Notice to Readers

This contents of this website were never intended for your eyes or mine. Some explanation is required before you continue reading.

I have been a registered Republican voter for years, and I was invited to attend a rally in the closing days of the 2024 campaign season. I won't say whose rally since that would make me easier to track down. I was even randomly selected for the "VIP meet-and-greet treatment," at least the kind that regular folks get. Not like the $250,000-per-dinner-plate donors get. The rally was an interesting experience — I had doubts about the candidate and wanted to hear the pitch for myself. I didn't find it convincing, but that's not relevant here.

After the candidate hustled off with their staff, I noticed a book on the ground that someone on the team must have dropped. I figured it was a piece of promotional material and took it home as a souvenir, but I was shocked when I opened it up and began reading.

We all know campaigns can be careless with sensitive documents. Just look at what happened when a staffer for Senator Ted Cruz left behind pages of information on his donors. And occasionally classified files get left in a garage by mistake or a ballroom on purpose. This is bigger than any of that. It's the playbook that Republican politicians are using to win this election and will use to rule the nation afterward. The book is called The Republican and the author is Max Kavelli, which is clearly a reference to The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. Whoever said Republicans lack a sense of humor?

I have so many questions about the book and its origin. I do not know how widely it has been shared in Republican circles. Many campaigns seem to rely on its guidance, but it appears to have been written with high-level candidates in mind. My best guess is that it was handed out to a selection of candidates for president, state governor, and key federal Senate seats, probably before the primaries began in early 2024 since it includes tips on launching a campaign. Lower-level candidates are likely taking their cues from those above them, which could explain why they all sound similar. The author appears to anticipate that the text could someday become public, but presumably a risk vs. benefit decision was made by those who commissioned the book to distribute it anyway.

I assume "Max Kavelli" is a pseudonym for the author or possibly an editor pulling together material from multiple authors. That said, the book looks more like the work of a single writer than a group effort like the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise, better known as “Project 2025.” That purpose of Project 2025 is to lay out a detailed plan for political staff to follow after Republican electoral success, whereas this playbook reveals the motives and strategy behind the Republican campaign style.

Kavelli appears to have an online presence but I haven't tried to make contact for obvious reasons. Instead, I decided to set up this website (work in progress!) to share what I found so everyone can judge for themselves. I am trying to add context as I post the text online, either through videos or links to news stories. These additions are clearly marked to avoid confusion with the original contents of the book.

I am transcribing and posting the book's contents for three reasons:

1. I believe it is important for all voters, especially my fellow Republicans, to understand how their leaders are discussing them behind closed doors.

2. The advice in the book shook me to the core. The self-interest and cynicism are breathtaking, but the saddest part is that the tactics described in the book are proving highly effective for manipulating voters. Some of them even had me fooled before I read about them and realized what was going on.

3. People need to go out and VOTE on November 5. Do whatever your conscience tells you, but please consider whether you can trust your future to people who would follow the kind of advice in this playbook.

God Bless America, and may we get the political leaders we deserve.

Violetta Tinari
November 2, 2024