Email Database and The Grassroots HQ: Tick,Tock,Tick,Tock......

[happyphilter]

I agree mtmedlin

As effective as the forums are for us, we need a plan, and we need it fast. The only way of making a comprehensive plan for our efforts would be to get everybody in one place, reading the same information.

 

[constituent]

yea.. i agree..

control

command

we need more control, more command

must control the message

must command the message...

must crush dissenting voices...

more control..

must command...

i love sean hannity..

more control...

how will i ever stand out w/out a crowd.... how can i bully w/out backup???

must control..

more command.

 

[DjLoTi]

yea.. i agree..

Seems like you're the only one really fighting this, while most people seem to agree that it's a good idea. If you don't like it, don't get involved. Don't help. But don't damper our idea just because you don't like it. It's not about you. It's about what WE wanna do. And it's NOT going to be easy.

I know all the bitching people sent my way when I was talking about something major really sucked. But I didn't hear anybody complaining when 400 people heard Ron Paul got 5th place first on my radio station.

The more time you spend fighting something, the less time you have building something. We want to build something. If you don't like it, go build something else yourself. Good Luck!

 

[Lord Xar]

mtmedlin, contact me thru PM or email: [email protected]

I agree we need more centralized organization, but like others have said - this is NOT a HQ or a LEADERSHIP or CONTROL type thing.... this would be a bustop for information and ideas and dissemination of the grassroots level...

Perhaps we all have different ideas of what we are going for.

Mtmedlin, what sort of organization are you talking about?

And I do agree that is decentralization of grassroots actually hurts us on a grand level. Locally, it is great --- but we are not helping a local election...

You want big things done, you gotta do big things..

Think about this... One story on Yahoo or whatever newspaper, from there it goes to ALL THE MSM media... from small to big and back down. Information and tactics must flow all ways.... if you cut it off at the local level on both giving and receiving, its disaster.

So, in some respects we have to be like MSM... with information... disseminate, organize.. etc..

 

[Mort]

IIve tried working with several Libertarian groups and they all say the same damn thing. "We don't need more control, we already have too much of that in government."

They are supposed to be against big government and pro private groups. Once government is small, which is our goal. The load left will left for private groups.

 

[constituent]

djloti-

as stated by myself
I applaud your efforts, just think that you should consider calling yourself something other than Headquarters or anything that suggests.. "we're in charge here." because no one is in charge, nor should they be... that's the key to success here and in the future.

simple as that...
as for the post you are referencing, that was in response to a statement made, in very poor form, by another member participating in the thread...

the basic idea, i'm not fighting... go back and catch up before poppin' off.

p.s., i really like your station and thought it was a great idea from the start!

 

[goldenequity]

Effenciency

Effenciency.......

I like what you said about communication in both directions..... all we are really talking about here is COMMUNICATIONS.....not CONTROL (only to the point where someone takes responsibility and leads this thing to birth and nurture it....WHICH IS NO SMALL JOB!)

The concept of a 32K secure database with distribution flow to geographic areas is instantaneous and highly effecient..... the more it is "de"centralized (imo) the more it is "in"effecient.

Remember: this is voluntary.... it is about communicating "alerts" and "thank yous" and "notices".... just simple coordination!

not "orders" and "commands".(give me a break... )

 

[DjLoTi]

Haha, thanks. But I'm not sure what we would call ourselves considering we're going to be a centralized source of news, information, and communication for the grassroots movement. It's best to just call it like it is, but I guess something like Grassroots center would work. I dunno. I guess that would work.

 

[DeadheadForPaul]

Contact Frazee. He has asked a number of college students (including one of my friends) to head up efforts on campuses across the country. He has contact info for hundreds of colleges

 

[constituent]

COMMAND
CONTROL
COMMUNICATION

gee... what ever might have given us that idea?

 

[constituent]

djloti-

HubCity.

 

[austin356]

I know the HQ cannot give us their ads to use; But can we steal them?

I don't anticipate them pressing charges against us.

 

[constituent]

i've got a ron paul for congress campaign vhs if anyone would like to put that to use.

 

[austin356]

Its not necessarily that we need central authority, but rather communication and organization. Central authority is only one way to achieve such.

I prefer the web 2.0 way for many/most circumstances. Its just getting to that point that is the problem.


For example; Here in Alabama I am creating a central database for all active supporters and meetup members. I AM NOT having to use the central government approach to this. Instead I just created a Google account that all organizers and Alabama can log into, and then use the spreadsheets and document function in that account so that it becomes one big open source central database.


See, my most recent save:

Comprehensive Contact Sheet Autosaved at Aug 14, 2007 3:27:01 PM GMT-05:00

 

[thomj76]

Well, that nap was refreshing.

I would say with Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, Wyoming, Florida, Michigan coming up,

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/events.phtml?s=c

procurement of voter lists is an imperative. These will be invaluable. In the meantime, explore the county you live in, explore the counties around you, breathe, exhale, repeat.

The Brookings Institute debate will be available online at some point, and it should serve as a good vehicle to allow people to see Ron Paul's positions.

As the meetup groups pick up speed, it would probably be a good idea to spread out into different counties. The gop structure in the counties are good places to share the message with. Having a good dialogue with these people is imperative. A person who goes to Ron Paul's site www.ronpaul2008.com, and then decides that they like this guy will probably not change their mind about it.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth right now.

 

[Wyurm]

A website with links to various ongoing projects so we can donate to them and so we can participate ----- that would be a very GOOD thing.

A grassroots hq? no that is the opposite of grassroots. Sadder still, I see quite a few posts where people are ganging up on someone that disagrees. That is the danger of a centralized command. You're either with us or against us. It might be hard to understand but every person is best at controlling themselves and acting on their own ideas. I was really bothered by the comment about half-baked ideas clogging things up. I wonder how many people might have thought the Ames ad was a half-baked idea? or mabe the Spam Spartanburg? Meh, I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but it does need saying.

 

[mtmedlin]

I know the HQ cannot give us their ads to use; But can we steal them?

I don't anticipate them pressing charges against us.

unfortunately, no we cant. Basically it would go down as the FEC saying that the campaign gave it to us. Then the burden of proof would be on the campaign to prove that we stole it......see the direction Iam going with. In the long run it would cause more problems.

 

[thomj76]

Personally, I think the ads we have come up with are better....

There is this website that though it has a small membership right now, could serve quite nicely for what we are wanting to do:

http://ronpaulnetwork.info/forum/index.php


Check it out.

 

[mtmedlin]

mtmedlin, contact me thru PM or email: [email protected]

I agree we need more centralized organization, but like others have said - this is NOT a HQ or a LEADERSHIP or CONTROL type thing.... this would be a bustop for information and ideas and dissemination of the grassroots level...

Perhaps we all have different ideas of what we are going for.

Mtmedlin, what sort of organization are you talking about?

And I do agree that is decentralization of grassroots actually hurts us on a grand level. Locally, it is great --- but we are not helping a local election...

You want big things done, you gotta do big things..

Think about this... One story on Yahoo or whatever newspaper, from there it goes to ALL THE MSM media... from small to big and back down. Information and tactics must flow all ways.... if you cut it off at the local level on both giving and receiving, its disaster.

So, in some respects we have to be like MSM... with information... disseminate, organize.. etc..

1st level - 50 State organizers
they would have a private forum that wouldn't get clogged up with allot of different discussion. Urgent action items would be talked about and decided upon mainly from suggestions handed up from meetup groups through the county organizers.
2nd level - each state has county/ borrow/ ? organizers
These people would be in charge of helping organize the different groups in a fairly small geographical area. They would take in suggestions from multiple groups and if enough groups supported a single idea, then they would pass it up to the state level. Essentially a filter for ideas and a leader to get the word out and organize groups.
3rd level - meetup group organizer
Basic level leader who continues to hold meetings and do local activities. This person would also get a head count for multiple county activities and pass it on to the county organizer.

an example, In Florida we are having two debates the next on is Presidency IV in Orlando. Each meetup organizer gets a head count of how many people can go. they also find out if everybody has a ride, signage and anything else necessary. they pass this up to the county organizer. They would then try to fill any needs of the individual group from one of the other groups. (someone in tampa picks up a person in Lake land that needs a ride, or brings signs since one county doesn't have enough) All this information is passed to the state organizer who can contact media, stating that their will be over 2000 RP supporters and ask if the media will cover this. If there is a need for a large amount of money to help in one of these rallies, then the state organizer suggests it to the other state organizers in the forum. the information is then spread in the opposite manner back down to the meetup groups without having one person send a million e-mails. This is highly effective because there is a division of labor with defined work loads and nobody gets overloaded or burnt out.
This would also work well to get all the groups to donate to a single cause. I personally would love to see us sponsor adds in NH and Nevada. Instead of it only going out to the 2000 members our forum, the information could be quickly passed down to 30,000 meetup members.

This is a basic idea and I think we could expand upon it and find more uses. getting closer to the primaries RP will be changing his schedule on rather short notice. Sometimes a news agency or some other opportunity will contact the campaign and he will need to be in a different state in short notice. With a solid system in place the information can be disseminated quickly and passed out to ALL volunteers in order to get a crown and setup support before he arrives.

 

[Suzu]

1st level - 50 State organizers they would have a private forum that wouldn't get clogged up with allot of different discussion.

That's precisely what's been set up at http://ronpaulnetwork.info/forum