be prosecuting Mr. Connelly (who is a long-term personal friend and political ally of AG Wilson) because even though the money was gone, they did not believe Mr. Connelly had the requisite criminal intent.
Otherwise stated … the money was gone … but Chad didn’t mean to take it?
Every hear of that? We haven’t either … and it is completely subjective.
GCRP Chairman Response (6/16/2023):
Greenville Chairman Yvonne Julian did follow-up with Ms. Walker on Friday, June 16th. No further communications were received in response from Ms. Walker.
It had been well established that since County Chairman are technically “guests” at State EC meetings, the December 11, 2021 barring of Davis was only possible because Davis was a “guest” and not an official member of the State EC.
[NOTE: Davis was never given an opportunity to defend himself at the initial barring in December 2021 … nor was he afforded an opportunity to speak this past weekend.]
In fact, then GCRP Chairman Davis attended State EC meetings after the December 2021 barring as the automatic proxy for Greenville County … so Hope Walker’s June 15th email was certainly a stretch … not to mention the issues with state election law (Section 7-9-90) and SCGOP Rule 7(c)(1).
There is a lot to process … which is obviously why Hope Walker and Drew McKissick waited until the last moment to inform Davis and the Greenville County Republican Party of their position.
How Did Your State EC Vote?
There is obviously much more to come with this story … so stay tuned … but in the interim, ask how your County Executive Committeeman VOTED?
We know Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, York, Lexington, Barnwell & Dorchester all voted against these improper actions … but how about your county???
Given there were 47 credentialed voters at the State EC meeting on Saturday, we estimate that 19 +/- voted in favor of Davis … so 28 +/- went along with the “establishment” … and we bet a lot of them did not fully understand what was exactly going on.
When you find out how your county voted … let us know.
It has been an action packed week with President TRUMP visiting the Palmetto State (Summerville) on Monday and it was our crew that was part of the production. It was a full day from pick-up from TRUMP FORCE 1 at the Charleston International Airport, to the Campaign HQ, to Palmetto State Armory, to the Rally at Sportsman Boats … and back to the the airport … it was quite the experience to see and be behind the scenes.
The most amazing part … seeing the crowds lining the streets cheering PRESIDENT TRUMP from start to finish. This is AMERICA!!! Plus not having to stop for red lights or stop signs and having I-26 all to ourselves with 50 police vehicles blocking all the traffic. Definitely a bucket list item checked off!!!
Our friends at Right Side Broadcasting Network livestreamed the entire event, including from their vehicle in the motorcade (HERE) … talk about fun!!!
So today is a very welcome episode of GOOD NEWS FRIDAY with our good friend Lawrence Lantz.
This weeks theme … MAGA can be FUN!!! … and don’t we know it!!!
Enjoy …
News Summary:
1) Never Trumpers Needing Copium [NOTE: Copium (defined) – A metaphorical opiate taken in order to cope with loss or disillusionment, often leading to one becoming detached from reality and in denial of their situation.]
2) Book: Government Gangsters by Kash Patel – Just Released
3) Book: Breaking Biden by Alex Marlow – Release 6 Days
4) Song: I Won’t Back Down by Lara Trump – Release: Sept 29th
5) Book: As Goes California by Larry Elder – Release: Nov 7th
6) Book: The Wuhan Cover-Up by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Release: Nov 14th
7) Book: For The Love of Country by Tulsi Gabbard – Release: Jan 2nd
8) Winning in the POLLS!!!
9) Ted Cruz Predicts Michelle Obama 2024 Nominee
10) CNN Hits ALL Time Low
11) Minorities Reach GOP’s Highest in 50 Years
12) Democrats Turn
13) Kash Patel Sues FBI Director
14) Reflections from Dr. Fauci – Boooooo!!!
15) Biden Helping Republicans
16) Whitmer Kidnapping Defendants NOT Guilty!!!
17) Pressure About Voting Fraud of 2020
18) Joe Rogan: “Trump Gets My Vote Over Joe Biden”
19) Elon Musk Fires “Election Integrity” Team!!!
It’s All Good News!!!
Good News with Lawrence:
(This Week … MAGA can be FUN!!!)
YouTube: HERE
FITS 2024
Greenville County Republican Party Chair Sends September 20th, 2023 “Chairman’s Letter”
What are YOUR solutions to experts or authority figures who lie?
Greenville County Republican Party Chair sends another piece full of wisdom, interesting analogies and perspectives. Read, Learn & Enjoy …
September 20th, 2023
Dear Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committeemen, Body & Associates,
If someone told you that the two lines below were not the same length, would they be a liar?
If that same person told you they had a PhD from MIT in line measurement, would you bother to measure the lines for yourself? If someone you dislike intensely tells you the lines are the same length, what is your response?
If you haven’t bothered to measure the lines for yourself, which of the two people mentioned above are you more likely to believe?
If you are in a group with all your best friends and people you go to for advice and they all tell you the lines are different lengths, what is your response.
If you do measure the lines and find something different from what you have been taught to believe, what is your response?
Likely most if not all of you have seen this optical illusion before and know that the lines are actually of equal length. But isn’t it fascinating that even after you know this, you still see them as different.
This is an analogy to the power of lies. You can’t “unhear” or “unsee” them once they have been put into your mind. So even after you know the truth, a lie you heard still has some power. People who purposefully and routinely use the various forms of lying know this.
The questions I asked are simplistic, but they raise the important issues of the kinds of lies people tell, why they work on us and what we can do about it.
I thought you might get a kick out of a Newsmax summary of Biden lies below.
These lies of commission are so blatant and easily disproven one has to ask why tell them? But Biden is relying on his expert/authority power. Some of you may recall from a previous newsletter the statistic that up to 25% of the time, a co-pilot in a simulator flight will not challenge the pilot on a decision and the plane crashes. Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals encourages people to pretend they have expert power by teaching “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have”.
How many of us will question our doctor, a lawyer, or academics. How many of us will look up a candidate’s actual donation record in the FEC and find out about PAC donations. Not nearly enough-which is why lies can work. We are doing better as a delightful Riley Gaines video shows. She is speaking about the differences between male and female skeletons, some guy who calls himself the “expert in the room” disagrees and the room break into laughter. What are YOUR solutions to experts or authority figures who lie? Be courageous and willing to respectfully challenge anyone trying to influence or control you, get second opinions, don’t be rushed into decision making and do your own research.
Lies of omission are those that mislead you by intentionally leaving out relevant information or making suggestions. The person that tells you the lines above are different lengths because they look that way but doesn’t tell you he or she hasn’t measured them is leaving out relevant facts. We can expect these kinds of lies from people who need to convince themselves that their moral compass is intact or have convinced themselves their cause is so good, that the ends justify the means.
“They engage in something we call justified dishonesty,” said Shaul Shalvi, who runs the Behavioral Ethics Lab at the University of Amsterdam. It happens when people’s desire to be ethical clash with the desire to profit or get something. In that case people are willing to lie just a bit “as long as it seems legit,” Shalvi said (New York Post, April 2016). We protect ourselves against this kind of behavior by listening carefully and “peeling the onion”. Keep asking who, what, where when why questions until the truth is revealed. “Is Yvonne Julian one of those Krystle Matthews sleepers” as a Facebook post said recently, is this kind of lie.
Likeability, the human tendency of reciprocity and “we think” can make us believe liars, and sometimes with tragic consequences. The serial killer Ted Bundy was well known for his ability to convince women he needed help because of his looks and immediate likeability. It is unwise to assume that someone we dislike intensely can never tell the truth or have some knowledge we can put to good use.
A woman survived the Jonestown Massacre because she purposefully never took any of the special favors Jim Jones offered her, so didn’t feel obligated to reciprocate and comply when he asked her to drink the poisoned beverage that killed 900 people. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, “there is no such thing as a free lunch” and other bits of wisdom remind us that gifts can be used to make us accept lies out of obligation to the gift giver.
Even a group of people we like would be wrong if they told us the lines in our optical illusion are different lengths, but we would be less likely to dispute them. According to one research study, “people were willing to follow the norms of a group, even when they knew the norms to be unconnected to reality, provided they felt a strong shared identity within the group”. (Pryor, Perfors, & Howe, 2019).
Yes, it is just as easy to be a GOP Sweep bobblehead as a Jeff Davis bobblehead.
I hope you find this brief overview of how and why lies work and how we can fight their influence helpful. Lies are common currency in the political arena, so learning how to combat them is very important-especially for grassroots activists like many of us who do not want to develop lying skills as a tool to gain power, influence or money.
I know our HQ Republicats agree! I hope you do, too!
Are you sick of the fundraising emails and text messages we are all getting from XYZ second & third tier presidential candidates?
We got one from Tim Scott the other day saying send me a “critical $15 gift” to help him travel to New Hampshire. Like Tim really needs our $15 added to the $21 MILLION he already has in his campaign account. But worse, they also encouraged the donation because Tim was allegedly taking off in the polls. So … we thought we would fact check it and see if it was true.
Well per the Real Clear Politics average of national GOP polls (HERE), Tim Scott was 3.4% on June 14th … and 2.4% on September 13th. That sounds like common core math to me if Tim’s people think that is “taking off” … but that is another article for another day.
But it did remind us that one of the best polls to to consider are the RCP Betting Averages. Specifically tracking where people in Vegas and elsewhere are putting they real money.
NO, relax, we are not promoting “gambling” because whatever all of our personal reasons might be to oppose gambling, we are “numbers people” and we know gambling is a BAD BET as the house always wins!!!
But we do know a lot of you do not trust the polls or pollsters. They sometimes seem to tell us things we don’t see out there on main street … sometimes to influence us one way or another … and who knows what the personal bias may be of a pollster … or “who” is actually paying for the poll in the first place. There is just too much opportunity for manipulation.
But, although the betting numbers can be manipulated as well … it is much more expensive to do so … and over time it gets back to actual public sentiment as to the state of the races.
There are 3 main betting odds tacking numbers, (#1) who will be elected President on 11/05/2024, (#2) who will win the GOP Nomination, & (#3) who will win the Democrat nomination.
The data is very interesting to track. Hope you find this useful …
1: To Win President
BIDEN: 33.3% odds (falling)
TRUMP: 29.0% (rising)
Newsome (not even in the race): 7.0%
DeSantis: 6.0%
Ramaswamy: 5.1%
Obama (not even in the race): 4.9%
Kennedy: 4.9%
Haley: 3.4%
Harris (not even in the race): 3.1%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/president/
2: Republican Nominee
TRUMP: 62.8% odds
DeSantis: 11.9%
Ramaswamy: 8.6%
Haley: 6.3%
Youngkin (not even in the race): 3.3%
Christie: (2.1%)
Scott: 1.9%
Pence: 1.4%
Kemp (not even in the race): 1.0%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/republican-nomination/
3: Democrat Nominee
BIDEN: 60.8% odds
Newsome (not even in the race): 12.5%
Obama (not even in the race): 8.0%
Harris (not even in the race): 6.0%
Kennedy: 4.9%
Clinton (not even in the race): 2.4%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/democratic-nomination/
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FITS 2024
“Weaponized” SCGOP State Executive Committee Blocks Jeff Davis’ Attendance
Greenville State EC Met By Police …
SCGOP State Executive Committee members from all 46 counties across South Carolina were welcomed to the State EC meeting in Columbia on Saturday … except for one … attorney, CPA, school choice advocate, mySCGOP.com co-founder, the #2 voter-getter for State Chairman at the May 20th SCGOP State Convention (with 309 votes, 33.0%) (HERE & HERE)… former Greenville County Chairman and current Greenville State Executive Committeeman, Jeff Davis.
Upon arrival, Mr. Davis was met by two City of Columbia police officers and told he would not be allowed into the meeting.
Seriously, what is Drew & the “establishment” scared of? Perhaps they should be scared … but this only makes it worse!
Is this because Chairman Drew McKissick only squeaked by, with his re-election on May 20th, by 16 votes … and this is just another desperate attempt to cancel his opponents? It seems that way to us.
What do you think?
NO UNITY FROM DREW!
Well, we have been asking for UNITY (HERE & HERE) … but now we know the answer from Drew McKissick and the SCGOP “establishment” … it’s going to be more of the same.
No unity, not working together to further the South Carolina Republican Platform … just more of the same heavy handed, dictatorial & tyrannical leadership of Drew McKissick.
Doesn’t this sound like the same thing the “weaponized” Biden Department of Justice is doing today to President TRUMP? The actions that Republicans are all up in arms about across this country … and the actions which have skyrocketed the TRUMP campaign poll numbers (and tanked Ron DeSantis)?
Does anyone see much of a difference between the actions of Drew … and the actions of Biden & his cronies? We surely don’t … they both seem eerily the same!
Formal Protests … is this legal?
Formal protests by other members of the State EC were made at the meeting … and after a Motion by Greenville Chairman Yvonne Julian to allow Mr. Davis into the meeting … reportedly only 60% of the body agreed to the barring … so BRAVO to the 40% that see this as a “problem” for the SCGOP’s image (if not also a major legal problem for the SCGOP and involved parties).
Experts in Robert’s Rules of Order have all concluded thus far that the actions of Chairman McKissick, Hope Walker, and the 60% of the State EC supporting them, were improper. Legal experts are also questioning the actions. It certainly does not pass the smell test to us.
Stay tuned …
“We don’t care …”:
What was however particularly offensive was the attitude of some parties in attendance at the State Executive Committee meeting on Saturday.
Particularly offensive were the statements of Lancaster Chairman & former SC House Rep. Sandra McGarry (954-821-4203 ·mumsy241@yahoo.com sandymcgarrysc44@gmail.com), who was one of the 60% supporting this barring. Ms. McGarry went so far as to state that even though Jeff Davis received 456 votes for State EC at the April 24th Greenville County Republican Party Convention … “they” did not care how many votes Davis received, whether it was 456 or 3.
Basically Ms. McGarry does not care what the Republican voters of Greenville County want … even though Greenville represents well over 11% of the state population … and a much larger percentage of Republicans in South Carolina.
“This is the sort of elitism, arrogance, and tone deafness that is destroying the Republican brand and the Republican Party itself … and why so many new folks are getting involved on a daily basis to rid the GOP of these sort of influences” … Jeff Davis
Hope Walker Email (6/15/2023):
Although Davis announced months ago that he was running for State EC from Greenville County … specifically to attend these State EC meetings to represent the America FIRST movement … it was not until 1 day before this past weekend’s first State EC meeting that SCGOP Executive Director Hope Walker sent an email stating that Davis could not attend.
[NOTE: This is a typical “tactic” … wait until the last minute to raise any issues so that the matter could not be resolved timely.]
Hope’s “excuse”? A vote on December 11, 2021, whereby Davis was barred from State EC meetings because he allegedly lied about an ongoing criminal SLED investigation of Newberry County State EC & former SCGOP Chairman, Chad Connelly. Chad is Drew McKissick’s mentor … so the statement about the SLED investigation, even though true, did not sit well with Chairman McKissick.
Although Mr. Connelly admittedly denied there was a SLED investigation … two days later, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed an ongoing year and a half investigation into the alleged embezzelment of $275,406 by Connelly from a school choice scholarship program for K-12 children with special needs. Davis was aware of the investigation since he had reported the matter and met with SLED on multiple occasions.
A few days later, SC Attorney General Alan Wilson’s Office stated they would not be prosecuting Mr. Connelly (who is a long-term personal friend and political ally of AG Wilson) because even though the money was gone, they did not believe Mr. Connelly had the requisite criminal intent.
Otherwise stated … the money was gone … but Chad didn’t mean to take it?
Every hear of that? We haven’t either … and it is completely subjective.
GCRP Chairman Response (6/16/2023):
Greenville Chairman Yvonne Julian did follow-up with Ms. Walker on Friday, June 16th. No further communications were received in response from Ms. Walker.
It had been well established that since County Chairman are technically “guests” at State EC meetings, the December 11, 2021 barring of Davis was only possible because Davis was a “guest” and not an official member of the State EC.
[NOTE: Davis was never given an opportunity to defend himself at the initial barring in December 2021 … nor was he afforded an opportunity to speak this past weekend.]
In fact, then GCRP Chairman Davis attended State EC meetings after the December 2021 barring as the automatic proxy for Greenville County … so Hope Walker’s June 15th email was certainly a stretch … not to mention the issues with state election law (Section 7-9-90) and SCGOP Rule 7(c)(1).
There is a lot to process … which is obviously why Hope Walker and Drew McKissick waited until the last moment to inform Davis and the Greenville County Republican Party of their position.
How Did Your State EC Vote?
There is obviously much more to come with this story … so stay tuned … but in the interim, ask how your County Executive Committeeman VOTED?
We know Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, York, Lexington, Barnwell & Dorchester all voted against these improper actions … but how about your county???
Given there were 47 credentialed voters at the State EC meeting on Saturday, we estimate that 19 +/- voted in favor of Davis … so 28 +/- went along with the “establishment” … and we bet a lot of them did not fully understand what was exactly going on.
When you find out how your county voted … let us know.
It has been an action packed week with President TRUMP visiting the Palmetto State (Summerville) on Monday and it was our crew that was part of the production. It was a full day from pick-up from TRUMP FORCE 1 at the Charleston International Airport, to the Campaign HQ, to Palmetto State Armory, to the Rally at Sportsman Boats … and back to the the airport … it was quite the experience to see and be behind the scenes.
The most amazing part … seeing the crowds lining the streets cheering PRESIDENT TRUMP from start to finish. This is AMERICA!!! Plus not having to stop for red lights or stop signs and having I-26 all to ourselves with 50 police vehicles blocking all the traffic. Definitely a bucket list item checked off!!!
Our friends at Right Side Broadcasting Network livestreamed the entire event, including from their vehicle in the motorcade (HERE) … talk about fun!!!
So today is a very welcome episode of GOOD NEWS FRIDAY with our good friend Lawrence Lantz.
This weeks theme … MAGA can be FUN!!! … and don’t we know it!!!
Enjoy …
News Summary:
1) Never Trumpers Needing Copium [NOTE: Copium (defined) – A metaphorical opiate taken in order to cope with loss or disillusionment, often leading to one becoming detached from reality and in denial of their situation.]
2) Book: Government Gangsters by Kash Patel – Just Released
3) Book: Breaking Biden by Alex Marlow – Release 6 Days
4) Song: I Won’t Back Down by Lara Trump – Release: Sept 29th
5) Book: As Goes California by Larry Elder – Release: Nov 7th
6) Book: The Wuhan Cover-Up by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Release: Nov 14th
7) Book: For The Love of Country by Tulsi Gabbard – Release: Jan 2nd
8) Winning in the POLLS!!!
9) Ted Cruz Predicts Michelle Obama 2024 Nominee
10) CNN Hits ALL Time Low
11) Minorities Reach GOP’s Highest in 50 Years
12) Democrats Turn
13) Kash Patel Sues FBI Director
14) Reflections from Dr. Fauci – Boooooo!!!
15) Biden Helping Republicans
16) Whitmer Kidnapping Defendants NOT Guilty!!!
17) Pressure About Voting Fraud of 2020
18) Joe Rogan: “Trump Gets My Vote Over Joe Biden”
19) Elon Musk Fires “Election Integrity” Team!!!
It’s All Good News!!!
Good News with Lawrence:
(This Week … MAGA can be FUN!!!)
YouTube: HERE
FITS 2024
Greenville County Republican Party Chair Sends September 20th, 2023 “Chairman’s Letter”
What are YOUR solutions to experts or authority figures who lie?
Greenville County Republican Party Chair sends another piece full of wisdom, interesting analogies and perspectives. Read, Learn & Enjoy …
September 20th, 2023
Dear Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committeemen, Body & Associates,
If someone told you that the two lines below were not the same length, would they be a liar?
If that same person told you they had a PhD from MIT in line measurement, would you bother to measure the lines for yourself? If someone you dislike intensely tells you the lines are the same length, what is your response?
If you haven’t bothered to measure the lines for yourself, which of the two people mentioned above are you more likely to believe?
If you are in a group with all your best friends and people you go to for advice and they all tell you the lines are different lengths, what is your response.
If you do measure the lines and find something different from what you have been taught to believe, what is your response?
Likely most if not all of you have seen this optical illusion before and know that the lines are actually of equal length. But isn’t it fascinating that even after you know this, you still see them as different.
This is an analogy to the power of lies. You can’t “unhear” or “unsee” them once they have been put into your mind. So even after you know the truth, a lie you heard still has some power. People who purposefully and routinely use the various forms of lying know this.
The questions I asked are simplistic, but they raise the important issues of the kinds of lies people tell, why they work on us and what we can do about it.
I thought you might get a kick out of a Newsmax summary of Biden lies below.
These lies of commission are so blatant and easily disproven one has to ask why tell them? But Biden is relying on his expert/authority power. Some of you may recall from a previous newsletter the statistic that up to 25% of the time, a co-pilot in a simulator flight will not challenge the pilot on a decision and the plane crashes. Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals encourages people to pretend they have expert power by teaching “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have”.
How many of us will question our doctor, a lawyer, or academics. How many of us will look up a candidate’s actual donation record in the FEC and find out about PAC donations. Not nearly enough-which is why lies can work. We are doing better as a delightful Riley Gaines video shows. She is speaking about the differences between male and female skeletons, some guy who calls himself the “expert in the room” disagrees and the room break into laughter. What are YOUR solutions to experts or authority figures who lie? Be courageous and willing to respectfully challenge anyone trying to influence or control you, get second opinions, don’t be rushed into decision making and do your own research.
Lies of omission are those that mislead you by intentionally leaving out relevant information or making suggestions. The person that tells you the lines above are different lengths because they look that way but doesn’t tell you he or she hasn’t measured them is leaving out relevant facts. We can expect these kinds of lies from people who need to convince themselves that their moral compass is intact or have convinced themselves their cause is so good, that the ends justify the means.
“They engage in something we call justified dishonesty,” said Shaul Shalvi, who runs the Behavioral Ethics Lab at the University of Amsterdam. It happens when people’s desire to be ethical clash with the desire to profit or get something. In that case people are willing to lie just a bit “as long as it seems legit,” Shalvi said (New York Post, April 2016). We protect ourselves against this kind of behavior by listening carefully and “peeling the onion”. Keep asking who, what, where when why questions until the truth is revealed. “Is Yvonne Julian one of those Krystle Matthews sleepers” as a Facebook post said recently, is this kind of lie.
Likeability, the human tendency of reciprocity and “we think” can make us believe liars, and sometimes with tragic consequences. The serial killer Ted Bundy was well known for his ability to convince women he needed help because of his looks and immediate likeability. It is unwise to assume that someone we dislike intensely can never tell the truth or have some knowledge we can put to good use.
A woman survived the Jonestown Massacre because she purposefully never took any of the special favors Jim Jones offered her, so didn’t feel obligated to reciprocate and comply when he asked her to drink the poisoned beverage that killed 900 people. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, “there is no such thing as a free lunch” and other bits of wisdom remind us that gifts can be used to make us accept lies out of obligation to the gift giver.
Even a group of people we like would be wrong if they told us the lines in our optical illusion are different lengths, but we would be less likely to dispute them. According to one research study, “people were willing to follow the norms of a group, even when they knew the norms to be unconnected to reality, provided they felt a strong shared identity within the group”. (Pryor, Perfors, & Howe, 2019).
Yes, it is just as easy to be a GOP Sweep bobblehead as a Jeff Davis bobblehead.
I hope you find this brief overview of how and why lies work and how we can fight their influence helpful. Lies are common currency in the political arena, so learning how to combat them is very important-especially for grassroots activists like many of us who do not want to develop lying skills as a tool to gain power, influence or money.
I know our HQ Republicats agree! I hope you do, too!
Are you sick of the fundraising emails and text messages we are all getting from XYZ second & third tier presidential candidates?
We got one from Tim Scott the other day saying send me a “critical $15 gift” to help him travel to New Hampshire. Like Tim really needs our $15 added to the $21 MILLION he already has in his campaign account. But worse, they also encouraged the donation because Tim was allegedly taking off in the polls. So … we thought we would fact check it and see if it was true.
Well per the Real Clear Politics average of national GOP polls (HERE), Tim Scott was 3.4% on June 14th … and 2.4% on September 13th. That sounds like common core math to me if Tim’s people think that is “taking off” … but that is another article for another day.
But it did remind us that one of the best polls to to consider are the RCP Betting Averages. Specifically tracking where people in Vegas and elsewhere are putting they real money.
NO, relax, we are not promoting “gambling” because whatever all of our personal reasons might be to oppose gambling, we are “numbers people” and we know gambling is a BAD BET as the house always wins!!!
But we do know a lot of you do not trust the polls or pollsters. They sometimes seem to tell us things we don’t see out there on main street … sometimes to influence us one way or another … and who knows what the personal bias may be of a pollster … or “who” is actually paying for the poll in the first place. There is just too much opportunity for manipulation.
But, although the betting numbers can be manipulated as well … it is much more expensive to do so … and over time it gets back to actual public sentiment as to the state of the races.
There are 3 main betting odds tacking numbers, (#1) who will be elected President on 11/05/2024, (#2) who will win the GOP Nomination, & (#3) who will win the Democrat nomination.
The data is very interesting to track. Hope you find this useful …
1: To Win President
BIDEN: 33.3% odds (falling)
TRUMP: 29.0% (rising)
Newsome (not even in the race): 7.0%
DeSantis: 6.0%
Ramaswamy: 5.1%
Obama (not even in the race): 4.9%
Kennedy: 4.9%
Haley: 3.4%
Harris (not even in the race): 3.1%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/president/
2: Republican Nominee
TRUMP: 62.8% odds
DeSantis: 11.9%
Ramaswamy: 8.6%
Haley: 6.3%
Youngkin (not even in the race): 3.3%
Christie: (2.1%)
Scott: 1.9%
Pence: 1.4%
Kemp (not even in the race): 1.0%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/republican-nomination/
3: Democrat Nominee
BIDEN: 60.8% odds
Newsome (not even in the race): 12.5%
Obama (not even in the race): 8.0%
Harris (not even in the race): 6.0%
Kennedy: 4.9%
Clinton (not even in the race): 2.4%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/democratic-nomination/
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Education7 months ago
Dates, Dates & NEEDED Dates!!!
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Politics8 months ago
SCGOP Risks Entire Party Being Decertified?
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Politics8 months ago
PRECINCT MAPS: Does your County GOP Provide Maps?
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Politics8 months ago
SCGOP State Convention … “When Is It”?
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Politics8 months ago
SCGOP Tyrannical “Top Down” Rule!!!
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Uncategorized7 months ago
How Many Delegates Per Precinct?
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Politics7 months ago
Prepare for Lies, Lies & More Lies (from the SCGOP)
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FITS 20242 years ago
So … what is this “ReOrg” thing all about? Watch this short video.