Posted by: Clayton Makepeace
March 2, 2009
Issue #622

Hands-down,
the BEST sales copy ever written
for the WORST product ever created

Free in this issue:
The best addition to your swipe file ever.
Just scroll down for the link

Dear Business-Builder,

As a copywriter, my job is to write direct mail and online promotions that sell my clients’ products. So I’m always looking for new ways to write more effective sales copy. And that means I’m constantly studying every scrap of good sales copy that crosses my desk.

When I find a great promotion, I file it away in a private “swipe file” – and when I’m ready to begin writing a new promotion, I often scour that file for inspiration and idea-starters.

Last Thursday, I found the single, greatest addition for my copywriting swipe file in the 40 years I’ve spent in this business. In fact, this promotion is so ingenious; so brilliantly conceived and so artfully written, I feel compelled to give you a copy for your swipe file – completely free of charge, of course.

It would be wrong of me not to. This massive, 143-page promotion makes every other direct response copywriter look like a rank amateur; a hack. Including me.

What makes this promotion so amazing is that the product is absolutely terrible. But by the time you finish reading this remarkable promotion, you will be tempted to believe it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

To accomplish this Herculean task, the writer or writers (I suspect it was created by a team of the best in the business) pull out all the stops: Evil straw men … paralyzing fear … greed … indignation … moral superiority … plenty of charts and other proof elements … the desire to see justice done … advocacy … the works.

Be careful as you consider the sales techniques used in this massive magalog, though: The writers also use every illegal, immoral, unethical and misleading trick in the book — tactics that have often landed copywriters and their clients in jail.

They grossly misrepresent their product. They promise results that no similar product has ever produced. They even advocate – seriously – that the reader become a party to outright theft.

Nevertheless, although this piece only appeared online for the first time last Thursday, it’s already working like gangbusters and unless I miss my guess, it will ultimately result in vast fortunes changing hands.

So, if you’ll just click the “>>(more…)” link below to continue reading, I’ll give you this all-time best promotion right now, for free.

And I’m also going to give you five valuable lessons we can all learn from this shining example of great copywriting …

Just download it here.

That’s right; it’s the magalog Barack Obama and his copywriting team wrote to sell the Obaminator’s new budget.

And it’s a masterpiece of copywriting. Because President Obama, Senate leader Harry Reid and House leader Nancy Pelosi – Washington’s unholy trinity …

Washington’s Unholy Trinity have something to sell you …

Or if you prefer, “The Father, the Son and … Holy Cow!” …

Or in the apocalyptic Biblical vernacular preferred by the fiscal conservatives in the room, “Lucifer, the Antichrist and the Whore of Babylon” …

… Have a product to sell you.

Specifically, they need you to buy into policies that will ensure their party’s political success for years, possibly decades to come.

They need you to fork over up to 70% or more of everything you earn to enrich their constituents and reward those who contribute to their political campaigns.

They need to sell you on supporting them – or at the very least, doing nothing; shutting the hell up — while they forcibly, under pain of imprisonment (or, if you resist arrest, under penalty of death) …

Steal enough money from your boss so that he’s faced with the Hobbs choice of paying you, or his mortgage (Guess what? You lose!) …
Steal so much money from investors that they have to sell stocks they own just to live and pay taxes – and by doing so, crush what’s left of your stocks, retirement fund and college savings plan …
Steal more money from you and 1.9 million other innocent couples who earn more than $250,000 combined each year (or who hope to) to help offset $3 trillion of new debt Obama plans to rack up …
Steal even more money from you and other consumers by slamming U.S. manufacturers with taxes and carbon-use fines that will be passed on to you and make US products uncompetitive overseas – all under the excuse of reversing “global warming” (which, according to the World Meteorological Organization, actually ended all by itself more than a decade ago), and …
Destroy the buying power of the pittance you’ll have left by borrowing and printing enough counterfeit paper dollars to pay the rest.

And then they want you to just smile and take it while they give your money to …

Your flaky neighbor: The guy who dug himself into debt to buy a bigger house, a newer car and to take those dream vacations you can’t afford. Now, he needs you to pay his mortgage and send his bratty kids to college. …
Failed CEOs of dying corporations and banks: The guys with hundreds of millions in the bank and who live in 25,000-square-foot mansions, get to work in chauffeured limos and zip around the world in private G5 Gulfstream jets. Now, they need you to bail their butts out …
Other wealthy CEOs and union bosses: You know, the guys who contributed to the Unholy Trinity’s political campaigns. They need your money so they can get rich selling all kinds of crap they couldn’t sell without government help …
Stupid people: Morons who got knocked up in eighth grade, fried their brains on crack and alcohol, do nothing but inhale Bon-Bons and watch Oprah all day and who’ve made a gazillion other idiotic, short-sighted, self-destructive decisions all their lives. Now, they need you to pay their rent and grocery bills.

Most of all, Obama, Reid and Pelosi need you to help them destroy the three foundational principles that made this country the richest nation in the history of Planet Earth:

Personal Incentive: The notion that if it’s miserable to be poor and glorious to be rich, more people will work harder to become rich.

Personal Responsibility: The idea that the quality of your life should be determined by the quality of the decisions you make.

The Right to Property Ownership: The sacred principle that says you have a right to own what you’ve earned.

You probably think I’m exaggerating. In fact, even the normally sanguine U.S. Chamber of Commerce (which represents companies that employ nearly 90% of all Americans), says Obama’s budget blueprint will destroy the very foundations of the U.S. economy.

According to The Chamber, the product promoted in Obama’s magalog …

"appears to move in exactly the wrong direction. More taxes, heavy-handed regulations, and command-and-control government will not hasten recovery.

“You don’t build a house BY BLOWING UP ITS FOUNDATION."

So … you’re a copywriter. How much lipstick would YOU need to pimp a pig as ugly as this one?

Relax – it can be done. Even a product this horrendous can be sold if the copywriter’s on his game. Especially if your prospects are too stupid or too lazy to think. And Obama’s new magalog proves it in spades.

So what can we learn about superior copywriting from this remarkable promotion? Let’s take a quick look …

Copywriting Lesson #1:
Have a snappy headline

The title of Obama’s budget – “A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America’s Promise” – is brilliant. It oozes indignation, outrage and revenge.

More importantly, it spreads a wide net: Liberals will think it means “Bush, the Republicans and the evil rich will now be held responsible.” Conservatives might think it means, “Washington’s big spenders will now be held responsible.”

The subtitle is also ingenious; implying that supporters will win a powerful benefit; that they will realize the American Dream. Of course, that’s a fraud on so many levels, it boggles the mind.

Unless, of course, your idea of the American Dream is …

To have the top 20% of income-earners pay 90% of all income taxes while fully HALF of the country pays zero.
To define a husband and wife earning $125,000 each as rich — despite the fact that they’re also trying to pay the mortgage, save for retirement, put kids through college and help their parents in old age.
To turn those “rich folks” into tax slaves — laboring 50% … 60% … 70% or even more of every workday for Washington.
To create a future of sky-high interest rates caused by record federal borrowing and sky-high inflation caused by record federal counterfeiting of greenbacks.

But no worries; unlike the rest of us, Obama and his copywriting team are NOT required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s requirement that promotions avoid misleading language.

They’re politicians. They wrote the law. And it says they can lie through their teeth and still get off scot-free.

Copywriting Lesson #2:
Create a common enemy

Obama begins his revival-tent sermon with a scorching rebuke of his favorite demons – the tiny handful of greedy Wall Street executives and lenders who contributed to this crisis.

If, however, you are poor or middle class and are actually guilty of sloth, imprudent personal choices and/or wildly irresponsible financial decisions, the president says it’s not your fault.

To the contrary: Not only should you be absolved from any personal responsibility for your laziness, foolishness and greed … you should be rewarded for your poor judgment with trillions of dollars in give-aways – all at the expense, of course, of your more prudent neighbors.

This is great copywriting 101. Establish your spokesperson as the prospect’s advocate and champion by creating a common enemy; a straw man responsible for your prospect’s ills.

Relieve your prospect of any responsibility for being fat, sick or broke. It’s not his fault he has heart disease, lung cancer, zits, hemorrhoids or halitosis. Even the crabgrass in his untended lawn was probably sown by someone else – most likely one of those dastardly corrupt CEOs or one of the “evil rich.”

Also: Check out the section in which the copywriters skin Bush alive for handing Obama the largest federal deficit in history – and then proceed to show how Obama will more than double it.

Again; brilliant copywriting: Once you’ve said that it’s ALWAYS someone else’s fault, pretty much any argument you make is likely to get you huge brownie points no matter how silly it is.

Copywriting Lesson #3:
Use fear to suspend logic

OK – so now, we’re getting into the meat of the promotion – the rationale for the product: The reasons why we should buy Obama’s plan to bankrupt us.

This is a crucial part of the promo; because the president’s budget is based on two assumptions that any sentient being would immediately dismiss as patently ridiculous …

Assumption #1: If you give mountains of money to those who have demonstrated a woeful lack of financial acumen by amassing unpayable debts, they will suddenly become financial geniuses and entrepreneurs capable of creating millions of new jobs.

Assumption #2: If you confiscate mountains of money from those who have demonstrated sound financial judgment, they will somehow still find the resources and the incentive to continue risking everything to create millions more new jobs.

Anyone with an ounce of common sense can easily see how ridiculous this premise truly is …

Let’s say, for example, that you have two 16-year-old twins; we’ll call them Sam and Samantha.

Sam’s friends think he’s rich. In fact, he is simply living beyond his means. He quickly spends his weekly allowance, then borrows every penny he can to buy toys and video games that instantly become worthless – have little or no resale value — the minute he leaves the store.

Now, after years of irresponsible decisions, Sam is worse than broke; he owes hundreds of dollars to every fool who ever loaned him money. If it wasn’t for the free food, shelter and clothing his parents provide, he’d be starving, homeless and naked.

Samantha is Sam’s polar opposite. She saves every penny she can – for a car … for college … for a rainy day. Samantha doesn’t live nearly as well as Sam does. When she must spend money, she invests monumental time and effort to get the best bargains possible.

And as a result, she already has a couple thousand dollars saved up and a bright future ahead of her.

Now any thinking parent would know precisely what to do about this situation: Absolutely nothing!

A wise parent would simply allow Sam to suffer the consequences of his foolish actions, hoping he’ll learn a valuable lesson. A fair parent would beam proudly as Samantha enjoys the fruits of her thrift.

But Obama’s budget does just the opposite: It punishes Samantha for her thrift by confiscating large chunks of her allowance — and it rewards Sam for his profligacy by handing that money to him.

Is this how you create successful children and is it not how you build a successful society?

Of course not. This is what you do to discourage behavior that creates wealth and to reward behavior that creates only debt and poverty.

Here again, Obama and his copywriters have done a sterling job; employing the pitchman’s version of the Jedi Mind Trick — the single most effective tactic for making sure your prospects stop thinking and simply nod in dumb agreement:

Once you’ve got them on your side by establishing the advocacy of your spokesperson, you scare the hell out of them.

Because panicky people don’t think.

Look at the first chapter after Obama’s personal introduction: “Inheriting a Legacy of Misplaced Priorities.” Every chart, every paragraph, every word is carefully crafted to inject the prospect with icy fear and white-hot panic.

Because if your product is lousy, the last thing you want your prospects to do is think about it. Only fear has the power to cause otherwise sentient human beings to accept this kind of nonsense as a viable “solution.”

Copywriting Lesson #4:
Use envy to close the sale.

Flip over to page nine and take a look at some of the best class-warfare copy ever written.

See? The rich are getting richer. And that’s bad.

Now notice the facts Obama and his copywriters studiously avoid mentioning – like how they are actually rewarding the TRULY evil rich – CEOs of our biggest banks and automakers – with hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts and handouts.

Notice also that the copywriters never mention HOW most of the rest of America’s wealthy people – the honest majority — became rich: The fact that most millionaires and billionaires amass wealth by creating innovations that make our lives better, richer, more rewarding, healthier and longer.

Notice there’s no mention of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Jerry Yang, Larry Page, Sergey Brin or anyone else who’s made a good living by making our lives so much better.

Nor are there any references to to Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffet or any of the other financial whiz kids who have helped so many investors prosper for so many years.

And of course, the copywriters who created this brilliant promotion also avoided any mention of the thousands of celebrities, sports stars, musicians and other artists; each of whom earns a king’s ransom each year in return for making our lives more enjoyable.

Also, note that the copywriters carefully avoid mentioning the fact that the “evil rich” create millions of jobs in their own companies — and then create millions more by investing their personal and corporate wealth in new technologies and enterprises. Or that without them and the industries that rely on them, the vast majority of their constituents would starve.

Also missing: Any mention of the hundreds of billions of dollars America’s 400 billionaires, 2.6 million millionaires and 1.9 million families earning over $250,000 a year voluntarily donate to charity.

To the copywriters, these good people simply do not exist. Instead, only the truly evil rich – the ones Obama is bailing out – are named.

Why? Because BHO and his copywriters are smart. They know that no pitchman worth his salt ever raises an objection that they can’t totally obliterate in the copy. If they even hinted at how much better our lives are because of these successful people, it would give the lie to their entire premise.

So instead, they simply smear everyone who has sacrificed, saved, invested, slaved long hours and taken enormous personal risk to build profitable companies or careers with the same brush they use to slander corporate CEOs:

A couple dozen Wall Street CEOs and a few hundred lenders screwed up, so the entire top 5% of the working population – NINE MILLION honest entrepreneurs, business owners and wage earners investors – must be publicly raped.

Again: Copywriting 101. Envy is one of the most powerful motivators known to man. Show your prospect how much better other people are doing; promise to give them their come-uppance and closing the sale is a cinch.

And of course, there’s a larger lesson here – copywriting lesson #5 as Obama and his copywriting team see things …

Nobody ever went broke
by underestimating the intelligence
of the American people.

If Obama’s world-beating magalog – and the fact that he’ll get most of what he wants — proves anything, it’s that …

If you know how to write great copy …

Have a charismatic pitchman …

Scare the bejesus out of your prospects, and …

Leverage their emotions to short-circuit their brains …

You can sell the majority of the American public pretty much anything.

You can convince them to pay their flaky neighbors’ mortgages and put their bratty kids through college.

You can convince them to sacrifice their retirement, their kid’s college fund and take food and medicine out of their aging parents mouths to save corrupt, fabulously rich CEOs.

You can convince them to sell themselves, their children and their children’s children into lifetimes of tax slavery.

You can even convince them that you are not a crook.

Because, as everyone knows, the guy who sticks a gun in your ribs, screams profanity at you and demands the $100 in your wallet upon pain of death is clearly a common thief.

But if he’s a good looking guy with a great smile, a gift for speechmaking and six-pack abs …

And if he uses the power of the U.S. government to mug you to the tune of tens of thousands; perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars — not just once, but every year for the rest of your life …

You do NOT call him a common thief.

You call him “Mr. President.”

So tell us: What marketing lessons does Obama’s copywriting masterwork teach you?

Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,
Clayton Makepeace Signature
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE

P.S. What will you say when your kids or grandkids ask, “What did YOU do to fight back when Obama destroyed my chance for a prosperous life?”

My conscience is clear. I’m screaming my outrage from the rooftops.

Plus, at least once each week, I personally tell Obama’s handlers exactly what I think at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

I also went to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm to get my senator’s e-mail and I give her an earful every few days.

And, I went to http://www.house.gov/ where I can also share my opinion with Pelosi as well as my personal representative.

If you care about the kind of country we’ll pass along to our kids, you may want to do the same.

And, as always, we’d encourage you to post this article and/or a link to it on every blog, bulletin board and everywhere else you can think of on the Web.

P.P.S. George Bush was a fiscal idiot and a coward — and so is nearly every other Republican senator and rep in Washington. So if you were planning to leave one of those inane, brain-dead, knee-jerk responses accusing me of being a Republican, don’t waste your time.

Instead, please DO weigh in on the copywriting techniques you spot in Obama’s amazing magalog; just scroll down…

Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.

Looking for more of Clayton's articles? Check these out.

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136 Comments »

Comment by John Gilger — March 2, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
Great points! Couldn’t have said it better, myself

I especially loved you verbal pictures… “The Father, the Son and … Holy Cow!” and “Lucifer, the Antichrist and the Whore of Babylon” for our new Three Stooges.

I’m embarrassed that Nevada has enough lunatics registered to vote and elect Harry Reid
Comment by Caleb Osborne — March 2, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
Wow Clayton, Just wow.

Amazing how clearly you see all this…

My question: What are you telling those people who you contact at the white house and your senator?

Because I’ll tell them the same

– Caleb
Comment by Michael — March 2, 2009 @ 2:59 pm
Yes,

Congratulations to America the Stupid as we move from a Republic governed by law to a “democracy” governed by an ignorant majority….ignorant I might add thank you to government which took over our public schools about 30 years ago in order to do just what they have done….great piece Clayton….and yes, they should be in jail, or shot for treason, one or the other.
Comment by Andrew L. Foss — March 2, 2009 @ 2:59 pm
I remember anther “intelligently” crafted document that is totally steeped in false premises.

Th Communist Manifesto

How many workers of the world will unite beind this one????

andrew

Reading,PA
Comment by Leon Altman — March 2, 2009 @ 3:00 pm
I think this is the most brilliant post you’ve written in this space . . . and I don’t even agree with you.
Comment by DaveC — March 2, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
Mr Makepeace

Your analysis is a strong argument that you dropped out of school because you were too damn smart for it.

Thank you for all you give us.
Comment by Marcelino Latorre — March 2, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
(((Your voice))) penetrates through concrete and steal, keep screaming.

It’s truly an honor and a pleasure to be learning from the best.

Thanks for the gift big fella!

Marcelino Latorre
Fundraiser/Copyslammer
Comment by Dainis W. Michel — March 2, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
You know, this post makes me respectfully wonder whether Mr. Makepeace has ever promoted sustainable products or industries. I don’t mean “successful” companies like pharma, weight loss, “fake” health, auto companies, insurance companies, I mean real products, the kind that will make a difference for our grandchildren.

I mean, is this copywriting? Slander, judgement, accusation, assuming the close, vilification? Steal, destroy, stupid, lazy, worst, whore…these are the words that leap out at me. A few good points, like the assumptions, but whoah, surrounded by anger anger anger!

Mr. Makepeace, do you have tinnitus? I’m not kidding. I run a website to help people with the condition if you do.

Take care of yourself, good sir…I wish you health and hope you take the time to ride your bike and smile.
Comment by Dainis W. Michel — March 2, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
You know, maybe I could try to read the post more carefully…yes, innovators deserve to be rewarded…I just can hardly read this article through all the slander and anger. Forces me to skim it just to try to get some nuggets of info.

I doubt my comments will be “popular,” we’ll see…
Comment by Lance — March 2, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
Thank you, a great post, probably your best so far.

Lance
(UK)
Comment by Stan — March 2, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
Hey, Clayton - I am SO tired of you beating around the Bush already - just come right out and tell us how you REALLY feel! Seriously, big guy … great piece, as always; I feel your pain and your anger, my friend.

I dare not read the Obama magalog, “brilliant” though it may be - I fear my head truly will finally explode.
Comment by Bruce Ruby — March 2, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Absolutely Perfect!…a perfect bulls eye strike on what is wrong with this so-called stimulus package.

The unspoken ultimate irony is that the folks who get hurt the worst will be those who can afford it the least.

This ‘New Steal’ liberalism fantasy will certainly hurt the producers, but it will CRUSH the ones used to riding in the wagon rather than pulling it.

Many will never find meaningful employment again in the coming ‘jobs free’ environment. They will have to take comfort in the fact that their better off neighbor has had to cut back too.

Yet never fully facing the fact that THEY aren’t just cutting back, but instead having to move into temporary quarters and start taking the bus instead of driving.

They may even have some state-run health insurance but no way to pay for it.

And they did all this to satisfy a need for “CHANGE”??
Is it too early to say, “They didn’t know how good they had it?”…..anyway, my favorite quote these days is this:

“Those Who Bite The Hand That Feeds Them, Lick The Boot That Kicks Them.”
Comment by Bruce Porter Sr — March 2, 2009 @ 3:53 pm
Whoa Clayton….there is Ron Paul. I know, but he is registered as a Republican.
Even though they wish otherwise.
Did you note that the republican party is now attacking Rush Limbaugh?
And some still believe we have a two party system???
Comment by Dan White — March 2, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
All great points Clayton, but you use so much of your own copywriting wizardry that I’m still not sure what the actual facts of the matter are.

I mean, if there’s all this free money going around… WHERE IS IT?

I don’t see anyone paying my rent and bills as I stuff bon bons and beer down my throat to Oprah.

Who are these mythical trailer trashers getting these free shipments of beer and bon bons? Because I want in!

You make it sound like some sort of socialist revolution is afoot. Ahem, if it were, I think I would have heard of ONE freebie worth my time.

All I’ve heard about that is even vaguely exciting is a $15,000 tax credit for first time home buyers. Which isn’t going to help us bon-bon and beer addicts, because nobody living paycheck to paycheck is going to get approved for a home loan. In fact the whole sub-prime lending crisis had nothing to do with club bon bon. Those were bad loans to the middle and upper classes.

Which is to say… pointing your venom at the lower classes seems inaccurate. The middle and upper classes caused the crisis, along with bad lending practices.

So what is it Clayton? Does welfare now involve a free new car under this plan? Because then I’d go through the serious headache of applying and staying on welfare.

It would just be nice if you could give us a concrete example of how we can suck at this new teat you say is being erected.

Is free health care in my future, like it is in Brazil and many much, much poorer nations?

While we agree that politicians are snakes, I don’t think Obama is doing anything different than McCain would have. This is just American politics as usual. Our economy is teetering on disaster and people are clamoring for action.

The action may not be to your liking, but I have yet to discern anything from your posts that makes this a really “democratic” form of action (read: socialist).

While the rich are going to get taxed higher over 250K, they can AVOID THAT BY INVESTING IT the surplus.

So when my rich friends bitch, I just give them several ideas for how they can help their friends out–our friends–who have young businesses.

They never do. Because the truth is they want to spend their money on a 4th car and home in the Hamptons.

The truth is the beer and bon-bon crowd is no more selfish than the wealthy wine drinkers… who are going to buy a new boat this year instead of helping their brother get out of a 1-room apartment in the ghetto. Unless you’re Mexican. They seem to help a brother out now and then.

So, you know, my violin weeps for you Clayton. But if you want to be a “good ‘merican”… Suck it up and avoid taxes the old fashioned way: invest it to your friends and family who are starting a business. I see you’re hiring a couple of writers. That’s very cool of you, and a shining example for other wealthy people who want to avoid this new 3% tax on the rich.

Who knows, with the right new writer, you might actually get so rich the extra 3% in taxes doesn’t even hit your radar anymore.
Comment by Dan White — March 2, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
P.S. McCain wanted to SUSPEND THE CAMPAIGN to craft a stimulus bill. And Bush did pass an $800 billion stimulus before leaving. So why is Obama being painted as some socialist when he’s doing exactly what his Republican colleagues would have? Obama wants the same thing every politician does: to not be a depression-era president. Nobody wants that job (except Ron Paul
Comment by Kerry — March 2, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
Clayton, I’m just so disappointed in you.
Comment by Eric Ruth — March 2, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
REVEILLE!

No real entrepreneur who understands how money is made and jobs are produced…no red-blooded American who knows his history, recognizing capitalism may not be perfect, but remains the greatest economic system ever invented, can deny your clarion call to arms, Clayton.

I have never been so ready and willing to fight.

Please, as Caleb (post #2) asked, tell us what you are saying…give us the high-velocity, armor-piercing ammunition you are using…and we will fire upon the enemy until our fingers bleed… or they come and pry the guns from our cold, dead fists.

I will write from my head and my heart, using the links you provided…I don’t need you to feed me bullets…but boy would I like to have some of your ammo.

Your loyal Lieutenant,
Eric
Comment by Wendy Makepeace — March 2, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
BREAKING NEWS!
NANCY PELOSI WAS JUST SNOWED OUT
OF THE GLOBAL WARMING SUMMIT!

:))))
Comment by Dan White — March 2, 2009 @ 4:43 pm
Hey Eric Ruth,

Before you go postal on us, keep in mind that all this new stimulus money is exactly that. They just print it. It’s not like they’re shipping in gold from China to back it up. How else could they raise a trillion dollars overnight?

While printing new money does have ramifications like weakening the dollar, it’s not like they’re going over to Clayton’s house and taking his lawnmower.

And if rich people are being taxed 3% higher, it’s not necessarily because of the stimulus plan. It’s because democrats can and do get away with raising taxes on the rich whenever they take power. Then Republicans drop the rate down again, and round and round we go.

Because wealthy people (should) know lots of ways of reducing their taxes, it’s really not that big of a deal. It’s infuriating, sure, but just another problem to solve on their balance sheet. And in truth that money does end up back in the economy because the best way to avoid taxes is to invest it (or give it to charity).

Which is to say, this stimulus plan is no social crisis, Eric. For you or for Clayton. Please remember that Clayton is a master at pushing your buttons. It sells his stuff just as well as it sells stimulus plans.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 2, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
No, Dainis, this isn’t copywriting. It’s an article.

But yeah, you’re right: I am angry.

Watching everything America stands for being destroyed before my eyes has that effect on me.

And thanks for the suggestion — I’m actually having the Harleys taken out of mothballs and plan to ride Sunday. I’m already smiling just thinking about it!

– Clayton
Comment by Brian — March 2, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
Great analysis Clayton - you point out some interesting copy points (not just in this post). Begs the question though - if it is so good why aren’t YOU convinced?

I’ll add - I’m no economist, but it is plain to see that BHO is not the cause of the present situation but a man who landed the job to fix what could be described as the worst economic situation in decades ie. the damage is done, the cat is already out of the bag.

While it might be that the solution ‘rewards’ the few greedy and unscrupulous, as well as the ignorant and stupid who lived beyond their means for too long at the expense of those who played by the books, it’s clear that a price must be paid for the poor governance and administration America has allowed for itself. As a democratic state, each voting individual should bear some of that responsibility.

If nothing else, the present situation should be a huge wake up call.

Perhaps AIG, GM, Chrysler, Citibank and all other financially impaired companies should be left to fail. I’d imagine the final cost of that path would be far, far greater.
Comment by Sears Roebuck — March 2, 2009 @ 4:57 pm
Your opinion is very interesting. I want to specifically address your P.S…Our answer to our kids and grand kids can be, “I helped sell the country out of the worst recession since the Great Depression.”…I have studied your site for the past 3 years and I even landed an account. Now, I am going to give back in the most tangible way I know. As copywriters, we are guilty of having tunnel vision. That is we confine our focus to areas we know best. Here’s an idea that allows all of us to earn a substantial income in our own specialties while saving jobs and preventing layoffs. Show all your clients that sell tangible items how to earn extreme profits by giving away their products for free. One quick example. Clayton, you can tell a vitamin client: If you will issue a monthly prepaid membership card for $100 a month and give your customers $300 a month in product and tell your customers, if you terminate your membership we will refund all of your deposits in cash and merchandise, your profits will skyrocket. Elements of this proprietary business model have already created billion dollar industries. I am going to send the abstract to Clayton and anyone who would like to review it for their business is welcome to contact Clayton. Disclosure. There is a royalty fee involved. Before, I was attacked with this illness, I test mailed 5 packages to major corporations via certified mailed and received a phone call within 1 week. I will keep you updated.
Sears
Comment by Richard — March 2, 2009 @ 4:58 pm
The “one-world’ers” are on their way.

I fear that Obamas ultimate plan is the actual “bankruptcy” of the US so that the new “Ameraro” can be introduced to replace the US Dollar which will now be dead, and of course we can declare Martial Law (because of the riots) and the UN treaty will get signed that Outlaws globally all private ownership of all guns - And there you have it.

In the space of one administration we have finally wiped America off the map and everything it has stood for since its inception.

Leaving only a world of Potentates and Dictators.

I see it coming - I’m just not sure what to do about it.

And to correct a comment in an earlier post regarding the “public school system” its destruction was started in the early 1900’s by Rockefeller’s son. Read “The Underground History of American Education” by John Taylor Gatto.

The American public did not get stupid by accident. It has taken a long concerted effort to accomplish the “Dumbing Down” required to pull off this coming Brave New World.
Comment by Jim Bob Jackson — March 2, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
Obama be passin’ out free bon bons and beer?

How do I get me some of those?

Dang stimulus plan. Guess I’ll have to get my free beer the way I always done… knock up Mary Kate.
Comment by Glen Kohlenberg — March 2, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
Wow! Clayton why don’t you tell us how you really feel big guy! I’m on the train with you on this one Clayton. I would love to see a Makepeace/Rush on TV or radio.

What a team this would be!

Thanks Clayton

Glen
Comment by Bruce NC — March 2, 2009 @ 5:23 pm
But Clayton,

It’s all so …Nationalistic.
And Socialistic ( but for our own good, sillies.)
And it’s Democratic. They got voted in, kinda.
And it’s all for the good of the Workers!
What a great Party, eh?

Maybe we should just call this great “change” the:

NSDWP

Has a nice ring to it… The National Socialist Democratic Workers Party.

Or in German:

NSDAP - National Socialist Deutche Arbeiten Partei

They had cool leaders, too.

God Bless us, every one -Tiny Tim-
Comment by Fuhrer Makewar — March 2, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Zieg heil!

I vant all zee bon-bon loving, Oprah vatching alcoholics to report to mein Total Package headquarters for voluntary euthanasia.

Should you fail to report, death by poisoned bon bon awaits… you couch-surfing parasites. I… vill… find you.

Your brains shall be used for zee study of copywriting science.

We shall find zee gene that causes overspending and bon bon addiction and eradicate it vonce and for all!

Fuhrer Makewar
Comment by Kyle — March 2, 2009 @ 6:20 pm
Clayton - Brilliant.

Dan - Wake up quickly. It’s the evil rich who employ the not-yet-rich.
Comment by chris — March 2, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
Just one question, what is the alternative?

Do we let America and the world spiral into another Great Depression?

Or should we stand up and try to fight this thing?

I see alot of people telling you that they agree with you but I don’t see many alternative solutions being suggested.
Pingback by Clayton Makepeace for President? — March 2, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
[...] Clayton Makepeace for President? Clayton and his team put out great stuff every day, but today’s offering is a dandy. I know "they" say it is best to not mix religion and politics with your business, but with things headed the way they are, how can you keep from it? You didn’t know Obama was a copywriter did ya? This is a great read… The Best Sales Copy Ever Written for the Worst Product Ever Created | The Total Package [...]
Comment by Susan Connors — March 2, 2009 @ 6:39 pm
Hi there

Skimmed your post - interesting read Clayton

Downloaded object in question - shall examine both your post and object in question.

Sure to glean some good information and ideas for my copywriting..

Have a great day

Susan Connors
Comment by Robert — March 2, 2009 @ 6:54 pm
Great post, well told, and ALMOST all true.

Except for one. Global warming. It MAY be true, ad admit it: you do not have adequate proof to have the final word on this. It may be a false alarm. But what if it isn’t?

Even if you doubt the threat is real, which way would you rather be found to have been mistaken by your grandchildren: advocating “unnecessary” care and concern for our planet and reducing pollution, or having told people that there was no need to worry just to find out later that there was?

If we manage to destroy our planet, as we ARE currently doing in my opinion, with the US being the number one offender, politics, taxes and wealth will all be viewed from a quite different perspective.

Your words are extremely powerful. Use them with caution.

Robert
Comment by Michael — March 2, 2009 @ 7:10 pm
Great Take Clayton

Everyone seems to think our kids and grandchildren will have to settle these problems, but how will they?

Do you think tomorrows kids will make more money than past employees? I bet they will make less. Making less and with higher taxes, more and more debt..seems like we are doomed to communism more than socialism.
Comment by Robert — March 2, 2009 @ 7:12 pm
You say:

“global warming” (which, according to the World Meteorological Organization, actually ended all by itself more than a decade ago)

Just for the record: Here is what the WMO actually says (on their website):

“The long-term upward trend of global warming, mostly driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is continuing. Global temperatures in 2008 are expected to be above the long-term average. The decade from 1998 to 2007 has been the warmest on record, and the global average surface temperature has risen by 0.74C since the beginning of the 20th Century.”

http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/infonotes/info_44_en.html

If I were you I would remove that paragraph to prevent giving misleading information in this otherwise brilliant article.

Robert
Comment by Kyle — March 2, 2009 @ 7:22 pm
Chris - No, we don’t just let ourselves into a Great Depression. But removing the incentives to being entrepreneurial isn’t the answer. Taxing the one group of people who creates and maintains jobs seems like a bad idea. Spending money on things that don’t provide a return on investment doesn’t seem quite right. Reading over the fine print of this downloadable document demonstrates an example of taxing the job-creators out of job creation, and the government spending money that isn’t theirs in the first place.

I can’t think of a single time when this level of government intervention has produced what this marvelous piece of copy says it will produce.
Comment by Peter — March 2, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
Hi Clayton,
Seems to me you may need to sign up for anger management

As for me… I really don’t care what the fools in public office do, I’m head down working on sorting my own life out. BTW… the good old U. S. of A. doesn’t hold a monopoly on having ’strange’ politicians or policies.

It’s a world wide contagion and has been for years.

This disagreeable mess the world finds itself in has been coming for years. I noticed it developing in the eighties here in Australia with everyone seeming to develop a ‘me first’ attitude and the seeds of desperate greed being sown.

The world needs love and fellow feeling in bucket loads now yet it only seems to come to the fore in times of disasters.

Brings me to another point… global warming.

I personally don’t listen to the so called experts. They mostly have their own agenda.

It strikes me as a little worrying though that here we’ve had 10 of the last 12 years being the hottest ever recorded.

We also have had in the past month the results of below average rainfall for 12 years in our southern states leading in part to our terrible fires (200+ dead and over 2000 homes gone) while in the north 2/3rds of Queensland either under flood water of flood effected.

Both these have never happened before in our recorded history.

The world is changing and it seems not for the better.

Personally I’m determined to look after my family through business and we are growing despite the doom and gloom.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Regards
Peter

PS Love reading your insights. Always a fresh look at the world.
Comment by Amber Dekstris — March 2, 2009 @ 7:31 pm
Hi Clayton,

Is this satire ? Congratulations for using all five copywriting lessons in your own article, regardless of whether or not it is satire.
Comment by Kelley Eidem — March 2, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
Come on…be kind!

B. Insane Obama kept the Dow Jones losses today to under 300 points - even if it wasn’t under 299 points.

And yesterday, Sunday, the market didn’t lose a single point! That was two days straight where the market had stabilized.

The best to you.

Kelley Eidem
Together we can cure cancer - one person at a time!
Comment by Dan White — March 2, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
Kyle,

Wake up slowly. Sleep in. Relax. According to Clayton the government is shipping beer and bon bons to your front door, provided you’re poor, to see you through this recession.

The evil rich people don’t even need to employ the poor people anymore, thanks to Obama’s radical new bon-bon and beer program. It’s communism all over again.

Or at least that’s what this article would have you believe.

Oh, gotta run. Oprah is on. Which luckily I can stay up all night and watch because of Obama’s stimulus plan.

Clayton tells me there will be free money in my mailbox in the morning, next to my government bon bons and budweiser, and my voucher for free health care.

Gosh, if Clayton didn’t tell me about all these freebies I wouldn’t even know they exist.

Er wait… do they?
Comment by Please — March 2, 2009 @ 9:12 pm
Please. But then, you are from North Carolina. *clicks unsubscribe*
Comment by Autumn Beck | Cloth Diapers — March 2, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
I am not a copywriter- my husband is. He sent me this link and now I’m all crazy-mad! You’ve got me worked up and that’s not a good thing to do to a woman whose due date is tomorrow. I don’t need to have a baby thinking of how Obama is going to take money from a young family that has sweat blood trying to dig ourselves out of the hole we created.
*Breathe* Okay, I’ll use this energy to benefit me

God Bless,

Autumn Beck
Comment by Larry Hughes Sr — March 2, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
Right On! Right On!

Socialists are everywhere and you and I can spot them because they have their hands out and mouths open. They
are taking our loved USA down the toilet. It’s a shame.

Now the Gestopo doesn’t want to allow contributions to charity as a tax deduction. What next?

If I were younger (I’m 71+), I’d take the Red Head up on the offer to write an article advertising The Wall Street Journal.

Keep up your great work, Clayton. God Bless!

Larry

PS: You live in God’s Country. I’ve been to Ashville several times. Went through the mansion, Biltmore Estate, a couple of times.
Comment by Dan White — March 2, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
Autumn, don’t let Clayton’s rant push your buttons.

99% of it may be true in theory, but that doesn’t make it anything more than pure fantasy. Our government has been blowing budgets to absurd degrees since Reagan. And yeah, we all owe like $50K on our national debt… but to who? That’s a totally abstract figure. Is the boogey man going to come collect on it? If we owe it the Federal Reserve, then we owe it to ourselves. Huh? So I guess we don’t owe it.

This problem has been around for a long time, and yeah, it just got worse. But not in any sort of radical way. As far as I can tell most of the stimulus money is designed to come back into the economy, so it’s not like it’s “lost” or something. It’s just newly printed money, distributed in strategic ways.

And the same amount of money that was around last year is still there. It’s just not flowing properly. While the stimulus package finally got passed with huge design flaws that may foil its desired effect, I don’t think that’s Obama’s fault.

McCain would have passed a similar stimulus package, with no appeciable differences. He would have had to compromise like crazy too and piss off the likes of Clayton.

But McCain would do nothing about things like this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/terror_memos

So Clayton, with all his copywriting prowess and resources, can rant and rave until he’s blue in the face, and it won’t change the times we live in. America runs the world. Or at least thinks it does. And people don’t want that to end. So we’re throwing money at the problem.

But at least we’re not throwing money at the problem while water-boarding our humanity and basic civil rights to death.
Comment by gio — March 2, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
Curious to know the former trinity name and how they still can find something to sell coming after the former administration.
Comment by Daniel Munday - Sydney's Fat Loss Expert — March 2, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
Clayton,
way to think outside the box! Nice way to give us a real world example.

It’s a big help for me right now as I am re-writing my ad copy for my Aussie Fatblast program.

Thanks mate,
Daniel
Comment by Beau Smith — March 2, 2009 @ 11:34 pm
Clayton,

Wow. The comments are already longer than the article. I guess that’s a sure sign you hit a nerve.

Good. Some nerves need to be hit. I’m glad to see you’re following the old advice (wish I could remember where I read it) of focusing on your market as well as you can and making no apologies to anyone else.

There’s too much to comment on here, but I particularly like the P.S. Thank you for the liks. It’s important for everyone to know how to contact our elected officials.

And the P.P.S. Just beautiful, the way you transitioned into a pitch for one of your products. I hope your readers caught that one.

And the P.P.S. Don’t worry. I would never call you a Republican, because (except for Ron Paul) they’re just Democrats in disguise.

Beau Smith

P.S. I stand by my earlier comment on the “Brain Droppings” article. You should write ads for the Libertarian party.
Comment by Ken — March 3, 2009 @ 4:07 am
If it only helps ONE child…

Seriously, Obama is just a symptom of a larger ill. The illness of mind that Obama represents has been incubating in the public consciousness for over 50 years. Like a virus that emerges after the host immune system has been weakened, the OIV (Obama Immunodeficiency Virus) emerges to wreak havoc on its host.

Oh, the Republicans are equally to blame, if only because they allowed it; though in truth they are more culpable than that.

-Ken
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 3, 2009 @ 5:58 am
Wow. Looks like I got Dan White all worked up over the free bon-bons. Read the budget, Dan — they’re on their way: The reversal of Clinton’s welfare reform bill.

Did you see Mad Money last night? Cramer called Obama a “Leninist.” Kudlow is fit to be tied. Seems the folks who know how things work are pretty much all in a panic over what Obama’s brain-dead ideas are about to do to the economy.

Oh — and the expert estimates of how high the taxes on “the evil rich” — couples who earn more than $250k a year — will have to go ranges from 50% to 80%. And thanks to Kemp-Roth, most of our tax shelters are now gone.

They’re even discussing the elimination of the mortgage interest deduction. A brilliant move in the middle of the worst real estate bust in history, don’t you think?

Any wonder the S&P 500 has plunged 30% since Election Day — and about 15% since Inauguration Day?

But hey — who cares; right Dan? As long as you get your free money for beer and bon-bons, you’re home free.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 3, 2009 @ 6:41 am
TOLD YOU SO …

Before you dismiss the warnings in this article, check out my forecasts published a year ago — on March 17, 2008 — in a TOTAL PACKAGE article titled, “Crisis and Opportunity.”

At the time, the Democratic primaries were still up for grabs. I predicted that Obama would win both the primary and the general election.

I also said that in his first months in office, President Obama would preside over the greatest economic, financial and social catastrophe in U.S. history.

The S&P was close to 1400 when I wrote that forecast. Yesterday, it closed at 700; a 50% loss.

I predicted that, with his right hand on a stack of Bibles and his left hand to God, President Obama would repeatedly go on TV to swear “that his next volley of equally idiotic economic measures really will solve the crisis once and for all.”

In his first 32 days in office, Obama spent more than any president in history — nearly $90 million per minute, 24/7 — all under the guise of ending this crisis.

I also predicted that Obama and his ilk would raise taxes on “the rich” who make more than $100,000 a year.

I missed this one by $25,000. Obama’s first budget proposes higher taxes if you and your partner each make $125,000 a year — $250,000 combined. But of course, he’s just getting warmed up.

I also predicted soaring unemployment. An all-time record of more than 5 million Americans are now getting unemployment benefits and another 600,000 to 700,000 are making their first-time applications for unemployment benefits each week.

My big mistake? I thought it would take Obama 18 months to do all this. I missed it by a mile. It has only taken him about a month and a half.

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/crisis-and-opportunity.html
Comment by Kevin Puls — March 3, 2009 @ 9:14 am
To Dan, regarding comments #14 & #15…

There is a difference between so-called Republicans, like G.W. Bush and conservatives like Ronald Reagan (and to some extent, Ron Paul).

The Bush administration did conduct a deficit spending campaign. Something a conservative would never have done.

Conservatives like small government with limited influence to both its citizens & marketplaces.

Do not confuse most modern-day Republicans with conservatives.

Both Democrats and Republicans have ONE goal… to win elections, while conservatives have another goal- getting back to its roots.

Best,

-K
Comment by K Myers — March 3, 2009 @ 9:53 am
Hi Clayton.

Thanks for bravely saying what needs to be said. I can see by the comments there are far too many people who haven’t awakened yet.

Today, PM Brown arrives to meet with BHO about “the rules and standards for a Global Banking System” intended to be shaped and put into place for our world.

Permit me to veer off course for a second…

The grand plan, where England controls the banking system of the world, where the Vatican controls the religions of the world and where the USA is forced to police the world, seems to be coming together at a much faster pace than most theorists thought it could or would.

Personally, I never believed it possible.

Now…

But I digress. Back on point…

A lot of elements had to come together before BO could get away with what he has done in the few short months since his election.

To those who still believe he is the answer… they are in for a rude awakening when they realize how their “party” works.

He was tapped by their party to do a job. As long as he does what they tell him to do, he will be allowed to play with his new toys. He appears to really like his new planes and his new house and his new retreats.

BTW, we’re already in a Depression. We were pushed over the edge the minute BO announced his new Budget. It won’t matter how much they tweak it from this point forward because it’s already accomplished what it was intended to do — strike fear and outrage into the population and destroy all confidence in its markets.

Now, all they have left on their “to do” list is to incite some riots so they can institute “states of emergency” against their own citizens to keep them in line while they roll out the rest of their plans for us all.

A true dictator will tear away the foundations of his/her country and rebuild it in his/her own image.

When the statues and posters and busts and gated city walls start bearing his image, it’s too late. I don’t think it will come to that because his usefulness to the party will be over and they’ll get rid of him before then.

He has no business experience, so he won’t see it coming — particularly not from them.
Comment by dpage — March 3, 2009 @ 9:59 am
Clayton,

You are surely a talented copywriter. Your insights about how masterful copywriting are applied in a politically charged atmosphere are certainly worth reading by any student of sales.

But your anger and mean spirited rant are unprofessional and sorely misplaced.

Yes, I understand, this is your subscriber list. You have the right to do and say what you will. I learn a lot from you and your guest writers.

But I’ve learned to be selective in what I read, however. Perhaps you could create a new subscriber list and call it something like…”Venomous Spew”. That way the rest of us could continue to learn, nurture and assist each other in a kind and professional manner.
Comment by Rich Haslam — March 3, 2009 @ 10:27 am
WOW, all this has JUST happened in the past few months. Seems Obama has been real busy doing such damage to our economy that, at the same time he had to create a stimulus package………. Oh wait… wasn’t it the Republicans who spent more money in the past 8 years than all the years the Dems had since they were formed? The Republicans have created the largest Government in history and have taken away all the regulations that protect those of us in the middleclass.

Clayton, you critize Obama for lieing, yet you do the same in your rant. You need to look inward at your conscience and not your bank account.

Where was your indignation when the Republicans were committing acts of terror against it’s own citizens and the world and destroying our way of life to enrich their personal coffers?
Comment by Paul Flood — March 3, 2009 @ 11:11 am
Brilliant analysis Clayton.

The thing is that during the election, he was one of the few running for president that was ever upfront about what he was going to do. A few tried to speak out but were quickly silenced until after the coronation was official.

This quote on page 3 sets the theme for the rest of the sale

“We need to put tired ideologies aside, and ask not whether our Government is too big or too small, or whether it is the
problem or the solution, but whether it is working for the American people.” ie. Tired ideologies are those that differ from ours.

Page 9 mentions how we deliberately ignored investments in our people. I guess the billions and billions spent on education, grants and training were just a pipe dream.

Well anyway, this looks as if it will be an interesting ride!
Comment by Shenia Smart — March 3, 2009 @ 11:32 am
Boy,
I can’t wait until the next election comes around and “The Almighty One” uses the 2012 Mayan Calander conspiracy to close down all elections and summons in the One World Leader who will perform miracles throughout the world…

This is going to be one helluva ride, for sure!

What is the 2012 conspiracy, you ask?

Go check out this History Channel documentary on Youtube.

Amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYdjF6JnRDQ

Not so sure about the global warming scam, after all they’re now changing it to “global climate change”, since we are now experiencing some of the coldest weather seen in decades.

And what about the whole reason for creating “terrorism” to begin with?

This is so the one world government can issue scannable/trackable I.D. cards (which will eventually be embedded micro-chips under the skin of your hand and/or forehead).

The reason for the forehead chip is because hands are easily removed and can still be scanned with redundancy using fingerprints.

The forehead scanner will be used in conjunction with eye-scanners. (Eye scanners don’t work if the “head is dead”).

All of this technology is already here and being assembled for the governments to utilize.

If you think this is just one big B.S. conspiracy, then you are thnking the way they want you to… that it’s all a big bunch of B.S.

Don’t be fooled people. Wake up!

It’s time for a major revolution.

We need to stand up and fight the “enemy within” before it’s too late.

The White House is the new Trojan Horse… wakeup!
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 3, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
TO DPAGE (POST #51): http://www.venemousspew.com. I like it! No … wait … damn. It’s taken. Looks like Obama reserved it to revile everyone who creates jobs in this country.

TO RICH HASLAM (POST #52): You must be new. You missed my earlier tomes crucifying the gutless, ignorant Republicans for their hand in creating this crisis.

Seems you also missed the P.P.P.S. on this article.

Cheers, y’all!
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
Hi Clayton,

Look, we agree on a lot of things, I just want to defend my couch-lovin’, bon-bon and beer swilling brothers.

Frankly, if I had to give CPR to the economy, I wouldn’t overthink it like Obama and you hoighty-toighty richy rich folk.

I’d just run a lotto through the IRS, and give $100,000 to 10 million people. Tax free of course.

A trillion has 12 zeroes. The way I see it you can give 12 people zero dollars through the current stoopid plan.

Or you can give 10 million people $100,000.

Which plan is going to radically shift the economy, say next month? They say they want to stimulate the economy but don’t have the cahonies to execute the plan properly.

That’s what we couch-potatos are good for. We think really simple like. Cut to the chase. If I can’t figure it out during my walk to the fridge, you done overthunk it.

So we run this lotto, and all non-felony committing, tax-paying Americans are eligible to win.

Basically just a power-ball lotto with social security numbers. You pay taxes? Never got caught cheatin’ on em? You’re eligible. You’ve been payin’ in like a good citizen, well here’s your reward for bein’ a good person who doesn’t get all sneaky with their tax like those rich folk.

Only stipulation is that if you’re one of the lucky 10 million, you have to:

1. Use part of the $100,000 to start a business that offers a product or service that is available both domestically and globally (via the Internet). Could be chia pets from your attic, but you gotta do something entrepreneur like.

2. Hire at least 1 employee. Could be your brother billy bob shipping the chia pets from your attic. But it’s gotta be an American citizen, and at least 20 hours a week.

So right there you’ve created 10 million new jobs and 10 million new businesses.

And another thing Clayton, I didn’t say this stimulus package wasn’t massive. And I didn’t say it doesn’t bend over the rich, sans lubrication.

I’m just arguing that we poor beer swilling bon bon addicts aren’t benefiting from it. Middle and upper middle class home owners that overspent can get their share of it through tax credits. Certain industries… banking, auto can save themselves by getting bought out by Uncle Sam.

But the vast majority of that money isn’t going to us couchophiles who stuff our faces with beer-filled bon bons (I inject it right in there, that’s right).

So it’s not “steal from the rich, give to the poor,” as you make it sound. It’s a lot of things, but one might be: “Steal from the rich, give to the lenders, automakers and home owners.” None of which are me and my buddies, I can assure you of that. Unless you call my car a home, which it has been on more than one occasion, I ain’t too proud to say. But it must be said. Because you rich folk are going all goofy on us like losin’ your home is the end of the world. Runnin’ outta gas when you’re living in your car… that’s the end of the world. ‘Til you wake up and find some guy who wants to buy it for $800. Then you’re back in business my friend. Yeehah!

The sad part is that they’re just printing the money out of thin air, so it’s kind of BS to be stealing it from the rich folk. They should just print it, like they’ve been doing since the 70’s. Only this time tell us, “Hey, we just printin’ the stuff, so you an all relax. We ain’t gonna charge you for it.” And stop BS’ing us that we then “owe” it to the Federal Reserve. Which is just a private corporation, right?

How can a private corporation have hundreds of trillions of dollars to lend? That’s right. They print it. Out of thin air. Well, cotton. But $1 dollar does not cost $1 to print. More like 1/1000th of a penny, which is what the reserve should be charging us for printing our money.

You make a good point about welfare. Okay, so welfare will be expanded a bit. But radically like you suggest? Are they now going to give it to childless people? No. Are they going to increase the amounts by something radical, like 30%? No. So it’s not communism. It’s life as we know it, mildly adjusted.

Welfare it still all about the children… suffer the children… but what else is new? You don’t see many homeless kids… but you sure as heck see a lot of homeless adults. If this were communism, you wouldn’t see that. And if you had homeless kids, you’d have the problem places like Peru does. Where they gang up like wild dogs and take over the neighborhood. Homeless kids turn real bad, real quick. They just ain’t ready for the world yet.

All I’m saying is that if we’re going communist as you suggest, where is all this free money and services for the people? I’m a single guy. I can’t get welfare. I can’t even get subsidized health care, let alone free health care like you have in say Cuba.

Okay, so like a lot of copywriters, I’ve been on unemployment a few times in the last 15 years–which is an insurance program you pay into by working. So I guess under this stimulus package I could get another $25/week, for an extra 6 months.

But do you know how hard it is to get unemployment? The rules are very strict. You have to have been let go through no fault of your own. It’s a headache to get on it, and just barely enough to survive on. Strike that. You really can’t survive on it without a credit card as well. In NY in 1999 you could get $405/week for six months, which is taxed. So really more like $300/week.

In 2009 it’s still $405. Yet rents have gone up by about 50% in that time. So under this stimulus you get $25 extra bucks a week, and can stay on it an extra 6 months during this crisis. I don’t know about you, but that’s a very short-term solution.

Nobody is quitting their job to get the extra benefits. And even if you wanted to like my buddy Jake, you couldn’t. If you quit you’re not eligible.

So I dunno Clayton. I’m on my 4th Budweiser and my 12th bon bon today (luckily I work from home)… and I’m thinkin’… there’s no real welfare state under this package unless you’re a single mom. There’s no real free lunch unless you’re a lender or struggling homeowner.

You oughtta just keep those bon bons and buds coming my way or I may have to come dust off those mothballs from your Harley and sneak off into the night with it.

Just kiddin’. I wouldn’t do that. The couch is much more comfortable than some dang motorcycle. And I can’t swig beer at 70 mph. Believe me, I tried once.
Comment by Barack O. — March 3, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
Dan,

Please be patient OK…we are already in arrears on the bon bons…actually, they are all in Nancy P’s REAR…bitch already ate ‘em all…but we are working on this issue as fast as we can!

And thanks to those lush bastards Ried and Kennedy, the free beer is a little behind schedule also.

You have my word I will make this white…I mean right!

Cunningly yours,

Barack O.

ps: Clayton is delusional, don’t listen to him!
Comment by Astrid Harper — March 3, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
Clayton,

I’ve been reading your posts for just a few weeks, and I’m wondering if you ever had similar venom to spew on “The Decider” who got us into this mess to begin with over the last eight years. Surely you did not think that it would be painfree to dig ourselves out. I dislike what’s happening now as much as anyone else, but I can appreciate someone who practices “Realpolitik” and will no longer permit wars to be conducted “off the budget” for instance. We have been royally hoodwinked and as a U.S. citizen I royally resent that.

I was born in Germany in 1938 and I have lived under national socialism, communism, West Germany’s social domocracy and, since 1960, the no-holds-barred capitalism in the U.S. I think that this gives me a pretty unusual big picture perspective. For my money, the West European style social democracies make life the fairest for the largest number of people. Personally, I did best under Kennedy and Clinton, and usually lost my jobs under Republican rule. Just wondering why that is.
Comment by Michael — March 3, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
I think we are all responsible for the moral slum that both the USA and the UK have become. Clayton is quite right. Without inventors and risk takers getting due reward the rest of the populace should go out and find a secure cave to live in, together with plenty of ammunition. We all have to accept some responsibility for how things have turned out. We have allowed governments and burocracies to run wild at the behest of activists whose purposes seem to propogate “PC” industries and the like. We don’t want to be “judgemental” about layabouts, scroungers, criminals, and lazy parents who let their children behave badly-and negatively influence our own children. We don’t want to bring corrupt politicans and their self-serving ways to account for their actions. If the (alarmingly few) who actually care about what is happening around them don’t band together and take action I dread to think what the future will hold.
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
Well gad dang… the president of the U-nited states writ me a personal note.

Thanks for listenin’ Barack! I knew you wouldn’t let my beer n bon bon stash run out.

That’s why I voted for you. To piss off my buddy Jake who don’t trust them colored folk. And ‘cauese I figured the first thing a black president would do is give out free couches n beer.

That’s right. I heard it on Rush Limbaugh last summer that you’d be given billions of dollars to poor folk. How could I know it would be a thousand billions! And all for us. 100% of it, or so Mr. Makepeace here tells me.

If I had known this were coming down the pipe, I’d a gone and married Jake on the sly so we could get an even bigger stash of free stuff.

Oh Mr. President, one more thing… you gonna launch a program for free smokes? Them dang things is up to $7 a pack for cryin’ out loud.

At that price I’m thinkin’ of switchin’ to sniffin’ magic markers.
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 4:28 pm
Ahh now Clayton don’t you go pussy-footin’ around with this “I hate the Republicans too” nonsense.

In the bar we call that guy “chickensh**”… because we all had two choices for this election. And I don’t recall your ame being on the ballot.

So who’d you vote for Mr. A-PPS-solves-everything? And how would he handle the situation?

It’s a bit like if we was on an oil tanker about to run aground, you start shoutin’, “well the captain should have installed emergency engines in the front of this thing years ago!”

The Captain was just asleep at wheel that’s all. Now you wanna go on your revisionist history rant saying Barack (who is now a close personal friend I might add) had this whole thing dreamed up from the start. Barack this, Barack that.

Truth is the Captain was drunk at the wheel 8 years runnin’, and the first-mate just grabbed the thing to keep us from runnin’ adrift.

Now you’re trash talkin’ at the first mate as if you could do a better job of trying to manage several hundred angry crewmen… all of whom have an opinion about how things could have been done better.

And you know what they say about opinions… Until you take that trillion and give 10 million peope $100,000 each start a business with 1 employee… you ain’t gonna bring no dead economy back to life. It’ll just have to come back on it’s own, like it always done.

In the meantime I’ll be gettin’ my free beer and smokes from my new friend Barack… so you can just kiss my white arse if you don’t like him. He done right by me so far. And when that new couch comes I may even pay him a visit. Say thanks real proper like. Maybe bring him a can of spam on account of him bein’ so generous n all.
Comment by Tesla — March 3, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
Clayton, I feel I’ve found a kindred spirit. Why aren’t you writing for Alex Jones to help the cause? Someone with writing skills like yours could make the average idiot understand what this rogue government is doing to its people. Obama is a front man for the New World Order and he will help them to loot this country and turn it into Venezuela 2. Help expose The Obama Deception!
Comment by Mike J — March 3, 2009 @ 4:39 pm
I think this is the best article/postings on this site ever. I have been back twice and still not downloaded the Prez’s hype. Why? There is no need. The question you have to ask yourself is “why do I come to this site?”

If it’s for a awesome copywriting lesson, well you got one. You just can’t see it yet. Your lesson started from the e-mail you recieved about Clayton being a hack. Then on to the article… did you get mad? Did you want to pick up your arms and storm Washington? Were you completely hacked off by the end? Then the ultimate road needs to be crossed. Did you believe the article enough to at least have some self preservation and order the Makepeace Business Package instead of starting a revolution?

Stand back and look objectively at this Article/Advertisement/Rant. The p.s. is absolutely brilliant. Awesome, just when you think you were’nt aggravated enough.

If you can take your own personal feelings out and study this Article(ad)(#20- Clayton says it’s not copywriting- it’s an article. Articles usually don’t sell something. Clayton, after being in advertising so long, you would sell the casket when you wrote my OBIT. Would’nt ya? J/K!!!)You need not to study anything else.

Can I address a few posts? #16 Kerry- why are you so dissapointed? Did you miss the snake eating it’s own tail? The best copywriting is the Rant, not the Prez’s B.S.

#37 Amber- Is this satire? You knew something was afoot did’nt you? Good instincts. And mentioning that all five lessons are in your own article. Smart.

#52 dpage- Selective in what you read? How about OBJECTIVE? You will learn so much more. Clayton has this site for what reason, besides teachin’ newbies the ins and outs? Try and think about that objectively.

#55 Shenia -A revolution? Anyone who wants to start a revolution should immediately contact someone who has been in the armed services the last ten years. Ask them what chance they think you got with your deer rifle and 9mm pistol against the US Military? You’ll be shut down fast. And the media will make you look like David Koresh.

Sorry about the Rant and nothing personal, and I am pro gun but-talk about not looking at something objectively.

And last but not least Dan White. Hilarious!!! Are you trying to poke the big bear with your pen???

Sincerely, a 2 time loser for the copywriting job at Response Ink,

Mike J

P.S. I was fired up and ready to do something about it till I got to the P.P.S. That is when it hit me.

P.P.S Am I really gettin’ that Jaded? That’s sad, I love to read.
Comment by Phyllis — March 3, 2009 @ 4:39 pm
Well Clayton, I would never argue your talents as a brilliant copywriter/marketer — or anyone you’ve personally trained. And, while I would defend to the death your right to express your opinion — whether or not I agree or disagree — if I had the magic wand to make this post disappear, boy oh boy would I wave it.
Comment by Clarke Echols (Resident scientist and rabble-rouser) — March 3, 2009 @ 4:50 pm
I was visiting one of our daughters a couple of days ago
to celebrate the birth of grandkid #14.

I was appalled to hear her say she thinks Obama’s a good man
doing his best to solve a difficult problem. I’m wondering
how I failed as a parent, or has she been drinking the Kool-Aid?

As for those complaining about your position on global warming, I have a suggestion for them:

Put 100 pennies on a clear table top. Each penny
represents 1% of the atmosphere. Put 78 of them together
in a pile to represent the 78% that is nitrogen. Set
another 21 in a second pile to represent oxygen.

Take the penny that’s left (78 + 21 = 99 for those living
in California who failed basic arithmetic) and cut out a
wedge that is one-eighth of the coin (45 degree angle).
The 7/8s that is left represents argon.

One fourth of that tiny wedge represents carbon dioxide.
But only 1/36 of that (2.75% of the 1/4) is man-made. To
represent that, drill a hole the diameter of a straight pin
in that 1/4 of the 1/8.

The amount of metal removed from that hole is the portion
of the 100 pennies that closely matches the portion of the
atmosphere that is man-made carbon dioxide.

And that TOTAL man-made CO2 in the air is LESS than the
increase in CO2 in the air resulting from CO2 that came
out of the ground between 1955 and 2005.

Now pretend you actually have a brain, and THINK. How can
that minute — very minute — infinitesimally small amount
of CO2 have ***ANY*** effect whatever on the climate? It’s
physically IMPOSSIBLE.

Bottom line: If you REMOVED ALL HUMANITY from the earth,
the effect on CO2 and other “greenhouse gases” in the air
wouldn’t even be measurable.

A couple of good volcanic eruptions could plunge us into
an ice age. Do an internet search for “year of no summer”
and read about Mount Tambora on 10 April 1815 and the
18″ of snow in Massachussetts a week before July 4, 1816.

Read about the eruption of Krakatoa about 435 AD that
caused a world-wide ice age as documented by the US
Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico.

Furthermore, the “temperature measurements” claimed by
UN agencies et al are based on measuring stations that
don’t even pass muster for accuracy over time.

The data is bogus to start with.

Bad science. Garbage in and you get garbage out.

The “Holy Trinity” are worse than a disease. They’re
the Nero of Rome and worse.

And those who voted for them are woefully ignorant or patently insane in my most well-informed, historically-based
opinion based on the premise that history repeats.

If someone is using Lenin’s tactics from a century ago,
one can expect a similar result.

Edison accurately observed: 5% of the people actually think.
10% think they think. The other 85% would rather die than
think.

It was the 85% who elected that thing in the White House.

And they’ll be responsible for the mess that results.
Unfortunately their igorance and selfishness will bring
woes on the rest of us, our children, and grandchildren
unless someone wakes up very quickly and does something
*serious* about it.

And the first question I want answered is why is B Insane
Obama spending huge sums of money preventing people from
having access to his birth and college records to prove
he’s even an American citizen in the first place, if he
isn’t hiding something?

It’s not a settled issue. Not by a long shot.

CE
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
Hey Mike J thanks for the compliment.

I never did get three exclamation marks before.

I suddenly feel like a winner, despite being drunker than a sh** house rat on Barack’s free beer money. Truth is I can’t hold down anything but a couch and an upaid blogging position.

Yeah, I been pokin’ fun at the big bear. But anybody messes with my gravy train, well they gonna get messed with right back.

But I really should come clean. I was hopin’ to head up Clayton’s new comedy division. Might do me some good to get off the DOL. Alex Jones tells me these government bon bons are laced with psychoactive flouride to make me into a passive wage slave zombie. Only problem is they done worked too well, and now I’m a slave to the stimulus package too.

I figure being Clayton’s copy slave can’t get too much worse.
Comment by Sharon B. — March 3, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
Wow….
From a copywriting standpoint, this is a masterpiece. The reader is immediately absolved of any responsibility and assured that rescue is indeed on the way.
Next, the specifics start hitting you over the head—even if you’re just skimming, by page 15 you are in a serious panic. You’re also resenting the wealthy for BEING wealthy. (As an aside, though, if I had written this, I would not have said “For the past xx number of years, the wealthy have been accumulating all the wealth”. DUH! Isn’t that what they usually do?)
I have not read any further yet–15 pages was all I could digest without reaching for the Tylenol.
Comment by Tesla — March 3, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
Wow, Phyllis… you’re for censorship? Well, so’s Obama! He wants to shut down the free internet and put us on Internet 2… the safer, gentler, CENSORED INTERNET. He also wants to strip us of our 2nd Amendment Rights. So there’s 2 you can cross off the list on our way to a totalitarian regime. Right now there 31 states re-affirming their sovereignty because the people have had it.

Mike J: The military and police are waking up too and they all have families here… true patriots will unite and their military will be our military. No longer controlled by the Banksters/NWO. So don’t give up before this thing gets started.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 3, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
TO ASTRID HARPER (POST #59): Yeah, I’ve frequently pointed out how Bush’s low interest rates and lack of regulation caused this.

And also how Democrats in Congress who blocked Bush’s two attempts to clean up Fannie and Freddie — along with their idiotic “fair housing” legislation caused this.

And also how consumers caused this by burying themselves in debt.

But … THIS WASN’T ABOUT THAT! It’s about Obama’s magalog. Do I really HAVE to recite all of Bush’s crimes before I mention Obama’s?

TO DAN WHITE (POST #62): Wow. You Obama groupies really won’t let the Bush thing go, will you? Is that you in drag on that “I got a crush on Obama” video on UTube?

Here’s a flash: Bush isn’t in office anymore. Bush didn’t write this terrible budget or deceptive magalog. Your dream guy did.

You sure there’s no pot in those bon-bons?

Want to share?

OH AND ONE LAST TIME: I’M A LIBERTARIAN — I’LL GIVE YOU THREE GUESSES WHO I VOTED FOR.

Cheers, y’all …

– Clayton
Comment by Marilyn Lenhan — March 3, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
Dear Dan White,

I was glad that somebody else answered you because I was going to tell you that you were very naive.

You think the American people don’t owe the Federal Reserve because they just print the money. How convenient.

The Federal Reserve is a privately-owned institution.
Just Google it! like I did. And watch your jaw drop when you see the names: Rothschild, J.P. Morgan, you’ll recognize them.

And I agree that the process of the dumming down of America has already begun - only I don’t want to see Revolution, I’m sure it wouldn’t accomplish a damn thing except to get us more embroiled in the mess.

What about a grand awakening of America with courses on Civil Rights and Responsibilities?

What about families moving in together to break down the cost of housing?

What about incentives for out-of-work people who start any kind of a new business?

I know I’m reaching at straws but has anybody got a better idea?

Mary Lynn

Mary Lynn
Comment by Tesla — March 3, 2009 @ 6:18 pm
LMAO! OMG, Clayton, what a great retort! I love you.
Comment by Tesla — March 3, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
@Dan White

The sad fact is that Obama hasn’t put us in this situation, nor has Bush. These men are puppets, front men for the real owners of this country - the very banks who purposely imploded the economy so they could buy and consolidate all that we’re losing at bargain prices.

Your beloved Obama is a traitor to his country and his fellow man because every time he talks about how bad things are, the economy dips a little more and his bosses get an even bigger bargain. He’s guilty of financial terrorism and he’s aware of it and has taken the mantle as agreed at the last Bilderberg Group Meeting.

He’s appointed so many crooked people, his cabinet doesn’t even pay their taxes (and are proud of it), and he’s just continuing everything people hated Bush for. This guy’s your personal friend? Ask him how he looks himself in the mirror everyday. I wonder if there’s even a reflection.
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 6:32 pm
Clayton, I voted for Ron Paul too! So there must have been pot in those bon bons.

And Mary Lynn said:

“The Federal Reserve is a privately-owned institution.
Just Google it! like I did. And watch your jaw drop when you see the names: Rothschild, J.P. Morgan, you’ll recognize them.”

So how does that make me naive Mary Lynn? I was the only poster who pointed that out. Obama et al printed a trillion bucks or a million tons of cotton fiber, depending on how you look at it.

Why don’t we owe the Federal Reserve? Because they’re a gang. A gang that conned us. You can’t borrow money from a printing company claiming to be something else. That’s fraud. We’ve been defrauded.

If someone blackmailed you for money… or extorted it, you don’t owe them a penny once they’re caught out.

We have the actual feds on our side when it comes to mafia activity. So what are we so afraid of?

It’s not like if you question the federal reserve they’re going to send you out in a convertible and remove the secret service from the area and have you gunned down by several top operatives posing as a lone gunman.

Sheesh. So paranoid.
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 6:48 pm
Tesla,

Nice! Your posts should come with a horror movie soundtrack.

I don’t know if Obama has a reflection. He’s not a personal friend. He just posts to this forum once in a while so I know him through that

But I’m guessing he does have a reflection.

I tune into right wing talk radio too. 90% of that stuff is just half-truths and sour grapes. When Bush was in power the left was saying “he’s fascist!” With Obama it’s “he’s a communist.”

To your point, those guys have more in common than most think. They make deals to consolidate power. So did you vote for Ron Paul like a good revolutionary?

If Obama has sold his reflection to the Bilderboogiemen, please send some links. I mean, what I hear on right wing talk radio is Rush Limbaugh quoting Sean Hannity’s opinion and calling that news. Ten echos down the line it’s taken as fact. Repetition right?

It’s not fact. It’s a bunch of ratings whores who stay in business by getting people all worked up.

Just like here. Except Clayton’s rants seem pure of heart, if a bit hard on my trailer trash bon-bon and beer addicts.

Summary: Controversy, true or half-true = viewers/readers/listeners. Oldest trick in the book.
Comment by Tesla — March 3, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
Dan, I don’t know what you’re attempting here and I wish you could be a little more lucid…

I don’t listen to any of the people you named, sorry.

Everything I state is facts that check out. You post on Obama forums, so I guess you’ve already had a few helpings of the Kool-Aid. For all I know, you work for COINTELPRO.

Ten echos down the line? Sure, the truth echos pretty loudly.

Still waiting on your man to prove he’s a natural born citizen and eligible for the job. Factcheck doesn’t cut it as it’s owned by The Annenberg Foundation and Barry Soetoro aka Barack HUSSEIN Obama worked for them in some capacity.

I’m not going to do your research for you, it’s your duty to be informed of the truth. Shame on you for being a sheep.
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 7:35 pm
Wow Tesla, I met someone lazier than I am! You won’t even copy and paste a link.

Maybe that’s because your news comes from the lunatic fringe. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I read it to… for entertainment. Sometimes it’s true. But hyperbole is the order of the day. Sensationalism = clicks.

Anyhow, nothing you’ve said is really that shocking.

Obama’s cabinet are trying to evade taxes like everyone else that makes over $250K a year? One day you’ll make that… if you stop being a rank sourpuss… and understand that it’s sort of endearing to a libertarian. Certainly not grounds for calling them evil.

Your other claim is that Obama is executing Bilderberger orders… Okay. How do you know this?

One link pwease. Pwetty pwease!

Sh** or get off the pot bon bons.

You lazy e-tramp.

(that’s a compliment).

It’s your time to shine superfreak.
Comment by Dan White — March 3, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
P.S. Tesla I don’t post on Obama forums. You call this an Obama forum? There are like 5 people sticking up for Obama in this den of rabid Obama haters. I’m one of them. But I voted for Ron Paul.

Could there be one other Dan White in the universe?

Now that Obama is our president, I’ve got his back, because he’s my brother. And while it’s easy to say he’s looking out for poor people as Clayton says, I don’t really see it, being a poor person. Rich people always thing those poor people are getting all this free stuff. But in reality single moms get all the free stuff. And the alternative is for the state to raise those kids. So really we’re just paying them to babysit kids the state doesn’t want to raise itself. So, uh, unless you’re going to sterilize women who don’t have money in the bank and a husband, you’re going to have this problem ad infinitum.

Believe or not, I even gave Bush this same benefit of the doubt for the same reason… until he just simply abused the power.

I don’t see that Obama has abused it. He’s been told by top economic advisers that we’re facing something as bad or worse than the great depression.

As a freelancer at the top of his field, this doesn’t really effect Clayton, in terms of abject poverty. For about 90% of the rest of the country, we may be facing the great depression. And at the end of the day, we live in a democracy. If 90% of the country wants a bailout, guys like Clayton have to come along for the bumpy ride.

I’m not saying it’s right, or fair. Just saying it ain’t exactly orchestrated by Obama. Sure, it may very well be orchestrated by the Bilderbergs… and Obama is “playing into their hand” … but where’s your evidence that he’s in cahoots with them?

The guy has already proven he’s not afraid of death… so what’s your rationale that he’d bend to the bilderboogies?
Comment by Tesla — March 3, 2009 @ 8:18 pm
I’m only going on what you write, so I guess you don’t interest yourself enough to remember what you say. I’m not going to debate or post links on Clayton’s site. Get on Youtube and search Alex Jones. It’s all there and all documented.
Comment by Tia Dobi — March 3, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
Hmmm…I think Clayton’s practice of the First Amendment is rather sweet and tender.
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Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 4, 2009 @ 6:30 am
Awww, Tia … thanks
Comment by Dan White — March 4, 2009 @ 6:43 am
Okay Tesla,

I did my homework last night, so as to remove the stigma of “sheep” you so flippantly applied to me last night.

It seems Obama was in the same city as the Bilderberg conference last year.

Which, okay then maybe it’s 50/50 that he secretly went to it.

But let me ask you this: if you’re Obama, and you’re not elected yet, and 125 of the richest, most influential people in the planet invite you to their luncheon… do you go?

Now before you answer, please keep in mind that these guys own newspapers, cable networks, mercenary firms, small nations… they can make a politician’s life more difficult.

On the other hand, that’s also a room full of DONATIONS.

I’m guessing, if he did go, they had their checks written out before he arrived as part of the pressing-the-flesh ceremony.

So are those donations worth an afternoon of Obama’s time? If it also avoids pissing off 125 of the most powerful peeps on Earth?

Who knows… but your leap in logic that he went over there to kiss their arses and sign away the American soul doesn’t hold water without proof… unless you’re talking about political arse kissing… which IS HIS JOB.

How do you think these guys get donations? By insulting their wives and making fun of their kids? No they shake hands and they kiss arse. Doesn’t mean their making dark deals with demonic forces.

Which brings me to my last point. How do you know he didn’t go to that luncheon with a firm handshake and a stern glare, to make it known that he wouldn’t be intimidated or unethically influenced?

The approach to inmost cave, as Daniel Levis might say? Mmmmh? Tesla? Ever gotten out of your little blogger cave to confront your adversaries in the light of day?

I mean the former scenario is more likely, but you don’t really know if it’s the latter or not. You’ve never met Obama.

You’ve never met Alex Jones. I could just as easily say, “Well Obama stared down 125 guys who would probably have owned him 150 years ago. So he ain’t chickenshi** that’s for sure.”

Just saying, we don’t know anything other than he was in the same city, and maybe he attended, maybe not. The rest is just speculation.

By your journalistic standards, Tesla… which is to find a blog where someone says they heard something… Alex Jones is just a paid agent of Project Mockingbird and a Jesuit spy, bent on destroying the world’s most poweful nation… so that the richest entity on Earth, the Catholic church, can sit atop a new one world government.

That said, I hereby strike that from the record because I have no idea if it’s true.

But Tesla it goes to show you should be more careful about spreading around hearsay… it can damage the reputatioin of your high priest Alex Jones just as easily as anyone else.
Comment by Dan White — March 4, 2009 @ 6:55 am
Okay Clayton, I give up. Are you one of the 500,000 people who voted for libertarian candidate Bob Barr?

Too bad he wasn’t running for mayor of Asheville. I think Bob Barker got more votes.

Either Barr… or I’m guessing you wrote in Harry Browne.

Uggh… this is hurting my bon-bon riddled brain.

I give up. You win Makepeace. Obama is a pinko and we’ll be enslaved to the Federal Reserve until the end of time… because we’re too chickensh** to stand up to 15 thugs in ties.

I miss the good ol’ days where it was just one guy at the crossroads. You told him to piss off and you were a free man.
Comment by Wendy Makepeace — March 4, 2009 @ 8:38 am
YAY! WE HAVE A CONVERT! Welcome aboard the sane train, Dan! — Wendy
Comment by Lawton Chiles — March 4, 2009 @ 11:22 am
So, who IS to blame? If we don’t bail out these Too Big For Their Own Darn Good companies like AIG, would the economy crash and burn?

If we do bail them out, won’t we just get more of the same?

I’m not a financial guy, but putting people in this position,
having to spend this type of cash to help those who
were greed monsters, is just plain wrong.
Comment by Dan White — March 4, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
Sorry Wendy, Clayton said he’s ship me free pot bon bons for a year if I conceded… so I did.

Then Obama doubled his offer with free smokes and beer, too.

So I’m dressing in drag again, and have built an altar in Obama’s honor. Except for incense I use tobacco.

Obama is not a pinko. He’s a capitalist pinko. I’d tell you to look it up… But it’s a nentirely new political animal… like duck-billed platypus crossed with a giraffe, feeding from the tree tops and river bottom all at once.

We’ll just have to see if it works. Until then I’m going to keep packing on the pounds with this new couch-abs video Obama sent me (free, of course)… just in case I don’t eat in 2010.
Comment by Lara — March 4, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”

- Sir Winston Churchill

I’m glad you had the courage to take a stand. And I agree with you completely. I hope our country doesn’t collapse into an oligarchy or socialistic system.
Comment by Tesla — March 4, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
Dan, you’re trying to play mindgames with someone who does it for a living. You’re using tricks that I’ve already thrown away…so, as you can already see, you can’t win. I’m not going to respond to your diatribe point by point - it’s just a waste of time.

I’m not here to convert you to anything. It seems you are too invested in whatever you’re trying to prove and I don’t try to change beliefs. Just keep doing your homework and you’ll come around.

Your Jesuit spy remark is just as empty as throwing out the phrase “conspiracy theory” and rolling your eyes whenever you disagree with someone’s conspiracy facts. They teach that in “Disinfo Agent 101″ on the very first day of school. All of Alex Jones’ facts are backed up by government documents, so it doesn’t matter what religion he is.

Lou Dobbs is even talking about The New World Order now, so to deny it is just a waste of your time. The more you think about it, the more you realize that nobody is buying whatever you’re selling. If you even respond to this, it only proves my point and I’ve won. You are just a disinfo agent.
Comment by Shel Horowitz — March 4, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
“Assumption #1: If you give mountains of money to those who have demonstrated a woeful lack of financial acumen by amassing unpayable debts, they will suddenly become financial geniuses and entrepreneurs capable of creating millions of new jobs.”

Hmmm, isn’t that what George W. did for the last 8 years? His giveaways to his friends at Halliburton etc., the enormously wasteful (and wholly unnecessary, not to mention justified-by-lies debacle in Iraq). Now that the Republicans have blown the surplus, looted the treasury, chipped away mightily at our fundamental freedoms, and made enemies for us around the world, we should criticize Obama’s budget? I am not a cheerleader for Obama; I think his foreign policy is disastrous and he has too few people around him who are willing to engage in new thinking. But he can’t do any worse than Bush, who made a train wreck of the entire country: economy, civil liberties, environment, and basic human decency.
Comment by Wendy Makepeace — March 4, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
Did someone forget to announce that Bush is no longer president? Is that the defense liberals are going to continue to take…Bush did it, so we have to do it even bigger…yeah…we’ll show him.

It wasn’t good when Bush did it, but, the scale in which Obama is spending is now life changing for all of us. It’s something that we’ll never be able to come back from. Entitlements, once they are given are very difficult to take away. And, the socialism policies that are going to be forced upon us whether we want them or not, because after all, it’s for our own good, will be forever. It’s a change in the American way of life that is so disturbing. And it’s disheartening to know that so many liberal Americans think this is the way to go. After all, this is what their leader is telling them. Go his way, or we are all doomed. Be damn the Constitution and OUR Amercian system of capitalism. We don’t want it so we’ll just make it go away. After all, those other capitlists/socialists nations are so successfull…and who do all these countries rely on to fight their fights. Take a big guess. Of course we’ll be so in debt and no longer able to keep spinning out the money, that our military and defense systems will just start to deteriorate. Then, who’s going to be able to fight for them then? I’m sure Iran is just chomping at the bit…

And what are they going to say when things continue to be crumbeling all around us two, three…five years from now? …”Well, you never said anything when Bush did it…”

Good luck with that…I’m sure it’ll help a great deal in solving our truly horrific problems.
Comment by Robert — March 4, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
Clarke Echols - your argument, to tell people to “try to pretend you have a brain” shows that you look down on people and think you are the only smart one surrounded by idiots. For the record: we are NOT idiots like you feel.

Your story of how “something so small can’t possibly matter” is a good example of how YOU BELIEVE that something small can’t possibly matter, and that’s all it demonstrates. File it right next to the Tooth Fairy, unless you are willing to take an experiment to prove you are right.

Per your own argument, I will gladly take a huge container and fill it up with your favorite drink. Then I will pee in it - just a little bit. So little that if you pretend you have a brain and try to think, you will clearly see that so little can’t matter, and you will have no problem drinking it.

If you will, then it’s worth considering anything else you say. Otherwise, readers be warned - the brainless comment of Echols on global warming is as misleading as his “science experiment”.

Robert
Comment by Barnaby Jones — March 4, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
The Republicans don’t seem to have a real answer to this problem that is being thrown on the current leader who is the most capable of and intelligent to deal with it.
I don’t see how giving out tax breaks to rich or well to do people is going to help anything because they had the foresight and education to plan for their futures. I think for the most part, that the main reason so many people are angry now is that they are being affected by some of the schemes that help build up the shinny stock portfolios that they used to have and now allow some of them to be part of that higher tax bracket.
There isn’t one single American out there who isn’t being affected by what is happening every day. It’s a scary situation. How many of those dumb or stupid people out there contributed to YOUR wealth. You weren’t crying before when things were good so why start now. Be man enough to admit your part and hope for the best. Let’s try to keep that powerful emotional trigger in check, FEAR. It can be very contagious and spreading it around isn’t going to fix anything.
I don’t like anything that is happening now in financial markets, housing markets which is the industry that feeds my family, or job markets. But this thing has gotten so big it’s on the verge of becoming a runaway train. I Hope things do turn out well for all of us, I don’t seem to have a lot of confidence in the government, but maybe that’s just nerves. It’s time to pay the piper and no one is exempt.

God Bless all o us
Comment by Brian — March 5, 2009 @ 1:55 am
Clayton,

A slick way to vilify Barack… “I thought it would take Obama 18 months to do ALL this”. Let me get this straight. You’re blaming the new administration for the 50% decline in the S&P and the huge leap in unemployment levels?

Nice attempt… but the logos is lacking.

Per your post 49 above:
“I also said that in his first months in office, President Obama would preside over the greatest economic, financial and social catastrophe in U.S. history.

The S&P was close to 1400 when I wrote that forecast. Yesterday, it closed at 700; a 50% loss.

I predicted that, with his right hand on a stack of Bibles and his left hand to God, President Obama would repeatedly go on TV to swear “that his next volley of equally idiotic economic measures really will solve the crisis once and for all.”

In his first 32 days in office, Obama spent more than any president in history — nearly $90 million per minute, 24/7 — all under the guise of ending this crisis.

I also predicted that Obama and his ilk would raise taxes on “the rich” who make more than $100,000 a year.

I missed this one by $25,000. Obama’s first budget proposes higher taxes if you and your partner each make $125,000 a year — $250,000 combined. But of course, he’s just getting warmed up.

I also predicted soaring unemployment. An all-time record of more than 5 million Americans are now getting unemployment benefits and another 600,000 to 700,000 are making their first-time applications for unemployment benefits each week.

My big mistake? I thought it would take Obama 18 months to do all this. I missed it by a mile. It has only taken him about a month and a half.”
Comment by Dainis W. Michel — March 5, 2009 @ 10:25 am
This is hilarious!

Thanks for the personal response Clayton, seriously, your article makes me wonder what kind of body it takes to sustain that kind of anger. I never rode a Harley, bud, but I did put serious miles on a laid back Kawasaki.

We were camping and riding, and, I swear on everything, a 400 something pound guy got out of a station wagon and said “what’s that thing going to be when it grows up?” (Talking about my ‘83 4-cylinder Kawasaki 550 LTD), and I said, without a hitch “A Harley and you know it.”

That was the best…

We were riding with a 350 pound guy who looked like a shrimp next to this man. Maybe he was 450.

What a great time that was…

Seriously, get on your bike and ride dude. I live in Vienna, Austria, and recently met the owner of the Harley shop here…might be time to stop by!

Clayton…I think you have a bit of BMS, that’s Bootstraps Millionaire Syndrome. I just made that up, but here are two symptoms.

Delusions that:

1) Poor people are poor by choice or because of poor choices they’ve made
2) Rich people are smarter than poor people

You know, here’s a point I have to make about socialism, barring Marxist theory, here are some “socialist” things we live with every day.

Public roads are a social policy. Public roads are socialist.
Public schools are a social policy. Public schools are socialist.
Police departments are a social policy. Police departments are socialist.
A defense budget is a social policy. The US military is socialist.
Public water works are socialist.

Those who condemn programs and politicians through labels that they themselves do not understand or use properly may find resonance in the American media, however, I give the American PEOPLE a whole lot more credit than that.

Yes, America is changing right before our very eyes…but I don’t think it’s a “class struggle,” and it sure ain’t about lazy people wanting to be lazy.
Comment by Cathy Sutter — March 5, 2009 @ 11:52 am
Oh, Clayton, how I absolutely LOVE your political “rants!” Run for president, please. Oh, never mind…you’re much too honest and, OMG, you have integrity.

OK. I will start by saying that I am an Obama hater and have been from the very beginning. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe him. But here’s just a few: sneaky, liar, arrogant, narcissist, fraud, self-absorbed power monger. That’s just a start…

His past associations were enough to make me question his character. Bottom line: He has none. Hey, birds of a feather is what my mother used to always say.

“Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.” W. Clement Stone

Enough said.

Mostly, I strongly abhor his assault on wealth. He is encouraging poverty and decrying the rich. His full blown assault on the rich just sickens me. Uh, excuse me? Is he not rich? Oh, guess that’s OK. He’s part of the ruling class. We are his low life subjects, I suppose.

His weekly parties at the White House should have every American protesting on the streets. Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind, and Fire, $100 a pound steaks? While people are losing their homes, being forced out on the streets to dig through garbage for food and begging for money. Isn’t there something wrong with this picture? (Duh…)

America, the land of opportunity is becoming America, the land of entitlements. I hope all of you with your glazed over look in your eyes, full of adulation for the Messiah are all happy now. Hope and change? I think not.

And don’t tell me to “give the man a chance.” He’s already shown his true colors (pun intended) right outta the gate…day one. Question: Does ANYONE in Congress pay their taxes? Oh, that’s another subject…

For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

–Cathy
Comment by Roy Everitt — March 6, 2009 @ 5:53 pm
Surely, Clayton, Obama can’t go wrong: the only way is up - George W made sure of that.
Comment by Carole — March 6, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
I can’t believe how fast this is all happening. The government will have control of everything pretty quickly looks like. The sheep will gladly take the mark so they can be fed.

The movie ‘RollerBall’ wasn’t that far fetched after all. Go check it out at the library, or rent it.
Comment by Jon Young — March 6, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
EXCITING TIMES - I feel we’re all finally waking from decades of meaningless slumber.
Comment by Mike — March 6, 2009 @ 6:54 pm
Very interesting reading all the comments.

Does anyone ever feel like the two-party system sets us up to lose sight of what is going on?

Far too many points of argument here are about the people in office, and not about the crap we are facing.

Doesn’t anyone get it? Whether it’s Obama or Bush, global warming or taxes its all the result of our competing desires. Collectively, that mass of junk is closing in on us…because it has been getting junkier and junkier.

Whatever the politicians do is pointless. They aren’t the answer. So I’m going to bring something to this discussion that I haven’t noticed in the previous posts….GOD.

God is involved too you know. Are we looking to Him for help? For clarity? For forgiveness? God deserves more of our thought and energy than these “officials” do. And unlike these officials who have no clue. God does. Guaranteed.

We need to ask for more help. Spiritual help. Because it’s the most powerful and “correct” help we can access.
Comment by Christopher Dittemore — March 6, 2009 @ 7:15 pm
It boggles my mind reading some of these comments.

Let’s stick with simple logic. What does America actually manufacture? The auto industry was the bread and butter for many years, but now they can no longer remain globally competitive because of a myriad of reasons like unions, retirement and taxes that global competitors don’t have.

Yesterday, I found out GM is filing for bankruptcy… staffing agencies are being cut and thousands of job are being vanquished.

What are we left with, where else does out money go?

Consumable items most importantly oil. Why do the rich get richer? Simple, business assets provide income for them. So while these bail-outs appear to be helping our economy, they don’t because it doesn’t stay in America. America the “rich” continually purchases manufacturing from China (Walmart) and oil from the Middle East.

Someone asked for solutions to the mess we are in. Here’s one: we have to stop trying to stimulate a dead system. As Clayton, pointed out, you let irresponsible children learn from the error of their mistakes. Our government in regards to fiscal responsibility is as “childish” as you can get. Stop pumping money into other countries, go back to the basics. Raise (don’t lower) the tariffs on countries that try to sell to OUR consumers. If this doesn’t happen we will forever be unable to compete because of our inadequate system. We just can not compete against businesses in global countries that don’t have the “overhead” of our businesses in America.

Since, we don’t actually provide anything of value for ourselves or other country on basic levels.. we pump money into other economies like China - notice China has a growing middle class while ours is shrinking.

Where do we get this money to keep pumping from our endless wallets? We make it. We do it through our banking system. Easy as pressing a couple buttons. Meanwhile our purchasing power goes down globally - for awhile this was okay because oil had to be purchased only through dollars, but now other countries are tired of carrying America on their back.

So what’s the answer? Nothing too drastic. What would you if you were in debt and had no money coming in? You’d figure out a way to provide value to get money coming in. Hopefully you’d stop using the credit cards and you’d focus on building up asset bases that supplied your liabilities with income. We need to start MANUFACTURING our own goods and market to other countries AGAIN. We need to stop taking the “credit way” to pay for our ineffectual programs.

But don’t expect that to preached from pulpit of American democracy it’s no longer about America anymore, it’s all about globalization. The ULTRA rich own enough businesses, banks, and manufacturing plants in OTHER countries that America can be thrown to the side.

America has gone so far from her roots it’s a wonder that it took this long for her to feel it. Now we will watch as things don’t slow down but build faster and faster until the response of hopelessness sets in.

I admire Clayton for putting his reputation and his business in the cross hairs by bringing up the things that need to be said. However, sooner than later it will be back to business as usual which is letting someone else handle our country’s problems. And unfortunately, our financial IQ won’t go up as a whole until we finally face our problems ourselves and not leave it to global powers that be who don’t care what happens to America the free - the proud - and the brave, but the scariest thing about it all to me is that even with the uncensored Internet media bringing these heinously traitorous crimes to light, nothing is really being done.

C.
Comment by Christopher Dittemore — March 6, 2009 @ 7:17 pm
to Mike: Amen brother. God is our only hope at this point. We as a country need to repent from falling away from our first Love.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 6, 2009 @ 7:21 pm
Fun discussion everyone! Love the feedback — yes even from the Obama groupies.

Cheers, y’all …
Comment by Mike J — March 6, 2009 @ 8:05 pm
Dan White- U got a blog or something? Your startin’ to replace Seinfeld for me as my 1/2 hour electronic entertainment for the day. And by entertainment I mean 1.Pot. then, 2.Bon-bons. (Never together-that would be like…collusion.) …then Seinfeld. Do you really not have a job? Forget copywriting. Write a script, sell it hollywood, and retire. You could be the next Ben Affleck. (Remember…Good will hunting?) Then it’s really bon bon time.

Sittin’ on the fence, and stirrin(or smokin’)the pot,

Mike J

“The road of life is rocky, and you may stumble, too – so while you point your fingers, someone else is judging you!” Bob Marley

“Never make a politician grant you a favor. They will always want to control you forever.” Bob Marley

“It takes a revolution to make a solution.” Bob Marley
Comment by Steve Newdell — March 6, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
Clayton,

You said it! You finally said what I have always felt suppressed to say and here it is:

“• Stupid people: Morons who got knocked up in eighth grade, fried their brains on crack and alcohol, do nothing but inhale Bon-Bons and watch Oprah all day and who’ve made a gazillion other idiotic, short-sighted, self-destructive decisions all their lives. Now, they need you to pay their rent and grocery bills. ”

I have often wondered how so many incredibly thoughless zombies survive, and now we know. The government kept them alive. When government no longer can they’ll meet their day of reckoning. sn
Comment by Chu D. Obii — March 7, 2009 @ 4:26 am
Hey Clayton, thanks for the FREE magalog, and absolutely persuasive article - love the headline as well.

However, don’t you think its a bit to early to reach these HARD conclusion about the NEW government. Don’t they deserve some breathing space???
Comment by The Watcher — March 7, 2009 @ 5:33 am
Who the hell is Obama for real?

Google this:
>> the obama deception <<
Comment by Geoff Dodd — March 7, 2009 @ 7:37 am
Clayton, honest-to-god that was a brilliant and wonderful article. I love the comment: Clayton, do you suffer from Tinnitus? Clayton - I have a web site about relaxing and hypnotizing your outbursts of unadulterated ANGER.

Geoff Dodd
Comment by Gary Fisher — March 7, 2009 @ 12:26 pm
TREMENDOUS analysis and presentation, Clayton. Informative and engaging, honest and intelligent. The only statement I’d take issue with is way up there at the top where you say the Obamunist Manifesto makes you look like a hack. It doesn’t; it makes you look like Solzhenitsyn.
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Comment by KC Clark — March 8, 2009 @ 12:54 am
Someone said this budget is just an extension of Bush’s last budget, which (because of Democrat action) only covered a six month period. They wanted to wait until a Democrat got in office to finish the budget. OK…if that’s the case, send the damn budget to Crawford for Bush to sign! I know for damn sure that he’d veto it…well, as least I’d hope he would.

Clayton, I loved the line: “Father, Son and Holy Cow!” I have another one to add…Our own American AXIS OF EVIL!

I was a commissioned officer in the Air Force for over 24 years. I swore to uphold the constitution against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC! I think we have some true domestic enemies in DC right now, and I just hope we can find legal ways to defend against them.

This was a wonderful article, and I thank you for the clarity and completeness with which you wrote it. I have sent it to hundreds in my mail box.
Comment by Cassandra — March 8, 2009 @ 8:48 am
Hi Clayton,

so WHY didn’t you, or any other top copywriter donate any time and write a ’sales letter’ for Congressman Dr. RON PAUL, the only hope America had??

He was completely marginalized by the sold-out media, and made to seem like a doddering fool, when in fact, he knew how to save our country — by returning us to ‘honest money’ (the gold standard), eliminating the unconstitutional IRS, and getting us out of foreign entanglements (Iraq, Afganistan…)

So yell, b*tch and moan now, but if you had realized the danger and the potenetial, and allied with other copywriters YOU • could • have • made • a • difference…

Cassandra
Comment by Louis — March 8, 2009 @ 8:38 pm
Very nice Clayton…. just love reading your stuff. Thanks
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 9, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
Cassandra, I tried to make a difference last year. I really did. I spent months trying to convince the Libertarian Party to let me help them make a huge splash.

But parties are run by lawyers. Nuff’ said.

So why can’t we do something even more impactful now? Like flood Congress and the White House with letters?

I know for a fact that when a congressman gets a thousand emails on a certain subject it rocks his world.

What we need is a grass roots movement of responsible people who object to paying their flaky neighbors’ mortgages.

Cheers!
Comment by Kris Scheben-Edey — March 9, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
Great article Clayton,

In fact I read it almost three days ago and now I am back to comment. In the days after I read the article I would tell every last person who would hear me out, trying to open their eyes and stop them from becoming another oblivious follower.

Now I’ve thought about it, and I couldn’t agree more with the points that you make in the article. It’s paramount that our decisions have an effect on the quality of our lives and the way we live them. The question I have to ask myself, as an unknowing political bystander, is will there ever be a solution that makes everyone happy? Is it possible?

I cannot take the American economy in my hands like playing cards and arrange it to perfect - I know that it’s far from simple and I’m sure it’s more difficult when you are trying to please an entire country.

It made me think about one possibility, maybe even a light in the growing darkness. Perhaps no plan or policy could right the wrongs, maybe it’s merely a change in thinking, a revolution in ideals and daily attitudes that must happen.

After being both inspired and outraged by President Obama, it leaves me thinking that while the policies and plans may be in need of some changes, the one hope I’ll hold on to is that those inspired - act. That those who seek a better life, fear less limitations - and that the mentality of a good nation will follow it’s own good will.

So in my opinion, whether we view it now as a change for the better or worse - every change presents opportunity. Whether Obama is a good president or not I cannot say, but he is a good marketer, he projects an image of positive change, and he has inspired a nation in need of inspiration.

Will Obama be a good leader, or simply a good marketer? Is there room for both?

Cheers,
Kris
Comment by Cassandra — March 9, 2009 @ 1:15 pm
Good for you, Clayton! (I hope you mainly ‘volunteered’ your services…)
You probably did, you have children…

Next time, why don’t you write something guaranteed to grab the sheeple’s attention — and send it out anonymously!! or collect low-key donations, and put an ad in USA Today — it’ s freedom of speech to publically support a candidate of your choosing, you don’t need theur ‘permission’, esp. if you are boosting them, not libeling them.
Ferget da pstinkin’ermission!!

The Libertarians are sooo disorganized and anarchical– they never manage to avoid falling over their own feet… own worst enemies, almost…
gotta love their spirit, but their execution s*cks…

Best Wishes,
Sue
Comment by Johnny — March 9, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
Clayton,

I’m glad you’re a copywriter. Because as a political commentator, you’re extremely scary… in a bad way. So please stick to copy. When you talk politics, your frontal lobe seems to turn to mush and you just start babbling.

Johnny
Comment by Steve Odette — March 10, 2009 @ 12:59 am
Clayton:

I so admire your political rants… and agree with the overwhelming majority of what you observe and comment on.

I’m not fond of the blatent bigotry or thinly veiled, ignorant hate mongering partisan B.S., or other unfortunate “duh-huh’s” your brave expoundings sometimes instigate from us, your constituents…

I guess it just goes to show that even the best class of folks can be dragged into the bar-room brawl if they are drinking too much of the beer, huh?

Hell, I even “rage” right along with you - whether your copy get’s my emotions up, or the issues and facts do, I’m generally in your corner screaming right by your side.

Well, sometimes I’m facing you when I scream too…

This time however… my observations are not about your pretty much spot on article content, but about the overwhelming volume of comments from folks who are lost, ignorant, really uneducated about… if not the facts, at least the logical representation of them.

To me what is most sad about that is, in my perspective, anyone who at minimum opted to be on your list as a subscriber, must be above average in drive, intelligence, practical and street smarts to see deeper than the spew of bile being fed to them by main stream media.

I mean… I see people actually making arguments on both sides of the fence, tossing verbal exchanges back and forth with virtually NO digging any deeper into what they are saying than their local FOX or CNN… using the spin from the same propaganda machine that had them arguing a completely different song not six months ago.

“As the wind blows…”

To me, that is very sad… I mean, hey… I’m no Einstein to be sure, but when I get an assignment I dig as deep as I can into ALL of the perspectives and facts before I begin my writing… time allowing.

I said it on a post of yours a long time ago.. it’s like listening to a religious argument between, say, to dogmatic polar opposites - in most cases, neither has taken the time to study the other - but they both know they are different and that their opposition is WRONG. Duh.

I bet that the Die Hard Dem’s here still think they know how to define the Democratic party and that the die hard Republicans here still think that party has a clear cut, absolutely opposing view from the Dems… I wonder when either of them actually tried to write down what being a Democrat or Republican means anymore.

Chances are… they have not. At least with Libertarians, you folks have a Mission Statement still. LOL…

One thing though that I feel compelled to remind you about… because I believe that it gets to the very heart of everything you talk around… and sometimes about… and that some folks do allude to… you promised prior to the election to dedicate a post and some time to the REAL problems, where they stem from, and what possible solutions could be…

I’ve not seen that post yet.

Books like “The Creature From Jekyl Island” by G. Edward Griffin bear a serious consideration, or at least the concepts covered in them, agreed?

I know that this, and other reputable and credible works, have been referenced in comments on your political topics.

What if… the true source of all we are now seeing is a group of International bankers and Fabian Socialists who have been patiently and slowly undermining the largest economies of the world to bring about exactly what we are seeing?

What if… the North American Union and the Amero are real and the plan is to bankrupt the American Dollar, combine Canada, the U.S. and Mexico? (and then move on to the next phase of the plan).

What if… the frog (America)is in the pot of water that has been slowly heating up for over 60 years and is just about to reach boiling… rendering the little green guy SOUP, without him even feeling a thing (actually, while he just sits there in ignorant bliss while he’s cooking!)?

The scariest, most ignorant comments I’ve read today are from those people looking right at the problem who are saying… “Nah, it is just another of the same ole thing it’s always been… America will be just fine.”

Boil, boil, boil.. soup.

Anyway… I’m still looking forward to your discourse on the REAL, TRUE source of what is happening and waiting for you to unveil what I believe will point the rage where it belongs… at the puppeteers behind the puppets…

To me, cut the strings of those guys… kick the puppets out… let the pieces fall where they may and watch America rebuild faster, stronger, and more surely than ever under a truly Free Market economy…

Until the process starts all over again… fiat, fractional reserve systems are just too easy greedy to stay gone forever… but I tell you what… we can surely give them a good swift kick in the ass and move them to the next century if we unite.

However, the word unite is easier to spell than to engeander in a people who are all out with different motives and goals. To truly unite, we will all need ONE purpose and goal… and to me… that has been and will continue to be one of our greatest roadblocks…

What ONE GOAL will unite everyone to seek the TRUTH, put aside biases, and find a solution? Unfortunately, poverty, hunger, imprisonment, murder, loss… theft of freedom… are all great unifiers, but having them first seems to be a prerequisite to action.

Bush’s had a great policy for that problem… I think he actually called it a “Pre-emptive Strike.”

Hey, who taught him that big word anyway?

Dang… a mile a minute again…sorry. I’ll stop before I run out of virtual ink or say something I really might regret! LOL…

Keep up the GREAT work… politically and vocationally Clayton.
Comment by Richard — March 10, 2009 @ 3:35 am
Steve, I believe that you see the “Battlefield”.
I also am very much looking forward to the new website Clayton has promised.
Clayton, where is the “forward this to a friend (enemy)” button ??
Comment by Hank Fox — March 10, 2009 @ 11:52 am
Reminds me of how embarrassing movie stars get when they decide that since they’re famous, their every opinion must matter.

Also makes me think of the weird, nasty things that happen when churches get involved in politics. They misuse their power for things it shouldn’t be used for, and they undermine the legitimacy of their reason for existence.

Stick to copy writing in public, and swoon in private over the GOP talking point of the day. You’re not that good at objective thought, kiddo. And once copy writing gets known for blatant political pandering, it will weaken every use of it.
Comment by Hank Fox — March 10, 2009 @ 12:58 pm
Oh, yeah: Good thing none of this was Bush’s doing.

Makepeace, you sound like one of those idiot GOPvangelists. This is making me rethink everything I’ve read here, and not in a good way.

It’s like you think the whole economic world was created the day Obama took office. Yeah, let’s don’t dwell too much on all that past-history stuff. As long as we recognize that every tiny aspect of this economic crisis is Obama’s fault, we can stay focused on the correct conservative response.

Just wait four years — Sarah Palin will save America! (Not.)

And if Obama fails, so much the better for you and all the ditto-heads, huh?
Comment by Hank Fox — March 10, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
And since you’re probably going to delete these comments anyway …

Where the heck was all this burning critique during the past 8 years? Where did you stand on the trillion-dollar Iraq war? Where were you on White House secrecy? Honesty? Signing statements? Environmental regulation? Safety and health oversight? Cronyism? Katrina?

I don’t recall lengthy sales pitches on those matters coming out of your office.
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Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 10, 2009 @ 4:03 pm
FOR HANK FOX (POSTS 121, 122, 123):

Relax, James, nobody’s going to delete your posts.

But you should probably go take a Prozac … and while you’re at it, think …

Do you really think the fact that Bush sucked and the Republican Congress was cowardly justify everything Obama’s historically indefensible policies?

If that’s the best you can do, you’d better find yourself a better party.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 10, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
You know, I’m thrilled that the overwhelming majority of our readers seem to be every bit as concerned about the Bushama doctrine for dealing with this crisis as I am.

I’m equally amused that the only defense the Obama pimps have seems to be, “Oh yeah? Well Bush sucked!”

Well, yes, Bush did suck. And since Obama seems comitted to continuing the Bush doctrine of throwing money at the guilty banks and corporations and consumers who caused this crisis, he sucks too.

And the fact that Reid and Pelosi want to spend billions on pig farts in the midst of the worse financial crisis in 80 years means they suck worse.

And the fact that Obama doesn’t seem to have the stones to live up to his campaign promise to delete pork line-by-line or to stand up to Congress’ terrible twosome and veto this corrupt omnibus bill sucks worst of all.

This is your money they’re giving to big banks, corporations and flaky borrowers. If that’s OK with you, just sit back and smile. Or, if you prefer, run around the room screaming “Bush Sucked!” Makes no difference to me.

But if you object to the Bushama policy, please write your representatives and the president and do it now. If you already wrote ‘em, write ‘em again.

– Clayton
Comment by Hank Fox — March 10, 2009 @ 4:53 pm
And the best you can do, again, is ignore the recent past.

As to histrionics, I wasn’t the one who just wrote an almost 3,500-word attack ad.

Thank you, but no Prozac for me. I even stayed awake during the last 8 years and watched the rotten things done in my country, and elsewhere in my country’s name. Anybody who stayed calm through that — and who is only now starting to squawk that something is wrong – is either stupid or evil.

Just FYI: I’m not a Democrat. I was a registered Republican for close to 20 years (pre-Bush), but I’m sure not now. I’m not thrilled with everything the president is doing, but I heartily approve of the fact that he’s a whole new ball game after the last guy. At least he has a brain.

And all this “Oh, Obama is a socialist!” is right out of the GOP playbook. Bush, Cheney and friends got 8 years of slack … from the press, from Congress, from the Democrats, from the Republicans, from the world, and probably even from you. I’m willing to give Obama a year or so to prove himself, as well as to recognize that there’s no handbook for the vast, unparalleled job he has to do. I expect mistakes, even some big ones.

I’m also willing to recognize that he’s like a doctor handed a patient near death. If it takes him a while to get the patient back on his feet, and if he has to resort to drastic measures in the doing of it, I’m willing to stand back for a bit to see how things go. Joining in the wailing “Oh my God, he’s letting him die!! He’s killing him!!” is a little premature.

The lot of us who disagreed with Bush, in any least little detail, were branded traitors who hated America and told to either shut up or go live with Saddam.

That’s over. So now YOU settle down, Big Shot. You can either take a little criticism, or you can’t. You might be a magnificent copy writer; that doesn’t make you an astute political or economic thinker.

Right now the one choice we have, the one chance we have, is Obama. If he fails, we’re all screwed. Probably worse than you or I can even imagine. I say we support him strongly for the first year, or even two, and see how things go.

….

And again, is THIS the face of copy writing you want to project? This hellishly partisan BS? I think you’re a complete fool to taint your work — and our industry — with this crap. You risk joining yourself (and the rest of us), in the public mind, with the dittoheads: “Boy that Clayton Makepeace, he was pretty good in his day, but then he got all freaky.”
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 10, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
Hey, Hank — you’re too busy yelling to read anything I’ve said.

Sure I’m partisan. But only if you define partisan as objecting to everything both parties are doing.

Accusing me of not being able to take criticism after leaving your posts online just makes you look ridiculous.

If you hated Bush so much, why do you defend Obama now that he’s continuing Bush’s policy of throwing trillions of dollars at this crisis?

Finally, if encouraging taxpayers to demand better government — and to demand that our elected officials stop plundering our checking accounts to pay for pig fart research is “all freaky” …

If being opposed to taxing the innocent to bail out guilty corporations and borrowers is somehow unhinged …

If taking a stand for personal responsibility, thrift and prudent, historically proven monetary policy is a crime …

I plead guilty — and wear my guilt like a badge of honor.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 10, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
Oh. And Hank? Anyone with a brain can see that attacking me does nothing to vindicate Obama’s actions.

Why not educate us on why you support Obama’s redistributionist policies? Show us how this kind of thing has ever worked before.

Hope is not a strategy. Give us facts.
Comment by Clayton Makepeace — March 10, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
Oh — and one last thing: What have I ever done or said to give you the impression that I care one iota what others think of me?

As a copywriter, my clients judge me on the results I produce for them. I produce stellar results, so they pay me hundreds of thousands every month.

My kids will judge me on what I did or didn’t do to help secure a more prosperous future for them. I fight for them and they love me for it.

Beyond that, I couldn’t care less about what anyone thinks of me — although I’m gratified to see that the vast majority of posters on this blog seem to agree with most or all of what I’ve said.

So if it’s OK with you, I guess I’ll just keep on doing what I believe is right — and let you worry about what the rest of the world might say.

– Clayton
Comment by christine pirkey — March 12, 2009 @ 10:54 am
Clayton, thanks for this post. You’ve mentioned all the things I’ve been wondering about lately. I can only hope that most of us come to realize what’s happening before it is too late for us to backtrack at the same time we are moving forward, to stop most of the damage before it can happen.

chris
Comment by Cassandra — March 17, 2009 @ 6:43 am
All right, Clayton, you tried to help the Libertarians, but were turned away. (Idiots!! Great ideas, but they can’t EXECUTE effectively. That’s why almost nobody knows what Libertarians stand for, and they’d LOVE them if they only knew!))

Well… life sometimes gives second chances to be a fulcrum on a LARGE lever for great change…

If you want to bring social-change-through-copywriting, NOW is maybe your second time, Clayton!

Check out the controversy about his possible CONSTITUTIONAL INELIGIBILITY to hold the office of President !!!! He refuses to provide proof ( certified birth certificate, passport, college records, etc) he was ‘natural born’ in the USA).

Even worse, it seems our POTUS may•not•even•be•a•CITIZEN!!!!!!

This has been swirling on the internet for months before the election, but never made it to the mainstream media.

rense.com has a LOT of well-researched and passionate articles, but they lack the ’sales master touch’ to bring the issue to mainstream consciousness.
Or Google writer ‘Devvy Kidd’ . Or email me.

A long sales letter, space purchased in USA Today, or targeted direct mail — selling nothing but our national predicament might be the tool to awaken and mobilize millions of Americans for REAL ‘change’ — back to our Constitution, starting with DEMANDING the proof of citizenship — that our alleged President has REFUSED to provide.

The major problem with this, is–aside from having fast re-elections, and electing Dr. Ron Paul, Bob Barr, or other Libertarian or Constitutionalist– the CONSEQUENCES of kicking out Barry Soetero/o-bummer are ‘unforeseeable’…

At this point, after the Inauguration, a Pandora’s Box of racial warfare, class war, martial law and open fascism could very well be opened that would prove even ‘worse’ than what we are facing now..

Interesting times we live in.
Store food, water filters, faith — ‘guns, grub and God’.

Cassandra
Comment by Tesla — June 15, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
I just HAD to check back and see what was going on in the comments!

I was touched when reading how Clayton tried to help the Libertarian Party and they wouldn’t bite. I really appreciated the sentiment. Thanks, Clayton!

Cassandra,

What if you did some copywriting? Maybe Clayton would at least look it over and give you some tips on how to spice it up and you could give it out for free on torrent and filesharing sites. Donate it to Alex Jones, or whatever. You seem like a bright girl… you could probably do it. I’d even help you. Just do it.
Comment by Diana — December 4, 2009 @ 6:58 pm
Wow… Great post!

I came here to learn about copyright and instead what I got was a lesson in American politics and fear mongering. This entire post to me screams Ayn Rand.

Your examples really helped get the point across. My favorite was the example about the 16 year old twins.
Comment by Buddytronic — May 17, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
Hey the point of the thing is NOT a political attack against Obama here.

I think the point is to show that Obama used some good punchy text copy that appeals to the every-man and sells a political agenda to everyone. Just like the affiliate marketing web stuff with lots of red and black text about a mile long.

Clayton makes a good point to show that the same techniques used to sell you some internet marketing lesson crap are the same techniques used by politicians - be they red devil socialist commies, or right wing bible thumpin rednecks hahaha.
Comment by TV — July 3, 2010 @ 8:25 am
I think we are all responsible for the moral slum that both the USA and the UK have become. Clayton is quite right. Without inventors and risk takers getting due reward the rest of the populace should go out and find a secure cave to live in, together with plenty of ammunition. We all have to accept some responsibility for how things have turned out. We have allowed governments and burocracies to run wild at the behest of activists whose purposes seem to propogate “PC” industries and the like. We don’t want to be “judgemental” about layabouts, scroungers, criminals, and lazy parents who let their children behave badly-and negatively influence our own children. We don’t want to bring corrupt politicans and their self-serving ways to account for their actions. If the (alarmingly few) who actually care about what is happening around them don’t band together and take action I dread to think what the future will hold.
Comment by james — August 31, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
LOL yes we can ! give me that copy writers name .
His or her copy bet every ones by a mega mile.

Join the Discussion!

Let us know what you think. Or ask us anything. Or offer your own sage advice.

The only rule: RESPECT THIS HOUSE! Postings that contain abusive language and/or personal attacks will be cheerfully VAPORIZED. One cross word and – POOF! – your well-thought-out post will be gone in a puff of smoke.

– Clayton

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Hands-down,
the BEST sales copy ever written
for the WORST product ever created

Copywriting Lesson #1:
Have a snappy headline

Copywriting Lesson #2:
Create a common enemy

Copywriting Lesson #3:
Use fear to suspend logic

Copywriting Lesson #4:
Use envy to close the sale.

Nobody ever went broke
by underestimating the intelligence
of the American people.

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Hands-down, the BEST sales copy ever written for the WORST product ever created

Copywriting Lesson #1: Have a snappy headline

Copywriting Lesson #2: Create a common enemy

Copywriting Lesson #3: Use fear to suspend logic

Copywriting Lesson #4: Use envy to close the sale.

Nobody ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American people.

136 Comments »

Join the Discussion!

Navigation

Most Popular Posts

View Posts by Author

View Posts by Subject

Search

Hands-down,
the BEST sales copy ever written
for the WORST product ever created

Copywriting Lesson #1:
Have a snappy headline

Copywriting Lesson #2:
Create a common enemy

Copywriting Lesson #3:
Use fear to suspend logic

Copywriting Lesson #4:
Use envy to close the sale.

Nobody ever went broke
by underestimating the intelligence
of the American people.