How BigGovernment.com and FreedomWorks Took Down the Voice of Geico
by Matt KibbeUPDATE: The headline of this post has been corrected since publication.
***
The Tea Party community and its ethos of decentralized leadership and individual freedom is under an orchestrated attack from left-wing apparatchiks, elected Democrats, and their cheerleaders in the liberal media. Having suffered through bomb scares, hostile abuse, death threats, and racial slurs, we are now called every epithet in Webster’s, from “phony,” to “astroturf,” “redneck,” “racist,” “domestic terrorist,” “mentally retarded,” “seditionist,” and “potential killer.”
All this because we choose to petition our government in peaceful protest for a redress of policy grievances? For practicing our First Amendment rights, they smear our moral character. It’s as if they are afraid to debate their big government ideas on the merits.
Its time to draw a line in the sand. Its time to call out the bad actors, the crashers, and the haters. We judge people as fellow individuals, based on the content of their character, and based on their individual actions. We will self-police our community and let openness, sunlight, and transparency shine the spotlight on individuals behaving badly.
So when we received the hostile message left on a FreedomWorks’ staffer’s phone by D.C. Douglas (a.k.a., Lance Baxter), with return phone number, we checked him out. He is the voice actor who does the Geico ads. (Not the gecko, thank goodness). We posted his message calling us and all tea partiers “mentally retarded” on biggovernment.com. We asked tea partiers to call him and Geico customer service and let them know that they were not, in fact, mentally retarded killers.
Geico cut D.C. Douglas loose.
Now the perpetrator claims to be the victim. Me, I’m a “douche bag.”
There is power in accountability. You have it, that power to speak up, to act in non-violent civil disobedience. As the Reverend C.L Bryant asked the crowd of 40,000 peaceful protestors gathered on the Washington Mall at last Thursday’s Tax Day Tea Party: “Is there any one out there that will stand up for American principle?”
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208 Comments
I'm betting there are a few less GEICO customers too.
You can bet that aeven caveman would had have enough commin sense to not do something this hone-headed!
Back when Candice Bergen was the Sprint spokesperson, she was running around calling anyone who supported prop 187 here in CA a racist or worse. (I think it was 187. It's been awhile.) Sent Sprint a letter indicating that I didn't appreciate that at all. Got the usual reply. "She's a private citizen." "She's entitled to her opinion." "Her views don't represent…" etc, etc. I replied to them indicating that she certainly was a private citizen, entitled to her views. Further I was entitled to absolutely reject her views in whole or in part. Sprint hired her as a spokesperson because when I saw her, they wanted me to think Sprint. It was working. When I saw her acting like an idiot, I saw Sprint acting like a bunch of idiots. It's been almost 15 years and Sprint still hasn't seen another dime of my money.
When Michael Jordan was asked to endorse a Democrat politician, he pointed out that a lot of Republicans wear his shoes. Smart man.
This is all a long way of saying that your wallet gives you great power over the nuttiness perpetrated by companies and their spokespeople. Use it!
Why? GEICO cut him loose, showing how they felt about it, too (IMO).
So, why is that people on here had a problem with the gays boycotting El Coyote?
The MOST important part of this article, to me, is that the fired voice actor was NOT the guy that voices the gecko. Oh thank goodness! I love that gecko. Just the dude that reads the other copy? Fine, he's totally replaceable.
Between the annoying gecko and the ridiculous cavemen, I would never buy Geico anyway. Now yet another reason.
Um, what? Are you typing with a bowling ball?
Let me get this straight. He calls YOU. (you didn't call him) He makes idiotic statements on YOUR answering machine and leaves his number. And you are the douchebag?
Is the Geico voiceover man an imbecile? Does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle?
NOT leaving creepy and insulting messages on an answering machine…so simple even a Caveman can do it.
Actually, If I were GEICO, I would use this as an opportunity. I would create an ad that puts the average TEA party advocate, like grandma with a "lower my taxes on my grandchildren so they can breath!" sign, marching on washington, just then a motorcades comes rushing by and smacks into truck, BANG, smoke flames, secret service runnning around with there hand by their ears, camera pans back to our old lady, she flips around the sign which reads – GEICO, "We'll insure anyone, even this idiot."
This actually makes me feel more positive toward GEICO.
Outstanding!
So, you got a guy fired for expressing his opinion. Nice job, Douche Bag.
I guess if I was named after a generic 70's porn actor I'd change my name to something cooler like "D.C. Douglas" too
Theocracy, My thoughts exactly….thanks for making me laugh
He didnt get him fired , he got his own self fired and its HILARIOUS!
Liberals are not known for their intelligence.
The guy represented a company. His actions and words reflect upon said company. So the guy got himself fired. The thing in his head that most people have that tells them NOT to do or say dumbassed things must be damaged.
Is that you, Lance?
Never, ever do business with Geico. Warren Buffett controls them, anything that puts money in his pocket is bad. Worst of all though, they take your premium money and donate radar guns to police departments so they can ticket their customers and drive their rates up.
I can't wait to use this reply in my own conversation, Theocracy. Hilarious!
Not quite. GEICO did not have to fire the guy – they could have come to his defense. They did not. They likely have policies in place – as do most large concerns – that address this sort of idiocy, because it reflects badly on any company when a spokesperson puts such a message anywhere – whether on an answering machine, a letter to an editor or a blog post. Companies have the right to protect themselves too, plus they are obligated to their stockholders to protect their reputation (something GM has been loath to do).
BTW FIF, did you actually read or hear the message that Douglas/Baxter left? If any conservative had left such a message at an ACORN or MoveOn-type organization you bet that the left would jump on them with boots on.
"When Michael Jordan was asked to endorse a Democrat politician, he pointed out that a lot of Republicans wear his shoes. Smart man."
Yeah, if there's one thing I've seen a TON of at Young Republicans meetings, it's guys in Air Jordans /eyeroll/
First of all, he wasn't expressing his opinion. He was hurling insults. I know for lefties that's one and the same but there's a difference.
Second, he learned the hard way that words have consequences.
Liberals try to dismiss Tea Partiers as a small, ineffectual group of idiots. But Geico drops their spokesman like a hot baby the instant he insults them. That's proof Tea Parties are having an effect on the political climate.
Should be interesting to see what happens if he sues Geico. On one hand, there's nothing wrong with this guy being anti-Tea-Party, even passionately so. Nobody cares what he thinks or how he votes. On the other hand, his hateful rants in a public forum could be said to reflect poorly on Geico's image, thereby damaging its business. If someone was paid specifically to be a company's public representative and later dirties up his personal image, is it legal to fire him? I don't know. It happened to Tiger Woods. It's happened to other athletes and celebrities and nobody seems to have questioned its legality.
You can edit after the post.
That's the thing about spouting off Freeloafer. There are consequences! Are you free to call your boss and panty-waisted moron without expecting any consequenses? I think not. Remember, freedom isn't free!!
Republicans and conservatives have been let go for decades because people complained over far less that what this man was doing. Good for Geico! If were calling into account irresponsible speech, then it needs to go both ways.
Don't diss the caveman. Love the caveman.
I think you're nothing more than anti-caveist!
So glad this nut lost his job. He seems like he's pretty hard up for work too given how desperate his website sounds. Maybe now he'll get to experience what it feels like to be unemployeed in Obama's America.
Dumb comment.
Like your handle, though.
What I find funny is the rightous indignation of being outed that Mr. Baxter writes of on his blog.
It appears many forget that when Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher had the audacity to ask a respectful question to a candidate for public office he was villified by the media, had private records researched and information released by government employees.
Remember, it is alright to do said things if you are liberal. If you are a conservative you a racist, homophobe idiot…..at least that is the impression given by many media outlets.
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn. This clown isn't even worth reporting on. He's a faceless voiceover troll.
Mmmmm…Flo. I'd hit dat.
Opinion? More like borderline slander.
Yep, we wear deck shoes to the meetings. /sarcasm . . .way to stereotype there, MovieBob! :p
*MissQuinn*
No, he made a vile and hateful public comment and therefore became a potential liability to his employer. It´s the voice actor equivalent of a fashion model getting a facial tattoo.
Joe Wurzelbacher didn´t harm anyone and you Obama drones smeared him for months, aired his tax details – I bet you were really upset by that.
Wow. If this guy wasn't a Neo-Comm nutrag I'd be surprised at his sheer stupidity. Leaving your full name with phone number???? LOL!!!!
Yeay, "Lance Baxter" definitely sounds like another stage name. I wonder how many aliases this guy's got? If you peel them away like the layers of an onion, do you eventually come to "Chatzkel Buchbinder?"
*** So, you got a guy fired for expressing his opinion. Nice job, Douche Bag. ***
So, let me see if I've got this right:
Douglas places a call to Freedomworks, leaving an insult-laden tirade of a message to voice his hatred of the Tea Party movement.
That's called "expressing his opinion".
Tea Party members place a call to Geico to express their displeasure at Douglas for publicly slandering them for nothing more than the fact that they are exercising their 1st amendment rights.
That's called being a "douche bag".
You Lefties never stop screaming at Goldstein, do you?
Get in line.
P.S. Don't get me wrong – I'm certainly not equating the agitprop disseminators and dissemblers at ACORN and MoveOn.org to FreedomWorks – they were just the two leftist activist organizations that immediately popped into my head.
Don't buy Progressive Ins. either.. The CEO, is in bed with Soros.
You CAN? How? Please tell me because I am constantly making mistakes I catch too late.
Seems like Geico and other companies that have dropped spokespersons must know what they're doing, legally. We don't seem to hear of too many firees using the "What I do off camera is my own business" defense. I imagine there's some sort of public image clause in their contracts. Whether DC had one…who knows?
I don't know. I heard they're not even real cavemen.
you have to be signed up with intense debate
The rant wasn't in a public forum; he left a message on FW's voicemail. Kibbe made it public.
the stupid eyeball money pile thing!!!!ARGHH
There is nothing more amusing than to see the Left being whupped by the same 2×4 it swung at the Right.
Oh, blowback is so beautiful!
This is our real strength, if “we” the Tea Party people put our wallets away board rooms across America will snap to attention. We have the ability to starve the beast…boycott!
Non-Joe the non-Plumber was on the teevee when he made his comments, then sought out fame and notoriety. He was vilified because he said dumb things, wrote a dumb book and tried to make a dumb country album.
I read the interview this guy gave (Douglas/Baxter), and I didn't really see any part of it where he claimed to be especially victimized. I will say that it wasn't a smart move for someone who does what he does for a living, but he appeared to do it in his capacity as a private citizen and not in some blog or something. So victim–no. Kibbe as douchenozzle? I think you can make a pretty compelling case for that, although I'm not sure whether Douglas actually called him one.
FreedomWorks is an organization designed to make money for Dick Armey, and has created a false grass roots organization as a value added on behalf of Dick Armey's corporate clients. Prior to being asked to resign from DLA Piper, the lobbying firm which paid him $750k per year, he was performing both jobs (Piper and FW), and drawing a $550k salary from FW. That's $1.3mil for those of you without a slide rule. I didn't know caring so much paid so much.
I don't think that d-bag (I mean Kibbe) earns that, but I'm sure the feeling of satisfaction that comes from saving the country from the clutches of Socialism (Nazism, Fascism, Islam-ism, Kenyan-ism, etc.) is probably reward enough.
This guy is digging himself a deeper hole. Over at BreitbartTV there is this little gem:
http://www.breitbart.tv/teabagger-boogie-ex-geico...
Funny, I feel a bit like the Geico caveman sometimes.
I'm enjoying a movie when suddenly the filmmakers call me an idiot!
"Ubbelievable!", I shout while storming away from the TV.
I agree – compare that to Nike and Tiger Woods
Wow. This is almost as stupid as the burglar that left his facebook page open on one of his victim's computer. What a fool.
Thank God for the New Media. Think about what Big Government in its short life has accomplished – taken on ACORN and now this idiot (former) GEICO spokesman.
This is called "No expectation of privacy" combined with "Employed at will." This is also called not being in a union. Which is why unions are bad. Dumb people that do this crap to children get to remain in the classroom when they indoctrinate innocent children to tell their parents to recycle or vote for the school budget so some local senior can switch from human food to the pet variety – so your little johnny can have one less kid in his class.
Or State Farm, they are corporate sponsors of LaRaza.
Do you miss the point on purpose or does it just happen naturally?
No comparaison. Tiger fouled everything that moved. This fellow fouled himself.
That's nonsense! That's libel!
[Luke Skywalker] "That's not true! That's impossible!!! [/Luke Skywalker]
Would you like fries and a shake to go with that Red Herring Value Meal, sir?
Hey… Buck O'Five…
Go get your shinebox.
It happens naturally – MovieBob is practically an institution here at Big Hollywood, from the days of Libertas. We've learned to just smile and nod and go on…bless his pea-pickin' little heart…
We learned these tricks from the lefties.
Thanks, douche bag.
HTML 6.0 needs Luke tags.
I like to call him out when possible. Make him explain and justify his statements. He usually can, but that's more to pick at.
As a former modern liberal I can see the chinks in the armor.
Seriously. .Hack//GU is on his voiceover resume. About 8 people played that game, and only 4 will admit it. That's the best he could show?
USAA supports our military though. Great rates, too.
Yeah, that's hard to watch.
Actually, Geico fails branding 101. What are they, a wad of cash, a lizard, a caveman (I'm sure I'm missing something)?
What BuckwheatPicard said.
I did the same thing to Time magazine a couple of years ago. I wrote a letter to the editor telling him I wanted to subscribe to an honest, investigative journal, not some teenage fanzine hack partisan rag.
So I told them I and my money are going elsewhere. And I did. I still get both emails and snail mails begging me to come back, offering me their crap for like 12 cents a copy. The joy I get at deleting and throwing those out is priceless.
And I have found a wonderful magazine to take it's place.
http://www.reason.com
Well, I guess he's got more time to kill. He's too stupid to realize that the is the bigot he claims to hate.
I know it's become a cliche to quote Orwell in a political discussion, but when I see how the Left and their media cronies demonize the Tea Party movement with zero evidence to back up their claims, this quote from 1984 nags at me: "Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two equals four. If that is granted, all else will follow."
In this case, we are not being allowed to say that two plus two equals four. Instead, we are being told that the Tea Party movement is funded by the insurance companies (even though it's not, and most insurance companies support Obamacare), that it's full of angry white racists (even though the protests have been ethnically diverse, and have not contained any racist language or signage), that its members are violent (even though millons of people have attended them over the past year and there has not been a SINGLE act of violence).
The truth is so blindingly obvious that to deny it is like saying that the sky is not blue or that water is not wet, yet the liberal media and people like Mr. Douglas still cannot see reality. Well, they'll finally figure it out in November.
Cool, now what do we have to do to get you fired?
Avoid them like the plague. I had them for a couple of years back in the 1980's, and I had to deal with them once when I got rear ended.
My experience with them has told me to never deal with them again if I can avoid.
WORST. COMMERCIAL. EVER.
Are they the ones with the guy that asks the crazy questions like "Is Ed Too Tall Jones, too tall?"
Those are funny…
I got distracted half way through his rant by the back ground image on my computer.
The Captial One Barbarians are better….
Some local idiot would-be bank robber wrote his demand for money on the back of his own pay stub. Had his address and everything.
Joe, I suppose you're trying to be dismissive of Tea Party members, as Democrats often try to do, by making fun of an imaginary Tea Party advocate. But it's hard to understand your joke since you can't spell or compose a sentence. Try breathe not "breath," a motorcade not "a motorcades," their hand not "there hand" etc. etc.
I especially like the part where "a motorcades comes rushing by and smacks into truck, BANG"… impressive writing!
Ironic how you call your fictional person an idiot
Well, if you want to talk about that, then I hope you've been paying attention to bag o' shit that dems in congress are working on.
Its going to create a tax payer funded mega fund to continually bail out financial businesses. That's what's called financial reform by the left.
I have to say tho, the one with Peter Graves was pretty funny. Of course, that was due to the late Mr. Graves' delivery than anything.
"So I put on some tangerine lip gloss and answered the door"
Do you actually read the comments before posting?
As if he actually has a job….
I think his comment was for "Freedom Isnt Free" the 1st poster.
Who expects conservatives to just STFU.
I think the DC what's his name has already filed a lawsuit.
Typical whining liberal- give me some free money.
I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am….
I'm not trying to be dismissive in the pejorative of the TEA party movement. I'm proud of it and hope that it develops candidates that win in Republican primaries, one was selected to run in my district, and so far I don't smell a rat, I smell lady liberty about to kick the Republican establishments ass. I'm trying to make lemon aid out of the lemons that this fellow brought to GEICO, through no fault of GEICO. Apologize for my ham fisted typing, I will try to do better in the future, feel free to use the red pen.
So predictable. Rather than debate the issues, you go straight to the personal attacks and juvenile little comments about how "dumb" those who disagree with you are. It's all you have in your worn out little bag of tricks.
So Dick Armey is to blame?
A fellow over at the Breibart site had a good comment:
I can see November from my house.
I'm a pot hole!
Sorry, Ed – I was just yanking the guy's chain. I should have put a sarcasm tag in there. The former CEO and now COB of Progressive, Peter Lewis, is a huge leftie and a buddy of Soros. All I've read about Progressive is in line w/ what you said. I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole; maybe an 8-foot Hungarian, but not a 10-foot Pole.
Hmmm….isn't it your boy in the WH that is bailout crazy? Pot, meet kettle.
Wow. This buffoon make's Tiger's vm seem rather innocent.
Charlie Daniels plays quite the mean fiddle
The "Dude, you're getting a Dell!" guy was dropped like a hot rock when all he did was get busted for some weed he used as a private citizen. I don't know the where and how of that incident, but I'll bet there was something in his contract that said something about him keeping some sort of "good" public persona. I do have a problem with people losing their jobs because of civil legal action, but it is the employer's prerogative to hold people to their contracts.
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