My husband dumped this in the recycling bin today, thinking it was the same mailing we got from Congressman Leonard Boswell’s campaign yesterday. But no, although it uses the same color scheme and the same “scary font,” this is indeed a separate mailing emphasizing Ed Fallon’s support for Ralph Nader in 2000.
I’ve transcribed the piece that arrived today after the jump.
This is one 8 1/2 by 11 piece, front and back with a flap that folds out from the front side.
On the front, there are large black and white photos of George W. Bush and Ralph Nader. Below that, in black “scary font” on a Hawkeye gold background, it says
Which Iowa candidate helped Ralph Nader elect George Bush…
When you fold out the flap on the left, there’s a black and white photo of Ed Fallon where the Bush photo was, so now Fallon and Nader are side by side. The scary font text reads
THAT’S RIGHT.
Ed Fallon helped Ralph Nader elect George Bush…
On the inner side of the flap that folded out, there is this text in normal black print on a white background:
When Ralph Nader said there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush, Ed Fallon believed him. In 2000, Fallon endorsed and actively campaigned for Ralph Nader, helping elect George Bush.1
Nader got Bush elected.
Unfortunately we found out how wrong Nader and Fallon were.
-A trillion dollar war
-A collapsing economy
-A disappearing middle class
-Huge tax cuts for the wealthyWe can’t trust Fallon’s judgement.
No Fallon is back, calling himself a “real” Democrat. But how can we trust his judgement and commitment to our values? Haven’t we had enough of Ed Fallon’s phony politics?Enough phony politics.
Say NO to ED FALLON.1 Des Moines Register, 1/25/01, 11/18/00, 10/31/00
“Enough phony politics. Say NO to ED FALLON.” is in the scary font, with “NO” in Hawkeye gold for extra emphasis.
Turning over the mailer and looking at the back side, photos of Nader, Fallon and George Bush are arranged to make an equation across the top:
Ralph Nader + Ed Fallon = George Bush
The rest of the page consists of this text in scary font on a dark gray background:
Ralph Nader said there’s NO difference between Al Gore and George Bush.
One Candidate for Congress in Iowa actually believed him.
Most of that text is in white, except for “NO difference,” “One Candidate” and “believed him,” which are in hawkeye gold.
Contact information for the campaign and “Paid for by Boswell for Congress are at the bottom of the back page.
What jumps out at me (besides the fact that the mailer misspells “judgment” twice, leaves out a hyphen between “trillion dollar” and erroneously capitalizes “Candidate”) is how desperate it looks for a six-term incumbent to be putting out this kind of message day after day.
But obviously, I am not the target audience for Boswell’s campaign mailings. I don’t know how this is playing with the undecideds or marginal voters in the third district.