(lifesize Styrofoam cutouts courtesy of FReeper Howie)
and
(bumper stickers courtesy of FReeper antaresequity
Posted on 09/01/2002 12:48:17 PM PDT by RonDog
IMHO, members of this forum need to "supplement" the traditional campaign now being conducted by the Simon team with the kind of "guerilla" tactics for which we are uniquely suited. Our overall STRATEGY should be to effectively communicate one simple message to the undecided "swing" voters in this state:
The evidence against him is overwhelming, from Oracle and Metabolife, to dioxin dumping, plastic pipe and the prison workers, Gray Davis is for sale to the highest bidder. He is thoroughly unscrupulous, a money-grubbing poster boy for everything that is wrong with America. Corrupt politicians who sell political favors for cash CANNOT be trusted, and MUST not be re-elected.
We need to hammer home this message with images of Gray Davis as a bribe-taking, favor-granting, "Pay for Play" whore:
The TACTICAL plan that I believe will be most effective in implementing this strategy is political "street theater" using FReepers dressed in costumes to represent larger-than-life cartoon characters for each candidate:
Total cost for both costumes (with accessories) should be under $200, so that we could have MULTIPLE "morality plays" going on at "Dump DAVIS" FReeps across California.
The possibilities to generate media coverage are endless.
I can imagine promoting some kind of professional wrestling-type confrontation between these two colorful characters, ending everytime with "Super SIMON" stuffing the "Gray DIVA" into a giant garbage can - perhaps butt-first - and wheeling the Davis-in-a-Dumpster around on a handcart like the one used by movers to lift refrigerators. Perhaps there could be OTHER FReepers dressed as "Johns" who give him bribes, carrying signs like, "Dioxin Dumpers for Davis."
This kind of "eye candy" should be IRRESISTIBLE to TV news producers, wire service photo editors, talk radio hosts, and political commentators EVERYWHERE, in spite of their liberal bias. (The images will be too good to ignore!)
Simple, powerful IMAGES are the best way to communicate with the MTV generation, and THESE images will work.
The time to start PLANNING is now.We should probably wait until after the 9-11 anniversary activities are over, before we actually roll out the "street theater," but there is PLENTY of advance preparation to keep us busy:
Who will BUY the costumes? (I already have one complete set on order)I am open to ANY and ALL suggestions, and would LOVE to see as many members of this forum as possible directly effect the outcome of this critical election in California, but with or without support, **I** will be out there.
Who will WEAR the "Gray DIVA" costumes? (I will do this in L.A., if I can keep the mask on.)
Who will wear the "Super SIMON" costume? (Someone who photographs well, and can speak articulately to the press would be nice - and would NOT need to wear a mask.)
How do we PROMOTE this? (We need talk radio hosts, TV cameras, press releases, talking points.)
Who will DOCUMENT it? (Digital pictures and video for an after-FReep report here.)
What kind of FLYERS should we hand out? (I know of bumper stickers, and styrofoam cutouts.)
How OFTEN, and WHERE should we FReep? (I like the idea of actually going to a GARBAGE DUMP, or "waste management facility" - although the logistics could be tricky.)HOW should we co-ordinate with the OTHER "Dump Davis" campaigns? (We need to combine our forces.)
Who will get Davis' calendar? (We need to know his schedule for MAJOR events, so we can haunt him.)
Should we appear with Bill Simon anywhere? (We need to communicate with them, even if we do NOT.)
What do we do about COUNTER-protesters? (We need to co-ordinate with local authorities, get permits.)
WHO WILL JOIN ME?
If you cannot join us physically, how about posting your IDEAS here?
Inside Politics/Cold as ice (Gray Davis)/Strategic advice (Bill Simon)So what do you think, Jim?
Posted on 03/20/2002 1:51 AM Pacific by Jim Robinson
Excerpted from The Washington Times | 3/20/02 | Greg Pierce
Inside Politics
Cold as ice (Gray Davis)/Strategic advice (Bill Simon)Cold as ice
"After three years in office and an easy primary win, [California] Gov. Gray Davis faces a strange problem: More California voters than ever actively dislike him," the Los Angeles Times reports. "When asked why, in a Times poll last month, voters most often blamed his handling of the power crisis.
Beyond performance-related gripes, many said in follow-up interviews, that he seems soulless and ambitious, a tactitian who sees all issues through the lens of political advance," reporter Robin Fields writes. "'He's as cold as ice,' said John Cohen, a Los Angeles Democrat who voted for Davis in 1998, but is undecided about whether to do so again in November. "The pragmatic Davis has never pretended to offer much in the way of warm fuzzies. "Still, heading into the long middle section of his re-election bid, he faces a decision. Should he try to woo the disaffected? Or should he use his resources to target his Republican opponent, Bill Simon Jr., accepting voters' reluctant embrace? Put another way, must Davis be liked to win?"Strategic advice
Rep. Bill Thomas, California Republican, said there is a clear strategy for Bill Simon to win the California governor's race: Spend lots of money now to define incumbent Democratic Gov. Gray Davis for the electorate. "I don't believe Republicans can win by running a positive campaign with someone who doesn't have a track record. I think what you have to do is define Davis, so when you do run, people know who you're running against. And you've got to do it early," Mr. Thomas said. But he said the task won't be easy: "Starting dead even following the primary, our chances are pretty slim. It would take a very creative campaign...
Can FReepers be "creative" enough to Dump DAVIS?
Perform live Exorcisms on Democrats while on the streets!Exactly!
Couldn't hurt!
Except the "devil" that we will be casting out needs to be Gray DAVIS, and the exorcist Bill SIMON!
We need to FOCUS on the message:
"Vote for Bill SIMON, and Dump DAVIS!"
Yes I'm voting for Simon...VOTING for Simon is good...
Now, how about FReeping for him? Seriously, what part of the state can you visit?And, how good do you look in fishnets and garters? :o)
And, WHEN is your next "Dump DAVIS" FReep?
california: Simon offers ethics plan and a dig at Davis -What a GREAT idea!!!
The Sacramento Bee ^ | Friday, August 30, 2002 | Gary Delsohn -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Posted on 08/30/2002 1:49 PM Pacific by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The GOP challenger shrugs off grim polls as a result of his rival's negative ads.
Calling Gray Davis a "failed governor," Bill Simon released an ethics plan Thursday that he said would "restore accountability and trust in our government."
Davis' Republican challenger unveiled his plan one day after a statewide poll showed considerably more voters trust Davis over Simon when it comes to "maintaining high ethical standards in government."
Simon, conceding his political campaign has been damaged by a $78 million jury verdict of fraud against his family investment firm, attributed the poll results to Davis' aggressive television ad campaign attacking Simon's record in business.
"It's up to, I believe, $18 million Davis has spent tarnishing my business record, my charitable activities, pretty much every area of my life," Simon told reporters after a speech Thursday to the Rotary Club of Sacramento. "I'm not surprised to see that.
"Once we get up on the air and tell our side of the story, I think that's going to change."
Simon, who recently laid off half his campaign staff so that he would have enough money to start advertising heavily after Labor Day...
-- snip --
To: Saundra Duffy
They're not really bumper stickers. They are moving signs.
A dump truck is at least eight feet tall. At 11 X 22 the signs will be visible for twenty car lengths.
Think of it, 95° in LA, ten miles an hour on the 405...There it is in front of you, for minutes at a time...
Stuck in Traffic?
Dump Davis!Here was the prototype:
20 posted on 8/30/02 4:29 PM Pacific by Carry_Okie
Please tell us MORE!
I have arranged for Statewide distribution through clandestine channels...Very interesting!
WHERE do you expect these several thousand black on electric yellow signs to actually end up?
Can we get a few dozen for local "Dump DAVIS" FReeps?
You missed my fave wit duh Bray Davis an Hizzoner!LOL!
Davis as a Dallas Cowgirl, though?
Somehow that image is too WHOLESOME...
Gray Davis is selling political favors for campaign cash, in a blatant "Pay for Play" system of quid pro quo that OUGHT to be illegal.
At minimum, it is reprehensible. Gray Davis MUST go.
Um, but I thought it was PC to hustle money as a transexual?
I'm so confused...
How do we PROMOTE this? (We need talk radio hosts, TV cameras, press releases, talking points.)O.K., we need some INPUT here...
How do we get EXPOSURE for our "Dump DAVIS" message, even from non-Californians?
.
(If you want OFF - or ON - my "Hugh Hewitt PING list" - please let me know)
And ... if we should decide to "join you" - where will you be doing this "theatre".I am hoping for SEVERAL teams of "Super SIMON"/"Gray DIVA" costumed FReepers to spring up across the state, but I can (and WILL) travel from Los Angeles, where I live.
ANYWHERE is good, but a place with good exterior visuals would be important - like a "Hazardous Wsate" facility, or at least with a big DUMPSTER...
ANY TIME, but weekends would seem to work best. A regular series of "Sunday at the Dump with DAVIS" FReeps - all across the state would be interesting...
Somewhere safe, easy for FReepers (and the media) to get to, with good parking, and some sort of "stage" area for photo opportunities.
I am WIDE OPEN to venues, dates, events, etc.
Somewhere that Gray Davis is holding a fundraiser would be nice, the site of the Simon/Davis debate (if there is one) would be WONDERFUL, somehwhere that the press could call "news-worthy."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
