Just got back from Anita Andrews

[MsDoodahs]

My comments apply whether Andrews is in the employ of the campaign or not. What she seems to be doing is what we should discuss.

I don't dismiss her out of hand but I question authority on the complex matters of human interaction and the spreading of support.

I freely admit my "hackles' get raised when I get wind of suggestions to sand off our rougher edges. I feel very strongly that Ron Paul has made it clear that is is unbridled creative energy that drives progress, I apply this to my view of the grass roots effort.

Of Andrews efforts and the methods she espouses, the little I know of them, appear to be very confining and exclusionary.

Agree, agree, AGREE!

 

[Don]

You guys, she is with the campaign, she is very experienced, and she is there to help. She says that those who attend are free to share with "other RP supporters." She is teaching grassroots campaigning. The necessary tools to be effective. That all it is.

Quit trying to find controversies and conspiracies under every rock, please. You are not helping Ron, the campaign, or the freedom movement by having a conniption every time we make a move.

She wants to win...badly. She quit doing politics a few years ago because she couldn't stand politicians anymore. She got back in because she believes in Ron.

I have been to her training with a group of activists. Her advice was "go and share and train others." Not exclusive, not cult-ish, no chickens were sacrificed to Bael, I promise. I have worked in Republican politics for years and what she teaches is tried and researched and effective stuff.

Please focus on how YOU are going to deliver votes for Ron. You could go to Anita's training or sign up for a Leadership Institute seminar or not. We just want to give you tools to help you make a positive contribution to the campaign. That's all.

Don Rasmussen
Special Assistant
Ron Paul 2008 PCC

 

[Spirit of '76]

You could go to Anita's training or sign up for a Leadership Institute seminar or not.

Two of our people from WV are in Lynchburg for one of those this very weekend.

I posted about those here, but there was virtually no interest, sadly.

Herding cats...

 

[Kuldebar]

Still sounds like she'd be more effective leading her own meetup group or a voluntary coalition of meetup groups.

The success of her efforts would be evident without a Top-Down approach that heretofore has not existed in this movement. I question if her efforts mesh well with what we actually have on the ground. Sending in a Calvary General to command a Naval Armada isn't always a good fit.

 

[LibertyEagle]

I question if her efforts mesh well with what we actually have on the ground. Sending in a Calvary General to command a Naval Armada isn't always a good fit.

You have not been to the training, yet you question if it meshes well. You even go so far to say that what she is doing is attempting to serve as a general to "command" the meetup groups.

Upon what are you basing this assessment? Any facts? Or are they not necessary?

 

[lorindon]

I'm not liking the whole vibe on this =\

Seeing as 9/10th of the movement in internet based, why not simply have all the "educating" taking place online? Having one person in Florida handing out NDAs and having attendees completely closed-mouthed about the issue is not achieving anything.

 

[McDermit]

I'm not liking the whole vibe on this =\

Same.

The way the whole thing is unfolding doesn't exactly instill confidence. The campaign manager's I've dealt with in the past have been more than willing to rattle off the list of successful campaigns they've worked on. Worked on a campaign in which the headquarters were blown up? Worked on a campaign that was outspent 32 million to 300 thousand? Come on.. you can't drop shit like that and then not name names. Without a name, it's just a pile of fantasy.

 

[McDermit]

I'm not too big on the [EVOL] banners myself. I like them and all, and we do have a few, but they rarely get used here.

But as far as using the official signs... she's dreaming. This isn't big money. It's low-budget, "make do with what you have" grassroots. If she wants us to go "official," HQ would have to provide the materials. Maybe some areas could raise funds, but here we can't even get 40 people to come up with $300 for a fair booth... let alone pay for official materials. (I end up paying for nearly everything myself.. there's no way I could keep it up if I had to use official signs for everything.)

 

[Shink]

Ron Paul himself said that he likes the R[evol]ution signs, it was in a speech appearance he made during the last 2 weeks.

Anita Andrews may have great ideas, but she needs to get over the idea that this movement is going to be contained or managed. In fact, trying to do so will only cause grief.

Joe Seehausen has a huge problem with that as well. I appreciate all the work they're doing...but this grassroots is not one bought and paid for by some rich guy with fake enthusiasm. While some more 'direction' might be nice, to try to say, "don't do this, you MUST do this," etc., doesn't seem all too appealing.

 

[Kuldebar]

You have not been to the training, yet you question if it meshes well. You even go so far to say that what she is doing is attempting to serve as a general to "command" the meetup groups.

Upon what are you basing this assessment? Any facts? Or are they not necessary?

Read the OP's post and observations. I haven't met President George Bush, but I have opinions about him. If the OP's observations are valid, then something isn't meshing well.


FloridaRonPaul2008 made a number of observations and comments:

...there was something a bit off with her whole presentation.

...she isn't sure she wants to really, fully be associated with Ron Paul.

...wierd statements:
-She threatened to sue anyone who gave her materials away.
-She claimed she worked on a campaign that was outspent 32 million to 300 thousand and still won. Only senate campaigns reach the 30 million mark. There has not been that big of a senate upset in decades.
-She claims she worked on a campaign in which the headquarters were blown up.

I will say this...I'm sure im "allowed" to say this: they want people to start using official RP signs, not RP Revolution, etc, signs.

 

[Santana28]

okay, i haven't read much of this thread but i just want to ask one question -

i read an interview with i think jesse benton... not sure, might have been kent. but it was about the millions upon millions that the candidates have spent on political consultants this campaign (comparing it to previous campaigns). And in it it clearly stated that Ron Paul had *0* paid consultants and it had a quote from Ron saying something like "The people would know it isn't real."

this article was circulating last week....

sorry, not trying to stir things up. i just find it odd.

 

[Cunningham]

you guys are cracking me up. Don gets on here once again to tell you whats going on (it's kind of embarrassing really that he has to show up and drag you guys out of Agent Mulders office like that.)

The destructive group think from the same certain people over and over again gets old. Go to the f'n meeting and form you own opinions for christ sakes, you wanna talk about a bunch of lemmings.
"Oh no, that crazy Anita chick is going to come in the night and take our signs, then she's going to make us wear matching polos andlittle paper hats."

Some of you people act like you work in offices with lots of cubicals. (if you work in a cubical farm you know what I mean)

 

[MsDoodahs]

But she isn't sure she wants to really, fully be associated with Ron Paul. (Hence, her name not being on the webpage untill recently, her email is not a Ron Paul email, etc.)

Am I the only one who sees that as a problem?

 

[Kuldebar]

you guys are cracking me up. Don gets on here once again to tell you whats going on (it's kind of embarrassing really that he has to show up and drag you guys out of Agent Mulders office like that.)

The destructive group think from the same certain people over and over again gets old. Go to the f'n meeting and form you own opinions for christ sakes, you wanna talk about a bunch of lemmings.
"Oh no, that crazy Anita chick is going to come in the night and take our signs, then she's going to make us wear matching polos andlittle paper hats."

Some of you people act like you work in offices with lots of cubicals. (if you work in a cubical farm you know what I mean)

What part don't you understand? It's irrelevant if the campaign blesses Andrews if what Andrews is doing isn't working out. The key word is "if".

That's why this thread topic is useful for those that may have first hand knowledge to give their opinions either way. Trying to quell even questioning the Andrews lecture doesn't make sense. When a participant of her lecture created this thread topic and posted his observations, it is worthy of discussion. We need to get a feel for how this is working.


FloridaRonPaul2008 made a number of observations and comments:

...there was something a bit off with her whole presentation.

...she isn't sure she wants to really, fully be associated with Ron Paul.

...wierd statements:
-She threatened to sue anyone who gave her materials away.
-She claimed she worked on a campaign that was outspent 32 million to 300 thousand and still won. Only senate campaigns reach the 30 million mark. There has not been that big of a senate upset in decades.
-She claims she worked on a campaign in which the headquarters were blown up.

I will say this...I'm sure im "allowed" to say this: they want people to start using official RP signs, not RP Revolution, etc, signs.

I linked comments to a Chicago Meetup Group that attended an Andrews Lecture and the comments were all positive. I really don't understand the non-disclosure requirement and that seems to come up a lot in some folk's mind as being strange.

Here's one comment about the Meet with Anita Andrews from the Ron Paul 2008 Campaign event in Chicago Illinois.

"Excellent class on campaigning. Everything Anita said made sense...and I realize we have been doing many things incorrectly, which we can easily change. Remember folks, we are under non-disclosure for everything we heard in that class...but we'll need to spread the word (with non-disclosure statements) to those who couldn't attend."

 

[justaguy]

Is there any way to find out where she will be next? I'm interested in hearing what she has to say.

-Chris

P.S. I will always like the Revolution signs.

 

[Cunningham]

Am I the only one who sees that as a problem?

So, call headquarters and ask them what they think of it. What the other random people on this forum think about it is unimportant over all. You don't know wha he context it was said in. Hell, your getting it second hand from a moniker on an internet forum. For better or for worse this is rons campaign, it's going to live or die by there decisions. If they make a mistake or not your just going to have to deal with it. We can't get someone elected in spite of themselves.

 

[honkywill]

I might be going to see her on 9/11.

 

[MsDoodahs]

So, call headquarters and ask them what they think of it.

I intend to.

 

[Kuldebar]

I want to hear from more people that have attended these lectures. The vast majority of Ron Paul supporters will not be going to these lectures. The non-disclosure agreement seems to run contrary to the sharing of ideas and strategies.

If the campaign wants its supporter base to become more homogenized, there are probably better ways to communicate that desire.

 

[constituent]

I want to hear from more people that have attended these lectures. The vast majority of Ron Paul supporters will not be going to these lectures. The non-disclosure agreement seems to run contrary to the sharing of ideas and strategies.

If the campaign wants it's supporter base to become more homogenized, there are probably better ways to communicate that desire.

and that is a fair critique.