I tried to warn you guys.

[Son of Freedom]

I am definately for the grassroots advisory. Feedback is everything.

 

[RonPaulOnline]

What did the crosstabs say? Where were we strong, weak, what demographics were saying what issues were important and deciding how they were going to vote, and what then, after that analysis was the strategy to move voters? Does anyone at HQ even know what this means?

I was wondering about the crosstabs today as well. They"re critical to defining our message for the various markets. We're blind without them. All we've got is CNN entrance polling from Iowa, at least that is all I am aware of.

 

[RiverRat]

Well I do. I think that the campaign needs to keep in closer contact with the grassroots. They need to coordinate the phone calls so that some people don't get called 12 times as happened in Iowa. If they can coordinate the sign waving areas the grassroots will show up. They need to have a Honey Do list that we can goto and say Well I can take care of that and then just do it. It should be prioritized and divided into regions. They need to coordinate the door to door effort and prioritize the most likely to have an effect neighborhoods first and prevent us from canvasing one neighborhood 10 times and missing nine neighborhoods all together. And they should have a sight with some training videos to teach us how to go door to door and make phone calls, which issues are getting the best results and which ones are not helping at all (9/11 for instance). Paul has an ARMY or people that the other campaigns would kill to have and he needs to be the general and coordinate it. We didn't beat the English in 1776 with just the state militias that came out to fight for their town. We need George Washington and the army that he lead. The snow is melting and we need to start marching out of Valley Forge!! We need to do this now and we need direction!

"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."
George Washington, letter to James Madison, March 2, 1788

"We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately."
Ben Franklin

Just my $0.02 worth (not adjusted for inflation )

The RiverRat

 

[freelance]

It is EXACTLY the time for them and for heads to roll.

For any of you who play backgammon (I'm probably giving my age away), you know this strategy. Sacrifice early rather than later. It's the ticket to winning.

 

[wowabunga]

Paul has an ARMY or people that the other campaigns would kill to have and he needs to be the general and coordinate it. We didn't beat the English in 1776 with just the state militias that came out to fight for their town. We need George Washington and the army that he lead. The snow is melting and we need to start marching out of Valley Forge!! We need to do this now and we need direction!

So how does the campaign go about and hire such a person... might they come to this forum and find them here ? I like what you wrote and I'm ready to wrap rags around my feet (like the Continental army did) and march off behind you and get 'er done...! LOL

Peace and Joy
Ramblin Randy

 

[ecliptic]

We CAN handle freedom!

Dr. Paul is advancing a message of decentralized government. He wants to put more power in the hands of the people. That's what this grassroots movement is supposed to reflect. Do you realize that we are a living advertisement in this campaign? Unlike the other candidates, Dr. Paul is taking a hands-off approach to this entire effort. He's empowered us to either savor the thrill of victory or suffer the agony of defeat. But, whatever we get, it's up to us to make it happen.

This is how he would run the country, as well. He would return most of the power back to the states. This is such an important endeavor we're undertaking. We must prove that we can still govern ourselves just fine if allowed to. If we can become a harmonious and progressing body by Election Day, Dr. Paul will be able to hold us all up as proof that he who governs least governs best.

I'd like to propose that we become an actual microcosm of Dr. Paul's governing. Let's organize ourselves by state. Then each group of supporters from each state will elect/select someone from their group to act as their representative. The representatives will work with each other on our behalf and we will agree to accept and abide by their directives. Some will lead, the rest will follow, but we ALL will win.

Best post ever! It's totally ours to win. Let's do this!

 

[coboman]

Reagan lost Iowa and won the presidency ...

That's because he fired all his staff after loosing Iowa, and hired professionals.

Maybe (MAYBE?) that's what Ron Paul should do.

 

[wowabunga]

So are you saying we scuttle things like the millions spent on national Ron Paul advertising and instead spend the millions locally standing at the bowling alley and hand out slim jims and bumper stickers ? How about we take a few million and hire those winter break kids to travel the country kicking arse... sorta like our own Ron Paul Minutemen.

I'm not all that impressed with our national advertsing and could just as well do without it. Lets just forget the "B" grade national ads we are getting and just send us a truck load of signs, bumperstickers and flyers and we'll go hand them out.

Where's the Beef ?
Ramblin Randy

 

[AgentOrange]

Kudos to the OP for being brave enough to speak the truth. Many Ron Paul supporters, just like most other people, want to keep on their rose colored glasses and pretend that everything is okay when it isn't. This campaign must be won to win--the idea of winning to get the "message" out is useless. The other candidates are only stealing ideas from the "message" long enough to get elected, once they are, it will be back to crooked business as usual.

Hearing that the motorcyclist and grandma for Ron Paul were treated shabbily by the campaign makes me made. Campaign supporters should be treated like gold by campaign headquarters or affiliates.

The campaign MUST bring in some outsiders to get things fixed so that Ron Paul has a chance of winning. As one poster said, he needs a speech writer to clean up his speech for him--it is absolutely true that what he intends to convey, he is not conveying with his speech. I was always taught to speak at a 6th grade level when talking to the general public--I've heard some people say it should be a 4th grade level thanks to our increasingly failing public schools. Ron Paul also should assume that people's knowledge of politics is at the 4th grade level....because for most people it is. He must be able to get his message out more clearly, because most people aren't understanding it.

Loyalty is one thing--there is no reason he can't keep his old friends with him, but he must bring in new blood, and he must be willing to listen to the new advisors regardless of what his old friends think. Like it or not, he is now running a major presidential campaign--this is a far different cry from running for the Libertarian party in 1988 when he had no chance of winning. He does have a very real chance of winning now, but only if he gets better advisors on board.

 

[Deborah K]

We should organize the grassroots into a powerful force to be reckoned with. We should take all of the awesome clips that have been made and raise money to get them aired in all of the major cities! They are by far the best way to convert people, I know first hand. Most of the campaign ads suck. <sorry but they do>

The majority of 'sheeple' still rely on the media as their major source of information. We MUST inundate the airwaves with the grassroots clips.

 

[realist]

Dr. Paul is advancing a message of decentralized government. He wants to put more power in the hands of the people. That's what this grassroots movement is supposed to reflect. Do you realize that we are a living advertisement in this campaign? Unlike the other candidates, Dr. Paul is taking a hands-off approach to this entire effort. He's empowered us to either savor the thrill of victory or suffer the agony of defeat. But, whatever we get, it's up to us to make it happen.

This is how he would run the country, as well. He would return most of the power back to the states. This is such an important endeavor we're undertaking. We must prove that we can still govern ourselves just fine if allowed to. If we can become a harmonious and progressing body by Election Day, Dr. Paul will be able to hold us all up as proof that he who governs least governs best.

I'd like to propose that we become an actual microcosm of Dr. Paul's governing. Let's organize ourselves by state. Then each group of supporters from each state will elect/select someone from their group to act as their representative. The representatives will work with each other on our behalf and we will agree to accept and abide by their directives. Some will lead, the rest will follow, but we ALL will win.

I agree - EXCELLENT POST!

All many of us seasoned (old folks) are saying is that we need to face some some very basic and very real facts. What your proposing is exactly what we needed ..... 12 months ago. Why? Because that type of spontaneous, structured organization takes time to achieve..

We DON'T have a lot of time. Please understand- our adversaries know this. It takes time to get organized. It takes time to rally support. And, it takes a lot of time for "organized, coordinated efforts" to spread a message when that message is being diluted from all sides by opposing messages. It is simply unrealistic to think that an "uncoordinated effort" will spread our message faster than a coordinated one.

Look at things logically - You either believe time is short or you don't. You either believe we have this in the bag or you don't. It seems to me that with all the satisfied sentiment, many believe what we're doing now is "all we need to do to win" this thing.

I was convinced of this by many a few weeks back when I questioned if we were doing enough in Iowa. "We're going to shock the world"- "Polls are all garbage" - "the media is all wrong" - "we will WIN Iowa. WIN IOWA!!!! YEA!!!" - I was told this by MANY, and I fell prey to this becuase it's what I WANTED. Its what we all wanted.

Having been through this before, I tempered my expectations with past experiences. Polling, the media and sentiment here all seemd to suggest a 4th or even 3rd place finish was well within reach. If this makes any sense, the fact that It WAS within reach, makes it harder for me to accept - NOT easier. I admit, I don't understand the optomistic view of being happy becasue we didn't miss by much. Forgive me for saying so but those sentiments seem like the troll sentiments becasue they revel in defeat.

It's OK to be positive and motivational, In fact it's very helpful. But to improve we must acknowledge that what happened was "not acceptable" and find a way to do better in the future. I think you'll find that most "championship" organizations in any competitive arena become successful not by focusing on the end game (marathon), but in taking each and every game (sprint) like it IS THE END GAME. The most important game. The only game. Make no mistake the other teams have proffesional staffs motivating their players that a championship , won even by one vote, is the only option.

So If you believe time is short, AND you believe we don't have this in the bag yet- you then logically have to accept that we must spread our message in the most effective method, as soon as possible.

I've said this before. I know we're all working hard. But working smart is very often more effective than working hard. I use this analogy quite often in my profession. Consider that it only takes 4 guys to push a car up a hill if they are all pushing from the same side. But if you take 100 guys and 25 push from the front, 25 from the back, 25 from the each side- All of them pushing hard towards the middle - those 100 guys could kill themselves working hard and never be as productive as the 4. That's what organization can do for you. Organization can make 4 guys more productive than 100. Lack of organization can cripple even the largest, hardest working organization.

My understanding of the process is somwhat contrary to yours only becuase I don't beleive we have enough time for an unorganized effort to succeed. I sincerely hope I'm wrong and I respect that I am only one voice

 

[Sandy]

I don't think you could be anymore wrong. If the top issues among REPUBLICANS are immigration and the economy, why would pushing his war stance, which is only about 5th among Republicans, be the way to win? You personally may hate it that conservatives regard the issues the way they do, but the proof is in the pudding.

In the debates, and general campaign, Paul is already running on an anti-war platform with notions of freedom and liberty. Despite a great record on the top issues for REPUBLICANS. It is working great among the anti-war, college age, internet crowd. But it obviously is NOT going to get him the nomination and the sad part is that Paul is the most conservative of the whole pack. But his base isn't necessarily conservative so I don't know if people will be able to realize what needs to be done to attract enough Republican voters.

*He is doing great among Independents and non-traditional voters.* That has been accomplished.

BUT now is the time to get the conservatives, the traditional Republican voters, because without those people, Paul will not win. His stance on immigration may have sent a few of his liberal supporters over to Obama. SO WHAT?! The people he needs to attract are Republicans, not liberals. Again, he has the crossover vote already, now it's time to use his excellent record conservative issues to his advantage. I know that will offend some of his current supporters, but surely very few will defect to the Obama camp.

Great post!!! Exactly, we aren't here to pander to a few people that jump ship to vote for a CFR affiliate and big gov't socialist, pro preemptive war person like Obama.

Illegal immigration is a HUGE problem, which greatly effects our economy and monetary situation as well as crime and many other things. This isn't racist, it's reality, and something that needs to be addressed and the progressives that can't handle that have been conditioned to think they are bad people for even talking about it!! They are shooting themselves and the rest of us in the foot! Too many people have been conditioned to actually help the people who want a North American Union, and they don't even know it!

We need to get the conservative vote, the Republican vote to win the nomination!!! Ads do need to be focused on the top concerns of conservative voters. With an ad concerning the economy, the war can be mentioned because it does of course affect the economy and can be tied in with other things affecting it. Illegal immigration is affecting the economy, too. I guess the elephant in the room isn't supposed to be mentioned.

 

[wowabunga]

I agree - EXCELLENT POST!
I use this analogy quite often in my profession. Consider that it only takes 4 guys to push a car up a hill if they are all pushing from the same side. But if you take 100 guys and 25 push from the front, 25 from the back, 25 from the each side- All of them pushing hard towards the middle - those 100 guys could kill themselves working hard and never be as productive as the 4. That's what organization can do for you. Organization can make 4 guys more productive than 100. Lack of organization can cripple even the largest, hardest working organization.

What a WONDERFUL analogy, thanks for sharing...!!!!!

-Ramblin Randy

 

[RiverRat]

I appreciate the sentiment but unfortunately I'm looking for a leader too. All I want is my country back and I'll do whatever it takes to get it. The blind leading the blind isn't necessarily a good thing but I'm not sure who has the vision to get us to our desired destination, President Paul.

 

[werdd]

stfu