CAMPAIGN INSIGHT, November 1, 1975

 

TECHNIQUES SUCCESSFUL IN CALIFORNIA INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN

 

An early loss in an initiative campaign led California’s People’s Lobby to develop a list of hard-learned lessons which turned the tables in their favor in a later initiative effort. Here, Dwayne Hunn tells CI readers how those lessons were successfully implemented.

 

The Political Reform Initiative For California...

    

     In 1972 People’s Lobby lost the Clean Environment Initiative Campaign, after becoming the first grassroots or­ganization in California history to qualify an initiative. That campaign taught them one can’t fight a political war without a fort, machinery and a standing army.

From that 2.1 electoral loss Peo­ple’s Lobby learned some lessons on “how-to-win” for 1974. They learned they had to:

—counter high powered ad agen­cy tactics that relied on strung news, scare-the-voter tactics, big name drawing and huge budgets.

—convince reputable groups to support their causes.

—have a strong, full-time leader and vote him near dictatorial powers during a campaign.

—develop a membership base and source of income that al­lows the work to be spread in initiative campaigns, keep a modestly paid staff working, file court cases —and general­ly remain in the public eye as a thorn in the side of the corrupt parts of the system.

From 1972-74 People’s Lobby started filling those needs by pyramiding machinery. The three printing presses, dark room, enlarger, collator, stamper, addressograph. switchboard and later book binder, TMX machine and com­poser may not have been as new and fancy as the ad agency’s; but it let PL compete with the bigs on a technologi­cal battlefield.

In 1974 the opponents’ strung news could be answered with a press release the same day. Media became accustomed to hard hitting PL press releases flowing across their desks and the soundness of those releases soon helped make People’s Lobby a familiar and re­spected name to Californians.

During the campaign people could buy PL books, read transcripts of their court cases and receive professional solicitations. Other groups, politicians and companies came to PL to have their printing done and this income helped sustain the Political Reform Campaign.

In 1972, PL believed their initiative to clear the smoggy skies was so good that name groups would naturally support them. Such wasn’t so.

One month after that defeat, and regularly thereafter, the Steering Board of PL wrote every political group and elected official in the state informing them of the Lobby’s progress in writing an initiative to get big money and vested interests out of the political system. PL sought their input. The results:

       --Early in 1974 then-Secretary of State Edmund Brown and Com­mon Cause came to PL’s door say­ing they were into the same cause. PL had the initiative experience and energy to do it. Brown and Common Cause had reputable names and money-attracting abil­ity. After thrashing out some dis­agreements, a coalition was formed.

       --Many groups and officials ignored PL solicitations for input, probab­ly feeling the rash, upstart PL couldn’t pull it off. Documenting efforts in soliciting that input strengthened PLs image during the campaign. When those who ig­nored giving input began nay say­ing the initiative, PL pointedly asked where their input and criti­cism was when the document was being created.

In California radio and TV talk shows are an important source of influencing voters and they are free. Every time PL’s seasoned leader, Ed Koupal, came into any town the volunteers there would book him on all available talk, public affairs or news shows. Working the system for 18 hours a day, he always seemed to have an incisive revelation, uttered in salty terms, on the state of Calif­ornia politics.

 

               SEMINAR ALERT

 

              Campaign Associates is now taking advance registrations for its 1975 seminars on fund raising and practical political techniques.

POLITICAL FUND RAISING TECHNIQUES, a one-day semi­nar, is offered December 10, and February 4. Fee is $125.00 per person.

The three-day PRACTICAL PO­LITICAL TECHNIQUES seminar is offered December 11, 12 and 13; and February 5, 6 and 7. Fee is $195.00 per person.

Participants enrolled in both seminars receive a discount fee of $280.00.

All seminars will be held at the Holiday Inn Plaza, Wichita, Kan­sas. For more information contact:

CAMPAIGN ASSOCIATES

408  Petroleum Building

                   Wichita, Kansas 67202

                     Phone (316) 265-7421

 

To catch the attention of small-town California, a 700 mile walk for Political Reform was charted up the coast and into Sacramento. Ed was there too —to get front page coverage on the little newspapers. Media coverage, belief in the cause and acting as a winner helped Ed garner votes and new mem­bers, too.

When the battle clouds cleared in November 1974, Californians had passed the Political Reform Initiative with a record 70 percent of the vote. Now the law limits statewide cam­paign expenditure, reveals campaign sources, harnesses lobbyists’ influence, cuts incumbents advantages and re­veals and ends conflicts of interest on regulatory boards and by public of­ficials.

To make that initiative law, People’s Lobby needed — and had:

—pyramided political machinery.

—a Steering Board that thrashed out ideas and campaign wrinkles.

—an appointed leader to direct the day-to-day campaign.

—alliances with reputable name groups and individuals.

—media support — at least enough to be heard.

—knowledgeable, hard working volunteers.

—a constant offensive that came from sources, research, exposes, documentation, a clean track re­cord, a good lawyer and much energy.

—campaign experience to avoid con­frontations, including debates, that allowed the opposition to color political reform with doubt and emotionalism.

 

PUNCHCARD VOTING GAINS POPULARITY

This coming election year, about 15 percent of registered voters nationwide will be using the punchcard system —where a metal stylus punches out num­bers on a computer card that corres­ponds to candidates.

    By 1980, 50 percent will be voting via this method and within the next ten years the punchcard system will likely have replaced the obsolete lever-type of voting machines completely.

     The sheer expense of hauling voting machines, weighing an average of 1,000 pounds, from storage to polling place is one reason they are rapidly being phased out. Another is that they are constantly going on the fritz and causing all kinds of election hang-ups.

The punch in method is essentially fool-proof and by going directly to the computer from the polling place, elections can be certified quicker and with greater accuracy.

 

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122 precincts store fronts provided the contact points for John Lindsay in his successful race for Mayor of New York City.