The Other McCain

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MA-4 Blogger Call With Sean Bielat

Posted on | April 5, 2012 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

How do you not support a candidate with a battleship on his masthead, I ask you? I took notes, and kibitzed way too much for somebody not even in Massachusetts. The following is an unofficial, qualitative account of the call. I took the liberty of re-arranging the Q&A sequence for better flow.

Sean Bielat conducted a blogger conference call on April 5, 2012.

Sarah Rumpf, Sean Bielat’s communications director, initiated the call. She stated that first quarter fundraising for the campaign was great, several times better than 2010, something like 1,900 donors, totaling something like $175,000.

Sean came on, and covered his bio, touching on his Marine Corps service, college education, and business exposure, before focusing on the campaign proper.

This year’s campaign is still about jobs, the economy, the deficit, and the role of the Federal government in all three.

The stimulus, and whether it added any jobs to the economy is a big concern. Sean thinks the focus should be on letting businesses & families retain their money.

Also, regulation, and its economic impact. Estimates run to 2.5 million jobs prevented during this administration. Sean mentioned meeting a painter, who employed two others. There is apparently sufficient business to consider hiring, but regulatory uncertainty precludes hiring two more workers.

Deficit reduction was Sean’s third point. Entitlement spending and discretionary spending are the two categories in the Federal budget.

  • Reforming entitlements is tricky, due to instantaneous attacks and demagoguery whenever change is mentioned, however hope-filled. The 2010 campaign saw Sean’s common-sense remarks turned into scare tactics. Clearly it was good politics for Barney, but bad policy.
    You should never be afraid to lose the next election by stepping up and doing the right thing.
  • Discretionary. DoD. There is room for smart ways to pursue cuts, instead of the dumb ways now pursued. 700k DoD workforce might be a
    place to find cuts. 20k Marines? How about some bureaucratic overhead.

Finally, the role of the Federal government. It is vastly different from what was envisioned by the Founders. The Commerce Clause is used as justification for actions that are not within the intent of the Constitution.

Federalism should be used to devolve the Federal tasks to the States, and closer to the voters. Federal bureaucrats are un-elected, and are also not answerable to those voters.

Redistricting following the 2010 census favors Bielat’s campaign. Less ‘snaky’ gerrymandering is at work this time around. The district is more cohesive, adding  communities outside of Boston that may provide more Republican voters.

Question and answer:

  1. The Federal Reserve?
    Audit the Fed. Ron Paul perhaps over-emphasizes the Federal Reserve. It is perhaps unlikely that the country will walk away from a Federal Reserve. Dodd-Frank tried to give the Federal Reserve even more autonomy.
  2. Paul Ryan’s plan for deficit reduction?
    Chiefly good because it exists as a talking point. SB’s focus is on retaining necessary capabilities, and not letting DoD get hammered too hard.
  3. Little Joe Kennedy: is he a serious candidate?
    He’s serious. Raised over 1 Million as soon as he announced, yet he stays away from issues. No issues whatsoever on his website. Seems like a nice guy, but running on your last name seems. . .
    Caller: Is Joe Kennedy like a Kardashian?
  4. Will Sean attempt to link Little Joe to BHO’s record?
    Probably not too specific a linkage. Just generally pointing to the leadership vacuum so notable in DC.
  5. Debates?
    Nothing known until after the September primary. There were 10 debates with Barney in 2010, no idea what, if anything, Little Joe will support.
  6. Will national-level fundraising be an issue, with Barney Frank bowing out?
    The fact that Little Joe moved into the district a week before the election might be as helpful as the anti-Barney animus of 2010. Scott Brown will buoy the campaign, and Mitt Romney on the ticket would help.
  7. How is the upstream support from the national GOP?
    NRCC is interested in the race, and there has been great contact. PAC’s will eventually be offering support. Greater support than 2010, because the seat is open and Sean is a tested candidate. Open seats attract more interest. Citizens United has endorsed.
  8. Bielat has a new headquarters
    Opens on April 21st, stay glued to FaceBook and and Twitter. 1,700 returning volunteers from 2010, building on that cadre.
  9. Social media ideas. Any more viral videos?
    The social media geniuses are grinding away. Outreach teases:
  • Full new media press.
  • Some video
    possibilities.
  • Blogger calls.
  • Setting groundwork for
    viral success.
  • Activist organizations like the Young Republicans

Da Tech Guy was also on  the call.

Sean Bielat and Sarah Rumpf are currently planning to attend BlogCon in Charlotte, with all the bloggers who are nearly cool enough to be read live by Mark Levin!

Sean Bielat for Congress!

Category: Massachusetts, Sean Bielat

Comments

3 Responses to “MA-4 Blogger Call With Sean Bielat”

  1. MrPaulRevere
    April 6th, 2012 @ 3:32 am

    I hope Mr. Bielat proves to be the Van Helsing to the Kennedy vampire cult.

  2. Datechguy's Blog » Blog Archive » Sean Beilat Q & A Question: Where are your offices » Datechguy's Blog
    April 6th, 2012 @ 11:55 am

    […] I did participate in a Bloggers call with the Candidate yesterday, but got there late due to Mass. Smitty have a good overview here including a lot of the stuff I missed. Share this:PrintRedditDiggStumbleUponEmailFacebook […]

  3. Christy Waters
    April 6th, 2012 @ 12:56 pm

    A sharp stick in the eye, or another Kennedy in DC? Hmmm… that’s a tough one, but I’m going to have to go with the sharp stick. We need to start changing our mindset about who WE will ALLOW to represent us in Congress. Sean Bielat and other “regular folk” are exactly the remedy we need to fix what’s broken in this country. Career politicians need no longer apply.