A response to "War and Peace" by Mark Donald
Let me begin by saying thank you to Mark Donald; the only reporter
who has dared to print the case against Tony Sanchez.
Below is my response to Mark's article. I am happy with the article. I am
happy when things are said that reflect positively on me. I am happy when I
am challenged and I can clarify what I said. (Many times, I know you think
you understand what you thought I said but I am not sure that you realize
that what you thought I said is not always what I meant.)
God bless the internet where even the nonsensical ravings of lunatic
minds can find expression; where the press can be engaged and challenged;
where the truth can find freedom and freedom can be protected. (Yet we must be
zealous in our endeavor to remain free from liberal Janet Reno's who burn out
Christian heretics and conservative John Ashcroft's who believe that freedom
is best preserved with Big Brother listening technology to ferret out all
terrorists regardless of stripe. If John Ashcroft had been on the job, Tim
McVeigh and company would have never carried out their horrific bombing.)
God bless America
John WorldPeace
The next governor of Texas
December 12, 2001
_______________
War and Peace
John WorldPeace thinks he can take the governor's office, one poison
phone call at a time
BY MARK DONALD
dallasobserver.com | originally published: December 13, 2001
<<You've come home from work--late as usual. Dinner is done; your wife
is frustrated; the kids are out of control. It's time to get them to bed,
but they haven't even been fed. The phone rings and you pick up, hoping for
a pause in the disaster. Although the prospect of a pushy telemarketer
seems oddly quieting, what you hear instead is downright disturbing. >>
Yes, Tony Sanchez and everything he represents is quite disturbing.
<<The caller identifies himself as John WorldPeace, and you're thinking
hell, another charity solicitation. Then the voice says he is running for
governor of Texas as a Democrat. You try to interrupt but realize it's an
automated message. You start to hang up, but don't, drawn in by his Texas twang
and the venom he suddenly spews.>>
Are people really drawn by the venon? In 1993, the head of Harper San
Francisco wanted to publish my Book of Peace (In fact, he is the one who
titled it.). Unfortunately, one of his editors killed it. Why? Because peace doesn't sell.
And Mr. Donald seems to agree because he says one is drawn in by the venom.
<<"The Texas Democratic Party is in peril because 60 members of its
executive committee have endorsed 'Don' Tony Sanchez as its gubernatorial
candidate four months before the primary. This is the same Don Sanchez who
laundered $25 million in drug money through his Tesoro Savings and Loan and then
cost the taxpayers $139 million to clean up the mess after he sent Tesoro
into bankruptcy." Talk about defamatory.>>
Truth is not defamatory!
<< "This is the same drug-using, Mafia-friendly, Vietnam-era draft
dodger and Republican turncoat Tony Sanchez who gave Bush $350,000." Talk about
your quick kill.>>
Metaphorically killing of course.
<< "It is time to cut the Sanchez cancer from the Democratic Executive
Committee...It is time to send the likes of Don Tony Sanchez to jail,
not to the governor's office...God save the Democratic Party in Texas. Vote for
WorldPeace." Yeah, more like WorldWar. >>
I have been called WorldWar at the court house more than once.
I have also been told that I have a mean streak a mile wide down my back. Mostly
its the lawyers who I sue that say this.
<<You have just had your first exposure to the scorched-earth>>
Actually this is only one of many messages. The Rally for Returning
Prayer to the Schools in Palestine next week is a very positive message. It
went out in Waco, Palestine, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Tyler and virtually
everywhere in between. Each message has a specific purpose.
<< gubernatorial campaign of John WorldPeace, father of four, trial
lawyer, spiritual seeker.>>
Spiritual seeker? No. I already have a working spiritual philosophy
that has served me well all my life. I have not been seeking anything more than
an understanding of other religious mind sets. Like my name in relation to
some of my messages, Religion has been the source of more bloodshed
throughout history than any other cause. Religion which is supposed to bring
people peace has always brought death and intolerance. Of course this is
pretty deep for most to even contemplate. My search was for an answer to the
riddle of why people kill for God? Why God makes war upon Himself?; assuming
there is only one God but many religions. We are fighting a religious war
right now. We say we are fighting terrorists but they are fighting infidels.
The President does not want to say that he is a Christian soldier even
though he began this war by calling it a "crusade". But we all know a crusade
when we see it, don't we?
<< Although the Sanchez campaign brands John WorldPeace "a crackpot" and
his messages "fraudulent, misleading and complete lies," it should not
mistake the man's resolve.>>
And they should not think that the people are not listening.
I get the emails. No, they should not discount my resolve.
<< But how can a candidate with no money>>
Interesting assumption: No money as opposed to a refusal to
spent $30 million to buy the governor's office. Big difference. Is there a campaign
finance reform statement in my campaign? Is there a hidden statement about
purchasing political office? Is there a statement being made about democracy
for sale?
<<, no name recognition>>
The people in this state know who I am. And Rick Perry and George
Bush know who I am. Have no doubt about that. They may not know the face, but
they know the name.
<<, no party backing>>
Also not true. Interesting assumption. Very interesting assumption.
Remember that silent majority that used to be talked about all the time?
What is going on in this campaign is a lot deeper than conventional
political advertising. What is going on in this nation is a search of answers
regarding 911. What is going on right now is a search for God, peace,
WorldPeace and an understanding of why? This campaign is about more
than a "crackpot" lawyer named WorldPeace. The Civil War was about a lot more
than states rights and slavery. The Civil War was a devastating breakdown in
the American genius to compromise. Anyone who can not see the hand of God
in the Civil War is blind. Let those who have eyes see.
<< and no political experience>>
Interacting with human beings on every level is always political. I
think the truth is that I am not a card carrying Democrat and never have
been. I used to be a card carrying Mensan and a card carrying Mason but I
disengaged from all those carding organizations when I changed my name. The reason
was that when you identify yourself as anything, you become an elitist and
to some extent live an exclusive reality. My signature statement is: How
can we manifest peace on earth if we do not include everyone (all races, all
religions, all nations, both sexes) in our vision of peace? A Christian
Peace can never manifest WorldPeace. So by belonging to nothing, I
belong to everything. The truth is often paradoxical and those who know don't
speak and those who speak about these things don't know. (Yes, I know a
senseless Taoist/Zennist statement when I read it; and repeat it.)
<< have a chance of winning a contested statewide primary?>>
Did David have a chance of defeating Goliath? People ask me
about my expectations regarding WorldPeace. I tell them I have no expectations
at all. I advocate peace and WorldPeace because at the end of my life I
can at least say I tried. That is all. It only matters that I tried.
Regardless of what happens in this governor's race, I will be able to say I tried.
Winning will be welcomed and I am giving it my all. But win or lose, I
will personally be better for having tried. And a lot of people are going to
be thinking about WorldPeace as a result of my candidacy. A lot of people
are going to be thinking a lot about how the road to peace has always been
full of conflict. Lincoln, Gandhi, Jesus, King and Rabin all men of peace;
all assassinated. It is a dangerous thing to stand up for peace and WorldPeace.
It is not an endeavor for the timid.
<< John WorldPeace, who lives in Houston, is banking on two tactics that
seem oddly incompatible: autodialed messages intended to savage his
opposition>>
Actually to get the truth that the Democratic Party and the
press are trying to hide from the citizens to the citizens.
<< and a funky name intended to convince voters to visualize
WorldPeace--at least for governor.>>
Funky name? See how WorldPeace has to be trivialized. See
how much fear people have of peace; even the mention of peace. Maybe at the end of
this race, if I am defeated, the press, the Party bureaucrats and people in
general can stand up and cheer that they stopped WorldPeace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Texas politics has certainly had its anomalies, those unorthodox few who
have defied the odds and become serious candidates. There was convicted
perjurer Don Yarbrough, who claimed that God told him to run and who became a
Texas Supreme Court Justice because voters confused him with famed Senator
Ralph Yarborough.>>
I have been convicted of nothing. Neither have I been
indicted or even investigated.
<< There was unpopular Dallas Judge Charlie Ben Howell, who had a habit
of suing his opponents and whose perennial candidacy finally numbed voters
into electing him into office.>>
Whatever works.
<< And in more recent times, there was Victor Morales, the everyman
candidate for U.S. Senate who captured the Democratic nomination by running a
no-frills campaign out of his pickup truck. >>
Ah, the ultimate populist candidate. A purest who should
have taken the union money in the end and beat Gramm.
<<Enter John WorldPeace (the lawyer formerly known as Kenneth Edward
Wolter), whose name smacks of a publicity stunt, but was legally changed 14 years
ago, he says, after much spiritual soul searching.>>
Not that much. I had been reading about people in the East who
changed their names as a matter of course as they moved from parent to grandfather. I
had been working on a novel the year before titled "John World Peace" which
was set in the year 2025 and was a look back at what had happened in the
prior 50 years. On April 1, 1988, which was April Fools Day and Good Friday (one
tradition indicating foolishness and another greater tradition suggesting transformation),
I was speaking with some friends in Conroe and I said that I was considering changing my
name. Cia Sun said that I should combine World and Peace so that I would not be known
simply as John Peace. I took her advice and made the commitment to change my name that day.
<<"I determined that if I changed my name to WorldPeace, that when
people said or read or heard my name, they would have to think about world
peace for just a second, and that would increase peace on the planet." >>
True.
<<World peace,>>
We should all write WorldPeace as one word. This is the only way the
hope of peace and the reality of the earth will ever truly manifest.
<< however, is the last thing WorldPeace thinks about when he enters the
courtroom.>>
No, I am at every moment mindful of WorldPeace but when I enter into a
combative arena I act accordingly. It was Jesus who suggested turning
the other cheek. I am not Jesus. I am John WorldPeace.
<< "I am extremely tenacious and aggressive and irritating," he says. "I
am not a pacifist. I am willing to get down in the dirt and fight." >>
A Tiger can never find inner peace living as a house cat. The Tao.
<<He did some legal work for Houston businessman Dan Kerr, who owns
OneNet, one of the largest automated phone dialers in the country. Kerr has done
"political dialing" for many successful candidates--Kay Bailey Hutchison,
Phil Gramm, Jeb Bush--but mostly during "get out the vote" drives in the
waning days of a campaign. Never has a campaign been run solely on
autodialing until Kerr persuaded WorldPeace to run for governor.>>
I will not argue with that.
<<"I told him, 'With a name like WorldPeace, people are not going to
forget you,'" Kerr says. "I suggested the governor's race because Texans like
to elect ordinary people--not career politicians--as their governor." And
this political season would be anything but usual. "George Bush moved to
Washington and took all the heavy hitters with him. And the Democrats
have been in shambles for 10 years." >>
Yes, we discussed this.
<<With Kerr as his campaign manager, WorldPeace signed off on an
unconventional race,>>
All races are unconventional in that they are all unique.
<< one that would rely extensively on Kerr's sophisticated autodialing
technology. "All political consultants believe that the only way to get
elected statewide is to build your name ID by spending millions on radio
and TV buys," Kerr says. "But I can call the entire state of Texas [5 to 7
million phones] every two weeks to get our message out." >>
Conventional within the box wisdom is that you cannot win with just
dialers. We'll see.
<<Approximately half the prerecorded calls are answered by machine, and
a high percentage of those answered in person result in hang-ups. "Even if
they do hang up, the message is structured so they first hear my name and
what I am running for," WorldPeace says.>>
That's right. Before one hangs up, he or she has already heard the
message: WorldPeace.
<<Since announcing his candidacy on his Web site in January, he has made
15 million "connects" with Texas households, incorporating nearly 30
blistering>> various, not all blistering << messages, which can be
immediately changed to respond to the shifting political scene.>>
Yelp! By Jove I think Mark got it.
<<"Our strategy was to get his name out there," Kerr says. "And to take
out any competitors in the primary by disabling them so heavily they become
a walking shell." >>
Well, Dan is a little more hard edged than me.
<<Yet there is also the possibility of backlash by going for the jugular
even before the January filing deadline.>>
Maybe. But there are three phases of this campaign. 1) Name
identification with a pleasant message. 2) Destroy the other would be Democratic
contenders. There can only be ONE. 3) Destroy Tricky Rick while taking a stand on
the issues.
<< "It's the ultimate irony, a bomb-thrower named WorldPeace,">>
Not exactly. Let us say an advocate for peace who is not a pacifist.
<< says former Dallas County Democratic Party Chairman Ken Molberg. "In
Democratic circles, they don't speak about him much, and when they do,
it's not favorable." >>
That would be in his closed circles. The problem with everyone is their
elitist exclusive views such that when one exists in a closed society,
one tends to believe that the views of that society are the views of all in
the global society. The latest Scripps Howard poll, even in the attempted
skewing of it, even in trying to make people believe that a large part
of the electorate became undecided in the last three months, is seen as a lie
by those who live in the box as well as outside it. You can only carry on
a crusade if you demonize those who are not American, not Christian, not
White, not Rich. Religionist believe that those who do not accept their
particular path to God are sinners, infidels, morons and so are expendible. For
me, I have proven my willingness to fight for America without forgeting that
those who I agreed to kill for America were still human beings and children of
God.
<<The Tony Sanchez campaign refuses to even acknowledge that WorldPeace
is a legitimate candidate, dismissing his phone harangues against Sanchez as
"so misleading they are laughable.">>
So misleading as to be unnecessary to deny?
<< Sanchez communications director Michelle Kucero maintains that her
boss was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Tesoro Savings and Loan collapse by
three governmental agencies years ago.>>
And OJ did not kill Nicole. Sanchez was not indicted but the money was
in fact laundered. It was never denied that Tesoro did in fact launder $25
million even though the "always sharp" Sanchez did not notice the $25
million. And I am sure that he is not responsible for all the bad loans
that bankrupted Tesoro and cost the taxpayers $139 million. And I am sure
that he was not responsible for the fact that his current bank, IBOC, has not
filed its political contributions documents in the last two years. And I am
sure that he did not know he received a "death threat" letter from Henry
Cuellar. And I am sure he did not actually write the $350 thousand of checks to
George Bush. And I am sure that he did not have his glasses on the day he
renewed his driver's license and told the officer that he was 5' 7" as opposed
to 5' 4" in cowboy boots.
<<But that's just the kind of denial that WorldPeace will incorporate
into his next prerecorded message to slam Sanchez at the rate of 200,000
calls a day. "If we are hitting an opponent correctly--hitting them hard--there
is no way for them to respond to the dialers," Kerr says>>
True. It only takes 10 minutes to change a dialer message.
<<"Traditional media take too long, and by then we have anticipated what
their response will be and changed our message.">>
Actually, I prefer to wait until they respond before I reply.
<<WorldPeace believes autodialing levels the playing field, enabling him
to compete with Sanchez and his millions of dollars.>>
Actually it allows one to get his or her message to the people when the
press refuses to print it. And it allows you to go straight to the voters and
bypass the Party bureaucrats who have their own agendas which may or not
be for the common good or for the good of the Party.
<< It can also be irritating, and unless you put a face with the voice,
it's far too impersonal to get a good sense of the candidate. >>
Wrong. I have not seen over half my legal clients face to face. They
do business with me because they believe what I say.
<<At 53, WorldPeace, who calls himself a "Blue Dog Democrat," knows he
eventually will have to step out from behind his dialers.>>
Probably but maybe not. The newspapers have already printed my images
and I have had a tv interview or two. And my image is on my web page. I have
nothing to hide.
<< He feels confident the positive parts of his message--peace loving,>>
No. I am an advocate for peace, not a pacifist. Peace loving is one
dimensional without qualification. I like to fight. I am good at fighting. If I
did not like it, I would not be an attorney. I would not be in the
governor's race. <<drug-free, justice for all, regular guy--will prevail.>>
Let's
hope so. Especially considering the Perry Sanchez alternative.
<< "When people see my name on the ballot, they will not be able to
resist," he says. "I mean, psychologically, who can vote against WorldPeace?" >>
Actually, I said whatever election that I am in will be a vote for
WorldPeace the man but it will also to some degree be a referendum on WorldPeace.
And in these terroristic times, that referendum may well be insurmountable
for Perry Sanchez. We'll see. God only knows.