Nearly every major political figure in the country, and even some not-so-major figures, has an email list. When used effectively, officeholders and candidates can use these lists to send out news, alerts, announcements, and plenty of appeals for contributions.
But once in a while, these lists are used in a very different kind of way. Take former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who’s maintained a sizable list for years, and who parlayed his failed presidential campaign into an even larger email list.
And how, pray tell, does Gingrich put it to use? Yesterday, an email was sent from the “Office of Newt Gingrich,” with a subject line that read, “CIA Insider issues urgent warning for seniors.” The email identified “an advisor to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence” who, the message claimed, “probably knows more than anyone else in America about the inner workings of the government, the economy, and the U.S. banking system.”
All of which led to the demagogic pitch:
“In short, Jim Rickards sees a big challenge ahead for any American in the process of saving for Retirement. We’re talking about not only a huge collapse in the stock market (up to 70% or more) but also a collapse in the currency system, which could wipe out bank deposits, retirement plans, and more.“But… and this is important…“Even though the next collapse is imminent, there’s still time to make the necessary moves to protect you and your family. That’s why Jim Rickards just wrapped up a brand new ‘playbook’ for the coming collapse.”
And wouldn’t you know it, the message from the “Office of Newt Gingrich” is ready to send you a copy of the “playbook” so you’ll be ready before the “huge collapse,” which could “wipe out retirement plans.” (Remember, the email subject line said this is a warning “for seniors.”)
The email’s postscript adds that there’s an exclusive “missing chapter” to the book, which can also be sent to you, but “is not available anywhere else.”
So, Newt Gingrich was, not too long ago, the most powerful lawmaker in Congress. He was, for a while, a leading presidential candidate. He’s a staple on the Sunday shows and co-hosted his own national television program.
And he’s now been reduced to … this?
In fairness, it’s important to note that the message included a disclaimer, which reads, “Please find a message from one of our advertisers, Stansberry & Associates. Please note that the following message reflects the opinions and representations of our advertiser alone, and not the opinion or editorial positions of The Office of Newt Gingrich.”
Right. An advertiser pays to use Gingrich’s list, and in exchange, those on the Republican’s list get a message that says it’s from the “Office of Newt Gingrich,” even if the former congressman’s office didn’t actually write the email.
Still, isn’t this a little sleazy? Newt Gingrich has gone from Speaker of the House to a guy who peddles what appear to be spam email messages to seniors?
I’m reminded of a fascinating piece Ben Adler wrote a few years ago about Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Herman Cain using their email lists to create a lucrative operation.
While [Cain] has been particularly unabashed in his embrace of the practice, he is not the only past presidential candidate hawking sketchy products. Newt Gingrich now pings the e-mail subscribers to his Gingrich Productions with messages from an investment firm formed by a conspiracy theorist successfully sued for fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mike Huckabee uses his own production company’s list to blast out links to heart-disease fixes and can’t-miss annuities.The joke about Cain and Gingrich during the 2012 campaign was that they weren’t at all serious about their pursuits of the presidency but instead just lining up future paydays. After Huckabee, who’d parlayed a strong showing in 2008 into publishing deals and his own Fox News show, declined to run again, some wags snickered that his new livelihood must have been too hard to give up. Now all three seem to be proving the cynics right…. Collectively, Cain, Gingrich, and Huckabee are pioneering a new, more direct method for post-campaign buckraking. All it requires is some digitally savvy accomplices – and a total immunity to shame.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."