The Lincoln Project

[Hank Scorpio 17924]

 

[Ghost of LL 15670]

17 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

 

See--I really don't agree with this.  These guys are trying out for jobs in future Democratic campaigns.  The Lincoln Project is combination penance and job interview.

[Horn Dog 10156]

Money whores.. like all political consultants.  If it is profitable to keep the switch on "Good', then they will so dems need to stop being such pussies and pony up , cause we need ruthless guns for hire like this.

Edited October 19, 2020 by Horn Dog

[Hank Scorpio 17924]

5 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

See--I really don't agree with this.  These guys are trying out for jobs in future Democratic campaigns.  The Lincoln Project is combination penance and job interview.

You’re right, they should be given the benefit of the doubt. I mean, it’s not like they helped start a war or anything. What’s the worst that can happen? 

[Dbeasy 15528]

You’re right, they should be given the benefit of the doubt. I mean, it’s not like they helped start a war or anything. What’s the worst that can happen? 

A war.

[henrygandorf 29223]

from last week's episode, but just saw it...

 

[TeeDubya 3362]

On 7/16/2020 at 11:31 AM, F250 said:

It is dumb. The people behind the Lincoln Project don't give a shit about their public image, they are fighting for control of the GOP. They are the ousted regime waging a civil war within their party, it isn't any more complicated than that.

Very similar (but fewer disingenuous smiles) to the conservative takeover (and Baptist civil war)of the Southern Baptist Convention.  As odd as the Baylor folks are, their tight network of alumni kept the state baptist convention in Texas from being taken over, like in most other states.

Edited October 19, 2020 by TeeDubya

[NameAlreadyInUse 5167]

32 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

See--I really don't agree with this.  These guys are trying out for jobs in future Democratic campaigns.  The Lincoln Project is combination penance and job interview.

I see them sitting in a room not social distancing and not wearing masks in henry's vid.  I think they are finally embracing science and can be trusted again!  Nah.  I'm going to keep appreciating what they are doing on this campaign and keeping my dollars away from them.

[Dbeasy 15528]

from last week's episode, but just saw it...
 

That’s a pretty motivated group of bald dudes. Nttawwt.

[Ghost of LL 15670]

1 hour ago, Hank Scorpio said:

You’re right, they should be given the benefit of the doubt. I mean, it’s not like they helped start a war or anything. What’s the worst that can happen? 

What doubt-benefit do you think I'm extending?  I basically called them whores who are giving away a beej for free in hopes that you'll hire them for a week at their full rates.

I guess if I'm giving any doubt-benefits, it's to acknowledge that it's a really good beej.  And hiring them in the future might be money well spent.

[GW Hayduke 1957]

2 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

You’re right, they should be given the benefit of the doubt. I mean, it’s not like they helped start a war or anything. What’s the worst that can happen? 

Are folks afraid that a Biden admin will go to war because of the Lincoln Project?  Are they on the short list for Secretary of State? Are people contemplating whether to have them babysit their new infant? 

[406W30th 1111]

A little more info about Give Smart: 

Quote

 

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So if you're looking to maximize your contributions, give them a look:

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[Nice Guy Eddie 13710]

I think it's very telling that unofficial GOP/conservative groups are publicly attacking the Lincoln Project recently. If you're not having an impact or you don't matter, then people ignore you.

The Right is flipping out right now because they see a potential huge reckoning about to occur in 2 weeks, and they are turning on each other. 

I'm curious to see what kind of heat Trump faces once he loses. He still has his army of people but they and Trump won't matter very much for at least 18 months. if Trump loses.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Nice Guy Eddie

[NameAlreadyInUse 5167]

That new add about fathers and sons they just put out is probably the best political ad I've seen.  I have to give them credit, they are not holding back.Men

Edited October 22, 2020 by NameAlreadyInUse

[Nice Guy Eddie 13710]

20 minutes ago, NameAlreadyInUse said:

That new add about fathers and sons they just put out is probably the best political ad I've seen.  I have to give them credit, they are not holding back.Men

Dems have some good ads out there and the money to air them for wide audiences.

The Lincoln ad is a good combo of both overwhelming positivity with the hint of negative towards Trump. Most Trump ads seem to be nothing but fear.

[HillaryFan420 121]

This is a fabulous ad. I like the idea of taking the mantle of authentic conservatism away from the Republicans.  They don't deserve it anymore.

 

[4th&Five 41906]

 

[Mdhorn 6153]

On 10/22/2020 at 1:20 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Dems have some good ads out there and the money to air them for wide audiences.

The Lincoln ad is a good combo of both overwhelming positivity with the hint of negative towards Trump. Most Trump ads seem to be nothing but fear.

That has been every speech he's ever had, including his inauguration.  And damn did this speech not age well.  In fact, after 4 years, it's trash, and like his properties, belly up.  

"At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

(APPLAUSE) We are one nation and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams. And their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans....

....We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

...At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it."

 

[High Plains Drifter 11162]

 

 

 

if this isn't all over local SA tv, then what a waste.

 

[bad_teammate 13481]

2 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

if this isn't all over local SA tv, then what a waste.

Actually putting these ads on TV would cost $, and the Lincoln Project needs all the money they're grifting out of sucker centrists and liberals to build their post-election right-wing media empire.

[MC Fresh Breath 4075]

On 10/27/2020 at 8:54 AM, 4th&Five said:

 

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4075]

 

[Bama Chick 28596]

Actually putting these ads on TV would cost $, and the Lincoln Project needs all the money they're grifting out of sucker centrists and liberals to build their post-election right-wing media empire.

You and I may have butted heads this election but I’m going to enjoy teaming up with you to lob big fat “I told y’all!” about these assholes.

Notice how quiet they got over Amy Coney Barrett?

[atomheartbevo 90550]

6 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

 

 

if this isn't all over local SA tv, then what a waste.

 

Popovich needs to run for a seat in Texas.  Governor, Lt. Gov, Senator, whatever.  Dude is smart as hell, a military vet, and has a better head on his shoulders than the vast majority of politicians.

[Anastasis 23703]

What was the final spend by LP?

Trying to figure out who had the worse return on investment between LP and Bloomberg.  

[Texas St. Armadillos 1388]

On 10/30/2020 at 4:25 PM, atomheartbevo said:

Popovich needs to run for a seat in Texas.  Governor, Lt. Gov, Senator, whatever.  Dude is smart as hell, a military vet, and has a better head on his shoulders than the vast majority of politicians.

There's your hispanic Democrat vote right there.

[Redpuma 146]

4 hours ago, Anastasis said:

What was the final spend by LP?

Trying to figure out who had the worse return on investment between LP and Bloomberg.  

Lots of twitterverse that almost all the money went to consultants. Grfiters grifting 

[TwiceHorn 31995]

3 minutes ago, Redpuma said:

Lots of twitterverse that almost all the money went to consultants. Grfiters grifting 

I mean, the Lincoln Project itself is comprised almost entirely of consultants.

It's people who sit around and think shit up.  And then pay some creatives to make a video of it.  The creatives probably call themselves consultants, too.

Edited November 5, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[SizzleChest 8302]

They take a hefty cut for ad buys and manage that money as well.

[TwiceHorn 31995]

On 10/30/2020 at 1:02 PM, Bama Chick said:

You and I may have butted heads this election but I’m going to enjoy teaming up with you to lob big fat “I told y’all!” about these assholes.

Notice how quiet they got over Amy Coney Barrett?

Meh.  They had an ad about McConnell's hypocrisy.  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/lincoln-project-ad-mitch-mcconnell-donald-trump-rbi-death-replacement-hypocrite-b515658.html

That's about all there was to bitch about that's Trump-related.

They've never said or pretended that they were liberals or not conservatives.

It's nothing more than an enemy of my enemy deal despite people trying to label them as conservatives in sheep's clothing or something.

Edited November 5, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[atomheartbevo 90550]

3 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

It's people who sit around and think shit up.  And then pay some creatives to make a video of it.

They probably pay some Filipino on Fiverr.com to do that stuff.

[BradInATX 9208]

There's your hispanic Democrat vote right there.

Fuck that. He needs to stay with the Spurs. Some things supercede politics.

[TwiceHorn 31995]

7 minutes ago, SizzleChest said:

They take a hefty cut for ad buys and manage that money as well.

Media consultants!  Or an ad agency.

[MC Fresh Breath 4075]

On 11/4/2020 at 12:37 PM, Anastasis said:

What was the final spend by LP?

Trying to figure out who had the worse return on investment between LP and Bloomberg.  

 

How The Lincoln Project Set Liberals’ Money On Fire
The group run by GOP operatives said it would reduce Republican support for Trump — instead, Trump consolidated his base as the group burned $67 million that could’ve been spent better anywhere else.

Quote

 

A group of longtime Republican operatives depicting themselves as anti-Trump stalwarts convinced liberals to give them more money for ineffective television ads and stunts than was raised by the Democratic Party’s national campaign to win state legislatures. 

The result: Donald Trump won more Republican votes than he did in 2016 as Democrats again lost state legislatures in advance of redistricting that could determine control of Congress for the next decade. 

Meanwhile, the GOP operatives are reportedly positioned to go from lighting liberals’ money on fire during the 2020 election to now using liberals’ money to launch a media empire that could push a new Biden administration to the right.

The GOP super PAC, called the Lincoln Project, raised at least $67 million this year from liberals who were told by one of the group’s co-founders that it would win over “independent-leaning men, those college-educated Republicans, the suburban Republican women.” The Lincoln Project was co-founded by Steve Schmidt, who was John McCain’s 2008 campaign manager and who has been publicly boasting that he led the campaigns to help George W. Bush install right-wing judges on the Supreme Court.

While the Lincoln Project’s YouTube videos lampooning Trump received millions of views and endless promotion on MSNBC, the ads proved ineffective in the group’s stated goal: As The Daily Poster first reported, Trump actually increased his share of the Republican vote in 2020 as compared to 2016, when the Lincoln Project did not exist.

In all, Trump had support from 91 percent of Republicans and voters who lean Republican, according to a Fox News Voter Analysis that surveyed 109,000 people nationwide just before the election. Although Biden outperformed 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton in suburban areas, Trump won a higher percentage of white women in 2020.

As Lincoln Project burned liberals’ money on unpersuasive videos and expensive stunts — including a Times Square billboard in the uncontested locale of Manhattan — the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee raised far less money in its battle for control of legislatures. 

The subsequent losses at the state level mean Republicans will now be in a position “to draw favorable maps that will help them elect their preferred state and federal representatives for the next five election cycles,” according to a post-election report by Politico.  

Failing To Focus On The Economy
While the news media was manufacturing false stories about the Lincoln Project moving GOP voters, Trump was consolidating his base — and keeping the race close amid a deadly pandemic — by focusing on the economy as his opponents personally insulted him and did not aggressively promote an economic message. 

Exit polls showed the largest plurality of voters saw the economy as the top concern — and Trump won 82 percent of those voters. 

Trump invested heavily in economy-themed ads. National Public Radio noted that in the final weeks of the campaign, Trump’s ads “attack(ed) Biden over trade and the economy” and cast “the election as a decisive moment for the country's future and emphasizing the candidate's personal story and character.”

Many of the Lincoln Project’s videos were focused on making Trump look like a buffoon, a slimy salesman, a bad role model, or a misogynist — things that people already well know. Seventy-three percent of voters said a candidate's positions on the issues were more important in their presidential vote than a candidate's personal qualities.

The group did put out some economy-focused ads in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa, as part of its “Mourning in America” series (a reference to a famous Ronald Reagan ad). But the ads were more bleak than compelling, as they purely dump on Trump without any pitch for why Democrats would be better.

The Cook Political Report’s David Wasserman noted last month that “direct messaging against Trump (@ProjectLincoln ads, etc.) is ineffective in swing states. Dem messages that actually move votes: talking about education & majoritarian economic policies.”

The Lincoln Project’s failure to move targeted demographics was on display in key battleground states. In Iowa, for example, the group made headlines with a series of ads aimed at convincing women to vote against Trump. On Election night, exit polls showed Trump won a slightly larger share of female Iowa voters in 2020 than he did in 2016. 

MSNBC Tells The Lincoln Project To “Take A Well-Deserved Victory Lap” 
While the Lincoln Project failed to generate significant Republican defections, the effort has been a financial windfall for GOP operatives. 

Earlier this year, the group was lampooned by Stephen Colbert’s cartoon show for spending so much money on overhead rather than on ads. By the end of September, the group had funneled $4.5 million through Summit Strategic Communications, run by the group’s co-founder Reed Galen. The group also reported paying $3.9 million to Tusk Digital, led by another Lincoln Project co-founder, Ron Steslow.

Despite all the data about the Lincoln Project’s failure, MSNBC host Brian Williams asserted Wednesday that the group helped swing the presidential race to Joe Biden, saying they “helped make this race what it is and what it may be if and when we get over 270.” 

Williams told the Lincoln Project’s senior advisor, Michael Steele, that he should “take a well-deserved victory lap on the part of all these former leaders and strategists who got together to push the other side.”

Williams — who was caught repeatedly lying about his own career a few years ago — cited no data in assigning credit to the Republican operatives. 

On Wednesday, MSNBC host Chris Hayes spoke with Lincoln Project senior advisor, Stuart Stevens, about the potential of two runoff races for Georgia Senate seats deciding control of the Senate in January. 

“Can you imagine the amount of money that is going to be spent and raised on those two Senate runoffs in the state of Georgia?” Hayes asked with a nervous laugh. 

“Well, look, in the Lincoln Project, I spent part of the day making ads for both of those races,” Stevens said. “We're going to be in there as heavy as we can, as will most of the known political world.” 

The Lincoln Project did not report making any independent expenditures in either of the Georgia Senate races.

Another Lincoln Project senior advisor, Kurt Bardella, reiterated Thursday on MSNBC that “the Lincoln Project will look to be very active” in the Georgia runoffs. 

 

https://www.dailyposter.com/p/how-the-lincoln-project-set-liberals

 

[Firemans4Horn 18501]

Liberals had no problem lighting their money on fire this election (see Amy McGrath). 

[burntorangebongos 10809]

Yeah, I'm about ready to unfollow Rick Wilson. He is a dirty rat fucker at his core so while he did a good thing, he is still what he is. 

[Anastasis 23703]

LOL. That's not how this grift works AOC.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2020 by Anastasis

[burntorangebongos 10809]

The other savage rat fucker Schmidt decided to bitch slap Gaetz on this Friday night because they are vicious rat fuckers with time on their hands.

 

[Hank Scorpio 17924]

 

 

[burntorangebongos 10809]

He is a very articulate man. I will grudgingly admit that I admire his wit and ability to communicate his thoughts so effectively. I am not sure I like him staying in the party. We need some progressive ideas to prevail and I would hate him to persuade people away from such policy, some of which is long overdue. On the other hand, his skills are considerable and many democratic operatives could learn from this guy. He's made dumb decisions (Palin) but he has had effective messaging that has worked.  hmmmm, I'm not convinced this is a net positive. 

[PsychMike 1553]

aggy John Weaver in big trouble...

21 Men Accuse Lincoln Project Co-Founder of Online Harassment

John Weaver, a longtime G.O.P. operative who advised John McCain and John Kasich, made sexual overtures to young men, sometimes offering to help them get work in politics.

 

By Maggie Astor and Danny Hakim

Jan. 31, 2021
Updated 2:30 p.m. ET

Spoiler

John Weaver, a longtime Republican strategist and co-founder of the prominent anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, has for years sent unsolicited and sexually provocative messages online to young men, often while suggesting he could help them get work in politics, according to interviews with 21 men who received them.

His solicitations included sending messages to a 14-year-old, asking questions about his body while he was still in high school and then more pointed ones after he turned 18.

These messages from Mr. Weaver, 61, who helped run John McCain’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008 and John Kasich’s in 2016, did not lead to physical encounters except in one consensual case, and none of the men accused Mr. Weaver of unlawful conduct. Rather, many of them described feeling preyed upon by an influential older man in the field in which they wanted to work, and believing they had to engage with his repeated messaging or lose a professional opportunity.

Mr. Weaver sent overt sexual solicitations to at least 10 of the men and, in the most explicit messages, offered professional and personal assistance in exchange for sex. He told one man he would “spoil you when we see each other,” according to a message reviewed by The New York Times. “Help you other times. Give advice, counsel, help with bills. You help me … sensually.”

Lincoln Project leaders, in their first extended comments about Mr. Weaver, said they had not been aware of such allegations until this month, when articles in The American Conservative and Forensic News, and an open letter on Twitter from a data analyst named Garrett Herrin, accused Mr. Weaver of grooming young men online.

Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the group, said its leaders had learned last summer from social media posts that Mr. Weaver, who has a wife and two children, might be involved in relationships with men, but emphasized, “There was no awareness or insinuations of any type of inappropriate behavior when we became aware of the chatter at the time.” Mr. Weaver denied the claims, Mr. Schmidt said in an interview.

In mid-January, after the allegations gained public attention, Mr. Weaver issued a statement acknowledging he had sent “inappropriate” messages and apologizing “to the men I made uncomfortable,” while saying he had believed all of his interactions to be consensual. He said he would not return to the Lincoln Project from a medical leave that began in the summer.

Interviews with the 21 young men, as well as a review of screenshots of dozens of messages he sent them over the last five years, show that his online behavior was in many cases aggressive and unwanted.

Cole Trickle Miele was 14 when he followed Mr. Weaver on Twitter in 2015 and quickly received a direct message from him. At first, he did not think anything was amiss.

“I remember being a 14-year-old kid interested in politics and being semi-starstruck by John Weaver engaging in a conversation with me,” said Mr. Trickle Miele, now 19. At the time, he supported the Republican Party and was a fan of Mr. Kasich, the Ohio governor whom Mr. Weaver was helping prepare to join the presidential race.

But as the messages kept coming, he became uncomfortable.

In June 2018, Mr. Weaver asked, “Are you in HS still?” — referring to high school — and Mr. Trickle Miele said that he was, and that he would be 18 the next spring. “You look older,” Mr. Weaver replied. “You’ve gotten taller.”

In March 2020, when Mr. Trickle Miele was 18, Mr. Weaver wrote, “I want to come to Vegas and take you to dinner and drinks and spoil you!!,” and in a follow-up message used a term that in sexual banter refers to one’s body: “Hey my boy! resend me your stats! or I can guess! if that is easier or more fun!”

Mr. Weaver, in response to questions about specific allegations, reiterated his statement from earlier this month and said: “I am so disheartened and sad that I may have brought discomfort to anyone in what I thought at the time were mutually consensual discussions. In living a deeply closeted life, I allowed my pain to cause pain for others. For that I am truly sorry to these men and everyone and for letting so many people down.”

Mr. Weaver was one of a handful of veteran Republican operatives who formed the Lincoln Project because, they said, they considered Mr. Trump a danger to the country. With mocking ads that often went viral, the group became a highly visible opponent to the Trump presidency.

Mr. Schmidt said in the interview that the Lincoln Project did not have an office when Mr. Weaver was involved, so the founders and staff were not together. He said the group was “outraged and horrified” to learn of Mr. Weaver’s behavior. After this article was published on Sunday, the Lincoln Project released a statement condemning Mr. Weaver and calling him “a predator, a liar and an abuser.”

Last year, when Cody Bralts was a recent college graduate looking for a job in politics, he replied to one of Mr. Weaver’s tweets and, to his surprise, received a direct message from him. After Mr. Weaver said he traveled to Chicago sometimes, they discussed meeting to talk politics; at one point Mr. Weaver asked what Mr. Bralts did in his free time.

 

When Mr. Bralts said he ran marathons, Mr. Weaver replied, “At least I know that whatever we end up doing, you could do it multiple times in a row,” with a winking emoticon.

“It just seemed like he was exploiting his power,” Mr. Bralts said. “He was someone very important and high up in a field I want to go into.”

Kyle Allen, 23, said that from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Weaver asked about his height, weight, what he was wearing and whether he was circumcised. He also pushed repeatedly for an invitation to speak at the University of Ottawa, where Mr. Allen was studying, using sexually explicit language to express his eagerness to visit.

“I would try to veer the conversations toward politics, and he would always find a way to bring it back to sexual stuff,” Mr. Allen said.

In at least two cases, Mr. Weaver offered young men work with the Lincoln Project while sending suggestive messages.

One of those men, Anthony Covell, 22, said Mr. Weaver had begun messaging him in July 2019. That exchange petered out, but on Dec. 3, 2019 — two weeks before the Lincoln Project was publicly announced — Mr. Weaver invited him to join the new initiative.

“He said he was looking for young people who were creative and invested in this upcoming election,” Mr. Covell said, adding, “I was obviously interested.”

 

Mr. Weaver suggested that Mr. Covell “post a thirst trap” or “send me a pic,” then asked him to call for more details on the project.

“Something inside me was saying, ‘No, don’t do this, he seems kind of sketchy,’” Mr. Covell said.

He decided not to call.

Kitty Bennett contributed research.

Maggie Astor is a political reporter based in New York. Previously, she was a general assignment reporter and a copy editor for The Times and a reporter for The Record in New Jersey. @MaggieAstor

Danny Hakim is an investigative reporter for the business section. He has been a European economics correspondent and bureau chief in Albany and Detroit. He was also a lead reporter on the team awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. @dannyhakim

 

[Anastasis 23703]

On 12/17/2019 at 8:22 AM, bolverk said:

We need more of this from actual, real conservatives. I hope this gets traction.

[Anastasis 23703]

Not picking on you bolverk. But this was always a right out grift from out of work Republican political strategists. 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Anastasis

[StassneyHorn 6755]

Damn if only there were people on this board saying to contribute elsewhere instead of “former” republicans who will pivot back once viable. Why spend tens of millions on dollars on digital ads that no Republican voters see because they have Fox News on all day. I’m sure they’ll love burning all your money on MTG in her very safe very Republican district.

[Biff Tannen 46063]

4 hours ago, PsychMike said:

aggy John Weaver in big trouble...

21 Men Accuse Lincoln Project Co-Founder of Online Harassment

John Weaver, a longtime G.O.P. operative who advised John McCain and John Kasich, made sexual overtures to young men, sometimes offering to help them get work in politics.

 

By Maggie Astor and Danny Hakim

Jan. 31, 2021
Updated 2:30 p.m. ET

  Reveal hidden contents

John Weaver, a longtime Republican strategist and co-founder of the prominent anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, has for years sent unsolicited and sexually provocative messages online to young men, often while suggesting he could help them get work in politics, according to interviews with 21 men who received them.

His solicitations included sending messages to a 14-year-old, asking questions about his body while he was still in high school and then more pointed ones after he turned 18.

These messages from Mr. Weaver, 61, who helped run John McCain’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008 and John Kasich’s in 2016, did not lead to physical encounters except in one consensual case, and none of the men accused Mr. Weaver of unlawful conduct. Rather, many of them described feeling preyed upon by an influential older man in the field in which they wanted to work, and believing they had to engage with his repeated messaging or lose a professional opportunity.

Mr. Weaver sent overt sexual solicitations to at least 10 of the men and, in the most explicit messages, offered professional and personal assistance in exchange for sex. He told one man he would “spoil you when we see each other,” according to a message reviewed by The New York Times. “Help you other times. Give advice, counsel, help with bills. You help me … sensually.”

Lincoln Project leaders, in their first extended comments about Mr. Weaver, said they had not been aware of such allegations until this month, when articles in The American Conservative and Forensic News, and an open letter on Twitter from a data analyst named Garrett Herrin, accused Mr. Weaver of grooming young men online.

Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the group, said its leaders had learned last summer from social media posts that Mr. Weaver, who has a wife and two children, might be involved in relationships with men, but emphasized, “There was no awareness or insinuations of any type of inappropriate behavior when we became aware of the chatter at the time.” Mr. Weaver denied the claims, Mr. Schmidt said in an interview.

In mid-January, after the allegations gained public attention, Mr. Weaver issued a statement acknowledging he had sent “inappropriate” messages and apologizing “to the men I made uncomfortable,” while saying he had believed all of his interactions to be consensual. He said he would not return to the Lincoln Project from a medical leave that began in the summer.

Interviews with the 21 young men, as well as a review of screenshots of dozens of messages he sent them over the last five years, show that his online behavior was in many cases aggressive and unwanted.

Cole Trickle Miele was 14 when he followed Mr. Weaver on Twitter in 2015 and quickly received a direct message from him. At first, he did not think anything was amiss.

“I remember being a 14-year-old kid interested in politics and being semi-starstruck by John Weaver engaging in a conversation with me,” said Mr. Trickle Miele, now 19. At the time, he supported the Republican Party and was a fan of Mr. Kasich, the Ohio governor whom Mr. Weaver was helping prepare to join the presidential race.

But as the messages kept coming, he became uncomfortable.

In June 2018, Mr. Weaver asked, “Are you in HS still?” — referring to high school — and Mr. Trickle Miele said that he was, and that he would be 18 the next spring. “You look older,” Mr. Weaver replied. “You’ve gotten taller.”

In March 2020, when Mr. Trickle Miele was 18, Mr. Weaver wrote, “I want to come to Vegas and take you to dinner and drinks and spoil you!!,” and in a follow-up message used a term that in sexual banter refers to one’s body: “Hey my boy! resend me your stats! or I can guess! if that is easier or more fun!”

Mr. Weaver, in response to questions about specific allegations, reiterated his statement from earlier this month and said: “I am so disheartened and sad that I may have brought discomfort to anyone in what I thought at the time were mutually consensual discussions. In living a deeply closeted life, I allowed my pain to cause pain for others. For that I am truly sorry to these men and everyone and for letting so many people down.”

Mr. Weaver was one of a handful of veteran Republican operatives who formed the Lincoln Project because, they said, they considered Mr. Trump a danger to the country. With mocking ads that often went viral, the group became a highly visible opponent to the Trump presidency.

Mr. Schmidt said in the interview that the Lincoln Project did not have an office when Mr. Weaver was involved, so the founders and staff were not together. He said the group was “outraged and horrified” to learn of Mr. Weaver’s behavior. After this article was published on Sunday, the Lincoln Project released a statement condemning Mr. Weaver and calling him “a predator, a liar and an abuser.”

Last year, when Cody Bralts was a recent college graduate looking for a job in politics, he replied to one of Mr. Weaver’s tweets and, to his surprise, received a direct message from him. After Mr. Weaver said he traveled to Chicago sometimes, they discussed meeting to talk politics; at one point Mr. Weaver asked what Mr. Bralts did in his free time.

 

When Mr. Bralts said he ran marathons, Mr. Weaver replied, “At least I know that whatever we end up doing, you could do it multiple times in a row,” with a winking emoticon.

“It just seemed like he was exploiting his power,” Mr. Bralts said. “He was someone very important and high up in a field I want to go into.”

Kyle Allen, 23, said that from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Weaver asked about his height, weight, what he was wearing and whether he was circumcised. He also pushed repeatedly for an invitation to speak at the University of Ottawa, where Mr. Allen was studying, using sexually explicit language to express his eagerness to visit.

“I would try to veer the conversations toward politics, and he would always find a way to bring it back to sexual stuff,” Mr. Allen said.

In at least two cases, Mr. Weaver offered young men work with the Lincoln Project while sending suggestive messages.

One of those men, Anthony Covell, 22, said Mr. Weaver had begun messaging him in July 2019. That exchange petered out, but on Dec. 3, 2019 — two weeks before the Lincoln Project was publicly announced — Mr. Weaver invited him to join the new initiative.

“He said he was looking for young people who were creative and invested in this upcoming election,” Mr. Covell said, adding, “I was obviously interested.”

 

Mr. Weaver suggested that Mr. Covell “post a thirst trap” or “send me a pic,” then asked him to call for more details on the project.

“Something inside me was saying, ‘No, don’t do this, he seems kind of sketchy,’” Mr. Covell said.

He decided not to call.

Kitty Bennett contributed research.

Maggie Astor is a political reporter based in New York. Previously, she was a general assignment reporter and a copy editor for The Times and a reporter for The Record in New Jersey. @MaggieAstor

Danny Hakim is an investigative reporter for the business section. He has been a European economics correspondent and bureau chief in Albany and Detroit. He was also a lead reporter on the team awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. @dannyhakim

 

I mean if more people actually called it like it is when they find out their people are pieces of shit, we might actually get shit done. 
 

That said, I think there are always situations where there needs to be some rational thought and reason. Looking at you democrats who lost their shit over Al Franken. 
 

21 accusers though?  That seems like a lot. 

[aggie08 21736]

A lot of Trump voters are going to be hearing about these guys for the very first time. I'm super certain their Jared tease will be worth the wait though. Like, for sure.

[Red Five 41605]

On 12/15/2020 at 7:09 PM, burntorangebongos said:

 

This is like when Ogre was initiated into Lambda Lambda Lambda at the end of Revenge of the Nerds 2. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by Red Five
booze

[WhatTheBuck 28904]

1 hour ago, StassneyHorn said:

Damn if only there were people on this board saying to contribute elsewhere instead of “former” republicans who will pivot back once viable. Why spend tens of millions on dollars on digital ads that no Republican voters see because they have Fox News on all day. I’m sure they’ll love burning all your money on MTG in her very safe very Republican district.

The Republicans are kicking Liz Fucking Cheney out. You think they’ll ever welcome Steve Schmidt back? The Lincoln Project crew burned their bridges. There’s no going back.

[ChiTownDoc 21326]

POS people can do good things and remain POS.  Truly shocking stuff...

[StassneyHorn 6755]

38 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

The Republicans are kicking Liz Fucking Cheney out. You think they’ll ever welcome Steve Schmidt back? The Lincoln Project crew burned their bridges. There’s no going back.

When the Country Club/Rockefeller republicans win back their party Steve Schmidt and the rest of those guys will go back to their lake houses with those assholes, and tell stories about how they blew all that D money.
 

When the Trumpists win possession and are a third party, Country Club Republicans will hire Steve Schmidt and go back to their lake houses and boats and he’ll blow through their money.