Ask the Candidates

We're RIDE2REPEAL.COM, and we help biker-friendly candidates win. That's how we build a biker-friendly majority in the state legislature. And that's how the helmet law gets repealed.

But how do we know who's biker-friendly ... and who isn't?

By finding out their position on the universal helmet law. For legislators holding office, their voting record says it all. There is no better proof of how they vote -- than how they vote.

That's why it's so important to submit repeal bills ... in both houses ... and to push the bill as far as it can go. Never withdraw it, even if you know it won't pass. Make them vote on it.

Lacking a voting record, the next best thing to do is to simply ask them.

This is the same approach we take with new candidates that challenge sitting incumbents. And it really isn't that hard. In fact, it's so easy that I often ask the candidates myself.

I simply send them an email with "Motorcycle Helmet Law Question" in the subject line. And then I just ask, "What's your position on the universal helmet law?" Nine times out of ten, they write back and tell me. Either they support it, they oppose it, or they're undecided.

Repeal Supporters

Any candidate that comes straight-out in favor of repeal is "black-and-white" on the issue, and a trustworthy ally. If they're running a strong race against a repeal opponent, do all you can to help them win.

But be careful not to alienate competing candidates, whether or not they support repeal. We can't afford to make enemies through our own carelessness.

Fence Sitters

Most candidates will hedge on their answer, even if they already have a private opinion on the issue. But once they find out that local bikers will work their hearts out for a repeal supporter, they quickly show their cards. And the closer the race, the quicker they are to take us up on our offer.

While most of the fence-sitters lean one way or the other, quite often they don't have any opinion on repeal. This makes the campaign season the perfect time to bring the subject up. It's too late once they're already in office ... because they'll have no overriding incentive to support repeal.

Repeal Opponents

These are the nanny-crats that we need to keep OUT of the state legislature. I'm not talking about fence-sitters here. Any candidate that would take this stand at the outset is also "black-and-white" on the issue. We should help their opponents if we can, but by all means stay under their radar.

They will not only vote against us on repeal, they will get their colleagues to vote against us as well. So if they're vulnerable to defeat ... BURY THEM! Eventually, when we get good at picking off the weak ones, the rest of their herd will learn to keep their distance on repeal.

Make it Personal

The more personal your contact, the more real your relationship. If you have the time, pay a visit to the candidates. Just go to their campaign website and find out when they're having a campaign rally, a meet-and-greet, or any other public event. At this point, they WANT to meet voters.

The next best thing is an email or a phone call. While it's not quite as personal as meeting with them face-to-face, it's still pretty good. And it's SO easy to do ... only takes a minute. Be sure to take notes if you take this approach during an election year, because it's easy to forget who said what.

Questionnaires should be your last resort. Not only are they impersonal, most candidates hate them. Even our strongest supporters will throw them in the trash. No candidate wants to give their opponents ammo to be used against them. And anything you can ask on a questionnaire you can also ask in a personal way.

Of course the only "wrong" way to find out is to wait until after the election is over. As long as they're running for office, they need to reach out and listen to voters. But once they're in office, the window of opportunity is shut tight.

Keep it Local

When it comes to checking out the candidates, I always defer to the SMRO. In most cases they know the landscape, the history, and the "powers that be." There's no way I could do what they do ... and I don't even want to step into their shoes ... or get in their way. They're the natural choice to take the lead.

But sometimes there's "nobody home" at the SMRO. Struggling organizations have their hands full trying to stay afloat. They are too overwhelmed with survival issues, and unable to mount any kind of organized volunteer effort. And a few of them simply aren't interested in campaign work. Their focus is elsewhere.

Lacking SMRO support, the next best option is to rely on Legislative Alert subscribers to step up. Again, keeping it local, we ask them to contact the candidates. But sometimes that doesn't work, either. Starting from scratch, all by yourself, can be an instant turnoff. That's why ride2repeal@gmail.com is here to help, 24 by 7.

But ultimately, in a few states, the local route still turns out to be a dead-end. Then -- and only then -- will RIDE2REPEAL.COM step up and work directly with the candidates. We also reach out to state legislators that take a stand on our behalf, the sponsors who put their names (and stake their reputations) on our repeal bills.

First Things First

Once we find a biker-friendly candidate who's running in a winnable race, we help them win. It's amazing to see the gratitude written all over their faces: When we show up in their time of need ... when we celebrate their victory ... and when we visit them at the state capital. That's what I call Biker Power.

But the first priority is helping them win. After that, everything else falls into place.

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com