Friday, February 10, 2006

Campaign Organizational Meeting Saturday

Supporters of the Libertarian Party and the Kole Campaign are invited to the Campaign's first organizational meeting, this Saturday afternoon, from 2-4pm, at Claude & Annie's in Fishers, located at 141st & SR 37. Map to Claude & Annie's.

We need volunteers to staff a wide variety of positions on the team, including: campaign manager, fundraising coordinator, volunteer coordinator, advertising coordinator, media liason, web presence optimizer, hosts for home or office meet-and-greets, door-to-door staff, phone bank staff, election day poll workers, and special projects managers. As you can see, this will be one large team!

I will look forward to seeing supporters on Saturday! If you cannot attend, and you want to be a part of the team, please contact me by email (mikekole@msn.com) so that we can discuss your involvement.

The plan is to have similar meetings throughout the state, so look for future announcements for meetings close to you.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Radio Ads On WXNT

The Committee to Elect Mike Kole did buy ads on Newstalk 1430-am WXNT, airing on the "Abdul In The Morning" program, and on Neal Boortz.

I have had supporters ask if I have a schedule for the ads. Graciously, the good folks at WXNT did supply me with a schedule. The ads run two more days, Thursday & Friday. The schedule:

Thursday, February 9- 6:22AM, 6:45AM, 7:22AM, 7:33AM, 8:24AM, 8:46AM, 12:21PM, 12:51PM, 1:34PM, 2:50PM

Friday, February 10- 7:53AM, 8:53AM, 12:19PM, 1:49PM, 2:50PM

The ads promote the Campaign's organizational meeting on Saturday, 2-4pm, at Claude & Annie's in Fishers, located at the southwest corner of 141st & SR 37. They also promote the Libertarian Party as the true home for people who believe in smaller government and lower taxes.

Tune in to WXNT 1430-am, or listen online. Go to www.wxnt.com and follow the links to the streamed signal.
Recent Press Hits

I have been pleased to receive several citations in the media in the past few days. Here are three:

Howey Political Report. The respected political insider publication noted my ad buy on WXNT, and the serious level of campaigning it represents. It was very gratifying to have a citation here. The Howey Political report is a subscription service, so the specific item cannot be linked. The main page offers the top story. They do offer a trial sample.

The Indiana Daily Student covered the Libertarian Party of Indiana's Collegiate Conclave, and noted by lunchtime speech. Here's a quote from the IDS report:
"I intend to deflect that stereotypical bromide that you're wasting your vote if you vote for a libertarian," Kole said. "You're wasting your vote if you believe in free speech and privacy, and you vote for a Democrat. And you're wasting your vote if you believe in small government and fiscal conservatism, and you vote for a Republican."

AtGeist is both a newsletter and website, targeted to residents and business owners of the Geist area, both in Hamilton and Marion counties. The website features a report on my upcoming organizational meeting, as I am an opponent of the forced annexations the Hamilton County Geist property owners are facing. This item is also very gratifying, as it is near to home, and I am very keen to build strong relationships with like-minded neighbors, and to support them. Here's a quote from the report:
"My position on forced annexation is simple. It's wrong, period," said Kole. "It's too bad the Republican Party doesn't believe in property rights or lower taxes anymore, because they talk the talk without walking the walk," he said. "Actions matter far more than rhetoric. If Libertarians made up the majority of the Fishers Town Council, the issue of forced annexation would not even appeared. But then, the Town Council is made up of Republicans, including the GOP's County Chair, so you can see where that party stands on such things," said Kole.

Forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but these press hits are very gratifying. These three sources represent the kind of growth the Libertarian Party is experiencing. We are increasingly included in press coverage on the strength of the validity of our positions, and the fact that we have shown organizational endurance. We are not a top-down party that crumbles as our standard bearers move on. We are here to stay. In the past, we would get the bulk of our press hits within two weeks of an election. Now we get solid coverage nine months prior to the election. These citations are in my mind an acknowledgment of all of this.

If you see press citations, please forward email links to mikekole@msn.com. It is deeply appreciated!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Gividen Letter Printed

Kenn Gividen was the Libertarian Party's candidate for Governor in 2004. He has been following issues surrounding the subject matter in high school newspapers. He draws a distinction between free enterprise journalism and taxpayer funded school journalism.

His letter to the Noblesville Daily Times is on the Noblesville High School newspapers deliberations over printing an article on oral sex. You may recall that Columbus High School's newspaper covered exactly this ground a few weeks ago. Kenn Gividen is a Columbus resident. Exerpt:
The students at North and Noblesville High Schools aren't to be blamed for exercising First Amendment rights. They are to be applauded. The staff and faculty of the schools, however, should be taken to task for gross incompetence.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Logo Unveiled, Bumper Stickers Soon

I am pleased to announce that the Kole Campaign has its image.


Every campaign needs to have an instantly recognized image. That's why I've shied away from a red-white-and-blue logo. Everyone uses red-white-and-blue, and nobody can tell whose sticker it is when zipping along on the highway.

Mitch Daniels used green-and-white to tremendous effect in 2004. I hope that my royal purple and yellow will do likewise.

Bumper stickers should be available as early as Wednesday. Go to www.mikekole.com for more details and to request a sticker or three for your cars!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Letter In Sunday's Star

The Indianapolis Star printed my letter today in response to their article last Sunday on the Geist annexations. Again, I am fascinated by the headline the newspapers choose to write for my letters. Here's the text:

No need for Democrats in Hamilton County

Fishers Town Council President Scott Faultless got it 100 percent correct in The Star when he confirmed that the key issue in the Geist annexation is money.

Mainly, the town wants to take it from the Geist property owners, who want to preserve their money.

There is one other, more high-minded principle to consider: the right to self-determination. The people of Geist simply do not want to be forcibly annexed into Fishers. The Libertarian Party has stood alone in taking the position that forced annexation is wrong, period.

This is lost on Hamilton County Republicans. The all-Republican Fishers Town Council and the all-Republican Carmel City Council both ignored the wishes of their annexation targets and acted with the backing of force to grab tax dollars, which seem to be paramount to their thinking.

A neighbor asked me why there are so few Democrats in Hamilton County. The answer is clear. With tax-spend-Republicans such as these, Democrats become rather unnecessary.

Mike Kole
Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State
Fishers