Republican Politics In Tenn.: Get Angry, Get Involved, Get Free Gas

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It’s a wonder this isn’t more common: A shadowy conservative political group, called the American Future Fund, is spending more than $200,000 on an attack ad in Tennessee targeting Bill Haslam one of the Republican candidates for Governor in the upcoming August 5 primary. Here’s the spot:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQawdB4U7nU&hl=en_US&fs=1]

Did you catch that bit at the end? You can win $5,000 in free gas! Just for sending in your email address. What does this have to do with Bill Haslam? Nothing really. But free gas! Whoopee! (In fact, according to the fine print, no one gets $5,000 in gas. Some lucky winners will however get $25 gas cards to a Shell station near them. No purchase of necessary. See here for details.) Because of the tax status of the group, the person or organization paying for the gas cards is not disclosed.

The building of email lists is big business in politics. You can fund-raise off them. They can be resold to other interest groups. In the past, politicians and political groups have run promotions to spur involvement. (Remember the dinner with Obama events back during the 2008 campaign.) But I have never seen such a pander. Imagine if it catches on: Sarah Palin can give away freeze-dried moose meat to ten lucky winners! Mitch Daniels will give away his old calculators! Mitt Romney will put you on a $10,000 a month retainer!

(H/T to @thefix for flagging the spot.)