Philly Rally - VALLEY FORGE

[MsDoodahs]

It shouldn't be a problem getting good bands from the area to play for free
if there will be a thousand people there to watch. I book bands for venues in the Harrisburg area. I specialize at getting good bands at the last minute - filling TBAs and whatnot.

I like something like "Walk for Ron Paul" Everyone who wants to goes to Independence Mall and walks 20 miles to Valley Forge. If theres some question about a lack of press coverage of an indoor event vs a massive outdoor event, a stream of people walking through the Philly burbs might offset that. it could be seen as "dedication" it might also be seen as "crazy" but there are such things as breast cancer walks, and they can be 20 miles long, so it's not an utterly ridiculous notion.

I don't know about the walk aspect, but I'd like to ask that you keep checking here for messages as you may be called upon to help out, if you don't mind.

 

[parocks]

I don't know about the walk aspect, but I'd like to ask that you keep checking here for messages as you may be called upon to help out, if you don't mind.

I check these boards everyday at least. I usually search for my screen name to check to see if people respond. I also know sound guys, but I'm not sure they'll work for free. I have 24k myspace friends, most are bands, a large percentage (most?) are from PA.

 

[Ozwest]

Apparently a Delegation is going to HQ tomorrow to try and resurrect this thing... I sure hope the campaign liaisons with the Grass Roots in a productive way after this meeting.

 

[slantedview]

Apparently a Delegation is going to HQ tomorrow to try and resurrect this thing... I sure hope the campaign liaisons with the Grass Roots in a productive way after this meeting.

Interesting. Will Bob be there? Any of the supporters who busted their asses at the MSNBC thing the other night?

 

[literatim]

If they need to pay for it, why don't they have a gigantic donation drive at the event?

I know people planned on heavily advertising the November 11th donation drive.

 

[drexhex]

where's the hq and when are they going?

 

[Ninja Homer]

This really is sad. I understand the frustration on both ends... a lot of planning and expectations have gone into it, but on the other side of that $140K is a LOT of money for one rally.

How the cost came about seems really fishy to me. To think that it would cost maybe $50K at the top end for so long, and then they are given a range of $80K to $140K just 10 days before the event. A $60K variance? 10 days before an event at that price you'd think they'd have to give a single price set in stone. It looks to me like people are trying to screw with the Ron Paul campaign efforts, and not just to make money off of them.

The only suggestion I have is that money talks. If people donate $80K in say, the next 24 hours, with the specific intent of their donation going towards having the rally at Independence Mall, how could the campaign argue against that? I'm not sure what the best way to go about it would be. You can enter a Project Code when donating, but I'm not sure if that needs to be set up ahead of time. If not, everybody could use a Project Code of "4Philly" or something like that. $80K is only 3200 $25 donations. I don't think that's out of reach for this.

 

[Bradley in DC]

$140,000 is a lot of money. From what I was told it could end up being more than that too. Like if the grass was damaged, etc.

These are legitimate questions that should have been asked and addressed much earlier.

 

[NewEnd]

THINK WE NEED TO FLOOD THEIR OFFICES WITH PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS

I think you need to stop being a _____.

 

[Bryan]

Let's keep it civil everyone...

 

[James R]

BOOOOOOOOOO

They need to move the time back and run shuttle buses.

How much would shuttle busses cost? They would need at least two or three!

 

[Nefertiti]

Yes there were union costs involved but last I knew they also vote. It is always good to include them in on events where they typically operate and Philly IS an organized labor town. Talk about how fast the bad word can travel it (the Bad Word) actually travels faster in union land than it does on this forum - I know that is hard to believe but I think it is true!

And the new location they chose advertises specifically that their loading dock is union-free. I certainly hope they don't have a bad history there shutting out unions or something that could be used against us.

 

[ItsTime]

How did the meet up group drop the ball so badly on this one? I mean wouldnt the COST be one of the first things you would ask esp before you go ahead and make up 50k fliers. 140k dollars for any event is just way to much.

These are legitimate questions that should have been asked and addressed much earlier.

 

[Nefertiti]

Maybe there is a legal issue between campaign and grassroots, and they jumped the gun on the contest and had to do it this way.
.

I think you are right there. When the Philly Meetup won the contest I feared it was the beginning of the end of our great grassroots plan. It's an example of the old adage, be careful what you wish for, as it might just come true.

I don't think we should make any effort to get it moved back to the Mall again. I do think we need to have something planned for there, but there has been enough confusion already we don't want more. I think once things were handed over to the campaign they did not work hard enough on this to make the Mall location worth its cost. Lots of good ideas were suggested about speakers for this event and I think even some committments made when it was still in the grassroots' control. I heard zero except for the country singer being added to the roster after the campaign took control. The original plan had been to get non-supporters interested in Ron Paul through a more general Liberty Rally that was less of a pep rally and more an opportunity to learn about the candidate and the issues and the history of our country that makes Ron Paul the right choice. We knew we might not even get Ron Paul to attend but we still were planning on holding the event one way or another.

I don't think it is the move to Valley Forge that is killing this event, it is that the campaign seems to have failed to understand the message we were trying to convey and weren't even prepared to give us a lineup on the Mall that would deliver what we were looking for. I really wonder how they plan to fill 3 hours up now, but that is their business now, not ours. So I am not really upset that much about the move as much as I am disappointed.

I still hope those in Philly who were involved in this just keep your original plans in mind and save them for a day next summer if we make it that far. Think of it not as cancelled or moved but just postponed.

 

[Nefertiti]

How did the meet up group drop the ball so badly on this one? I mean wouldnt the COST be one of the first things you would ask esp before you go ahead and make up 50k fliers. 140k dollars for any event is just way to much.

This originally was not a Meetup event. It was first hatched in these forums and had wider support beyond Philadelphia although the Meetup was informed and invited to get involved. Then the Philly Meetup group 25 won the fundraising contest and were entitled to Ron Paul to speak at a rally there, but according to the campaign Web site, the Meetup was to organize the rally. Were 2 rallies realistic? No, so I guess someone had the idea to hand the rally over to the Meetup, who then started to involve the campaign in the planning. There was talk 1.5 months ago that the campaign or the Meetup wanted to move it indoors. And opposition of course to it then. Then due to some internal power struggles between the head of the group and the supporters, Meetup 25 basically imploded and according to some is no longer an active group but rather they formed a new group. What happened exactly after that I don't know but I have been told that the campaign asked to take it over and the grassroots or whoever was nominally in charge at that time felt they couldn't say no to the campaign

That is the history of this event as I understand it. I'm not sure it is entirely accurate but I do think those that are more intimately involved should give us a play-by-play so we can understand what happened so things like this don't happen again and we can learn from it.

I don't think anyone dropped the ball, it just got handed off too many times. We had a good leadership in place for this event from the beginning and if it didn't get handed around so many times in the last 2.5 months I think we would be having the original event now as planned.

 

[walt]

I think you are right there. When the Philly Meetup won the contest I feared it was the beginning of the end of our great grassroots plan. It's an example of the old adage, be careful what you wish for, as it might just come true.

I don't think we should make any effort to get it moved back to the Mall again. I do think we need to have something planned for there, but there has been enough confusion already we don't want more. I think once things were handed over to the campaign they did not work hard enough on this to make the Mall location worth its cost. Lots of good ideas were suggested about speakers for this event and I think even some committments made when it was still in the grassroots' control. I heard zero except for the country singer being added to the roster after the campaign took control. The original plan had been to get non-supporters interested in Ron Paul through a more general Liberty Rally that was less of a pep rally and more an opportunity to learn about the candidate and the issues and the history of our country that makes Ron Paul the right choice. We knew we might not even get Ron Paul to attend but we still were planning on holding the event one way or another.

I don't think it is the move to Valley Forge that is killing this event, it is that the campaign seems to have failed to understand the message we were trying to convey and weren't even prepared to give us a lineup on the Mall that would deliver what we were looking for. I really wonder how they plan to fill 3 hours up now, but that is their business now, not ours. So I am not really upset that much about the move as much as I am disappointed.

I still hope those in Philly who were involved in this just keep your original plans in mind and save them for a day next summer if we make it that far. Think of it not as cancelled or moved but just postponed.

Nicely stated. However, at this point I wish they canceled the whole thing and spent the weekend in New hampshire.

 

[Ozwest]

Maybe it's time to come up with a plan B or a plan C because "what have" and "could have", just ain't good enough. The campaign is overworked - their lazy - their outta touch - they are the experts - we are the grassroots - we know it all... Play the blame game. Pull the plug and go home. Watch the revolution on T.V... In a couple of months you'll be kicking yourself in the ass for being Nancies... Stop being a bunch of show ponies, and start taking your Country back! This ain't no disco, this ain't no party, this ain't no fool'in around...

 

[Spirit of '76]

I just don't buy the official line.

$80-140 thousand? I call bullshit.

There's something else at play here.

 

[Ozwest]

I just don't buy the official line.

$80-140 thousand? I call bullshit.

There's something else at play here.

It probably is a crock of shit, It will get sorted... The question is: Am I going to self destruct, or am I going hammer the middle linebacker and clear the path for Ron Paul to do a dance in the End Zone?

 

[BenjFranklin]

Fair weather patriots

We, as grassroots supporters need to let the campaign do their jobs! I just read on another thread that someone is using their November 5th money to take their wife out to dinner. Why, because they are mad? Give me a break! This is the future of our country we are talking about! If someone can be disuaded to donate or support Ron Paul because a rally location was moved, or because the campaign made a cheesy ad, then to the curb with ya! We don't need that kind of "support". We have a serious problem in this country, and Dr. Paul is our last hope to fix things peacefully. I understand the frustration of the local organizers, but why didn't someone wait for an official word from the campaign before promoting the location?