Where's the beef?
Whether you think that the title comes from an old Wendy's Ad, from a Mondale speech, or from a Coyote McCloud recording, I think that we have to look at ourselves and ask the question.
The posts to SNTP that get lots of comments are those that deal with either personalities or are keeping score in the "game" of politics. This is what you should all expect, because that is the way that the media presents elections. Notice to all: most media will not deal with issues. That is too much work.
I noted that my comments about the problems with the delta and the way that the Pombo led House Resources Committee was screwing things up got hardly a comment. When someone talks about the personal interplay at a Democratic Club function, it draws many a comment. When I suggested in my first post that Pombo had a vulnerability because of the opposition of sportsmen to some of his programs, someone wrote that this was a welcome, fresh perspective. When Matt posted about an editorial put down of Pombo in a magazine called the Fish Sniffer, the only commenter was myself.
Hey, this requires that someone understand the issues in the delta and how they affect our lives. That is complex. That is not as easy as chatting about how a candidate is doing. But, consider this. The Fish Sniffer has ~25,000 reader in the Valley. I would be that most of the fish the Delta, or fish the mountain streams for trout. If someone is really upset about Pombo, you need reasons that get to people where they live and this is one for a population of sportsmen. If I were living in Lodi, or Brentwood, and I wanted to see Pombo gone, I would make sure that I visited all the little Marina's around...I might even leave a copy of the Fish Sniffer editorial. I sure wouldn't sit around complaining about whether Matt edited a piece fairly or not.
On second thought, maybe you should read the Fish Sniffer's latest editorial before you do: Congressman George Miller Urges Anglers To Join The Battle To Save The Delta
posted by Wes @ 9:33 AM
2 Comments:
Delta, great post. I agree. Lets get together, as Democrats, and start reaching out to the thousands of hunters and fisherman who enjoy our parks and waterways.
So, whats the next step?
Good Morning, used-to-be-anon,
I have a couple of suggestions for you and let's see whether anyone is biting.
First, it will come down to blocking and tackling. Someone will have to take on a responsibility to target identify the various sportsman groups that might become involved in the Delta Issue. It might even be beneficial to look at some places where you would not normally look for support, such as the California Delta Chambers of Commerce.
I was just casting around and found the web site for California Fly Fishers Unlimited. Their most recent newsletter talks about the South Delta Improvement Program and protecting the American River. These can be allies, but it takes organizational work.
I might even suggest setting up a tabling program outside a boat show or sportsman show...along with voter registration forms.
The second involves the conventional wisdom that people don't get interested in voting until the general election. That is where they target voter registration drives. However, there are exceptions and I think that this race will be exceptional.
If Filson, McNerney and Thomas have
some time before the election. If one wanted to demonstrate that they were the positive candidate, they might be able to do that by registering new Democrats. It shows that they have the appeal to reach the Independent Voter needed to win this election.
Doing it now would also put added pressure on Pombo to make a move early if they saw the voter registration numbers begin to go against them. Just ideas, but I think with enough meat to deserve a follow up.
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