The Questionable

The interest-group industrial complex has gotten out of control, and their use of candidate questionnaires is losing us elections. Accountability is overdue.

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

Special interest group questionnaires are costing Democrats elections. We just revealed the questions they ask campaigns, and we're calling on them to rethink whether they’re helping us win.

Check it out here: https://t.co/DPeE9CkdAL

[Steve Schale @steveschale]

I remember when Graham ran for FL Gov, one of the “groups” wanted to do a staff level call to get us to make certain promises to them assuming we’d join an admin. Their view was it was a “slam dunk” a Dem would win when I pushed back our goal was winning

That really worked out

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

Lawmakers are being “forced out of the party” by groups pressuring them to check every box of their 50-page litmus tests, rather than voting for what's right for their districts.

When special interest groups use secret questionnaires to force candidates into ideological boxes, the voters lose and the party's brand suffers.

More from @AliciaNieves__ in @CompactMag here: https://t.co/1BQuQJSlV6

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

More candidates should exercise their agency and ignore these questionnaires. Especially the private ones. Be clear about your positions. Put them on your website. Save yourself and your team all the wasted hours.

[Adam Kovacevich @adamkovac]

Great initiative by @MajorityDems to call out the insane questionnaires from The Groups, which have the net effect of forcing Dem candidates into taking attack-ad-worthy positions (and thereby making Dem majorities further out of reach)

https://t.co/A2AktzM9rX

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

More candidates should exercise their agency and ignore these questionnaires. Especially the private ones. Be clear about your positions. Put them on your website. Save yourself and your team all the wasted hours.

[Rick Wilson @TheRickWilson]

Finally

[Andrew Bates @AndrewBatesNC]

Good on @MajorityDems for helping candidates beat the pressure to take mad libs positions that undermine all the causes we care about as a party.

@jmart in @politico: “Democrats Confront the Party’s Questionnaire-Industrial Complex”

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

It doesn’t have to be this way. Learn more here: https://t.co/DPeE9CkLqj

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

An organization exchanging an endorsement and a donation for 100% complicity in their agenda isn’t politics as usual - it’s corruption. This kind of thing is why so many people are so disillusioned.

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

Want to put pressure on these special interest groups? Learn more here: https://t.co/DPeE9CkLqj

[The Questionable @QuestionablePRJ]

Medicare for All has been central in Republicans’ attack ads since the 2018 cycle. Conditioning your support in swing districts on controversial issues is how we lose elections.

[Jonathan Martin @jmart]

.@JamesCarville just now on these forms >>>

“The only person who’s reading them is the opposition!”

[Majority Democrats @MajorityDems]

NEW on our Substack: Interest groups have been given a free pass for too long, and no one's holding them accountable. @QuestionablePRJ is changing that.

[Marc Veasey @MarcVeasey]

Don’t fill them out!!! It’s abt their agenda! The questions ain’t abt winning…which is what matters most!

[Rohan Patel @rohanspatel]

Exactly the sentiment from almost every elected official and staffer I’ve ever spoken to on every part of the political spectrum. @QuestionablePRJ

[Danielle Cendejas @dccendejas]

Glad this is being addressed. These questionnaires are costing us wins because of the questions and the time it takes to fill them out. Time is a limited resource on campaigns, and we have seen the consequences when we don't organize in communities and talk to voters.

[Susan Wild @wildforcongress]

@treeaston Please. And I can attest that candidates (esp new ones) are scared to not fill out the questionnaire, so we really need to make it an all-in policy of the party that we won’t.

[tré easton @treeaston]

One of the more damning aspects of the questionnaires is that the answers are rarely an accurate reflection of a candidate’s *actual* views on a given issue. They’re often farmed out to staff who approximate positions.

Whole thing is a mess. Throw them in the trash!

[POLITICO @politico]

COLUMN: A group of Democrats is kicking off midterm season by targeting one of the mightiest, if least-known, forces in their party, writes our @jmart. https://t.co/Wv5HRVi5yF

[Larry Sabato @LarrySabato]

A must-read for Dems
“Democrats Confront the Party’s Questionnaire-Industrial Complex”by JMart
https://t.co/bLogMgNAhi via @politico