From: John Stemberger [mailto:stemberger@orlandolawyer.tv]
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:55 AM
To: stemberger@orlandolawyer.tv
Subject: Strategic Budget for Yes2Marriage.org

Dear Pro-Family Leader:

Would you please take 2 minutes to read this important plea?

Enclosed is a copy of our confidential and strategic budget for the remainder of the marriage amendment campaign in Florida.  From the time we started collecting petitions in February of 2005, we have raised and spent in both cash and in kind contributions, just under one million dollars.  For the remainder of our campaign, we need to raise an additional 2 million dollars at a minimum over the next 45 days to maximize the opportunity to reach the 60% vote needed to win on November 4, 2008. (Florida is the only state in the nation that requires a 60% vote to pass constitutional amendments)

The main thing I want to emphasize to you is that the final vote on this issue will be extraordinarily close.  Two different polls taken in just the last 2 months (Quinnipiac & Mason Dixon) put us at 58 and 57 percent of support for Amendment 2 respectively.  The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper headlines just days ago read "Too Close to Call" on Amendment 2.  These numbers are also consistent with the internal professional poll we commissioned last year.

We know from the history of marriage amendment votes that every state (except Arizona) has received a certain percentage point boost or a "bump" in the actual voter turnout numbers when compared to the polling numbers right before the election. That bump is decreasing with every election cycle.  But we need that "bump" in the vote turnout to win.  But unless we hold the line on our current poll numbers, inoculate ourselves from the attack of our opponents, and then get at least 3 percent more oxygen from undecided voters, we will not prevail.  It is my sincere belief that the only thing that will hold us back from winning this historical vote are the necessary funds to complete the campaign plan.  If we wake up on November 5, 2008 and learn we lost the vote by thousands-- or even hundreds of votes—we are all going to be kicking ourselves and wishing we had all done a little something more to take us over the top.

The enclosed document is an itemized budget of the final 9 components we need to purchase in order to have a viable campaign and to be victorious.

With regard to television ads, obviously, the more you can air in a campaign, the better. (Our original budget called for 4 million dollars for TV).  But our belief is that we need at a very minimum, at
least 1 million dollars in TV ads to capture the soft-yes swing voters away from the deception of our opponents who are arguing the very disciplined and fraudulent message that senor citizens "benefits" are going to be taken away.  Our opponents have 2.5 million in the bank right now to poison seniors who watch TV quite a bit.

If you have the ability to help this effort with a contribution we would be grateful.  Or if know someone we could approach to request significant funding, please let me know.  Please feel free to show this appeal to potential donors but this is a CONFIDENTIAL document as it contains key strategy elements so be very discreet in who you share it with and make sure they support the issue before forwarding these attachments.

I apologize that this e-mail appeal is not more personal but our team is working diligently around the clock to protect marriage in Florida and we are trying to make the best possible use of our limited time and resources.

Thanks for taking the time to consider this urgent request.

John Stemberger
State Chairman, www.Yes2Marriage.org
President, Florida Family Policy Council www.FLfamily.org

PS- If you do not have the ability to help financially, would you please just earnestly pray for God's favor to open the storehouse of his resources?  Political campaigns come and go and are funded with insane amounts of money.  But it is once in a life time that we get the opportunity to preserve a human institution as important as marriage.

Attachments:
Budget Priorities Itemized
Quinnipiac Poll Map
Historical Comparison of Polling and Outcomes
Details on Options for Contributions
Fact Sheet on the Amendment