Richard Viguerie
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| Richard Viguerie | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933 Texas |
Richard Viguerie (born 1933 in Texas,USA) is a conservative figure head and writer in American politics. He is the current chairman of conservativehq.com, an online blog catering to conservative party members.
In Richards own words, "Pioneered political use of computerized direct mail. That technology was the Internet of its day: it enabled conservatives to get around liberals' dominance of the mass media; it allowed thousands of conservative candidates, organizations and causes to get their messages to grassroots Americans."[1]
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[edit] History
He has been dubbed the "funding father" of modern conservative strategy.[2][3]
Viguerie worked for the Christian evangelist Billy James Hargis in his early career.
In an autobiographical note, Viguerie wrote that in 1961 he became executive secretary of the conservative youth group, Young Americans for Freedom. "Since 1965, owner of direct marketing/advertising companies such as American Target Advertising. Political/campaign strategist, activist and conservative spokesman and writer," he wrote.[1]
Viguerie founded Conservative Digest magazine in 1975 and served as its publisher for ten years. Opposing President Gerald Ford's election, Viguerie in 1976 unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination of the American Independent Party (that had been formed eight years earlier by George Wallace). [1]
In 1977 he worked on a project to raise money for Sun Myung Moon's Children's Relief Fund, which reportedly only received 6.3% of the $1,508,256 raised. $920,000 went to Viguerie according to New York State charity auditors.[4][5]
Viguerie sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia in 1985, but did not receive the nomination at the GOP state convention.
Asked by Campaigns and Elections in May 2000 what his immediate goals were Viguerie answered "To use the Internet to involve Americans in the political process, to help conservatives gain an advantage over the left. To fight against government's use of power, to fight for individual rights and responsibilities, and to fight to extend the blessings of liberty throughout the world."[1]
Writing in The Nation, David Corn noted that Viguerie "raised money for Judicial Watch" and is associated with Larry Klayman, conservative lawyer and activist and Republican candidate for the US Senate from Florida in 2004.[6]
Viguerie has long been associated with conservative activist Howard Phillips through creation of the Moral Majority in 1979.
[edit] Books
Books by Richard Viguerie
- Conservatives Betrayed: How the Republican Party Hijacked the Conservative Cause[7]
- America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power[8]
[edit] Current issues
In May 2006, Viguerie said regarding conservatives' ability to maintain a majority in the U.S. House and Senate: [9] [10] "There is a growing feeling among conservatives that the only way to cure the problem is for Republicans to lose the Congressional elections this fall."
Viguerie's comment on the Mark Foley scandal: "This isn't an isolated situation. It is only the most recent example of Republican House leaders doing whatever it takes to hold onto power. If it means spending billions of taxpayers' dollars on questionable projects, they'll do it. If it means covering up the most despicable actions of a colleague, they'll do it."[11][12]
He is also fighting against The Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 through his petition website known as Grassroots Freedom[13]
[edit] Clients
Viguerie claims to have raised billions of dollars for conservative causes. His clients have included[citation needed]:
- Judicial Watch
- The Conservative Caucus
- Help Hospitalized Vets
- American Conservative Union
- Young Americans for Freedom
- National Conservative PAC
- Christian Voice
- Public Advocate of the US
- Morton Blackwell's Freedom Leadership PAC
- National Pro-Life PAC
- American Freedom Coalition
- The Seniors Coalition
- United Seniors Association
- Sixty Plus Association
- National Center for Public Policy Research
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c "Richard Viguerie", Campaigns and Elections, May 2000
- ^ http://www.bonusbooks.com/authorpage.asp?AuthorID=298
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40634-2004Oct17?language=printer
- ^ Bill Berkowitz, "Richard Viguerie: Still thundering after all these years", Working for Change, a publication of Working Assets, March 4, 2005
- ^ Sara Diamond, Spiritual Warfare: The Politics of the Christian Right, South End Press, Boston, 1989
- ^ http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040329/corn
- ^ Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause, Richard A. Viguerie, Bonus Books, August 2006, ISBN 1-56625-285-7
- ^ America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power,Richard A. Viguerie, Bonus Books, August 2004, ISBN 1-56625-252-0
- ^ David D. Kirkpatrick, "Conservative Christians Warn Republicans Against Inaction", New York Times, May 15, 2006
- ^ Richard Viguerie, "Bush's Base Betrayal", opinion piece, Washington Post, May 21, 2006
- ^ http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/15664059.html
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/04/opinion/lynch/main2059770.shtml
- ^ http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com
