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The Week Ahead
The municipal election candidate filing period continues, with the deadline next Monday, July 16. We're in the dog days of summer, and SLC mayoral candidates are finding that most people aren't focused on politics. Still, with two months to go before the primary election, candidates must ramp up the intensity of their campaigns and reach those most likely to vote.
Meanwhile, state Democratic faithful will gather for a Jefferson-Jackson event on lucky Friday the 13th at This is the Place Heritage Park, featuring presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Democrats will then hold their state convention on Saturday at Skyline High School, with Richardson and another presidential candidate, Sen. Christopher Dodd, speaking.
See the Utah Policy.com calendar for all the week’s political events.
Monday Musing
How Should LDS Church Respond to Attacks?
An ancillary effect of the Mitt Romney presidential campaign is that the LDS Church is in the national spotlight in a very big way, and it’s likely the attention will continue and intensify as the campaign proceeds. And things could get ugly. It is possible that some anti-Mormon people or groups will make movies, air ads and create even more web sites attacking the LDS Church and tying Romney to doctrines and practices that are unfairly characterized and described.
Romney obviously will have to deal with these matters forthrightly and aggressively. He’s a presidential candidate, after all. But what about the LDS Church? Should it ignore the attacks? Respond only when reporters call? Attempt to deal with each incident as it occurs? Or should the church have a broad, pro-active plan to deal with these challenges?
For a communications practitioner like me, this is a fascinating public relations conundrum. Never before has the church been the focus of so much media attention for such a prolonged period all over the country.
Most likely, anti-Mormon rhetoric will remain reasonably restrained and the church’s usual responses will suffice. But if attacks escalate in many parts of the country, perhaps some Mormon version of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League could be established. This organization could be more aggressive than the church itself in pointing out error and bigotry. Such an entity could also conduct a grassroots education effort outside the formal church organization.
Suppose anti-Mormon groups get nasty and vocal in various places. In most every city, large and small, the LDS Church now has congregations. In many locations, LDS membership includes business leaders and other prominent individuals in the communities. Local Mormon groups could purchase full-page ads in their local newspapers with a message something like:
“We’re the Mormons. Because so much is being written and discussed about our church, some of it not fully factual, we want to tell you a little about ourselves and who we are. We’re your neighbors. We’re your friends. We’re doctors and plumbers and lawyers and carpenters and business people and housewives and school teachers. We’re part of the community fabric here in Omaha.”
The ads would include names and photos of local Mormons who are leaders in the community and also names and photos of prominent national Mormons, such as major business leaders, sports figures, politicians, entertainers, etc. The ads would encourage readers to access a web site with more information about the church.
One of the great assets of the LDS Church is its network of members all over the country. If it becomes necessary, why not tap into the strength of that network, in a positive, public, and non-defensive way, to foster understanding and goodwill? Just a thought.
WFRC Seeks Public Review
The Wasatch Front Regional Council is seeking public review and comment on the proposed 2008-2013 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the corresponding Air Quality Conformity Memorandum. The review and comment period on these projects begins on June 27, 2007, and extends through July 31, 2007. For more info, click here.
Today in Political History
July 9, 1868: The 14th Amendment to the Constitution, including the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses, among others, is ratified by the states.
July 9, 1896: William Jennings Bryan causes a sensation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with his "cross of gold" speech denouncing supporters of the gold standard. Bryan went on to win the party's nomination. (New York Times)
July 9, 1973: The Drug Enforcement Administration is established to fight illegal drug use. (Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the earth.”
-- Archimedes, Greek mathematician and scientist, explaining the concept of levers, quoted in a National Journal article on the impact of technology.
Leadership Tip
How to Handle a Crisis
Assess the situation… Stand back and take a deep breath. Even in the heat of battle, combat officers learn to divorce themselves momentarily from the danger of the moment so they can assess the situation before making a decision. Stepping back, if only for a day, an hour, even five minutes, gives the leader the benefit of perspective and time. Assessment in this situation is a form of reflection; it helps the leader to "get out of himself" and just think.
Envision the outcomes… A leader must ask two questions when faced with a problem: What happens if we do nothing? What happens if we do everything possible? Some problems cannot be solved no matter what you do; that problem calls for containment, or operational mode. Other problems need to be extinguished like fires—quickly, safely, and with maximum resources. Considering the outcomes narrows the options and provides a choice. (Source: About.com)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- New York Times: "There is no better measure of the power of the health care issue than this: Sixteen months before Election Day, presidential candidates in both parties are promising to overhaul the system and cover more -- if not all -- of the 44.8 million people without insurance."
-- Chicago Tribune: Latino voters "are poised to exercise unprecedented influence in the selection of the party nominees [in the '08 presidential race]. ... Several states with heavy Latino populations -- Illinois, New York and California included -- are moving their primaries and caucuses from later in the year to February. That means the vast majority of the country's Hispanic voters, galvanized by the recent national debate over immigration reform, will likely get to cast a primary vote while the contest for the nomination is still in play."
-- Dallas Morning News: Columnist Melinda Henneberger conducted "interviews across the country with women of all ages, races, income brackets and points of view," and found widespread skepticism about Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy. Says Henneberger: "[T]he least that can be said is that Mrs. Clinton's negatives are both deep and diffuse. And I'm not sure if polling can be expected to capture the guilt that many women expressed over their lack of enthusiasm for her."
-- Washington Post: Columnist Byron York says conservatives are unhappy with Pres. Bush "because the president allied himself with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) over an immigration deal that leaned too far toward amnesty for illegal immigrants. They're unhappy because Bush has shown little interest in fiscal responsibility and limited government. And they're unhappy, above all, because he hasn't won the war in Iraq. All of this has left Republicans saying, at least among themselves, something blunt and devastating: It's over."
Lighter Side
“My favorite team has always been the Red Sox. I’m also a Yankees fan . . . This is one thing about me. I can bring people together.”
-- New Mexico Gov. and presidential candidate Bill Richardson, quoted in Campaigns & Elections magazine |
