News from Iowa

[Bradley in DC]

I'm thinking a more wholesome film with good biographical information about Dr. Paul would be a better intro than Russo's film. We don't want to scare them away as a first impression.

 

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

Also - check to see if anybody in your area is going to the 10,000 lakes festival. I'm going with my family and would like to meet other activists.

Eric, When/where is the 10,000 Lakes Festival? We can probably get some MN RP supporters there.

Marianne

 

[ARealConservative]

Eric, When/where is the 10,000 Lakes Festival? We can probably get some MN RP supporters there.

Marianne

http://10klf.com/

July 18th - 21st. Detroit Lakes, MN.

It will be my first trip to the Western portion of your state. I usually head straight north to the boundary waters.

 

[ksuguy]

This is just wonderful, Paul. I have this visual image of 10,000 freedom-loving motorcyclists rolling into Ames for the straw poll. Tell me that wouldn't turn some heads. Need lots of Iowans, of course, to actually do the voting.

I think you guys are onto something great with pursuing the motorcycle enthusiasts. Why don't you or ksuguy start a new thread to get this topic 'rolling'?

I think I'll take your suggestion. I'll make a thread about it in the Strategies for Success section.

 

[Dave]

Mail from Dr. Paul

I got a fund-raising letter from Dr. Paul in the mail today. My mailbox has been littered with debris from the other candidates and the GOP so it's nice to see this.

I'm sure I got this because I'm already a donor - I don't think HQ is blanketing Iowa with these.

I'll happily reward this effort.

 

[Dave]

Giuliani to skip Ames Straw Poll!

Rudy is skipping the Ames Straw Poll. This is huge news and shows that the writing is on the wall - Giuliani can not win here. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up pulling out of Iowa entirely but that would really expose his weakness and be too big of a gamble at this point.

Giuliani is crumbling!

Read it here:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/NEWS/70606012/1001&lead=1

What will be the Ron Paul strategy for Iowa and the Ames Straw Poll?

 

[Patrick Henry]

The good Dr. is opposed to the Un-American Animal ID. That should be used to help convert some farmers.

 

[Dave]

The good Dr. is opposed to the Un-American Animal ID. That should be used to help convert some farmers.

I didn't know that but it's a logical position for Dr. Paul. If the govt can track all this livestock it should be easy to track all of us people next.

Note that most Iowans don't know anything about farming. Lots of farms (especially livestock production) are big corporate entities now. The small family farm just doesn't work like it used to.

 

[LibertyEagle]

I'm thinking a more wholesome film with good biographical information about Dr. Paul would be a better intro than Russo's film. We don't want to scare them away as a first impression.

I frankly agree for the general populace. Is someone actively working on putting this together?

However, the Russo film will work for some audiences. Especially some of the younger set. Just my opinion though.

 

[Dave]

I just heard a prominent Iowa radio host say he's heard a rumor that Brownback and Thompson (he didn't say Tom or Fred) may bail out on the Ames Straw Poll, too.

Tancredo's Iowa guy just said that Tancredo WILL do the straw poll. Romney plans on sticking with it, too.

I'm not sure what it means to 'skip' the straw poll. Is you name taken off the ballot? I can't remember if there's ballots or if you just write in you choice. The Tancredo guy thinks that your name will still be on the ballot. If that's true, maybe Dr. Paul should 'skip' the straw poll but we still try to turn out all the Iowans we can. That way:

1. The campaign saves the $ on this silly event
2. There's no chance to do worse than expectations
3. There's still a chance to do better than expectations.

Hmmmmm...

 

[Dave]

Brownback just announced that he WILL participate in the Aug. 11 GOP straw poll in Ames.

I've also learned that skipping the straw poll doesn't mean your name comes off the ballot that day.

 

[JoshLowry]

How are the meetup groups doing with all of this?

Are things getting organized on local levels? Are people hitting the streets this weekend?

Door knocking, sign holding, flyer passouts etc...

 

[ARealConservative]

How are the meetup groups doing with all of this?

Are things getting organized on local levels? Are people hitting the streets this weekend?

Door knocking, sign holding, flyer passouts etc...

3-6 of us our meeting tonight at 5:30 in Eastern Iowa to hand out flyers.

I have gotten 3 yard signs placed so far - in high traffic areas. Every week I go around to various grocery stores and repost flyers.

More importantly, my meetup group has doubled in size in a week.

 

[lonestarguy]

Now according to WiKipedia, the Iowa Republican aspect of the caucus in January (possibly December 07), appears to consist of voting on a slip of paper. No forming up in groups of a favorite candidate to see if your guy is "viable", as the Democrats do, and speaking for or against other candidates.

If I were in Iowa (or any state for that matter) I'd work with my team mates and start gridding out your city, town, village, as to what streets or grid section you determine to tackle first, so no households are left untouched.

If I were in Iowa (or any state for that matter) I'd be deciding soon which doorhanger or brochure you want to handout door to door. Have it overprinted with contact information, or a sticker that you can attach to your brochure of doorhanger, so Iowans could contact ya for more info, yard signs, bumper stickers, where to sign on to the campaign, etc.

I would suggest that people carry around a legal size clip board with a legal pad or pre-printed form that allows you to data mine: check-off what streets and addresses you've worked; the name of the person you talked to if possible and definitely a phone number and email addy; a check-off if they are true believers and do they need a yard sign, check, bumper sticker, check, willing to put up out-of-state volunteers, check, stuff like that, from the ready to go RP believer. With name, phone, address, and email as key data.

I would not wait until a "dream" video is ready to go. I would suggest Hitting the streets now in early states like Iowa and like a machine your team start meticulously going door to door, house to house, apt to apt. Though I do know some are using Freedom to Fascism......

Even part time, a group of volunteers can make serious progress in getting info into peoples hands and raising the name recognition of RP.

 

[lonestarguy]

As noted on this and other forums and lists:

Free downloadable brochures and door hangers made by Chordchaser may be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/chordchaser

Direct blog and links from chordchaser:

FREE RON PAUL CAMPAIGN LITERATURE!

Listed below are links to full-color and grayscale versions of Ron Paul campaign brochures and three different door hanger files I created using Adobe Illustrator. The door hanger files each contain 5 different door hangers and instructions for printing. All files are print-ready Adobe Acrobat PDFs. They have Ron's bio, a list of his principles and his views on important issues—and they are 100% free! If you are a Ron Paul support organization and you request it I will customize them with your organization's name, address and URL.

Brochures:
http://www.mediafire.com/?4mxmxxnm3wu
(Full Color File)

http://www.mediafire.com/?3wnkdmokmmz
(Grayscale File)

Door Hangers:
Desktop Printers
http://www.mediafire.com/?3t5dytvdgez
(for desktop printers)

Commercial Printers
http://www.mediafire.com/?azginjzncwy
(for commercial printers—offset)

Commercial Printers with Bleed
http://www.mediafire.com/?60zjmjwoj3d
(for commercial printers—offset with bleed)

P.S. I made a campaign video, posted on youtube, check it out:
Campaign Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Y_I0sxeoc

 

[Dave]

Now Gilmore's out

News today that Jim Gilmore will also skip the August 11 Ames Straw Poll, joining McCain and Giuliani.

Des Moines Register reports that there's no decision yet from Ron Paul, Huckabee, and Hunter.

Campaigning in Iowa today: Clinton, McCain, Obama, Tancredo.

 

[Quantumystic]

I'm trying to rally Texas to Iowa, like Patton's Army to the seige at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Here is what I posted to my Austin meetup of over 100 and growing. Let it apply to you from wherever you are reading this. The future of our country, I believe hinges hugely on Iowa. Wherever you see the word Texas below, insert your state unless of course your way closer to New Hampshire:

From my Austin Meet-up Post of Tuesday 22 May.

Knowing how important the Great State of Iowa is to nearly every prez candidacy, (though the well-monied McCain in 2000 skipped Iowa to win in NH), I was scanning around Monday (21 May) on the meetup site snooping zip codes and towns in Iowa and found nary a meetup, and my heart sunk. But I did find about 20 interested persons spread across the state but no one had pulled the trigger to start a group. Lo and behold, Des Moines has it's first group as of 21 May, with 15 members and meets for the first time 4 June. And just today group number two pops up to the east towards the Illinois line in Iowa City with 3 members and a 5 June scheduled meeting. There is life in Iowa!!!

As the great person that started this person indicated, the Iowa Strawpoll is 11 August, a test of a candidate's field operations, is just over eleven weeks away. I think it's possible to finish in the top 5, but it will take work, and lets be honest, reality check time, between June and late December, it is going to require, imho, a significant volunteer base transiting between here, Texas, and there, Iowa. Just rough guessing it but anybody who can spend on the ground only a couple of solid days to those that can spend weeks, it's gonna be worth it. We can't hope that others will do the job, we have to ensure the job gets done. If RP is the nations's gem, it is only fitting that Texans are there on the ground in a crucial state and doing whatever it takes.

Iowa is where the rubber meets the road and the dance begins in this labor intensive person to person operation, and heck, Des Moines from Austin is only 923 miles, from Dallas only 690. This is the summer of our life. And if Iowa is to be sweet to RP, then some of us are gonna have to do the heavy (though fun in a serious way) lifting.

Logistics and what not will need to be explored soon as well as quick education of this thing known as the 'caucus system'. I do not see us waiting "until" campaign hq is on the ground in Iowa, we have to get in the game and soon, Iowans have to stand up and get in the game, but Texas may have to lead side by side. Communicating and talking and meeting people in a significant way has to commence soon. The latest Des Moines Register Poll simply indicates we have our work cut out, but ultimately with the good leadership from the quality of people in Austin, Dallas, etc, we can do anything. I have studied the calender and I will spend my 10 days on the ground the last two weeks of July and another 6 days in the Fall or Winter in sunny Iowa.

One final note, Florida is moving up its primary to around 26 January. Iowa to remain number one, is considering moving her caucus in mid to late December! How about that one

We're here in Central Florida, and will happily do whatever we can on the ground about that one! In the meantime, we're firing up the 'Net, making calls, and sending money.

Welcome to the Revolution!

 

[Bradley in DC]

News today that Jim Gilmore will also skip the August 11 Ames Straw Poll, joining McCain and Giuliani.

Des Moines Register reports that there's no decision yet from Ron Paul, Huckabee, and Hunter.

Campaigning in Iowa today: Clinton, McCain, Obama, Tancredo.

Ron Paul is contesting the straw poll.

Anyone interested in helping out with the straw poll should contact Jason Stoddard at 512.925.0921 or at [email protected]. While the new Iowa state coordinator for the campaign will be running the show, several voluteers from different places have come together to organize and assist the campaign with this one endeavor

 

[RJB]

I live in Central Missouri just north of Columbia. If you could use my help up there for a weekend-- Saturday - Monday, give me a couple weeks notice and I'll try to be there.

RJ

 

[RJB]

I just sent an email to Jason. If anyone is interested in carpooling up there for an event PM me.