Fox News political analyst Dick Morris, whose Super PAC for America has recently been flooding inboxes with countless fundraising appeals, changed venues for his solicitations this afternoon by participating in a “critical election teleconference” hosted by NewsMax.com.
The discussion, access to which cost listeners $4.95 in order to “cover the expense ...to set up your private line,” was billed as an opportunity to give NewsMax subscribers “the latest campaign information, how you can still impact the race, and how you can prepare for what is about to happen on Nov. 6.” In reality, the call was little more than an elaborate plug for Morris' super PAC, couched in a meandering and often self-contradictory conversation about the state of the presidential race.
Joining Morris for the discussion were his Super PAC for America cohort Michael Reagan along with, for reasons that weren't made clear, the “very famous” author Robert Wiedemer. Morris, who has recently been predicting a “landslide” for Mitt Romney, sounded notably less confident, cautioning that he did not “want to pretend that everything is perfect, because I'm very concerned today.” Citing the November 2 Rasmussen daily tracking poll showing a tied race, Morris expressed concern that Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy has helped him in the polls, a conclusion that directly contradicts the fundraising pitch Morris made right before the hurricane struck, in which he predicted voters “will see right through” Obama's attempt to “look presidential” in the face of the storm.
However, despite warning at the call's outset that he is “very concerned today,” when the conversation shifted to electoral predictions, Morris was once again bullish about Romney's chances. He predicted Romney wins in nearly every swing state, except for Nevada and New Mexico, “if you consider that a swing state.”
Asked what people can do to help Romney heading into the final weekend, Morris shifted seamlessly into soliciting donations to Super PAC for America. “We're sitting here in the trench firing mortars, folks, and we need shells. ... Right now if you contribute today, in this phone call, we will put that money directly into Monday night advertising in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and make a big difference ” After being informed that people could not donate over the phone because the call was a “news briefing,” Morris and Reagan both repeatedly directed listeners to SuperPacforAmerica.com so they could empty their wallets.
Morris particularly wanted money to help in Pennsylvania, where he said he is currently campaigning and where his Super PAC had effectively executed a “flanking maneuver.” In Morris' view, “we're in better shape in Pennsylvania than we are in Ohio” thanks in part to Hurricane Sandy possibly depressing Democratic voters in the state's eastern half.
To sum up Morris' pitch: the race is close and also not close, and there are danger signs but Romney is also going to win almost every swing state. But to be extra sure, you should give money to Super PAC for America.
In recent weeks, Morris has repeatedly twisted news events into reasons to donate to his Super PAC for America. In addition to his cynical pitch tied to Hurricane Sandy earlier this week, Morris blatantly flip-flopped on who he considered the winner of the vice presidential debate in order to ask for money.