Kochs: “Stand Together” With Us (We’ll Throw You Under The Bus)

February 1, 2016

Charles and David’s latest front-group, Stand Together,” was initially advertised as (essentially) aiming to trick “generally disengaged from politics,” moderate voters into supporting the Kochs’ selfish agenda. Neat idea.

Born from the ashes of Generation Opportunity, the Kochs’ failing “millennial-outreach” front-group, Stand Together — like every Koch group — was from the start clearly developed with political purposing in mind. As referenced above, back in September, CNN described it as an opportunity to activate (and indoctrinate) disengaged, moderate voters.

But now that the Koch PR machine’s behind it, Stand Together claims to be nothing of the sort. On the contrary: Stand Together, the group claims, is about oh so much more than that: “The sole purpose of Stand Together is to make a real difference in real people’s lives by actually solving the problems they have,” Evan Feinberg, executive director of the group,earnestly explained to USA today.

But here’s the thing: it isn’t. That’s just the Koch PR spin. And Stand Together isn’t only active Koch politically-purposed organization masquerading as a benign well-being initiative. Consider AFP Foundation’s Bridge to Wellbeing project, conveniently launched in crucial swing states, which employs subversive outreach tactics like “turkey giveaways” and “couponing classes for the under-employed,” while forcing small-government conservative ideology on America’s working poor.

What inspired the Kochs sudden — brazenly disingenuous — concern for the poor? An exit poll that said Mitt Romney was perceived as lacking empathy and some poll-tested language that said “using the term ‘well-being’ would be a ‘game changer.”

Stand Together’s Feinberg isn’t alone in promoting the Kochs’ public image boost.vThe group has also brought on Bob Woodson, an architect of President George W. Bush’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives — and a professional when it comes to misleading voters in service of an agenda filled with ulterior motivations. A 2006 book detailed that the office was “used almost exclusively to win political points with both evangelical Christians and traditionally Democratic minorities.

There you have it. Who better than Bob Woodson to take the reins of the latest phony Koch front group, as the two brothers ramp up their “We only have you’re best interests at heart, and this is not at all politically motivated, America’s poor” initiatives?

Charles and David Koch are preparing to deploy $889 million to buy as much influence as they can in 2016. There’s only so much they can gain by running disingenuous attack ads on Democratic candidates, so Charles and David are resorting to an equally dishonest means to push their selfish agenda: using “well-being” outreach initiatives to convince low-information voters that the Koch Way is best for them — when, in fact, the opposite is true.

The “well-being” nonsense is all PR. Charles and David Koch’s only concern is their bottom line and their selfish-agenda that lines their pockets at the expense of hardworking Americans. The billionaire brothers will do whatever it takes to bolster candidates who’ll back them up — and that includes manipulating as many voters as they can into supporting them.

Paid for by American Bridge 21st Century Foundation