Jesse for Governor website

Mt. Party Call to Action

Dear Mountain Party Friends

It is becoming increasingly clear that if the Mountain Party wants to get its message out, not to mention make an impact, we are going to need to lean on the media to give us the press we deserve. Monty Warner and Joe Manchin are getting free daily media coverage, often multiple stories per issue and newscast, while the Mountain Party receives none. In fact many media organizations are going as far as to repeatedly say there are only two candidates running for governor.

Editors from various papers have assured us they will put an end to this misconception, only to further propagate the myth of the two gubernatorial candidate race the very next day. When asked why they mislead the public, reporters answers have ranged from "well, you're not going to win anyway" to "I don't think that many readers would really be interested". My answer is "it will be tough to win and no one will care, if the Mountain Party is not afforded the same free press opportunities to inform and educate the public as the other two candidates". So before we let the press decide the general election by just not telling the whole story, let's nip this thing in the bud.

I am asking each of you to join me in a massive letter writing and call in campaign. Whenever, you see or hear a political story for which you know a Mountain Party Candidate is running, but not mentioned please write to the editor of the paper, or call the assignment editor of the TV or radio station and voice your concern. It doesn't really matter whether it is the gubernatorial candidate, second congressional race or any other race we have people involved in, the point is to make sure the media knows the public wants to be aware of all its choices-not just the ones they choose to tell us about.

Points to remember:

• Feel free to write multiple times.
• Try to involve as many members of your family and community as possible, sign joint petitions.
• In addition to letters to the editor, write specifically to reporters of those stories and urge them to be more responsible journalists...be persistent.
• Point out to editors, reporters, and journalists that by not reporting the ballot sanctioned third party choice, they are hindering the democratic process.
• Point out that statistics from the polls a week prior to the primaries indicate that people weren't particularly pleased with the choices they were being offered. Democrats were 43.2% undecided and republicans were 76.9% undecided as reported in the WCHS-TV 8/Gazette poll.
• Be sure to let us know when you contact any media source by copying us a time, date, source and location.

In addition I need people to listen to and call in to the talk radio networks. (Hoppy 580 am in the mornings beginning at ten, a group called Mike and Spike in the afternoons 580am and Steven Reed 950 am starting at 2 in the afternoons.) Call in often, don't wait for an opening, make one yourselves. If they're talking economics, call in and tell them the Mountain Party has a good plan, if they're talking Choice, let them know we have the only pro-choice gubernatorial candidate. If they're talking labor, the Mountain Party has the only card carrying union candidate for governor. Environment, clean elections etc you guys get the picture-make your voices heard.

The media is our best tool for getting the word out. It is free and it reaches the largest audience. It can help us win, if we use it correctly. I urge you all to become activists for the party and on your own behalf. Together we can win.

With every good wish,

Jesse Johnson