Our Iowa folks don't seem to be turning out to all the County GOP elections right now

[sailingaway]

I think so. But if you had tuned out politics from your life after Nov 2012, then I can see why you would miss that. I can see that reflected in my FB newsfeed. A lot of those otherwise regular folks who supported RP in 2012 used to post RP/liberty news and pics all the time. Now, I see pics of their dogs and daughters' dance performances. It's as if they have given up on politics. Can't say I blame them totally. I too was in a "what's the point?" mode till Rand's filibuster which kinda fired me up for now.

Yeah, and my point is our folks are often different. I didn't pay attention to politics until Ron Paul and could see how you could slip back, discouraged, and not KNOW you have someone good. If someone with the email trees /facebook/twitter let people know a real candidate needed them, that doesn't mean they wouldn't come back, imho.

 

[sailingaway]

No I understand - look, again I think it's self-defeating to gripe about other people as well, I'm right there with you on that. That's why I'm looking for suggestions. Your idea is a pretty good one, to make Leah a rallying point for our movement. Certainly if she wins, there's a good chance of that happening.

I'm also talking about other states though, too, and I don't know that its feasible to have one "hero" per state. There has to be some kind of mechanism for encouraging involvement.

But if there isn't a national candidate who does it for people there absolutely COULD be local ones. I'm looking for one without much luck locally for myself, because I know what motivates me. You don't need a national candidate, you need federalism and each area showcasing their own true flame. Right now for me that is the GROUP of liberty candidates in the central committee here. YAL is part of it....

If you HAVE a Ron Paul great, but if you don't, the principles truly are what motivate. Who else around you is really good, locally?

Heck, draft a liberty resolution to vote on, to limit drones without warrants or something...

 

[mz10]

But if there isn't a national candidate who does it for people there absolutely COULD be local ones. I'm looking for one without much luck locally for myself, because I know what motivates me. You don't need a national candidate, you need federalism and each area showcasing their own true flame. Right now for me that is the GROUP of liberty candidates in the central committee here. YAL is part of it....

If you HAVE a Ron Paul great, but if you don't, the principles truly are what motivate. Who else around you is really good, locally?

Heck, draft a liberty resolution to vote on, to limit drones without warrants or something...

I'm with you on everything you say. I just think there has to be a better organizational structure to complement, not replace, what you're talking about.

Anyhow, gotta start door-knocking for the day. After all, I am a local candidate myself in the middle of a heated race. We'll be fine, these are all just bumps in the road.

 

[sailingaway]

I'm with you on everything you say. I just think there has to be a better organizational structure to complement, not replace, what you're talking about.

Anyhow, gotta start door-knocking for the day. After all, I am a local candidate myself in the middle of a heated race. We'll be fine, these are all just bumps in the road.

Plus rep for putting yourself out there!

 

[Uriah]

This is not an excuse but rather some perspective.

Scott county was HQ of the liberty movements opposition during the state convention. There are 99 counties in Iowa ranging 4,200 to 400,000+ in population. Finding two people willing to serve per county as officers is hard. Finding two committee persons per precinct of the 1700 precincts is harder. Paul's support throughout Iowa was not spread evenly nor were his supporters all Republicans. I would estimate about 50% of Paul's support was not and is not active in the Republican party. That cuts down on the amount of people that would serve the GOP well.

At this point I can only take responsibility for my county which I have. Next caucus cycle I hope will be different. 2014 is a big year in more than one way for the liberty movement.

 

[sailingaway]

It isn't your responsibility, obviously. I was just thinking of ways to make people care enough to be willing. Here they were willing to be officers but not enough came to vote them in. But I don't know if the ones who were willing were the ones who would be motivating.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

First of all, my alleged griping is only for the benefit of those members and guests here that want to keep pushing the liberty message forward. Showing that educating and mobilization are tied at the hip for anything to change going forward was in mind in the statements I made. Engaging in political reformation shouldn't be seen as being pro-Rand or any other politician, it's ideological grandstanding and networking. That's why imo it's a shame that Ron was able to re-awaken so many people to the ideas of liberty to only have them voluntarily go back to sleep. I'm aware that things like this are cyclical in nature but Ron nor anyone else is going to be around forever to lead people like children to do things that grown liberty loving adults should be doing to advance their cause and promote a better future. If some liberty people aren't even remotely engaged then there's no way to reach them and show the benefits of why the liberty message has to be mobilized into action. Of those that are engaged, we do a decent job at turning people out when it counts tho undoubtedly there's always room for improvement. Point is, when people are awake how can they possibly resort to doing nothing. As it has been often said, those in the know have an obligation to engage and stand up for those in ignorance. Sitting idly by is tacitly approving of the way things are going.

 

[sailingaway]

Some see no use in politics now and showing them there is use, might help motivate them. Obviously they DID motivate when Ron excited them to his vision. They need to know the vision is still there even if it is in the growing community rather than one current candidate

At least that is how it seems to me.

 

[eleganz]

Seriously though, screw all the people that talked a big game during the presidential campaigns, most of them never show up to anything.

Iif it weren't for certain people holding it down in various locations throughout the country, our so called, "R3VOLUTION" would completely fall apart.

If you're not involved, get involved. If its not in person, do something tangible online or help donate money/find others to donate. Don't just sit on your ass, there are plenty of ways to be of help further the cause...doing absolutely nothing helps with nothing.

Lastly, go to the GOP to make friends who are open minded. If you can't outright take it over, you gotta learn to get a long. Causing division and having poor performance is how you end up getting destroyed 90-40 (rough estimate).

 

[devil21]

This is typical of RP folks - all talk, no action. We expected a flood of liberty folks in the Wake County, NC convention this year, but right at the precinct meeting level itself, I could count the number of liberty folks I saw in my hand. (To go to the county convention, you need to attend the precinct meeting first.) Even the folks who showed up last year didn't come. So goes Wake, so goes the rest of the NC. Gunny is running for NCGOP vice chair, so a show of force in Wake was very crucial.

We had a pretty good turn out in Mecklenburg's precinct meeting but we are also good about keeping in touch and up-to-date thru our meetup group. Participation is down in off years across the entire party but since we still don't have numbers to beat the establishment folks straight up (yet), any of our people that don't show are more valuable than any of theirs that don't show. It's hard keeping people motivated when there's not much specific to fight for at the moment.

 

[MisfitToy]

I'm not sure most people are aware of anything past a Presidential election. I was one of those people for a long time.

 

[aclove]

They aren't. Most people, even most Liberty people, simply are not willing or able to make a long-term effort to take over and reform the Republican Party (and then the country) a major facet in their lives that they make time and money for. They just aren't. That's why constant recruitment has to be one of our priorities, so we can continue to grow the small pool of people who ARE willing to make it a priority.

 

[sailingaway]

They aren't. Most people, even most Liberty people, simply are not willing or able to make a long-term effort to take over and reform the Republican Party (and then the country) a major facet in their lives that they make time and money for. They just aren't. That's why constant recruitment has to be one of our priorities, so we can continue to grow the small pool of people who ARE willing to make it a priority.

I just see a whole pool of people who would come in 'when needed' who aren't going to be there all the time, but maybe just need the 'need' identified to them by a candidate or an issue being pushed. I don't think it is just president, it is just that that is when they KNOW they are needed. I'm thinking there is an information drop between elections in terms of what is going on for people caught up in other stuff.

I wonder if we could use our state forums more to help post stuff here -- or post email trees for people to get on, or whatever.

 

[lib3rtarian]

We had a pretty good turn out in Mecklenburg's precinct meeting but we are also good about keeping in touch and up-to-date thru our meetup group. Participation is down in off years across the entire party but since we still don't have numbers to beat the establishment folks straight up (yet), any of our people that don't show are more valuable than any of theirs that don't show. It's hard keeping people motivated when there's not much specific to fight for at the moment.

I see a problem right here. You and the RP guys you know are on meetup, but a bunch of us are organizing via FB. Two disparate systems. How to make the twain meet?

You want to get onto FB if you are not already on it? We have hidden/secret FB groups we use for organizing for 2013/14.

 

[cheapseats]

...We have hidden/secret FB groups we use for organizing for 2013/14.

The fanciful notion that ANYTHING is "hidden/secret" on Facebook is exactly that . . . a fanciful notion.

 

[sailingaway]

I see a problem right here. You and the RP guys you know are on meetup, but a bunch of us are organizing via FB. Two disparate systems. How to make the twain meet?

You want to get onto FB if you are not already on it? We have hidden/secret FB groups we use for organizing for 2013/14.

a lot of our people don't like facebook.

I prefer the meet up route myself. And email trees.

 

[devil21]

I see a problem right here. You and the RP guys you know are on meetup, but a bunch of us are organizing via FB. Two disparate systems. How to make the twain meet?

You want to get onto FB if you are not already on it? We have hidden/secret FB groups we use for organizing for 2013/14.

As sailing points out above, some of us refuse to use Fedbook. You're right that it is a disconnect in some cases but I can only speak for myself and my own habits. I know some of our local people use FB for organizing....aclove can probably shed some light on that if he revisits this thread.

 

[sailingaway]

I see a problem right here. You and the RP guys you know are on meetup, but a bunch of us are organizing via FB. Two disparate systems. How to make the twain meet?

You want to get onto FB if you are not already on it? We have hidden/secret FB groups we use for organizing for 2013/14.

You're in NC -- is anything going on to support Greg Bannon?

 

[lib3rtarian]

You're in NC -- is anything going on to support Greg Bannon?

The liberty grassroots is fully behind Brannon, and I have heard the local TP groups have been pretty receptive to him. The "Establishment"? Not so much so. He recently had kick-off tours in major cities. I couldn't attend the one in Raleigh as it started at 3 PM and I was still at work.

The problem, as I mentioned in another thread, is his messaging. To get establishment GOP support, he needs to emphasize on economy, taxes and jobs, and shelving the constant didactics on the Constitution, Founding Fathers, saying taxation is plunder etc. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (whom PPP polled ahead of Brannon), is quite popular here, so if he decides to run, then it will be very tough for Brannon. AFAIK, Forest is an ally though. (He spoke at the YAL convention here.)

 

[RockEnds]

That is a very different circumstance, though, and understandable.

Maybe you could get in touch with a few of your fellows and make sure they are going? You could bring up what happened in other places and say since you are having surgery you are trying to do your part in get out the vote....?

We'll have people there. I live in a small county. There isn't anyone here who is active who I would label as opposed to the liberty movement. Most all of us are either current or former homeschoolers who see each other at least semi-regularly.