European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Dear by do Mcleod associated press in the age at computer politics the voice that counts is inc one that heard there is nothing new about or about groups urging members to write their Congress what is new is the concentrated Impact made possible by the advanced state of computer Art has Given pressure groups formidable strength which sometimes the tall wagging the dog on important policy Legisla Tion this trend is causing alarm among some who ear the views of an organized minority being imposed on an unsuspecting majority on  facing the on the other the new ability of individuals to have their voices Hoard effectively through computer targeting is moving millions of americans from silent futility into political behind this revolution is the computer and direct mall Telephone numbers and other vital data can be stored and then retrieved selectively to com Mand from just the right constituency the pressure to in nut acc the right politician at just the right campaigns can to financed or office or a crusade for a cause Fay identifying the people most Likely to be sym a sending them a form letter carefully drafted to raise their fear or Public spirit and getting checks from them by return these computers file information on magnetic Jill it up instantly and then address Anil mall let they can do in a few hours n mailing Job which would Lake a Hundred clerks weeks to the More sophisticated ones can target a lawmakers District with pinpointing his political support his Campaign workers and the sources of his Campaign the computer expert trying to Sway a vote in Congress can pick out inc wavering swing Voles and bombard them with sacks of mail from the voters Bock an outcry from the voters in his District can have More influence on a congressman Ihan any lobbyist or organi the votes Are taken but the real leverage on congressmen ii Back says one tract Luton within about in hours o learning that a vote is upcoming up on a pet a special interest working with computer can Call up the names of the Nghil people to Contact and within 24 hours they can have let ters in the mail to each of course sometimes the computers cant distinguish Between a town and an so you May gel letters urging you As a leading citizen of to write your Empire stale congressman to vote yes or no on widget the More Active groups will follow the letters with phone Calls to reinforce the Appeal to write to a a congressman or the flute such groups can have idlers hitting the targets desk within go hours of the first telegrams and mail Grams much facing hundreds or even thousands of letters or Tele Grams on the eve of a the target congressman can hardly fall to be that Mountain of mail May represent Only five per cent of the people in his District and express a View opposed by but in Roost cases he cant be what All those letters nuke Clear that these an toe people who arc who an Motl Likely to Lake offence k be votes the wrong Way and who will Tarry their grudge to the tote who didst be must probably didst this kind of pressure has been credited with killing or endangering legislation and nominations which had been considered fairly Safe prior to the orchestrated oppose More than pieces of mail were delivered to the while House opposing the common situs picketing and at least As much was received on Capitol most of it generated in a direct mall Campaign directed by Rich Ard the ranking master of computer polities common which would have made it easier for unions to abut Down construction died on the Blouse r the most recent mall storm was Over president car ters proposal to make voter registration the White House atone received some pieces of mall against virtually ail of it uniform Post cards or petitions obviously originated by a computer but obvious or it is having an House Spon sors admit that they dont have us Voles to pass the registration and the same concern expressed for the consumer Protection Bill which was vetoed after passage last year and expected u Breeze through this the vote which has Given the White House and congressional leaders the most was the narrow confirmation of Paul Wamke to chief arms Neotia the key vote which gave Warnke ambassadorial rank was so m Well below the two thirds Senate majority it will take to approve any treaty he brings these examples conservatives aroused and organised by he George Wallace and Ronald Reagan presidential campaigns have taken a big Lead in computer the innovator behind this la who raised More than f7 million for Wallace in 1578his Richard Viguerie of Falls is by far the largest in the accounting for about 70 per cent of All political direct Viguerie reasoned that if people were interested enough to contribute to one conservative they Likely would care for people who gave to Wal lace Are now contributing to continue the causes he is As people respond to the various mail their names Are filed As future those who dont Spond eventually Are dropped or downgraded to Reserve although sometimes youd never know from the numbers of repeal appeals you find filling your All the while new names arc being lists Are bought from other political campaigns or Magazine subscription by merging and upgrading the various lists he has Han Viguerie can mail to a Pool of 30 million he sends 109 million pieces of mail a and his Success has spawned a Host of on the  the leading firm it Smith of headed by Roger one of the key people behind the growth of common toe Ulf styled citizens hiding a Crest of growing Public discontent during the Vietnam watergate common cause quickly devel oped a membership and proved that moderates and liberals Are As susceptible to mobilization As con George Mcgovern reinforced this View with the Suc Cess of his direct mail Fiel raising in and the Craver firm raised million for Morris Lull in h7t on a shoestring and a the company is custodian of the Mcgovey mailing list and is trying to build a Pool to rival building an effective list is difficult without the Impe Tus of a presidential Campaign or a common cause be net Nenon to produce spontaneous the first step for the beginning group without a mail ing list is to buy usually from a Magazine with a readership believed to be in general sympathy with the groups but in Many cases the Best lists Are not available for says Tom another common cause vet eran and one of Gravers it u not impossible to Start with a rented but its hard and youve got to have a very hot the problem is that met Roopi with lists like to use them la get better they dont Jurt sell they demand a now forename a new group without names to Trade a hard time gel Ting computer tapes flank political direct mall in Nwa this is Why firms like Viguerie and Gravers Are so with some lists of their own to Deal with and the ability to broker marriages Between others of Mutual they arc the Only Avenue for the average group to break into the Moat of Vigueria major clients Are group which have been in business far some ume but need his help to make the beat use of Belr membership and to add sup r much of craters business is to help build new groups and strengthen them la compete the successful con or valve one of these is new a Cui shh group modelled on common cause but oriented toward foreign j once a Nap readies the to Page 12 the stars and stripes electronic lobbyists Tom Mathews Rogeau