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Democrats begin boycott of NC discount chains [Free speech for me but not for thee Alert]
Fayetteville Observer ^ | 10/27/10 | Gary D. Robertson

Posted on 10/27/2010 8:49:11 PM PDT by freespirited

RALEIGH, N.C. - The North Carolina Democratic Party asked voters Wednesday to avoid shopping at dozens of discount retail stores whose parent company, owned by a conservative activist's family, injected hundreds of thousands of dollars into the fall elections to target Democrats.

Party leaders set their sights on Variety Wholesalers Inc. executive Art Pope at a news conference, calling him a "right-wing extremist" who sent money to at least three conservative political organizations that have created mailers and ads critical of Democratic incumbents.

The party's boycott of the company's North Carolina stores, mostly under the names of Roses, Maxway and Super 10, began in the final days of a high-stakes campaign for control of the Legislature. Republicans are trying to wrest control of the House and Senate together for the first time in more than a century.

"Hardworking North Carolinians would not patronize Variety Stores if they knew that the money they were spending there was going to attack the very candidates who support programs that help their families," party executive director Andrew Whalen said at a news conference. "We're trying to send a message here that Art Pope cannot buy our state's government."

Pope said he's doing no such thing and accused of Democrats of being hypocritical for accepting campaign money from corporate interests and industries to promote their causes. They're threatening the jobs of people who work at his stores, Pope said.

"They're willing to put hardworking people out of work because I support conservatives and Republicans," Pope said in an interview. "I will not be silenced from attacking the one-party rule in North Carolina."

Variety Stores Inc., a subsidiary of Henderson-based Variety Wholesalers owned by the Pope family, has given at least $390,000 to Real Jobs NC and Civitas Action, which have targeted more than 20 legislative districts altogether.

The groups have criticized the voting records of incumbents on tax increases and spending. Pope said the groups are participating in issue advocacy and aren't calling directly for the support or defeat of a candidates. But Whalen said their intent is to oust Democrats.

A Pope family foundation also awarded $500,000 last year to the national Americans for Prosperity Foundation, of which Pope is vice chairman, according to documents. The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity also has targeted some Democrats and held rallies opposing Democratic incumbents in Congress.

Combined with other outside donations, the three groups have spent $2.1 million this election cycle, Whalen said. The money has helped narrow the Democrats' small fundraising gap over the state Republican Party.

Privately held Variety Wholesalers operates more than 425 stores in 15 states. The Democratic Party said it's targeting 78 stores in North Carolina and sending out 50,000 e-mails alerting recipients to the boycott. The party's Web site is also pointing out which candidates have benefited from political committees linked to Pope.

Whalen said the boycott will continue as long as Pope continues to spend his money to influence state government. He doesn't know whether it will hurt the company's bottom line but wanted to highlight the issue in the campaign's closing days.

The John William Pope Foundation, of which Art Pope is chairman, also gives millions of dollars annually to the John Locke Foundation and the Civitas Institute, two conservative-leaning think tanks that focus on state policy issues.

Pope said the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem gives more money to liberal-leaning organizations than he does to conservative groups.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Politics/Elections; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: artpope; civitasinstitute; johnlockefoundation; ncdemocrats; northcarolina; ratcensorship
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To: Titan Magroyne

* Ping *


21 posted on 10/27/2010 9:46:36 PM PDT by Drumbo ("Democracy can withstand anything but democrats." - Jubal Harshaw [Robert A. Heinlein])
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To: max americana

Get this guy on Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh should run ads for his stores. Buy stuff from him and Arizona.

If you don’t support the RATS, they start throwing this threat to democracy crap around. We aren’t a democracy anyway. We are a Republic.


22 posted on 10/27/2010 9:54:58 PM PDT by Steelers6
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To: 100%FEDUP; 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; ~Vor~; a4drvr; Adder; Aegedius; Afronaut; alethia; ...

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail MitchellC if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.
23 posted on 10/27/2010 10:13:17 PM PDT by MitchellC
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To: freespirited; Sooth2222

>>> Democrats begin boycott of NC discount chains [Free speech for me but not for thee Alert]

Do two weeks go by without somebody here calling for a boycott of some business or actor because they support dems or liberal causes? What’s the difference.

>>> Have boycotts ever been effective

Not particularly so since the old Civil Rights days half a century past.


24 posted on 10/27/2010 10:25:57 PM PDT by tlb
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To: freespirited
Thank for making the rest of us jealous. I would love to go to a store that Dems are avoiding. More considerate people all around. The staff will be in a better mood after not dealing with idiots all day. Fellow customers would treat each other well. Less chance of getting your car damaged.
25 posted on 10/27/2010 10:31:32 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
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To: freespirited

Does anybody know of any websites that list companies that supports liberals? I looked and found this site www.boycottlibs.com, but it does not have any information.


26 posted on 10/27/2010 10:47:11 PM PDT by JoSixChip (A nation sheep will be led by pigs!)
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To: freespirited

I guess Bill Gates spending $700,000 to kill the repeal of CA’s Globull Warming Bill is “fine” with the maggot Dems.


27 posted on 10/27/2010 10:47:11 PM PDT by wac3rd (Somewhere in Hell, Ted Kennedy snickers....)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Nazi fascists indeed. How long until they show up in brown shirts and smash the windows?

When I think back to the way things were even ten years ago its sad, heartbreaking really. Political discourse is now in the gutter. Where will it be in ten more years.


28 posted on 10/27/2010 10:48:07 PM PDT by Mad_as_heck (The MSM - America's (domestic) public enemy #1.)
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To: freespirited

What if the reported 75% in the country, or whatever number it is, who consider themselves conservative in the slightest, begin to deploy the same ‘boycott’ methods against the numerous venues who are using just the tiniest fraction of our conservative money to help big hollywood and big journalism popularize this message portraying bigger government and down right socialism is so darn cute and cool.

It is SO not cool for a talking head to openly suggest that, because of an apparent accident on an oil platform causing a spill in the Gulf of Mexico, our Government should nationalize another entire US industry while then pointing out that in China the responsible parties for allowing such an accident would likely be shot after their certain conviction.

Why this kind of nonsense does not result in a million letters, threatening boycott in absence of an immediate apology and firing of the talking head, to the CEOs of the sponsors of that one single show I just can’t explain. The acceptance that socialism is the natural, sane and cool destiny for this country by as much as 90% of our television news media alone, endlessly promoting our republic’s extremely minority view, as demonstrated by the relatively non-mall-demonstration in Washington, it stands to reason that at least 75% of us would have puked enough by now to cancel the cable and satellite services and stop buying their sponsor’s products, or even to target conservative sponsors with their spending. Yet this does not happen.

We love our Media and we seem to love all the nonsense they bring us. I love a little nonsense in my entertainment, but news and politics are not fictional entertainment as some seem to package it for us every single day. A false truth cannot be advanced without repercussions. These are dead serious topics with actual long term consequences to the health of our nation.

If the CEOs of the leftist media wants to tie them selves to the likes of those who held signs on 10-10 parroting “Capitolism is dead; Socialism is the answer” then by all means let them rally around and cater to such fools. When 75% of the country takes a couple of years off from buying ANYTHING remotely related to these socialist causes, the Media maggots will suddenly come back home where the lost revenue is with promises of ‘HOW MUCH WE SO GET IT NOW, we’re SO SORRY.’ When the socialists target a business lead by a conservative CEO, then by all means necessary we need to spend more at his place of business.

If, in instances such as this case, his business may be centered in metropolitan areas where the conservative view is far less represented then maybe he should shut it down and build his business and jobs where the republic is at, rather than surrender his freedom of association. Perhaps the few remaining conservative patrons of his business will move with him. There may be just no hope for most of those areas that are morally falling down but, hey, they got plenty of the cable shows and buy all the media whore’s products. Maybe at some point we can just roll a fence around the remainder with signs reading “Danger: Travel not advised. Socialist thugs and human refuse area. Enter at own risk.”

I don’t know, maybe it’s just me who thinks this way. But, then, I turned off the television twelve years ago.


29 posted on 10/27/2010 10:51:15 PM PDT by ri4dc (Obamanomics gives me Chronic Obamasomnia)
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To: freespirited

the democrats plan is to end more jobs


30 posted on 10/28/2010 1:17:21 AM PDT by personalaccts (Is George W going to protect the border?)
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To: freespirited
"if they knew that the money they were spending there was going to attack the very candidates who support programs that help their families,"

Oh...kind of like what the democrat unions do with dues money huh?...the big reason I'm against unions...why would I give money to an organization who will give it to a political candidate I wouldn't want to see as dog catcher?

31 posted on 10/28/2010 1:56:04 AM PDT by ~Vor~ (A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.)
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To: freespirited

I did not know Roses was owned by conservatives. There is one in the next town not far form the Walmart. It will be convenient to go there instead of Walmart, which I dislike anyway.


32 posted on 10/28/2010 7:45:29 AM PDT by kalee (The offences we give, we write in the dust; Those we take, we engrave in marble. J Huett 1658)
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To: Drumbo

Thanks for the pingarooni. Real quick scan of the article & flyby post, “...mostly under the names of Roses, Maxway and Super 10...” alas no more Roses around here that I know of. Never heard of the other 2.

Heart soared over the thread title in hopes the libs would thin the crowd at the BOGO sales & WalMart, LOL.


33 posted on 10/28/2010 7:59:27 AM PDT by Titan Magroyne (What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.)
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To: kalee

Sounds great. I just read last nite that Wal-mart donated between half a million and a million bucks to the commie Center for American Progress!


34 posted on 10/28/2010 8:25:13 AM PDT by freespirited (This tagline dedicated to the memory of John Armor, a/k/a Congressman Billybob.)
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To: Sooth2222
Wikipedia:

"In 1880...the Irish Land League...withdrew the local labour required to save the harvest on Lord Erne's estate. When Boycott tried to undermine the campaign, the League launched a campaign of isolation against him in the local community. Neighbours would not talk to him. Shops would not serve him. Local labourers refused to tend his house, and the postman refused to deliver his mail.

"Boycott left Ireland on December 1 of the same year."

I don't know if they got everything they wanted, but they got rid of him.

35 posted on 10/28/2010 9:16:45 AM PDT by ExGeeEye (Spread the work ethic; the wealth will follow.)
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To: freespirited

Roses....a number of years ago, you could buy some neat guns in there. M1 Carbines, Lee-Enfields, Mosin-Nagants....


36 posted on 10/28/2010 1:12:57 PM PDT by GenXteacher (He that hath no stomach for this fight, let him depart!)
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To: AdmSmith; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; bigheadfred; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; Delacon; ...
Thanks freespirited.
The North Carolina Democratic Party asked voters Wednesday to avoid shopping at dozens of discount retail stores whose parent company, owned by a conservative activist's family, injected hundreds of thousands of dollars into the fall elections to target Democrats. Party leaders set their sights on Variety Wholesalers Inc. executive Art Pope at a news conference, calling him a "right-wing extremist" who sent money to at least three conservative political organizations that have created mailers and ads critical of Democratic incumbents. The party's boycott of the company's North Carolina stores, mostly under the names of Roses, Maxway and Super 10, began in the final days of a high-stakes campaign for control of the Legislature.

37 posted on 10/28/2010 4:46:36 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: devolve

Memories, huh? You had a beautiful home in N.C.


38 posted on 10/28/2010 5:48:10 PM PDT by potlatch ( Life must be lived forward but can only be seen looking backward. - Soren Kierkegaard)
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