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

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.

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.

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.

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