"25,000 Members" But Only 5 Donors? Is This The New Math?

Earlier this week, we wrote about the Republican group, Vets For Freedom, and their ability to run $1.5 million dollars in TV advertising with seemingly no support.

In our blog post, we noted that the founder of the group was claiming thousands of donors. And the group claims to have 25,000 members. A number which if true might give a hint of credibility to their claims. However, when it is becoming increasingly clear that more and more real veterans are coming out in support of Barack Obama, is it possible that VFF actually has 25,000 members?

Well, we're not from Missouri but frankly, we'd have to see the membership roster to even believe that they have 2,500 members, why?

First, in their last report, they have exactly 5 donors listed. One, two, three, four, five. So unless their marketing efforts are truly horrific, to the tune of a .00000005 response rate, we have to believe that their member list is slightly inflated.

Second, if you look at their web site traffic on public sites, you'll see that the traffic is very very light; with some recent days in May hovering around zero, wouldn't a 25,000 member person organization have more than a couple of thousand total visits a month?

Unfortunately, many news organizations are taking the 25,000 numbers as a fact versus a 'claim' -- if we claimed that a million people read everything we wrote, it wouldn't make it true -- but who knows maybe people would start writing that -- just like we are seeing these.

There's an old expression, a lie can get halfway around the world before the truth gets its shoes on, and today from the Guardian in London, we have proof.

The £750,000 campaign launched by the 25,000-member Vets for Freedom implicitly criticises the Republican senator's anti-war Democrat rival Barack Obama, who has stated he wants to withdraw combat forces within 16 months of taking office.

On the other hand, if Vets For Freedom really does have 25,000 veteran members, we'll post the whole membership list right here, just send us the names guys, we'll put everyone up.

After all, we can easily fit in five names right here.

Comments

[Chapmanp2]

The right seems to be up to it's old tricks in trying to spin perception.
The only real purpose for that would be to try & steal another election.
I am of the belief that some sort of outward support needs to be shown on election day So that the overwhelming truth & reality is UN-DENIABLE. Something similar to the orange revolution.
Perhaps we all wear white to show our support for Obama (that would be fitting in a # of ways).

[nyboomer]

I blame the supreme court for this. How did they conclude that money equals free speech?

I saw the commercial and it is quite objectionable. The grunts don't get any say in how a war is prosecuted. They don't get to say, Hey, we want to go out there and die or bleed for a few more years in pursuit of an undefined, unattainable vague goal.

I used to be a grunt and no one ever asked me if I wanted to keep on going. What a strange concept to have non-coms and enlisted appear to demand to kep a war going.

You just know there's a chickenhawk in charge of these guys.

[samp426]

Bullshit as reality, confusion as truth: the legacy of our 43d President.
Thank you for your efforts to drill down and expose the frauds and fakers for what they are: a destabilizing nuisance whose sole function is to cloud, ossify, and pollute the body politic.
God be with you gentlemen. The party's just getting started, and between now and November will be the true test of America's liberty and vitality.