University Dailv Kansan / Thursday. November 15. 1990
5
A little creativity goes far
Unknown candidate writes top ten list for political boost
Tom Davidson didn't win election to Congress. But his campaign revealed a great and goofy truth about politics and the media.
Davidson, 49, is an ex-Chicagoan who lives in Memphis. He's not a professional politician, but it bothered him that his congressman, Tim Kaine, had any serious competition. So Davidson decided to run as an independent.
"I wanted to focus on the drug problems, and the savings and loan fusco," he said. "I also think we should have stronger law enforcement in our schools to deter kids from getting involved with drugs.
"And there's the federal budget. My view is that higher taxes aren't necessarily the answer. There too much wasteful spending and I have thoughts on how we can spend a lot less."
These aren't radical ideas. Not even particularly original. But how many candidates are original? Davidson filed the necessary petitions and become a candidate. He worked hard to name and message before the voters.
Because he had little money, he couldn't make TV commercials or even radio spots. Or slap his name on billboards.
That meant he had to try to get free media time and space — interviews in newspapers, on radio and TV.
But he found that the newspapers and broadcast newsrooms weren't interested in him. They figured that he didn't have a chance of winning anyway, so why bother talking to him?
This is the big chicken-and-egg problem all unknown, underfinanced
Mike Royko
Syndicated columnist
candidates face. The news outlets don't take them seriously because they are unknown. But the only way they can become known is through the news outlets. But because they are unknown, the news outlets don't take them seriously. So, etc., etc., etc.
He became discouraged. Then he decided that if he couldn't be taken seriously, he would just have some fun.
He spent $22 of his $27 war chest to print 200 little pamphlets. The pamphlets said: "Top Ten Reasons To Dare" (Dial) and the U.S. Congress." His 10 reasons.
- "4. Has no cavities or visible tattoos.
- ■ "I. Will use influence as congress member to try and persuade David Letterman to move 'Late Night' home office to Memphis.
- "3. Has received no bulging envelopes from Charles Keating.
- "5. Will support legislation to make bingo the national pastime.
- "2. Will propose a bill to sell Texas to Japan to cover huge savings and loan losses.
"6 Will organize congressional junkets to government-owned 'Mustang Ranch' (A Nevada bordello).
"7. He looks like Woody Allen.
"8. Has seen 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' 17 times.
"9. He'll keep a close eye on Newt Gingrich.
10. It's good karma."
He sent his pamphlets to the news shops and broadcast outlets that hadn't been interested in his views on drugs, taxes, law enforcement and
And what happened? You know what. Suddenly the unknown Tom Davidson was news.
wasteful spending.
"I had a writeup in the local paper, the Commercial Appeal, and they printed the whole list," he said. "Then USA Today had a story about me. I was interviewed by radio stations around here, and one in Chicago gave me. I even did an interview with a station in Boston that phoned me."
Then a popular radio talk show not host only read Davidson's list on the air, but the host also said he was informed by it that he endorsed Davidson.
And it shows that elements of the media — while piously complaining about the unfair advantage of incumbency contribute to this unfair ambition by ignoring anyone who doesn't have $2 million to buy name recognition.
Now that Davidson has proved that he can get 9 percent of the vote by spending only $22, he's thinking about running again, although he's not sure he could come up with enough money to win the voter appeal that the last one did.
But if he should decide to run again, he might consider a sex change operation.
"The were four candidates, including me," Davidson said. "And until I put out my list, I was doing so quickly that I came in'd come in'd in a four man field."
But he did better than that. He received 7,247 votes, almost 9 percent of the total, and finished third, which is unusual. His vote has a sizable madcap voting bias.
I'm not sure if that would get him elected, but he'd be a cinch to be invited to appear with Oprah and Geraldo.
Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
A quick glance at the globe shows that most of the Earth is covered by water. There seems to be so much of it that it's hard to imagine that mere humans could make a difference in the vast seas.
Nations want clean seas
Other Voices
But at a meeting of the 43 signatory nations to the London Dumping Convention, a consensus was reached to
phase out industrial waste dumping by 1996. It is legally binding on all the nations that signed the 20-year-old London treaty, including the United States, Britain, Germany, and France. The agreement is almost all other industrial nations.
The international agreement calls for dumping to stop without increasing pollution in other parts of the
environment. Nations are encouraged to promote cleaner industrial processes, recycling, treatment of waste on land and more research and development on environmentally sound means of waste disposal.
These goals are to be applauded. The seas must not be turned into sewers.
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Minority Business Student Council and Black Student Union invites you to attend an informational forum on professionalism, resume writing, and job interviewing.
GUEST SPEAKER: FELICIA HALL
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