What follows are the actual transcripts of the e-mails sent between Kent, Melissa and Gordon Drake. They are published here on the Amazing EMC web site for the first time!
No kidding!
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Dear Melissa and Gordon,
A couple of days ago, I appeared on a television show at Adelphia Studios in Santa Monica, after which I met William Rosendahl, Adelphia's Vice President of Political Affairs. I mentioned our upcoming election, and he offered to moderate a debate between all Screen Actors Guild presidential candidates.
I believe our membership deserves to hear our positions on the issues related to the future of the Guild. Mr. Rosendahl suggested we use the Adelphia Studios facilities or any venue of our choosing, and the debate would be taped for broadcast on the Adelphia public access channel.
Let's find out if the three of us can make this happen.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
8/19/03
Kent,
Thank you for the invitation, I would welcome a debate.
If there is anything I can do to assist in making this happen, please let me know. I will look forward to hearing from you concerning time and place.
Gordon Drake
Gentlemen,
It would be pleasure to join you in a debate.
Unfortunately, I am out of town working and won't be back until Labor Day. So it will be impossible for us to get a debate together before the ballots reach the members. But, I think we should still move forward with this.
We need to have a discussion about the parameters and guidelines of the debate and we also need to find a way to guarantee that all members, not just those who live in LA, can view it. We also need to make sure that it is closed-captioned.
So, let's try and get this all worked out as quickly as possible and hopefully we can make it happen the week of September 1st. I am also happy to tape it at Adelphia if that is alright with you.
Until then, be well,
Melissa
8/21/03
Dear Melissa and Gordon:
Melissa, I hope the shoot's going well. Since we can't all be in Los Angeles until after the ballots have been sent, I would like to find out if it would be agreeable for us to set up a radio debate (National Public Radio?), where we could all be hooked up by telephone, and which would take place the week prior to the week of
September 1st. This would provide a fair setting for all three of us.
This radio debate would be in addition to my proposed TV debate, and would allow members the opportunity to hear our positions on the important matters facing the Guild before they vote; an opportunity I would never wish to deny them. We could record and distribute the debate through our respective web sites.
I intend to let the press know that both of you have graciously accepted my proposal to meet in debate, and that your suggestion, Melissa, was for the in-person debate to take place the week of September 1st. I will further let the press know that we are discussing the possibility
of a radio call-in debate, which will take place prior to the ballots being delivered. This will address our understanding of the importance of a fully informed membership.
Since you, Melissa, are out of the country, I'll be happy to facilitate the process of setting up a radio debate, and arranging several possible
times to accommodate our schedules. I am certain the three of us can get this set up.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
Kent and Melissa,
I am sitting on go! Thanks for arranging this Kent and you can count on my attendance.
Gordon Drake
8/22/03
Gentlemen,
Now it gets complicated, I am shooting six day weeks with Saturdays off.
This last week is my heaviest and our schedule has been unpredictable at best. As much as I want to, I don't see how I will be able to commit to any time this week.
I would like to move forward with the televised debate or some other version after I return. Provided that the whole, national membership can
have timely access. I think we all agree that the members have every right to make the most informed decision possible.
My only real concern is that it may be a bit too late and the members who have already sent in their ballots, may get upset. Rightly so, I
might add.
I wish we had all thought of this much sooner. I'm willing to listen to any ideas either of you may have.
Best,
M
8/25/03
Dear Melissa and Gordon,
A Saturday radio debate would be ideal, especially since the ballots will just then be arriving in members' mailboxes; otherwise we need to schedule the radio debate for this week.
To accommodate your need to participate in this important and timely radio debate, please give me a time and date between now and Saturday,
so the necessary arrangements can be made.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
8/27/03
Kent,
I am just back from a short trip, please schedule at the convenience of Melissa. I will make it my priority to attend.
Gordon Drake
9/02/03
Dear Melissa, James, Gordon, and Barbara,
Esai Morales and I would like to invite you to participate in a debate, to be held at the Musicians Union Local 47 Auditorium on Monday,
September 8th, from 6PM to 9PM.
I am awaiting confirmation from Adelphia's William Rosendahl, our previously agreed upon moderator. Please let me know if any of you
would like to suggest an alternative moderator.
The expense of the debate should be equally shared by all involved, but these are details we can discuss at a later time.
Please reply to this invitation as soon as possible.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
9/03/03
Dear Melissa, James, Gordon, and Barbara,
William Rosendahl of Adelphia has agreed to moderate this debate, so we will proceed accordingly, since Mr.Rosendahl was our originally agreed upon moderator.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
Kent, Esai, Jamie, Gordon and Barbara,
Kent and Gordon and I have discussed this before and I'd like to know if anyone has yet adressed the problem of how to make this debate accessible to all members nationwide?
With timely notification?
With closed captioning?
I am deeply concerned that we would have a debate and not allow access to it for every member across the country.
I am equally concerned about the members who have already voted without the benefit of knowledge a debate would provide.
Please respond how can we possibly do this so that it is fair to all members nationwide?
I await your reply,
Melissa
Dear Melissa, James, Gordon, and Barbara,
In response to Melissa's concerns, I suggest the following:
a) As much press as possible (including national print, television, radio and Internet), will be invited to the event;
b) The three slates can share the cost of hiring a videographer to tape the debate; copies of which can be posted on our respective websites;
c) The three slates can share the cost of having the debate transcribed, and the debate transcription can be downloaded, emailed or faxed;
d) Accommodations will be made for the hearing impaired, and if the debate is televised, closed-captioning is a standard television set feature.
In order to move ahead with the possibility of national television, cable, or radio programs picking up the debate for airing, I will need a
commitment from all parties.
I believe this approach accommodates all of Melissa's requests. This debate will provide information to the membership in the same way the
current and ongoing campaigning by all three slates is providing information to the membership. And even though a number of members may
have already voted, the S.A.G. voting report, available on the S.A.G. website, shows that of the last six board elections, the average turnout
of voters has been about 25% (with the maximum turnout of 42% for Melissa's run-off two years ago).
This means that at least 2/3rds to 3/4ths of our members don't vote at all, and of those who do vote, we have learned that close to 1/3rd of
all ballots have been returned in the last two weeks or so of an election. Therefore, a debate held this weekend would be timely to the vast majority of our membership, and would perhaps motivate more members to vote.
Please reply by noon tomorrow, September 4th, via email or by calling Kristen in my office at 323-868-2770.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
Kent,
Thank you for the continued efforts setting this debate up for us all.
I had originally understood this to be a Presidential debate. When did the addition of the Vice Presidents take place, why do you feel it necessary, and what will the structure of the debate be?
Your last message was also the first I had heard of costs related to the debate.
I am not one to venture into a commitment without knowing what it may cost me. I am committed to debate with all of you but am not willing to commit blindly to the unknown, associated costs.
Consider me confirmed for a Presidential debate contingent upon knowing the associated costs.
Respectfully,
Gordon Drake
9/04/03
Kent,
Melissa has been having troubles with her Blackberry and for some reason has just gotten your email. She didn't want you to think she was
ignoring your noon deadline so she asked me to call you immediately and explain (I also left this message on your cell phone).At this very
moment, she is sitting in physical therapy and won't be able to respond until all of her doctor's appointments are finished and she gets
home-probably around 4. Sorry for the incontinence-she'll be in touch
this afternoon.
Thanks,
Kat Lewis
Dear all,
My responses are below, in green. You
should also know that I just got a call from Mike Farrell to let me know that Bill Rosendahl just called him asking what our issues are and how many candidates there are. Bill told Mike that this debate is not going to be done at Adelphia and he has no intention of broadcasting it. Bill says the debate is going to take place at some union hall. This leaves me with nothing but more questions.
Anyway, read on...
Melissa
Dear Melissa, James, Gordon, and Barbara,
In response to Melissa's concerns, I suggest the following:
a) As much press as possible (including national print, television, radio and Internet),will be invited to the event; I think that having a lot of press there is actually a very bad idea. We want all of our members to have full access to the debate or transcripts thereof, BEFORE hearing the details in excerpted fashion from a non member's perspective. remember this debate is for our member's scrutiny, not the general public's.
b) The three slates can share the cost of hiring a videographer to tape the debate; copies of which can be posted on our respective websites;
First of all, just to be crystal clear, there are not three slates, there are two candidates who are running on slates and two candidates who are each running independently.
Taping the debates is a good idea but, it doesn't solve the problem of our members who don't have computers. Also, downloading something as long as this debate, which I assume will be at least two hours, will take too long for many people. Even the ones with DSL and high speed internet access.
The three slates can share the cost of having the debate transcribed, and the debate transcription can be downloaded, emailed or faxed; Again I repeat, there are not three slates. Also, the costs of hiring a stenographer to transcribe then emailing, faxing or in the event a member doesn't have a fax machine, snail mailing will be extremely costly.
To be fair the expense should be shared by all the candidates but let's face it Kent, our
slates have raised money that may make our parts of this endeavor possible, but there is no way that Gordon or Barbara will be able to fund this in any way.
Frankly I think the cost is going to be prohibitive for all of us.
(d)Accommodations will be made for the hearing impaired, and if the debate is televised, closed-captioning is a standard television set feature. Not to be nit pick, but I've done some research and not all televisions have closed captioning. Especially older models.
In order to move ahead with the possibility of national television, cable, or radio programs picking up the debate for airing, I will need a
commitment from all parties.
I believe this approach accommodates all of Melissa's requests. Not quite, we haven't even begun the discussions of the parameters of any debate. I'll start now; There can be no studio audience present. There must be a limit of time for responses and rebuttals. Let's start at our standard two minutes and one minute to rebut.
Will we get the questions or topics for discussion before the debate?
Who will be providing the questions?
Who will be educating the moderator about our issues beforehand?
This debate will provide information to the membership in the same way the current and ongoing campaigning by all three slates is providing information to the membership. And even though a number of members may have already voted, the S.A.G. voting report, available on the S.A.G. website, shows that of the last six board elections, the average turnout of voters has been about 25% (with the maximum turnout of 42% for Melissa's run-off two years ago). Hey, that was your run-off too, Rocky :) I've also just found out that it appears that we already have many thousands of ballots back.
This means that at least 2/3rds to 3/4ths of our members don't vote at all, and of those who do vote, we have learned that close to 1/3rd of
all ballots have been returned in the last two weeks or so of an election. Actually the majority of our ballots are returned in the
first two weeks. I really don't think we should rely too much on data from past board elections. Particularly since the last referendum we
sent out had the highest voter turnout in the history of the guild at 54% and we all know that Consolidation is first and foremost in the minds of the voters this election.
Therefore, a debate held this weekend would be timely to the vast majority of our membership, I disagree completely about the
timeliness. and would perhaps motivate more members to vote.
On this last point I agree whole-heartedly but only if we had done it before or a few days after the ballots were mailed. This is why I keep saying that I wish we would've had this discussion much sooner.
Please reply by noon tomorrow, September 4th, via email or by calling Kristen in my office at 323-868-2770.
Fraternally,
Kent McCord
Melissa Gilbert
President
Screen Actors Guild
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Did Melissa Gilbert REALLY want to debate Kent McCord? Read their exchange of 
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