Re: Re:Re:RE: RE: Political ads with phone numbers

[Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com>]

On Tue, 5 Nov 2002 03:35:40 -0500 "Joseph Pappalardo" <joepappalardo2001
> -
> I think they were in the debate...I heard them on talk 
> programs....they were
> in the paper.  (And let's not forget that it's the parties job to 
> get their
> message out....3rd party candidates don't have that resourse.) 

True, they don't currently have the resources to get their message out
there in paid advertising, but I think I can count on one hand the number
of news stories written or broadcast about them in a NEWS context. 
Something that was more than a daily occurrence for O'Brien and Romney.
 
> However, all
> one had to do was hear each of them say 1 nutty thing...and that was 
> it.

If that were really the case there would be no one in office would there.
 (taking tongue out of cheek) given the three "minor" party candidates
running two of them certainly portrayed themselves as having some
"interesting" ideas but there was one that I felt if she had a (D) behind
her name she certainly would have been taken seriously by media and
voters alike.

> The problem was none of them had a message that resonated. ("Small
> Government is beautiful" is nice...everyone heard it...but it's not
> resonating with the public.)

Beyond Carla Howell just repeating her mantra adnauseam whenever she had
the limelight the others, I think, tried to get out a variety of ideas, 
Carla was only focused on that "image liner" so because of the lack of
coverage as compared to O'Brien and Romney it's really about the only
thing people remember.


> It's not necessarily the media telling us...but it's the fact of 
> being a 3rd
> party candidate...you don't have much of a chance..because you have 
> no party
> support behind you.  That's just the way it is.  We could wish for 
> it to be
> different....but it's not.

You are right and wrong.  It is the media telling us be it through news
coverage, lack of news coverage or ad time......you are correct about the
lack of deep pockets in their various parties and lack of ability to play
with the "big boys" but as I posted somewhere else, it's a Catch 22. 
Without the support there is no funding, without the funding there is no
support.


> The libertarians tend to take a bite of the right-wing Republican
> pie...however, Carla Howell does things like come and speak on the 
> Boston
> Common for the potfest (legalize hemp) they held there.  Speaking to 
> all the
> potheads.

I didn't look this up, but I thought it was Stein at that event.  However
Howell may support decriminalization of pot as part of her get government
out of our lives platform.
 
> Now, to round out this discussion about broadcasting...do you think 
> the 3
> minor party candidates should've been at ALL the debates???  Do you 
> think
> broadcast outlets should invite all the candidates to every debate?
> JP

Yes, when voters get to the polls all the names are on the ballot are
they not?  I know that when I voted this morning there were names on my
ballot that I had never even seen before and I work in a newsroom.  If
you are qualified to get on the ballot that makes you a legitimate
candidate IMO.  If you want to make it tougher to get on the ballot in
the first place that's different.   
df