College presidents, organizational officers, individual DCs and major chiropractic suppliers are all hard at work in the campaign effort. Recognizing the need to act quickly, the degree of cooperation and focus is historic, and promises to yield important results in what is shaping up to be a hard-fought campaign.
"This campaign needs immediate and specific help on the ground to maintain and capitalize on the huge burst of free media attention that accompanied Mr. Schwarzenegger's announcement," said ICA Executive Director Ronald M. Hendrickson.
Newly elected ICA President C.J. Mertz, DC, added: "With such large numbers of practitioners active in California, the campaign is looking to utilize chiropractic offices as a major campaign literature distribution network. The thousands of doctors of chiropractic in active practice in California see no less than 700,000 people each working day. The mobilization of chiropractors to distribute campaign literature, in a responsible, positive and tasteful manner, represents a major contact point with likely favorable voters."
There is also a significant window of opportunity to register new voters: the California State Board of Elections has announced a deadline of Sept. 22 to be eligible to vote on October 7. Chiropractic offices across the state are being organized as centers of this activity, with non-registered patients being encouraged to register. With doctors of chiropractic acting aggressively to facilitate this process, it is possible that upwards of 100,000 new voters could be registered through the chiropractic profession's efforts alone.
The short time frame and the need to move with unprecedented speed to address organizational issues precludes any delay related to developing formal committee structures or complicated lines of organization. Arnold's record of openness and the intimate relationships that have developed over the years with the chiropractic community make it clear that all efforts will be acknowledged, respected and appreciated.
"The chiropractic profession and the millions of Californians we serve can trust that there is no better candidate on our issues than Arnold Schwarzenegger," said Brian Porteous, DC, FICA, president of the ICA of California. "This is also a situation where the national chiropractic community can and should come together to support someone who has supported us with great conviction and pride for decades, and who now is uniquely positioned to project those convictions in a very powerful and positive direction."
Donations to the Schwarzenegger campaign are being aggressively solicited by dozens of chiropractic volunteers across the nation. Contributions should be made to CALIFORNIANS FOR SCHWARZENEGGER and mailed directly to:
Mr. Jim Lorimer
Schwarzenegger/Lorimer Productions
1245 Worthington Woods Boulevard
Worthington, Ohio 43085
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