Just got back from Anita Andrews

[Alabama Supporter]

I am going to the training tomorrow and I'll report back .

I know we have had a few media successes, but as far as winning any votes I think we have a long way to go in N. Alabama. We have a pretty good volunteer base and a loosely organized structure of hard working leaders.

We are one of the super Tuesday states, and I really think we can make a difference thanks to all the vote splitting among Rudy McRomnibee.

 

[Kuldebar]

I am going to the training tomorrow and I'll report back .

I know we have had a few media successes, but as far as winning any votes I think we have a long way to go in N. Alabama. We have a pretty good volunteer base and a loosely organized structure of hard working leaders.

We are one of the super Tuesday states, and I really think we can make a difference thanks to all the vote splitting among Rudy McRomnibee.

Cool beans, the more information from different sources concerning the value of the meetings means a more accurate picture. Not everyone can go to these events, so this will be a good thing.

 

[Spirit of '76]

checking back, not finding when/where or if any progress has been made. what's the status, and is there anything i can do here in parkersburg to help set this up?

We couldn't find a place in Parkersburg. Looks like it's going to be here in Salem.

I'll let you know for sure tomorrow.

 

[agisthos]

The internet, youtube, online polls e.t.c will only get us so far. That is the 2-3% RP is polling at. This creates the grassroots support that must then be leveraged into traditional campaigning to reach the other 90 %

There are some very ignorant people on this thread who believe that we should just keep doing rallys / homemade signs and have actively attacked any effort to start a proper organized effort.

An example of this ignorance is this insistance on keeping the revolution signs. Well I am hear to tell you that from a political marketing perspective having 'revolution' linked to a Republican candidates name is the worst thing you can do. The average Republican will see the Revolution in red and think "Communist"

Some people here may laugh at that, but you have to put your self in the shoes of the average ignorant American and that is how they think. I know you guys love the revolution signs but ask yourself this ;
Are we here to please our own selfishness or are we here to win the average joe republican voter to our cause?

Now is the time to get serious and go see this Anita Andrews woman to learn how to properly organize and campaign.

This post is going to be a hard pill to swallow for any libertarian leaning person, because we naturally like to have no regimentation or people telling us what to do but believe me when it comes to winning elections you need to get votes the hard way with an authoritarian approach to organizing.

You can either face this reality or see RP crushed in every primary and have the dream die.

I am a bit disappointed with campaign HQ. Once it was clear there was huge grassroots support with the meetup groups someone like Anita Andrews should have been hired 3 months ago. They have left it very late.

 

[constituent]

There are some very ignorant people on this thread who believe that we should just keep doing rallys / homemade signs and have actively attacked any effort to start a proper organized effort.

An example of this ignorance is this insistance on keeping the revolution signs. Well I am hear to tell you that from a political marketing perspective having 'revolution' linked to a Republican candidates name is the worst thing you can do. The average Republican will see the Revolution in red and think "Communist"

Some people here may laugh at that, but you have to put your self in the shoes of the average ignorant American and that is how they think.
......

I am a bit disappointed with campaign HQ. Once it was clear there was huge grassroots support with the meetup groups someone like Anita Andrews should have been hired 3 months ago. They have left it very late.

that's alot of harsh words for alot of people. unless you're ron paul or kent snyder I'd try and learn a little humility myself. bitter pill to swallow, more like self-serving drivel.

what really gets me is the "average ignorant American" bit. what's that about collectivism. do you fail to see how your behavior and what you've chosen to write portrays the opposite image of the good dr.s espoused views?

i'm a bit disappointed w/ your tone and negativity. you think you'll ever persuade anyone to your side with this sort of "you attitude?"

 

[Spirit of '76]

I am a bit disappointed with campaign HQ. Once it was clear there was huge grassroots support with the meetup groups someone like Anita Andrews should have been hired 3 months ago. They have left it very late.

I tend to agree, and personally I think they should have made an announcement about their wonderful new regional coordinator who would be traveling around to present some exciting new ideas for campaigning.

That would have accomplished two things:
a.) It would have nipped all the paranoia in the bud, and people would be more willing to accept her at face value.
b.) It would have generated actual excitement to go and hear what she has to say.

She still could have presented people with the NDA once they showed up, and it would have been a much easier pill for us all to swallow, knowing outright -- having heard it from the campaign -- that she's on the up and up and is here to help us.

As it is, I think a lot of people are still struggling with the secrecy aspect. It's not too late for the campaign to do some damage control on this, I reckon. Of course, there could well be mitigating factors that I'm overlooking.

 

[Alabama Supporter]

Lets just hope he doesn't try to run the country on Meetup.com.

Alot of us out there need this help. There are not enough computer geeks out there to win a primary people.

 

[agisthos]

that's alot of harsh words for alot of people. unless you're ron paul or kent snyder I'd try and learn a little humility myself. bitter pill to swallow, more like self-serving drivel.

What is self serving is people who have no idea about political campaigning attacking Anita Andrews and the attempts to educate the meetup groups with her good tools for future success.

what really gets me is the "average ignorant American" bit. what's that about collectivism. do you fail to see how your behavior and what you've chosen to write portrays the opposite image of the good dr.s espoused views?

If you think the average joe republican (or democrat) voter is not dumb and ignorant (about politics) think again. It's harsh words but better that than fooling ourself about what we are up against.

Most of the libertarians, constitutionalists, anti-collectivists, civil libertarians and 'leave me alone' freedom type people are already onboard.

What is left over is the average ignorant voter and this voter can only be reached via the more traditional campaigning methods that poeple such as Anita Andrews is willing to teach.

There is a temptation to use this forum as a Ron Paul feel good echo chamber, but sometimes reality must intrude. As has been mentioned previously a lot of the primaries are only open to registered republican voters. It is going to be difficult but it can be done.

 

[agisthos]

I tend to agree, and personally I think they should have made an announcement about their wonderful new regional coordinator who would be traveling around to present some exciting new ideas for campaigning.

It would be a great idea for them to setup a proper schedule for her that everybody could know in advance. Didn't someone say earlier they had 2 1/2 days notice for their meetup group?
That just is not good enough.

 

[Matt Collins]

Anita Andrews may have great ideas, but she needs to get over the idea that this movement is going to be contained or managed.

Having a well managed campaign is what creates a win. Seeing as she is a professional, I'm going to consider her advice until I have reason to do otherwise.

 

[Matt Collins]

The last time we went round and round about anita someone concluded very correctly "She is trying to herd cats"

I thought the same thing while listening to her speak today.

Hiring consultants is old school This is top down management and if it takes hold we will become another wanna be campaign and loose

Actually it's not really about having top-down management as it is having CONSISTENT organization based upon proven methods. One of the first things she said today was the the RP campaign is different because of the grassroots support. She recognizes this, and so does the HQ.

But because we are all going off in our own directions we are not efficient. I think the entire idea of this is to get everyone "on the same page". Also understand that the HQ isn't doing everything that it can at this point in time either (which anyone who has been involved for more than 2 minutes knows). She is working on getting them in line too.

 

[Matt Collins]

Advice is always welcome, if it's actually advice. Andrews is welcome to the movement, but her value is not automatically higher than any other volunteer.

She could be full of it, but we should at least give her the benefit of the doubt. I heard her speak today and have realized that she is indeed more educated in politics and better connected than I am. So I am in no position to judge her value.

 

[davidhperry]

Having a well managed campaign is what creates a win. Seeing as she is a professional, I'm going to consider her advice until I have reason to do otherwise.

I completely agree with Matt. All of the volunteer enthusiasm is great as long as it's unified and focused in the same direction. If it is not, then people end up undermining each other and the campaign suffers - we need to think and act as a team.

 

[Matt Collins]

no chickens were sacrificed to Bael, I promise.

I almost pissed myself when I read this.... friggin hularious!

 

[Matt Collins]

Seeing as 9/10th of the movement in internet based, why not simply have all the "educating" taking place online?

Because less than 30% of the average voter is proficient on the Net.

 

[Matt Collins]

The non-disclosure agreement seems to run contrary to the sharing of ideas and strategies.

Actually it's (largely) about protection of our strategies from the other candidates.

 

[Matt Collins]

I swear if Ron Paul himself came to give a campaign training seminar, people would question whether it was really him or really some evil robotic clone sent by the opposition to mess with the grassroots supporters.

Thanks for the belly laugh too!

 

[father963]

Having a well managed campaign is what creates a win. Seeing as she is a professional, I'm going to consider her advice until I have reason to do otherwise.

There's no time to debate, that's the main problem. BTW in your signature take out "jury" that's pretty much gone in most cases, and add "Pine" where ever you want.

 

[john_anderson_ii]

I remember debating the merits of top down management in another thread. Being a military man, I was all for it because I thought organized focus would help get more accomplished. However, my logic was flawed. Marines operate effectively under top down management because we have the same basic training. I can walk up to any any group of Marines anywhere on the planet and and give them "Fall In", "Right Face", "Forward March", and we be off and moving in less than a blink. I couldn't imagine trying to do that with a group of shoppers at the mall when each have their own agendas. That's why top down management would fail here.

However, no management or direction is like an external combustion engine*. Sure it's loud and pretty and makes a mark, but it's not nearly as reliable or fuel efficient as it's internal counterpart. No management means more energy is wasted than need be.

I sure hope this Anita person has a plan to balance the two out without stifling creativity or undermining the greatest asset the Ron Paul campaign has.

*External Combustion Engine: A device a combat engineer employs to move a large object several meters very quickly while simultaneously turning the large object into much smaller objects.

 

[Matt Collins]

Marines operate effectively under top down management because we have the same basic training. I can walk up to any any group of Marines anywhere on the planet and and give them "Fall In", "Right Face", "Forward March", and we be off and moving in less than a blink. I couldn't imagine trying to do that with a group of shoppers at the mall when each have their own agendas. That's why top down management would fail here.

You kind of hit the nail on the head.

Anita wants to give us all the initial training to go forward with. This way when the national campaign wants/needs to target a specific area, there is already infrastructure and people in place to do that. Otherwise it's like herding cats.