There are a host of initiatives on the November ballot.  I would submit that there is none that is more important than Proposition 4, which would require parental notification before a minor could obtain an abortion.  As we move into the final home stretch, I am pleased to offer this guest commentary from the Campaign Manager for Prop. 4, Charles Gallagher…

PROP. 4 – CALIFORNIANS AND THEIR GOVERNMENT
by Charles Gallagher

Prop 4 is ahead in the polls.  The undecided vote is large enough that if we win 1 out of every 3 undecided voter, Prop 4 wins.  Our focus is to communicate and reach out to those undecideds.   Turnout will be higher amongst undecideds than in either 2005 or 2006 (when a similar measure appeared on the ballot) because of the presidential election.  Our GOTV efforts become critical in the homestretch.  Now is not the time to let up and make no mistake, Prop 4 is under attack by a well-funded smear-outfit.  Planned Parenthood is spending $5 million on false attack ads for the next 12 days to eliminate the gains we have made in the polls. If you have not contributed financially, please do so today (click here) so we can get our message out.

Opinion makers throughout California that have read the initiative state that it is the best crafted out of the three (Prop 73 & Prop 85) to appear on the ballot.  Prop 4’s balanced approach that protects the privacy of the teenage girl and safeguards health and safety has attracted pro-choice suburban voters.  The emancipated minor provision and judicial waiver provision are viewed as reasonable and mainstream.  UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky believes that opponents would have a hard time challenging Prop 4 in the courts once passed.    

Prop 4 is overwhelmingly supported by Californians that are parents, who have real-world experience with the challenges of raising children. Our positive strengthening the family message is attracting Latino voters.  When undecided voters hear that this law is currently on the books in over 30 other states, that 60% of the population live in states where parental notification successfully works like Delaware and Massachusetts with no evidence of harm and that this is not a red state versus blue state issue, we win their vote. 

Initial indications are that we are capturing a majority of the vote by mail (absentees), especially those that are taking the time to read the respective ballot arguments. Tellingly, we are winning in every geographic area in the state outside of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Our campaign is executing a vigorous grassroots outreach effort. Some observers underestimated our ability to build a coalition of pro-choice and pro-life voters, including vocal support from KFI radio’s Bill Handle, actor/economist Ben Stein, District Attorneys’ Rod Pacheco and Tony Rackauckas and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Barbara Alby, and from the editorial board pages of the San Diego Union Tribune, Orange County Register, LA Daily News and Desert Dispatch to name a few.

We are directly appealing to Latino voters with Spanish language TV and radio featuring Latino movie star Eduardo Verastegui.  In the African-American community, we are reaching out to pastors and church leaders and community based organizations.  In the Asian community we have held press conferences customized for Asian language media. California’s diversity is one of our state’s greatest strengths and can be a formula for winning.  Our lead in the polls is testament to the power of a an inclusive, positive, pro-family campaign.

We are well-positioned to win a victory for California families by passing Prop 4 but to do so the campaign must work hard during the critical final 12 days and push back on the distorted, misleading, and outright false TV ads our opponents are now airing.

What seems clear going into this election is that Californian’s support a balanced approach to this issue and want public policies that appreciate the complexity faced by women who face unplanned pregnancies.  Our efforts to date and the lead that we have tell us that our measure and our message are resonating with these views. 

The outcome of Prop 4 in this election will be close.  To receive campaign signs and materials and learn more about how you can become involved please visit www.yeson4.net or e-mail me directly.
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Author by Charles Gallagher, Campaign Manager and Chief Strategist for Yes on Prop 4.
Gallagher is Managing Partner, The Gallagher Group, a San Diego based firm representing statewide business and political interests.  Gallagher is an advisor to corporate CEO’s including Steve Francis and Don Sebastiani.  He is the former Political Director to California Secretary of State Bill Jones. 

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.