Charles Shiflett Column July 25, 2004

It Seems Like Groundhog Day

Most of you probably remember Groundhog Day, the movie starring Bill Murray where his character
keeps living the same day over and over again. It was entertaining and probably made some folks a lot
of money. However, the title and premise of the movie could just as easily have been Election Day.

It seems that every election cycle we argue and debate the same exact issues over and over.
Depending on the year, the issues may move up or down in importance, but are almost always the
same. You'd think after all these years our illustrious elected officials would have at least put some of
these issues to bed.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up one election cycle and not be inundated with direct mail pieces and
advertisements about abortion, or Second Amendment rights, or tax reform, or Social Security? Of
course we can add old standbys like military spending, crime, education, and the list goes on and on.

Occasionally new “hot button” concerns come along. One of the big fights this November will be gay
marriage. Looking at the national political landscape, this appears to be another issue that won't be
going away any time soon - so let's add this one to our list.

In Groundhog Day, everything turned out OK in the end. But I get the distinct feeling that the
politicians, political action committees, and non-profit organizations that have risen up to lobby and
fight for or against our perpetual list of unsolved issues really don't want them to be solved.

You see - these perpetual issues are powerful motivators. Huge sums of money are raised to fund the
politicians and organizations engaged in these fights, and numerous jobs depend on those fights
continuing. Politicians count on these issues to motivate large numbers of citizens to show up at the
polls to vote. The issues become industries unto themselves.

Imagine you head a large organization like the NRA, Right To Life, the National Organization of
Women, or Americans for Separation of Church and State. You would annually control millions of
dollars that could be used to help elect those who agree with your cause. You would have large
numbers of members and sympathizers who will put signs in their yards, show up for rallies, and vote.
You would be a very powerful person and would lose that status if the issue were solved.

These issues driven organizations are very savvy and sophisticated in their marketing techniques.
We've all received the “urgent” mail piece that requires our “immediate attention”. Inside the envelope
there is usually a questionnaire seeking our opinion on a vital issue along with an accompanying letter
from a prominent congressman or national leader.

The pitch will usually mention that it is vital we let congress and the president know how we feel about
the issue within the next few days. They ask us to respond to a few simple yes/no questions -
questions whose answers they already know because we are in their database as being supportive of
their cause to begin with. So why would they spend a small fortune to mail out this stuff? Money!

There's always a tag line at the bottom of the questionnaire asking us to help with the cost of
conducting the survey by enclosing a check for $25 or $50. And don't think we all get the same letter.
Depending on the level of your past contributions, your letter may ask for $100 or $250 or even more.

Here's a dirty little secret… most of the time the survey results are never tallied. Open the reply
envelope, pluck out the check, and throw the rest in the trash. And the membership cards they
enclose in some of those mailers? Have you ever used one for anything? Just another marketing
technique to make you feel obligated to send more dough.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with donating to political causes you agree with. I just hate the hype and
overzealous marketing that goes with fundraising. Wouldn't it be refreshing to receive an issues
oriented letter that simply told me the names and addresses of candidates running for office in my
area who agree with me on that particular issue? That way I could send a check directly to the
candidates and bypass the marketing middlemen who take a huge chunk for themselves out of the
funds raised.

Of course that will never happen, there's too much power at stake and that's why these perpetual
issues will never go away. So break out the popcorn, sit back, and let's all enjoy this repeat showing
of Election Day.