The Des Moines Plan

[Zydeco]

Remember guys, one of the things that ruined Dean's campaign was that Iowans complained that they were too aggressive and pushy, as if they were trying to force his positions down their throats. This is one thing we gotta hold back on that day. Iowans are well aware of their importance as a state in the primaries. If they see a bunch of out of state intruders going crazy, they will definitely not be pleased.

Pretend you're at a job interview, even a wedding! Primary voters are older in Iowa, so they don't want to see a rowdy youth trampling all over them. Remember, be polite, nice, and explain your views QUIETLY. Let's make sure we don't scare them away. This is very very important for Dr. Paul

Hear, hear!

 

[nayjevin]

Remember, be polite, nice, and explain your views QUIETLY.

I agree with this whole post except the above excerpt. Face it folks, your views are irrelevant -- leave them out of the conversation entirely. All that matters is Ron Paul's views. There are a few minor issues that I'm not totally sure I agree with about Paul -- but he's smarter and more knowledgeable than me. His job is to research these things. Leave the expertise of explaining the issues to him.

The campaign needs 2 things:

Name recognition

People need to know he exists. If they look into candidates, they will have him on his mind. MSM will not help here. So cram his name down their throats one time, give them literature, and be on with it.

Exposure of RP

You have far less chance to convince somebody RP is the man than he does himself. Direct them to youtube, direct them to ronpaullibrary.com -- let them decide for themselves. If they are able to think, they will vote for Ron Paul.

The people must realize he is not a fringe candidate

Just by getting out there and telling people -- 1 time -- that you support Ron Paul -- gets this message out. People by and large are not very independent thinkers. Most will not support someone who will put them on the 'fringe' among those they talk to. But the more they hear people support him, the more comfortable they will be in considering it for themselves.

-----------

We are a street team. We cannot offer celebrity status, or political standing, to endorse Paul. All we can do is say that we support him, and that others should look into him.

DO NOT TRY TO CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT THEY SHOULD VOTE FOR HIM

just tell them the primaries are very important, they may have to register, etc, and that THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO VOTE FOR RON PAUL.

Most people will not be convinced by your words. They very well may be affected by the simple knowledge that YOU support him. So make yourself likeable, friendly, and inform them he exists. Convince them to look him up, and make up their own minds. Accepting Ron's message comes from hearing Ron, not from hearing you.

----------------------

what I have learned while passing out flyers on my own is that simple works best. I went through the trial and error period and made many mistakes -- the main one being I would TALK TOO MUCH. my buddy suggested, and I have settled on holding the flyer in front of them until they grab it, while saying nothing, or maybe just "Hi guys". Their instinct is to grab it. The longer you are silent, the more likely they are to grab it, if they haven't already. Then, in defense of a possible awkward silence, they start reading.

If I try to explain why they should grab the flyer from my hand, they are much more likely to defend themselves against my argument -- a simple 'no thanks' and they are out of the situation. The silent way, it is easier to grab the thing than to figure out something to say.

The foundation of this approach is that most know politicians are bullshit, and most strangers who approach want something in return. That's why they resist.

So after they grab the flier, and are looking at it, I say something simple like

"I've never been excited about a politician before -- but this guy is awesome."

or, if I feel I have them profiled correctly,

"Decriminilization. No Police State. Bring the Troops home. Restore the constitution."

or

"I hate politics because I hate politicians -- but this guy is different"

or a particularly good one, cause it lightens people up some --

"You probably don't believe in the Constitution, but if you do, this here is the guy"

or

"he's not so much a politician as a wise grandpa for our country"
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sometimes they will ask questions back, and at this point it is VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE DONE YOUR RESEARCH.

http://www.ronpaullibrary.com
http://www.ronpaul2008.com

if you can't answer these questions succinctly and accurately, you have reading to do:

What is RP's stance on:
Abortion
Gun Rights
Church & State
Christianity
Foreign Policy
State's Rights
Health Care
Taxes

& maybe most importantly,

How do you get rid of a bunch of federal programs and bring the troops home? Won't the country collapse?

if you are lucky enough to get someone interested enough to ask questions like this, your answer may be the difference between them researching more, or deciding RP is no good.

In all situations that I have found -- Keep It Simple Stupid

I answer a great many questions this way:

Health care / gay marriage etc is not addressed by the Constitution. The Constitution explicitly states that what is not addressed by the Constitution is left to the states. Then you are free to live wherever those specifics best align with you.

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At least half of the RP supporters I know were convinced through RP's speeches. Therefore, the most effective campaigning strategy is to get RP videos to the people.

Ron Paul TV
http://freeme.tv
Ron Paul's YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ronpaul2008dotcom
Download and burn a CD to hand to people (doesn't even require internet for them to watch it)
http://rpmedia.dreamhosters.com/Exponent/

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ALSO REMEMBER:
Spend your time wisely. People who resist the message are an uphill battle. There are enough people in this country who are fed up and will gobble Ron Paul up as soon as they learn his true nature. We don't have to convince the Hannity-heads to come to our side -- it's a lost cause. Luckily the numbers of those people are dwindling.

Kindle the fire, and let it burn on it's own. Don't try to stay with one person, tending their fire, while you could be starting others that blaze by themselves.

Our biggest obstacle is NAME RECOGNITION and for the fed up to realize he's NOT JUST ANOTHER POLITICIAN -- he's EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!

 

[The Dane]

nayjevin

That is the most brilliant important post i ever saw on this forum.



edit:
Admins: why not make a seperate thread with this and make it sticky? Then also other can post their experience and guidance in the same thread. called something like: "general guidelines for spreading the word" or "practical experiences for meetup group use"

2 edit: already found it in another thread. make that sticky!!!

 

[damijin]

Indeed very nice post, I hope all will heed the wisdom of his experience.

 

[Man from La Mancha]

agree

I couldn't agree more, would make a good thread. Maybe it would generate more real life experiences of what works for other people. Then make it a sticky.

 

[denvervoipguru]

Sticky for Talking Points??

ALSO REMEMBER:
Spend your time wisely. People who resist the message are an uphill battle. There are enough people in this country who are fed up and will gobble Ron Paul up as soon as they learn his true nature. We don't have to convince the Hannity-heads ...

Excellent post Nay!!

Man,

This could be a Sticky!

 

[EvoPro]

Yes nayjevin, brilliant post. Thank you for your insight.

Their instinct is to grab it. The longer you are silent, the more likely they are to grab it, if they haven't already. Then, in defense of a possible awkward silence, they start reading.

LMAO

 

[Avalon]

Hey John, since the other thread is locked I'd like to ask you here. Can you tell us what activities you have planned for us out of staters Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Monday and Tuesday would be good too) and what value you (and Joe) would ascribe to individual participating in these events. Many of us from far away need to know whether we should be jumping in the car or sending a check to the HQ instead but we cannot evaluate this value ourselves...especially if you don't even tell us what you'd like us to do!

 

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

Avalon,

I'll just jump in with my thoughts. It's an easier decision for me as I'm only 4 hours away, but I'm going because I don't want to miss it. If it was going to cost the $500 figure someone threw out there, I might consider donating that instead. It's up to you how important it is for you to be there.

My decision is purely selfish. I want a free lunch, um, I mean I want to see Ron Paul, maybe get a pict with him, meet hundreds of other Ron Paul supporters, and be part of the general excitement. So do it if the cost to you is worth it. That's the best answer I've got. Maybe someone can do better.