If you are serious about Ron Paul in 2012

[Bruno]

^ + rep

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Precincts precincts precincts. and targeted canvasses going specifically after Republican Primary voters. Y'all can piss and moan all you want to, but if we don't do what actually works, RP might get 10% this time instead of 5% like last time. We can surely win this thing, but we have to actually do what actually works. What works is organizing precincts, and targeted canvasses.

 

[pacelli]

Thanks OP for all of the concrete, behavioral suggestions that the grassroots can alter after learning from our experiences during the 2007-2008 campaign. Not sure if you've seen it, but there is a very important thread created in February that has an active, running, and updated list of these types of suggestions.

If Ron runs and has the personal motivation to WIN (rather than stop at educating), we'll have to help him in very concrete ways.

I encourage you to participate actively in that thread as well with your suggestions. Here's the link:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=232814

 

[teacherone]

we didn't win because ron paul didn't want to win.

if he means it this time-- then we'll pull it off.

 

[Dripping Rain]

not to hijack the thread but are you seriously a Machiavelli fan?

 

[txaslftist]

Thanks for the advice, Mr. Rove.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Thanks for the advice, Mr. Rove.

LMAO if this was Carl Rove, he'd probably be telling us the best way to win would be moar blimp.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Precincts precincts precincts. and targeted canvasses going specifically after Republican Primary voters. Y'all can piss and moan all you want to, but if we don't do what actually works, RP might get 10% this time instead of 5% like last time. We can surely win this thing, but we have to actually do what actually works. What works is organizing precincts, and targeted canvasses.

You've shown that works, no doubt.

I was part of that, the targeted canvassing that was done in NH for the primary.

Here's the problem: the "script" we were given was wildly intrusive and I am no salesman. I'm not a "people person" and I am not a "closer" by any stretch of the imagination. I despise the greasy dissimulation of sales as much as the greasy dissimulation of politics.

I come off as harsh and abrasive in situations like that, in addition to the fact that if somebody wandered onto my property and started haranguing me in the manner that the "script" suggested, I'd tell them to GTFO and slam the door in their face, so my heart wasn't in it, as I couldn't imagine wanting to talk to me, had the situation been reversed.

So, after a couple days of getting doors slammed in my face and hostile responses, I gave it up.

So, lessons learned:

A) Not everybody has the 'sales" and people skills to canvass door to door. Identify those who do and keep people like me far from that end of things.

B) Find other roles for those people. There are plenty of other things that can be done, and everybody can pitch in as best they see fit.

C) Identify the "targets" of the canvassing before heading out. Don't try to identify a potential voter on their doorstep, which was the stated goal of the effort I described above.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Thanks for the advice, Mr. Rove.

In case you don't know, Gunny just won a hard fought NC State House campaign, defeating a long time incumbent as a first time campaigner, using the process he described.

 

[mr1]

There's a lot to do before CPAC!

There are several immediate things that should be on our radar and we need to look no further than these goals.

1 WE MUST WIN THE CPAC 2011 PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL!
....
2) WE MUST ORGANIZE TO WIN THE IOWA STRAW POLL IN 2011
...
3) WE MUST CRAFT AND CAREFULLY REFINE OUR CAMPAIGN NARRATIVE
Libertarian is a dirty political word to most voters. We need to look at how Rand Paul was able to sell the libertarian message far better than Ron did in 2008.
...
IT IS OUR JOB TO RELATE TO VOTERS AND WHAT ISSUES THEY CARE ABOUT NOT BAPTIZING THEM IN LIBERTARIAN PHILOSOPHY!

4) IF WE ARE TO WIN WE MUST BE THE TEA PARTY CANDIDATE
...
If you are serious about Dr. Paul securing the nomination put down your own ego's and when the time comes listen to those who have campaign experience and know how elections are won and lost. Phone banking/ voter ID/ door to door/ polling issues all of these things are effective and what we should be channeling our time and money into. Not some silly idea born on the RPF forums.

You bring up some good points but I'd like to submit that I believe there is lots to do before CPAC!

I believe that the first thing on everyone's mind should be helping promote a kickoff moneybomb on 12/16/2010. Go to www.TheRonPaulTeaParty.com to make a pledge to donate.

First we gather enough pledges to convince Ron to form an exploratory committee, and then by donating to his committee on the massive 12/16/10 moneybomb, we can convince him to formally announce.

If you want Ron to run in 2012, then help convince him by pledging you support: www.TheRonPaulTeaParty.com

For the 2008 Presidential campaign, the big shots started forming exploratory committees in Nov 2006, and then started making formal announcements in Jan and Feb. 2007 (look at my post in this thread for an analysis of the dates: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=232814&page=18 )

It seems like some candidates may be pushing the timetable back slightly this time, but I doubt it will be by much. CPAC isn't until Feb 10-12 2011 so I think Ron Paul should definitely at least have an exploratory committee by that point. And I think it would be much easier to get people to go to CPAC for him, if he has that committee, or even better, if he has formally announced.

If we can get all his supporters together and pull off a big money bomb on the anniversary of the original Boston Tea Party, then he could announce his candidacy the next day and get tons of air time talking about how his grassroots supporters in the Tea Party spontaneously got together to encourage him to run and raised over $10 million dollars in one day.

I think that could go a long way in positioning Ron Paul as the Tea Party candidate of choice, as was suggested.

Right now, it is too early to start canvassing for Ron Paul in 2012. So I believe that the most effective thing we can do right now for the 2012 campaign is promote a kickoff moneybomb. The 2007 moneybombs started off as a decentralized idea that could have been ridiculed before it happened. But because of the online effort of thousands of people, the moneybombs went viral and I would say that they were the single most effective effort of Ron Paul's 2008 campaign. And fund raising money is the most important indicator in the beginning, so I'd say that all the political experts would be on my side on this one.

And so yes, that means that right now we should go out and blog about it, post it on facebook, post it in forums, and make the liberty community aware of it.

I submit that those would be the most effective uses of our time right now because we have real life concrete experience that they work to raise money for Ron Paul. And raising money at the beginning is the most important first step in the campaign.

Help Ron Paul in 2012 by helping promote a massive kickoff moneybomb!

www.TheRonPaulTeaParty.com

 

[GunnyFreedom]

You've shown that works, no doubt.

I was part of that, the targeted canvassing that was done in NH for the primary.

Here's the problem: the "script" we were given was wildly intrusive and I am no salesman. I'm not a "people person" and I am not a "closer" by any stretch of the imagination. I despise the greasy dissimulation of sales as much as the greasy dissimulation of politics.

I come off as harsh and abrasive in situations like that, in addition to the fact that if somebody wandered onto my property and started haranguing me in the manner that the "script" suggested, I'd tell them to GTFO and slam the door in their face, so my heart wasn't in it, as I couldn't imagine wanting to talk to me, had the situation been reversed.

So, after a couple days of getting doors slammed in my face and hostile responses, I gave it up.

So, lessons learned:

A) Not everybody has the 'sales" and people skills to canvass door to door. Identify those who do and keep people like me far from that end of things.

B) Find other roles for those people. There are plenty of other things that can be done, and everybody can pitch in as best they see fit.

C) Identify the "targets" of the canvassing before heading out. Don't try to identify a potential voter on their doorstep, which was the stated goal of the effort I described above.

No, see, when I say "targeted" I mean your Primary voters are identified and listed before you knock on your first door. Use an application like VSS to specifically print out ONLY those who have an actual history of voting in Republican Primaries. To begin with, those voters generally expect to receive visits anyway, and will not react so negatively.

When I say "targeted" for a GOP primary, you have to understand that you will literally pass by and ignore by 30 to 50 homes for every 1 door you actually knock on. You will go into a neighborhood of 500 homes and maybe knock on 8 doors. Is that what you did in NH? OK NH is pretty active, so maybe 20:1.

I am convinced that much of the frustration on the canvass in 2008 was due entirely to 1) lack of effective targeting, and 2) lack of training of the scriptwriters and canvassers.

I GET that canvassers were trying to close when you are a week to 2 weeks away from the election. But an early canvass is a totally different animal altogether. All you are really looking for right now is prospects to build a contact list. Something blatantly simple will do like:

"Hello, I don't want to take up a bunch of your time, but my name is John Doe, I am a volunteer for Ron Paul for President 2012, and we stand for sound economic policy, smaller government, and making our elected officials actually obey the Constitution. I believe that will lead to more general prosperity for all, the kind of freedom our Founders intended, and a more peaceful world to raise our children in. Here is some information about Ron Paul (hand them a SlimJim) Would you be interested in receiving updates as to the progress of our campaign?" y/n if y then "would you be interested in helping our campaign?" y/n "thank you so much for your time, and please have a wonderful day!"
​

At that point you are building lists that will be worked at a later time, whether by you or someone else. Those lists can be polled for more information, volunteers, donors, or GOTV depending on their answers. The ultimate goal would be to identify at least one prospect per precinct that gets excited enough to do a blanket canvass of their own precinct...and THEY are the ones who will try and close voters or identify them for followup work.

 

[Machiavellian4Liberty]

Congrats Gunny on your win! That's great news, great job! PLEASE HELP RE-DISTRICTING IN BJ LAWSONS FAVOR

 

[Joseph]

There are some really great points here. The only thing I'd say is that those "quirky" tactics, the signs, the videos, the community of website those were the things that made us unique, those were what made us stand out. I agree now that every knows who Ron Paul is we don't really need a blimp or things that are overly exspensive. We 100% NEED the CPAC straw poll and Iowa strall poll, if we can get those I frimly believe that is half the battle. We also need to show that we are the TEA party candidate, not just because it is so mainstream now (Though that is part of it) it is also because the TEA party rallies were started by us, the Ron Paul supporters. The final thing is appeal, as he said we need to appeal our case in a respectful manner. If we can show the common sense of our ideas in a way that does not demean others views then we can win many more over. Freedom and Liberty are very popular ideas when presented properly.

 

[JeremyDahl]

The path to victory comes from appealing and moving the electorate.

The electorate that will lead us to victory is the Tea Party GOP, Pro-gun, pro-life, anti-tax, anti-union republicans

In the general we need the GOP and Independents, as well as many single issue activists from all across the spectrum.

For average voters, they are motivated only by the person who has played the game the best. Even in the bulk of tea party voters, they are still susceptible to standard politicking. They want the moral, ethical, good looking, rich, intelligent, well spoken, professional, neighborly, successful candidate.

We make sure we educate, turn out and energize the people on our side...

...If we cannot do that with ease, then how can we expect to motivate the masses, apathetic and opposed?


Right now, we need to work with the republicans and all the tea party, 9/12 groups that there are, they are the key. We need to co-opt.