>> >>: A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, SAN DIEGO COUNTY ELECT AD NEW SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE TO THE BENCH.
HIS NAME IS GARY KREEP.
HE'S GAINED SOME INFAMY AROUND THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTRY AS A BIRTHER, SOMEONE WHO
BELIEVES PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA MAY NOT BE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES.
HERE'S WHAT KREEP HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S BIRTH PLACE ON KPBS EVENING EDITION IN JUNE.
>> >>: DO YOU THINK BARACK OBAMA IS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES?
>> >>: I HAVE SIN SEAR DOUBTS ACCORDING TO HIS PATERNAL STEP GRAND MOTHER WHO STATED
IN A RECORDED STATEMENT THAT NO ONE HAS DISPUTED HE WAS BORN IN MOMBASA IN WHAT IS NOW KENYA
AND SHE PERFORM AD ZULU BIRTH RITUAL ON HIM.
>> >>: DESPITE THAT BELIEF, KREEP PAID TO BE ON CAMPAIGN FLYERS LINKING HIM TO THE PRESIDENT.
JOINING ME TO EXPLAIN WHY, RYANN GROCHOWSKI AND POLITICAL SCIENTIST CARL LUNA.
RYANN, LET'S BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN MAILER GARY KREEP WAS ON AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT.
>> >>RYANN GROCHOWSKI: SURE, IT'S A CALL AD SLATE MALE MAILER AND IT'S TYPE OF OF POLITICAL
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE COUNTY, CITY, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS PUT OUT SLATE MAILERS SAYING THESE ARE OUR
SUGGESTED CANDIDATES BUT MOST OF THEM ARE FROM FOR PROFIT COMPANIES THAT CANDIDATES
PAY TO BE ON THERE, AND THEY'RE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH LIKE I HAVE ONE HERE WITH COPS VOTER
GUIDE OR COALITION FOR LITERACY.
GENERALLY PUT AROUND A CERTAIN TYPE OF BELIEF THAT ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES SUPPORT THE SAME
THING, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY JUST A BUSINESS THAT CANDIDATES PAYED TO TO BE ON.
>> >>: CARL, WHY WOULD A CANDIDATE LET'S TAKE KREEP, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO OPPOSES THE PRESIDENT'S
EVEN PRESIDENCY, WHY WOULD HE PAY TO BE ON A CAMPAIGN MAILER ALONGSIDE WITH HIM?
>> >>CARL LUNA: VOTES.
YOU GET ON A CAMPAIGN MAILER, PEOPLE SEE YOUR NAME, IT GETS TO A LOT OF HOUSE HOLDS, IT'S
A CHEAP WAY ALL THINGS TOLD TO GET INTO A LUT OF HOUSE HOLDS AND YOU PICK UP VOTES BY
ASSOCIATION.
THE ONE THAT SAYS COPS YOU SEE THAT YOU THINK THE PERSON LIKES COPS.
YOU PUT ONE OUT WITH PUPPIES AND MOTHERS ON IT, YOU THINK THEY LIKE MOTHERS AND WILL VOTE
FOR THEM.
>> >>: ISN'T THE POINT, THOUGH, OF THIS CAMPAIGN LITERATURE IS TO INFORM VOTERS THIS IS WHAT
I BELIEVE IN, ISN'T THAT THE POINT OF SENDING THESE OUT?
>> >>CARL LUNA: NO, THE POINT IS TO GET VOTES.
If YOU CAN GET VOTES BY DEAL NOTHING TO YOUR RECORD, FINE, BY ASSOCIATION, FINE, VOTES
BY SCARING PEOPLE ABOUT THE OTHER GUY, FINE, IT'S ALL ABOUT WINNING THE ELECTION.
>> >>: NOW, RYANN, ARE THERE RULES, IS THIS LEGAL, CAN THEY DO THIS?
>> >>RYANN GROCHOWSKI: YES, SLATE MAILERS ARE LEGAL AND THEY ARE REGULATED BY THE SECRETARY
OF STATE.
SO THERE ARE GENERALLY TWO GUIDELINES TWO RULES THAT SLATE MAILER COMPANIES HAVE TO
ABIDE BY.
ONE, THEY HAVE TO REPORT ALL OF THEIR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
SO ANYBODY CAN GO ON THAT SECRETARY OF STATE'S WEBSITE AND LOOK UP THEIR FINANCIAL REPORTS
SEE HOW THEY'RE CHARGING ARE FOR CANDIDATES AND WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING.
EVERY SLATE MAILER NEEDS TO HAVE A DISCLAIMER ON IT SAYING THESE CANDIDATES PAID TO APPEAR
ON HERE F THEY DID THEY HAVE AN ASTERISK BY THEIR NAME, AND ALSO IF THEY APPEAR ON THIS
MAILER, DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE ENDORSED OR HAVE ANYTHING IN COM WN THESE OTHER CANDIDATES.
>> >>: WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW, THIS FINE PRINT.
THIS IS VERY SMALL TYPE AND PROBABLY AT HOME SO MALL YOU CAN'T READ IT.
IT SAYS THIS DOCUMENT WAS PRODUCED BY ELECTION DIGEST, APPEARANCE IS PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED
BY EACH CANDIDATE AND BALLOT MEASURE DESIGNATE BID AN ASTERISK, NOT PAID FOR NOT AUTHORIZED
BY EACH CANDIDATE NOT DESIGNATED BY AN ASTERISK.
SO CARL, HOW DO VOTERS TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT MIGHT BE A VERY LEGITIMATE CAMPAIGN
MAILER THAT SAY THE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATS PUT OUT AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> >>CARL LUNA: IT'S REALLY HARD.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TITLES.
IF IT SAYS REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE, REPUBLICAN PARTY, IT SAYS BARACK OBAMA ENDORSED THIS
MESSAGE, IT'S A CANDIDATE A PARTY AD.
MOST OF THESE YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THEM IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GO FROM THE MAILBOX
TO THE TRASH, THREE, FOUR SECONDS OF RECOGNITION, MAKE THAT ASSOCIATION, GARY KREEP, BARACK
OBAMA, GARY KREEP DIANE FEINSTEIN, AND IT MAY PICK YOU UP ENOUGH VOTES IN THE PLACE
TO WIN.
>> >>: LET'S GET BACK TO GARY KREEP.
WERE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK TO HIM ABOUT THIS MAILER?
>> >>RYANN GROCHOWSKI: I DON'T THINK HE WAS INTERESTED IN THIS STORY, BUT SO WE DON'T
KNOW IF HE EVEN KNEW HE WAS GEEING TO APPEAR ON ONE OF THESE WITH BARACK OBAMA, BUT IN
GENERAL, I FOUND THAT SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES DO USE THESE AS A MAIN WAY OF ADVERTISING
AND GETTING VOTES FOR THE ELECTION BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEAP AND LIKE PROFESSOR LUNA SAID,
EVEN IF IT JUST GETS YOU A COUPLE HUNDRED VOTE THEY'RE SMALL RACES THOSE HUNDRED VOTES
COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
>> >>: I WANT TO SEND PEOPLE TO OUR WEBSITE BECAUSE THEY CAN LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE FIRST
HAND AND ALSO READ MORE IN YOUR STORY AT KPBS.ORG.
>> >>CARL LUNA: THANK YOU.
>> >>RYANN GROCHOWSKI: THANK YOU.