Phonebanking Platform for Iowa

[belian78]

Seriously, the drive and enthusiasm is a great thing, but if the campaign is going to be doing this we shouldn't step all over their toes. I think they've already shown they're doing things the right way with opening up offices and getting volunteers this soon. If grassroots callers go off on their own thing we could really turn potential voters off by too much overlap and such.

 

[trey4sports]

Seriously, the drive and enthusiasm is a great thing, but if the campaign is going to be doing this we shouldn't step all over their toes. I think they've already shown they're doing things the right way with opening up offices and getting volunteers this soon. If grassroots callers go off on their own thing we could really turn potential voters off by too much overlap and such.

Generally, there are far more calls needing to be placed than there is overlap. The millisecond the campaign comes out with a phonebanking system we can turn our attention to it, but until then its all talk.

 

[realtonygoodwin]

Jeremy is (rightly) saying he can stop the unapproved phone banking from being PLANNED HERE. On RPF.

 

[Jeremy]

Generally, there are far more calls needing to be placed than there is overlap. The millisecond the campaign comes out with a phonebanking system we can turn our attention to it, but until then its all talk.

It's not "all talk." This is coming from Steve Bierfeldt and the people in charge of winning Iowa.

 

[trey4sports]

It's not "all talk." This is coming from Steve Bierfeldt and the people in charge of winning Iowa.

Again, read what i said in context Jeremy.....

The millisecond the campaign comes out with a phonebanking system we can turn our attention to it, but until then its all talk

I'm not doubting that they have a phonebanking system in place, but until the volunteers are able to use it then it does us no good. We have a massive GOP list to cover, and roughly 2 and half months to find support, and then GOTV. I'd be willing to say we wont get through the entire list with or without the separate phonebanks.

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

I have suggested to the originator of this idea to remove the GOP from the list while waiting for the campaign to catch up. I thought that would be an acceptable middle ground approach. I agree that calling against the wishes of the Campaign will hurt us in the long run. I also realize that time is of the essence and appreciate the effort put into setting this up.

We need to work together, methodically...

Someone, very experianced with campaigns, once told me the r3VOLution is like a bunch of 6 year olds playing soccer. The ball goes one way, and the whole team runs after it, the ball goes the other way, and the whole team trips over itself running after it...

We need to be better than that

 

[belian78]

I have suggested to the originator of this idea to remove the GOP from the list while waiting for the campaign to catch up. I thought that would be an acceptable middle ground approach. I agree that calling against the wishes of the Campaign will hurt us in the long run. I also realize that time is of the essence and appreciate the effort put into setting this up.

We need to work together, methodically...

Someone, very experianced with campaigns, once told me the r3VOLution is like a bunch of 6 year olds playing soccer. The ball goes one way, and the whole team runs after it, the ball goes the other way, and the whole team trips over itself running after it...

We need to be better than that

+rep
Good work, and great compromise as well. I love that analogy.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

We will put an end to the grassroots calling being planned here if we have to. More on this later, but we need to follow the campaign, not jump in front of them and ruin everything.

Are you speaking as an admin representing Josh and Bryan or as an individual?

 

[RachelFaith]

We will put an end to the grassroots calling being planned here if we have to. More on this later, but we need to follow the campaign, not jump in front of them and ruin everything.

You just can't make this stuff up...

 

[trey4sports]

I like Michaels idea.

 

[civusamericanus]

I have suggested to the originator of this idea to remove the GOP from the list while waiting for the campaign to catch up. I thought that would be an acceptable middle ground approach. I agree that calling against the wishes of the Campaign will hurt us in the long run. I also realize that time is of the essence and appreciate the effort put into setting this up.

We need to work together, methodically...

Someone, very experianced with campaigns, once told me the r3VOLution is like a bunch of 6 year olds playing soccer. The ball goes one way, and the whole team runs after it, the ball goes the other way, and the whole team trips over itself running after it...

We need to be better than that

I am following your lead. Listening to you has never steered me wrong. +rep

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

while waiting for the campaign to catch up.

Nuff said!

 

[FriedChicken]

Quick question about the platform:
If we're all using rp2012.org for making these calls, its impossible for us to call the same person twice UNLESS two people have the same number ... is that right?
If this is true, then the MOST phone calls people can get will be 2 each. One from us, one from the official campaign.

People who live together and share a phone might get more. But isn't that the most overlap that is possible?

Combine that with the fact we're calling people of all political parties while the campaign focuses mostly on the GOP voters and, as long as we keep our "stuff" together, our worse case scenario would be insignificant and possible good to come of this would be significant.
Do I understand the risks correctly?

When the campaign starts its phone bank we'll still only have two phone banks. I don't see how this would add up to people being bombarded and put off with calls.

 

[IDefendThePlatform]

Quick question about the platform:
If we're all using rp2012.org for making these calls, its impossible for us to call the same person twice UNLESS two people have the same number ... is that right?
If this is true, then the MOST phone calls people can get will be 2 each. One from us, one from the official campaign.

People who live together and share a phone might get more. But isn't that the most overlap that is possible?

Combine that with the fact we're calling people of all political parties while the campaign focuses mostly on the GOP voters and, as long as we keep our "stuff" together, our worse case scenario would be insignificant and possible good to come of this would be significant.
Do I understand the risks correctly?

When the campaign starts its phone bank we'll still only have two phone banks. I don't see how this would add up to people being bombarded and put off with calls.

I agree. Benefits seem to outweigh the costs, IMO.

 

[FriedChicken]

I just read the sticky about phonebanking.

I realize the board now has TONS of pages in different threads on this topic so it may not have been the first time someone brought up this idea but:
Someone, don't remember who, suggested calling as a polling firm.

Perhaps we should go for this. Apparently it would be less "controversial" and more people on this board would start calling (embarrassingly I haven't made any phone calls myself- I only have a company cell phone that I limit personal use on. I was hoping to go crazy on my free weekend minutes but several things came up and I wasn't able to during decent hours).

We could poll them to see who they support, catalog the information (even if it isn't scientific polling I think it would still serve a purpose).
Any identified Ron Paul supporter can be directed to the campaign for their Ames ticket package.

We might even be able to pry information from and influence Obama supporters this way.

Just an idea. Could we accomplish the same goal this way? I'm convinced this is a good idea either way. Just wondering if we can put an end to all the feuding amongst supporters and still make calls.

 

[parocks]

I'd think that listening to the Executive Director of the Iowa Campaign would be the way to go.

Actually, I know that it is.

 

[parocks]

Calling people on behalf of Ron Paul when the campaign doesn't want you to is a bad idea.

The other idea is a better idea. I'm not sure that it's a good idea, but it's not clearly as bad an idea.

If it isn't scientific polling, why not?

I think you're right about "ending all the feuding".

And I think you're right that even if not scientific, it would serve a purpose of IDing supporters without annoying anybody.

But I would still want, if I could get, a poll, scientific if possible.

The people making the polling calls are well trained at polling calls.

Then, the data is sent to the campaign, and also kept.

Perhaps the campaign calls the Ron Paul supporters, and some other grass roots group
does push polling on the other candidates.

I just read the sticky about phonebanking.

I realize the board now has TONS of pages in different threads on this topic so it may not have been the first time someone brought up this idea but:
Someone, don't remember who, suggested calling as a polling firm.

Perhaps we should go for this. Apparently it would be less "controversial" and more people on this board would start calling (embarrassingly I haven't made any phone calls myself- I only have a company cell phone that I limit personal use on. I was hoping to go crazy on my free weekend minutes but several things came up and I wasn't able to during decent hours).

We could poll them to see who they support, catalog the information (even if it isn't scientific polling I think it would still serve a purpose).
Any identified Ron Paul supporter can be directed to the campaign for their Ames ticket package.

We might even be able to pry information from and influence Obama supporters this way.

Just an idea. Could we accomplish the same goal this way? I'm convinced this is a good idea either way. Just wondering if we can put an end to all the feuding amongst supporters and still make calls.

 

[FriedChicken]

I'd think that listening to the Executive Director of the Iowa Campaign would be the way to go.

Actually, I know that it is.

did the orders actually come from the director? I thought it was just a staff member. But anyway- its a bit unbelievable to me that the campaign would take the time to contact us to give some direction and instead of telling us to do something more than what we've already done (I'd bet just about everyone here has signed up on their website and none of us have been directed further) we're told to stop doing what we've began ...

The campaign is a little skittish about us making phone calls but I don't see anything wrong with our platform or the script. We're going about this the right way.

 

[parocks]

Fried Chicken, thinking more about the phone calling.

Polling, of whatever sort it is, scientific or not, is the way to go.

The campaign has asked us not to call for Ron Paul. But as a group, independent of Ron Paul, indentifying supporters, and not
trying to do any persuasion, that should be ok. Get data, but leave Ron Paul out of it.

We help, not replace, the campaign.

We most certainly would like to know the first, second, and third choices of everyone we call.

Ask the favorability of all the candidates. Look at real polls and gather that information.
You might be tempted to ask some "liberty" questions. Or some questions that will make
a reasonably intelligent call recipient think that it's coming from Ron Paul. Don't ask those questions.
Get this data for every registered Republican in Ames, then in surrounding counties.

Then pass that data elsewhere. To the "push poll" unit of this organization.
We know who they like, and we call them asking questions of whether
unfortunate truths about their candidate make them "more likely" "less likely" or "no difference"
to vote for their candidate.

Romney
Gay Marriage
Magic Underwear

Cain
North American Competitiveness Council
The Fed (maybe) - it would be interesting to have this data though.

I don't like at all the idea of the grassroots making calls and talking to people about Ron Paul.
Trying to convince people to go to the Ames Straw Poll, 2 months in advance. No, don't do that.
Or, if you're "grassroots", whatever that means, just go through the official channels. They might want
to train you, make sure that you're on message, that the proper procedures are followed, etc etc.
There are some people that the campaign might not want to put on the phone, because they are unhappy with
their performance, perhaps the caller doesn't stick to the script and gets to arguing with supporters of other candidates,
making people think that "Ron Paul supporters are annoying". This, by the way ("Ron Paul supporters are annoying") is not
a good thing, and it is believed by a sizeable amount of people. We should try not to do too many things that make people think
RPSAA. If we're making a ton of calls, but under a variety of different names, and we give no hint that we're calling in any relationship
to Ron Paul, it will not contribute to the belief that RPSAA. What many Ron Paul supporters don't really understand is that people, often, don't want
to talk to you about Ron Paul. And if you insist on talking about Ron Paul, they will find you annoying, and that's bad for Ron Paul.

 

[libertybrewcity]

I hope the system isn't anything like the Peter Schiff phonebanking. that thang was buggy..