We all know that catalog companies sell their mailing lists, but the prime sellers of lists have got to be political groups. Whenever I get a political solicitation (besides those sent to all residents in a particular zip code), it amuses me to try and guess which list I’m on, especially when I get e-mails like the one from the Dwight Pelz campaign ^[1] which addresses me as a “Democratic Activist”. While I’m all about democracy, I’m not much of an activist, really, and I’m definitely not a Democrat. (I’m not a member of any political party, I’m a true independent.)

Since I get a lot of these sorts of e-mails, I’m used to the usual pet phrases used to describe the candidates. That’s why this paragraph really stood out (emphasis mixed, bold theirs, italics mine):

Dwight is a true political progressive, and a fighter on the issues we care about. He combines an ardent progressive view of the world with his practical work as a local elected official. Whether he is opposing the war on Iraq, attacking Bush’s proposal to privatize Social Security, or advocating for mass transit on the Sound Transit Board, he combines intellect, passion, and a sense of humor to communicate and lead in Seattle.