Subject: Television and Idaho Election
From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 1994 19:37:02 -0400

IDAHO TELEVISION BRIEFS --

Below:  The Debate and TV Advertising

The Debate
========

On Thursday, October 20, A debate was held
on Proposition One on Idaho Public Television --
broadcast in Idaho's five media markets.

Kelly Walton, leader of the Idaho Citizens Alliance,
and Dennis Mansfield, leader of the Focus on the
Family Idaho branch: Idaho Family Forum debated
Brian Bergquist and Dr. Mary Rohlfing the co-chairs
of the No On One Coalition.

The debate was extremely argumentative with Walton
and Mansfield continuously stating Radical Right
homophobe Paul Cameron's statistics that gays and lesbians
die at 39 and 42 respectively; that we must protect Idaho's
children from gays which they said molested children at
a rate higher than heterosexuals; and that homosexuality
is a threat to public health.

Bergquist and Rohlfing were mostly calm in tackling the
claims.  They focused on that fact that Proposition One is
unconstitutional and that it will cost the state millions in
law suits and in library censorship.

Comment from those I surveyed on the Internet said that
because of the argumentative nature of the debate, that
neither side could clearly claim a win.  Many of these
Internet commentaries said they were still confused.

Af fault too, was the moderator.  There were not set time
limits on charges and rebuttals.

TV Advertising
===========

The Idaho Citizens Alliance will click on three TV advertisements
for Proposition One.  Two are 30 seconds; and one is 10 seconds.
They hit on the "need to stop special rights" and the need to protect
Idaho's children.

They also acquired time on cabel to show "Gay Rigthts, Special
Rights," ten times.  This is the newest in a long line of anti-gay
films produced by national Radical Right Groups.

The No On One Coalition will be running four ads focusing on
censorship, government interference in private lives and the
waste of tax-payer dollars.

The Idaho Citizens Alliance ad says "No gay agenda? Think again."
Another ad shows a black minister from Cincinati blasting gays
for trying to become a "legitimate minority."

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Written by [email-masked]
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