Presidential campaigns getting into gear with shirts and trinkets

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By Maria Heinola and Martta Nieminen
     
      Nicknacks related to the Presidential election campaign include at least cards, pins, shirts, and posters.
      The selection is expected to grow in the coming months. For instance, a special copper coin for the Centre Party’s candidate Matti Vanhanen will be introduced. There will also be a light blue Tarja Halonen scarf, and a grey Sauli Niinistö bracelet.
      Participants at Vanhanen rallies will be offered the opportunity to use a large hammer to mint a Matti coin with their own hands.
      A set of coins is also being planned for National Coalition Party leader Sauli Niinistö as well, and pins depicting the candidate on roller skates are already on sale.
     
Candidates of the larger parties all have special campaign shirts. The young Social Democrats have commissioned a series of bright red shirts in which Halonen’s face is depicted in a manner that calls to mind that of the famous revolutionary Che Guevara.
      The Matti shirt put out by the youth organisation of the Centre Party is white with a picture of Vanhanen. Four different kinds of Matti shirts are available.
      Niinistö also graces a number of different kinds of shirts. For now the official campaign shirt is black with the text "NIINISTÖ 06".
     
"The colours that we will use will be revealed in late September when the campaign strategy is completed", says Harri Jaskari, the head of the Niinistö campaign.
      Colours that supporters might find pleasing have been sought out by asking people about how they feel about the office of president, and by discussing the matter with the candidate himself.
      "For this reason, the shirt and the attitude bracelet might change colour, when we create a final, uniform expression for the campaign", Jaskari notes.
     
Halonen’s new campaign web pages were opened on Thursday, and Vanhanen’s website will open at the end of October. Niinistö’s website was given a makeover already in the spring.
      Markku J. Jääskeläinen, who is running Tarja Halonen’s campaign for a second time, is pleased that 5,500 supporters have signed up so far.
      The official process of naming a Presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party concluded on Thursday, and all party district organisations gave their unanimous support for the incumbent.
      Niinistö has about 4,000 supporters ready to campaign for him, while Vanhanen has gathered the names of more than 3,000 Finns.
     
A campaign book by Vanhanen’s aide Timo Laaninen is to be published in late October.
      Also appearing next month is a book on Tarja Halonen by TV journalist Hannu Lehtilä. A book by Sauli Niinistö already came out in August.
      The candidates of the main parties will officially open their electoral campaigns with cruises.
     
Candidates of other parties are also launching their campaigns in the autumn.
      The Green League candidate Heidi Hautala will celebrate her 50th birthday on November 14th. Her supporters are planning a seminar to launch her campaign.
      Swedish People’s Party candidate Henrik Lax will open his campaign on October 3rd.
      The launch of the campaign of Christian Democratic candidate Bjarne Kallis will be on October 1st in Helsinki. At that time the campaign poster and an electoral programme will be made public.
      The campaign of the True Finns candidate Timo Soini is to begin in late September or early October, once the election poster is ready.
      The Liberals are still collecting signatures on behalf of the candidacy of Professor Arto Lahti.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 2.9.2005

More on this subject:
 FACTFILE: Campaign cruises are almost booked solid

MARIA HEINOLA AND MARTTA NIEMINEN / Helsingin Sanomat
maria.heinola@sanoma.fi, martta.nieminen@hs.fi