How Prop 6 can win

Unfortunately, as I have mentioned before, Proposition 6 has not received as much attention as other proposition. Though the proposition would mean significant changes, it has not received much attention. As much as I have searched, I have not found polls predicting the outcome of prop 6.

What I did find were radio campaign ads! The most effective way of reaching voters would be to invest heavily on TV ads, unfortunately, neither side has that kind of money, nor the same amount of support as other campaigns.

The biggest beneficiaries of the prop would be the police department, who would be heavily funded to enforce new tasks. Therefore, it is not surprising that they launched a heavy radio campaign in favor of the Safe Neighborhood Act.

To hear the ad, please visit: http://www.lapd.com/news/pr/lappl_launces_radio_ad_campaign_in_support_of_proposition_6/

Once, there, scroll down, and right beneath the subtitle “TRANSCRIPT OF RADIO AD LAPPL, the audio strip appears. Click on it!
First of all, the voice in the audio is very intimidating and authoritative. The sound of the ad is very persuasive and does instill a little bit of fear. This ad sells, and it basically outlines pretty good-sounding measures that will, according to the ad, “increase safety” and adapt “more effective and accountable intervention programs.”

What was also effective about this proposition is that it omitted the fact that fourteen year olds would be convicted as adults in certain felonies. This, of course, is due to the fact that incarcerating youth is not viewed as a favorable and progressive way of running California. This would not their best selling point, and it would be foolish for them to inculcate that image in a thirty second ad without the time to justify this facet of the prop.

What I also notice, is that not even the campaign itself addresses this part of the proposition. The modestobee.com website posted a video of a rally the yes on 6 campaign had: http://www.modbee.com/1618/story/457130.html
Not even at their rallies is this issue addressed. Instead, some of the rally speakers are very clever and again attempt to scare the audience into voting for this proposition. An example of this is when Stanislaus County district Attorney, Birgit Fladager states that “gang crime continues to skyrocket in California.” This is clearly an exaggeration of crime in California. Again, crime rate is not at an unprecedented level in history, but the thought of it sure is effective for the passage of the Act.

In another example, in this same video, is Stanislaus County Chief Probation Officer Jerry Powers, who states: that the registered gang member sin San Diego is “a statistic that should scare the hell out of you.” Obviously, this was intended to “show” that California had no idea of what it is doing to combat crime.

Without the privilege of analyzing data on the effectiveness of the ad and the rally message, it appears as though this proposition will pass if it is able to spread enough fear and doubt about the current criminal laws. With the current budget crisis, informed voters at lease, will not be very willing to deprive other social services of money. However, by effectively framing the prop, it could pass. If you do not believe me, think back to the little bill our president passed after the attacks in 2001, and think why it was able to overwhelmingly pass in Congress.