File under: There is No Bad Publicity

When the local newspaper runs a nasty/biased/flat-out-wrong editorial about your issue, rejoice! You and a small group of fellow citizens can quickly respond with letters to the editor. Suddenly, your issue, on which you've toiled in obscurity, is on the second most read page of the newspaper.

Bonus: It also means you've made enough noise to get the attention of the media. Congratulations! You're news.

Example: CA Clean Money Campaign. A year ago no one was talking about it. The working group and the state group were doing their thing trying to pass the legislation, and lo and behold the Union Trib ran a negative, assumption filled editorial against the idea of public financing of elections. Letters were fired off. I don't know how many exactly, but I personally know of several who wrote, and others that were published.

Suddenly people were talking about clean money. When I would mention publicly financed campaigns, people already knew what I was talking about and wanted to know more. Surprise! The way I see it, the UT editorial that had annoyed me so, helped to start a public conversation. That's their job. Now if they don't, run any of those opposing opinions, they are not, in my ever-present opinion, doing their job.

I'm taking the leap that this theory also holds true in regards to electronic voting machines, and election integrity.

Hope springs eternal.