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Dolan's approach is to start early and hit hard on the incumbent's record. An N.C.P.A.C. affiliate in Idaho began TV and radio commercials in June. Initially Church was accused of having "almost always opposed a strong national defense." The TV spot was taped in front of an empty ICBM silo, implying that Church's attitude say anything negative about Frank Church. We'll talk about all the negative stuff." And in Idaho, where air time is cheap, N.C.P.A.C. will talk about its view of Church's record over and over. One radio spot was aired 150 times a day throughout the state for five days. The cost was just $4,000. Predicts Dolan: "By 1980 there will be people voting against Church without remembering why."
While N.C.P.A.C. wages war with words, others affiliated with the New Right are attempting to organize single-interest groups against Church. A new antiabortion group called Stop the Baby Killers, with Idaho Congressman George Hansen as honorary chairman, describes Church, Culver and Bayh as "men who apparently think it's perfectly okay to slaughter unborn infants." In fact, Church favors a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion in most circumstances. He is also opposed to controls on firearms. But the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a national group with an active chapter in Idaho, finds him wanting. Says its chairman, Alan Gottlieb: "There's no question that Steve Symms would be a better Senator on our issue. Church votes the way he does because he'd be tarred and feathered if he didn't." The National Right to Work Committee, Stop ERA and other single-issue groups are expected to work against Church and most of the other "targeted" Democrats as well.
The ferocity of this assault may turn out to be an error. The intended victims have begun organizing their re-election campaigns earlier than they would in a "normal" pre-election year. N.C.P.A.C.'s gambit is also causing dissension among New Right strategists, who are not as united as they seem. Weyrich's newsletter openly criticized Dolan's approach in Idaho and warned that he risked a backlash favoring Church. Weyrich's apprehension that Church may be perceived as the home-town underdog being attacked by alien bullies matches exactly Church's own strategy for survival.