Tarzan
Banned
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 1,736
Where do we go from here? That question has been asked quite a few times… even in the days when things were going better for this effort. Now, with things not going so well, it has become an essential question and the answers we find will be critical to restoring the Constitution and regaining our government.
It is not my intention to offend any believers in the Ron Paul Message. We have a broad mix of individuals supporting The Message, each with our own motivation and reasons. Some have been supporters for quite some time, some are newcomers. Regardless, most of us want the same thing; Restoration of the Constitution. To me that is the single most important part of The Message. Once we have done this we will have regained the framework to correct the other problems our country is facing. This includes unlawful government programs, unlawful wars and military actions, unfair taxation, the violation of our personal freedoms, and a host of other issues.
Keeping the ground we have captured:
The Revolution’s Future is difficult thing to discuss unless we can agree on our current position. Some have given up hope and left these forums… others believe passionately that Ron Paul will win at the Republican Convention and become president. Because of this wide range in our current positions my suggestions will not be received well by many. Please try to read them calmly and I will try to backup any assertions and recommendations.
The effort to win the Republican nomination and the presidency:
We have not had much success in this regard. We have spent countless hours, personal resources & money, and donated over $32,000,000.00 to the **official** Ron Paul for President Campaign and have not achieved a victory. The results have not been encouraging and Ron Paul has said that a brokered convention is highly unlikely. Polls and electoral results place the likelihood of a Ron Paul victory near zero. For these and other factors I think we have only one logical course to continue this Revolution. We need to focus our efforts and resources in another direction. The first step in this change of battle tactics is the end the **official** Ron Paul for President Campaign efforts.
Ending the Official Campaign:
From what I can tell by the FEC reports filed by the Ron Paul Campaign there is about $6 Million dollars currently on hand. With almost no chance of wining the nomination the campaign should be ended. By ending the official campaign the remaining monies can be used for a variety of efforts.
New Leadership:
I am sure there are dedicated believers at the **official** campaign… at least, I want to believe that. But the results they have achieved and the comments they have made regarding their own efforts (and those of the grassroots) demonstrate they should not be in a leadership in the effort to get out The Message.
Consider their assessment that this should be a “bottom up” effort… not a “top down” effort. Then look at the example they use. Their “bad example” is the Barack Obama campaign. I am no fan of BO… but take at their campaign materials and results. This is exactly the type of example from which the RP campaign should learn something. Unfortunately, the RP staffers have learned nothing. Conversely, they think this is a “bad” way to run a campaign. They are clearly wrong, the point is to win and that is what the BO campaign is achieving.
Consider the quality and success in getting out The Message with the ads and materials they have created and approved. Using the BO campaign as an example you can clearly see a vast difference and why the BO ads are being successful when the RP ads were not. Then look at the statement by the RP National Campaign Manager; that “mass advertising is not the most effective way to get the job done”. His statement is wrong… or, at least, incomplete. It is true that BAD advertising usually does not work… GOOD advertising often does. Ask Coke, Pepsi, Nike and others. Unfortunately, the RP campaign has not turned out good advertising. Instead, we are being asked to continue our efforts with no support. Its like asking soldiers to march across an open field into the enemy guns with no air support, no artillery support, no body armor and ineffective weapons. They have all but abandoned us.
Large Media effort in Texas:
The National Campaign Manager also mentions they “just completed a large ad blitz in Texas”. I have two rhetorical questions about this; If mass advertising is not effective why have such an effort in Texas? And, why did we see none of these ads in The Dallas/Ft. Worth Area. Why did we only hear from people in Austin (where RP spoke at the University of Texas) and Houston (just a few miles from RPs congressional district and within easy broadcast range of the district in which he was also running for congress) that they had seen these ads? That these ads, paid for by the presidential campaign, were run extensively in Houston is suspiciously awkward. While legal, I think it is a simple conclusion as to why the ads were run in this market and NOT run throughout Texas.
The Message was not effectively delivered by the **official** campaign:
Some have said that the American voters just did not like The Message. I strongly disagree with that notion. The problem was that The Message was never delivered effectively. Not in the collateral materials, in speeches or in “sound bites”. Use BO as an example again… BO doesn’t say “I am going to raise your taxes and take all of your money so I can decide who gets health care… and the only thing you will have left in your pocket is change”… instead, he says “We now face an opportunity — and an obligation — to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates… My plan begins by covering every American…”. Take a look at the materials created by the campaign staff… they are highly negative and require a lot of explanation. Instead, they jump to a conclusion that confuses and frightens most Americans.
Failure to learn from success:
There are a couple of examples of success; The “infomercial” used in Iowa and the precinct captain program. But, there are major problems with both of these successes:
Prior to the infomercial being run in Iowa RP was polling at about 4%... four days later he was polling at 11%. In the interim the infomercials were run and the poll results (and election results that closely matches the polls) should have been clear evidence that the infomercial worked. But, they never used this format again, WHY? I have no answer for that. Instead, they produced a extremely expensive direct mail piece in New Hampshire at a total cost of $4,329,007.44. If I am reading the FEC reports correctly this amount was spent on one mailer whose content should have never been approved. (Take a look at the mailer and ask your marketing friends about its potential effectiveness… this was a very badly produced mailer)
Precinct Captains; a Great Idea:
Yes… this is a great idea. But this program has major issues as well. The failure to start it early enough to have a major effect and the lack of resources (such as scripts and action plans) to make it possible for the volunteers to do their work effectively. The idea is also not a new one and has been used by previous campaigns. Had it been put into effect earlier and with the proper materials and guidance it could have made a major difference in the election results we have seen thus far. I salute those who have taken on this task and wish the RP campaign staff had been more supportive to you.
The “Media Blackout”:
While working on another project I had to deal with the media on a limited basis. While doing so I heard a comment similar to this on several occasions: “we tried to get this from the official campaign, but they never got back to us”. There was another occasion where I wrote a email (I was very nice) to Reuters because they had a list of the candidates positions but nothing about Ron Paul. I asked them why not and actually got a phone call from one of their staff. I was told that the information on their website came directly from the campaign and the Reuters had requested the information on three occasions and received no response from the **official** campaign. I was a bit confounded and contacted the RP campaign. I was told that they get so many media requests they just did not have time to respond to them all. These experiences, and reports I have heard from others in contact with the media, have convinced me that the “media blackout” is largely a self inflicted wound caused by the official campaign. I do not believe the media is completely impartial, but it appears the RP campaign management (who was well funded at the time) seriously dropped the ball on multiple occasions and not only alienated the media, they even shunned them. To me, this is an inexcusable failure.
Finally, The Message is not being delivered:
If you have been to the official site you will see that there are currently NO events planned. Ron Paul said he was “taking some time off” to focus on his congressional campaign. Since the campaign has discontinued almost all advertising and planned no speaking engagements any unbiased observer would consider RPs presidential campaign to have been suspended. Because of the poor results and ineffective management of this campaign I think the campaign should be ended and that we must take alternate actions to get out the message about restoring the Constitution to our government. The official campaign has proven they are not capable of carrying out this mission.
Overall, when measured in terms of success, the **official** campaign has been a failure and the management has failed and should no longer be in any position to spend the money donated to the campaign. They should be fired immediately and any future efforts should be outside of their control and placed in the hands of professionals with proven experience in handling funds and political efforts. In short, the current staff should have no part in leading The Revolutions Future.
Suggestions to successfully continue the Revolution:
I recommend we do the following:
1. End the official campaign for president and relieve the staff from all current and future duties.
2. Abandon the “bottom up” approach. Instead, use time proven techniques and the remaining funds to further the Ron Paul Message. Hire professionals with proven ability and success to carry out our goals. The remaining funds could be used for education, training, and creation of an organization to further The Message (with none of the current staff in paid positions).
3. Focus on areas in which candidates, with constitutional convictions, are running for other congressional offices.
There are 435 members of the House and 100 in the Senate. Every two years the entire house is up for election... every two years 1/3 of the senate is up for election. In a few election cycles we could achieve our goal and take back our government by electing representatives who will follow the Constitution.
4. Create our own MSM in the form of Newspaper, Radio and Television.
5. We need to get organized. The grassroots efforts have been remarkable but very fractured and dispersed. We need a central location for our efforts to restore our government to its Constitutional basis. Efforts are being made in this area as well. There are several afoot and I hope they can be consolidated into a single location so we have one place for the information and tools we need to win this Revolution.
6. We need to take over the Republican Party. We need to face facts and win this battle from within. We have devolved into a two party system and there is very little hope of ever achieving our goals as a third party. We should invade the Republican Party like a virus at all levels and remake it from within. (see this thread)
7. We should support an Organization committed to the restoration of the Constitution and of educating American voters as to why this should be done. Such an organization would have enormous flexibility and could be very beneficial to "winning the hearts and minds" of all Americans. Such an organization is already in the works and is in the planning stages here: http://ronpaulambassadors.com/
8. We need to use the tactics of our opponents, where appropriate, to win over the American voter. Dress nice, be polite, become a precinct chair, go to the local GOP events, schmooze, cajole, educate... but always with the focus on the objective... to educate the voters and win back our government.
9. The Ron Paul Message also needs to be clarified and made personal... we need to explain how a Constitutional government will benefit them personally. We need to hire professional speech writers to make this a reality.
10. Abandon the Rally on Washington idea. The **official** campaign has demonstrated they do not have the skills to carry out such an event successfully. No further funds should be managed by the current staff.
11. Have Ron Paul as the figurehead of this movement but take away the duties of making executive decisions. Instead, find a proven professional capable of acting as the CEO and making decisions; including hiring and firing.
12. Create a small, effective leadership group (responsible to the grassroots) to lead and guide the Revolution to achievable victories.
The Revolution is certainly not over. We CAN win the ultimate victory... but it may take a bit longer than this election cycle. Let's keep Ron Paul out there working for us... let's take back our government by replacing our representatives... once we have won, LET'S WATCH THEM LIKE HAWKS!!!
Remember, the original American Revolution lasted 8½ Years! Our fight has just begun... and we CAN win! It may take a bit more time... it may take a bit more effort... it CAN be done.
So, let's get focused on the task at hand and be flexible if we need to change tactics... let's support one another in our efforts to win back our government... let's coordinate our efforts as never before... let's get to work on the materials we need to win this war... let us stand together during the hard times knowing that we may not win all of the battles but that we MUST and WILL win this Revolution.
I am not trying to dishearten anyone here… instead, I think we all need to take a deep breath and seriously consider our position. We need to reevaluate how to achieve our goals and regain a government under our Constitution. This may be a painful realization as so many emotions are tied to this goal. We need to look at the broader picture… we need to consider how we can change our tactics, become more united, and win this Revolution.
.
It is not my intention to offend any believers in the Ron Paul Message. We have a broad mix of individuals supporting The Message, each with our own motivation and reasons. Some have been supporters for quite some time, some are newcomers. Regardless, most of us want the same thing; Restoration of the Constitution. To me that is the single most important part of The Message. Once we have done this we will have regained the framework to correct the other problems our country is facing. This includes unlawful government programs, unlawful wars and military actions, unfair taxation, the violation of our personal freedoms, and a host of other issues.
Keeping the ground we have captured:
The Revolution’s Future is difficult thing to discuss unless we can agree on our current position. Some have given up hope and left these forums… others believe passionately that Ron Paul will win at the Republican Convention and become president. Because of this wide range in our current positions my suggestions will not be received well by many. Please try to read them calmly and I will try to backup any assertions and recommendations.
The effort to win the Republican nomination and the presidency:
We have not had much success in this regard. We have spent countless hours, personal resources & money, and donated over $32,000,000.00 to the **official** Ron Paul for President Campaign and have not achieved a victory. The results have not been encouraging and Ron Paul has said that a brokered convention is highly unlikely. Polls and electoral results place the likelihood of a Ron Paul victory near zero. For these and other factors I think we have only one logical course to continue this Revolution. We need to focus our efforts and resources in another direction. The first step in this change of battle tactics is the end the **official** Ron Paul for President Campaign efforts.
Ending the Official Campaign:
From what I can tell by the FEC reports filed by the Ron Paul Campaign there is about $6 Million dollars currently on hand. With almost no chance of wining the nomination the campaign should be ended. By ending the official campaign the remaining monies can be used for a variety of efforts.
New Leadership:
I am sure there are dedicated believers at the **official** campaign… at least, I want to believe that. But the results they have achieved and the comments they have made regarding their own efforts (and those of the grassroots) demonstrate they should not be in a leadership in the effort to get out The Message.
Consider their assessment that this should be a “bottom up” effort… not a “top down” effort. Then look at the example they use. Their “bad example” is the Barack Obama campaign. I am no fan of BO… but take at their campaign materials and results. This is exactly the type of example from which the RP campaign should learn something. Unfortunately, the RP staffers have learned nothing. Conversely, they think this is a “bad” way to run a campaign. They are clearly wrong, the point is to win and that is what the BO campaign is achieving.
Consider the quality and success in getting out The Message with the ads and materials they have created and approved. Using the BO campaign as an example you can clearly see a vast difference and why the BO ads are being successful when the RP ads were not. Then look at the statement by the RP National Campaign Manager; that “mass advertising is not the most effective way to get the job done”. His statement is wrong… or, at least, incomplete. It is true that BAD advertising usually does not work… GOOD advertising often does. Ask Coke, Pepsi, Nike and others. Unfortunately, the RP campaign has not turned out good advertising. Instead, we are being asked to continue our efforts with no support. Its like asking soldiers to march across an open field into the enemy guns with no air support, no artillery support, no body armor and ineffective weapons. They have all but abandoned us.
Large Media effort in Texas:
The National Campaign Manager also mentions they “just completed a large ad blitz in Texas”. I have two rhetorical questions about this; If mass advertising is not effective why have such an effort in Texas? And, why did we see none of these ads in The Dallas/Ft. Worth Area. Why did we only hear from people in Austin (where RP spoke at the University of Texas) and Houston (just a few miles from RPs congressional district and within easy broadcast range of the district in which he was also running for congress) that they had seen these ads? That these ads, paid for by the presidential campaign, were run extensively in Houston is suspiciously awkward. While legal, I think it is a simple conclusion as to why the ads were run in this market and NOT run throughout Texas.
The Message was not effectively delivered by the **official** campaign:
Some have said that the American voters just did not like The Message. I strongly disagree with that notion. The problem was that The Message was never delivered effectively. Not in the collateral materials, in speeches or in “sound bites”. Use BO as an example again… BO doesn’t say “I am going to raise your taxes and take all of your money so I can decide who gets health care… and the only thing you will have left in your pocket is change”… instead, he says “We now face an opportunity — and an obligation — to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates… My plan begins by covering every American…”. Take a look at the materials created by the campaign staff… they are highly negative and require a lot of explanation. Instead, they jump to a conclusion that confuses and frightens most Americans.
Failure to learn from success:
There are a couple of examples of success; The “infomercial” used in Iowa and the precinct captain program. But, there are major problems with both of these successes:
Prior to the infomercial being run in Iowa RP was polling at about 4%... four days later he was polling at 11%. In the interim the infomercials were run and the poll results (and election results that closely matches the polls) should have been clear evidence that the infomercial worked. But, they never used this format again, WHY? I have no answer for that. Instead, they produced a extremely expensive direct mail piece in New Hampshire at a total cost of $4,329,007.44. If I am reading the FEC reports correctly this amount was spent on one mailer whose content should have never been approved. (Take a look at the mailer and ask your marketing friends about its potential effectiveness… this was a very badly produced mailer)
Precinct Captains; a Great Idea:
Yes… this is a great idea. But this program has major issues as well. The failure to start it early enough to have a major effect and the lack of resources (such as scripts and action plans) to make it possible for the volunteers to do their work effectively. The idea is also not a new one and has been used by previous campaigns. Had it been put into effect earlier and with the proper materials and guidance it could have made a major difference in the election results we have seen thus far. I salute those who have taken on this task and wish the RP campaign staff had been more supportive to you.
The “Media Blackout”:
While working on another project I had to deal with the media on a limited basis. While doing so I heard a comment similar to this on several occasions: “we tried to get this from the official campaign, but they never got back to us”. There was another occasion where I wrote a email (I was very nice) to Reuters because they had a list of the candidates positions but nothing about Ron Paul. I asked them why not and actually got a phone call from one of their staff. I was told that the information on their website came directly from the campaign and the Reuters had requested the information on three occasions and received no response from the **official** campaign. I was a bit confounded and contacted the RP campaign. I was told that they get so many media requests they just did not have time to respond to them all. These experiences, and reports I have heard from others in contact with the media, have convinced me that the “media blackout” is largely a self inflicted wound caused by the official campaign. I do not believe the media is completely impartial, but it appears the RP campaign management (who was well funded at the time) seriously dropped the ball on multiple occasions and not only alienated the media, they even shunned them. To me, this is an inexcusable failure.
Finally, The Message is not being delivered:
If you have been to the official site you will see that there are currently NO events planned. Ron Paul said he was “taking some time off” to focus on his congressional campaign. Since the campaign has discontinued almost all advertising and planned no speaking engagements any unbiased observer would consider RPs presidential campaign to have been suspended. Because of the poor results and ineffective management of this campaign I think the campaign should be ended and that we must take alternate actions to get out the message about restoring the Constitution to our government. The official campaign has proven they are not capable of carrying out this mission.
Overall, when measured in terms of success, the **official** campaign has been a failure and the management has failed and should no longer be in any position to spend the money donated to the campaign. They should be fired immediately and any future efforts should be outside of their control and placed in the hands of professionals with proven experience in handling funds and political efforts. In short, the current staff should have no part in leading The Revolutions Future.
Suggestions to successfully continue the Revolution:
I recommend we do the following:
1. End the official campaign for president and relieve the staff from all current and future duties.
2. Abandon the “bottom up” approach. Instead, use time proven techniques and the remaining funds to further the Ron Paul Message. Hire professionals with proven ability and success to carry out our goals. The remaining funds could be used for education, training, and creation of an organization to further The Message (with none of the current staff in paid positions).
3. Focus on areas in which candidates, with constitutional convictions, are running for other congressional offices.
There are 435 members of the House and 100 in the Senate. Every two years the entire house is up for election... every two years 1/3 of the senate is up for election. In a few election cycles we could achieve our goal and take back our government by electing representatives who will follow the Constitution.
4. Create our own MSM in the form of Newspaper, Radio and Television.
5. We need to get organized. The grassroots efforts have been remarkable but very fractured and dispersed. We need a central location for our efforts to restore our government to its Constitutional basis. Efforts are being made in this area as well. There are several afoot and I hope they can be consolidated into a single location so we have one place for the information and tools we need to win this Revolution.
6. We need to take over the Republican Party. We need to face facts and win this battle from within. We have devolved into a two party system and there is very little hope of ever achieving our goals as a third party. We should invade the Republican Party like a virus at all levels and remake it from within. (see this thread)
7. We should support an Organization committed to the restoration of the Constitution and of educating American voters as to why this should be done. Such an organization would have enormous flexibility and could be very beneficial to "winning the hearts and minds" of all Americans. Such an organization is already in the works and is in the planning stages here: http://ronpaulambassadors.com/
8. We need to use the tactics of our opponents, where appropriate, to win over the American voter. Dress nice, be polite, become a precinct chair, go to the local GOP events, schmooze, cajole, educate... but always with the focus on the objective... to educate the voters and win back our government.
9. The Ron Paul Message also needs to be clarified and made personal... we need to explain how a Constitutional government will benefit them personally. We need to hire professional speech writers to make this a reality.
10. Abandon the Rally on Washington idea. The **official** campaign has demonstrated they do not have the skills to carry out such an event successfully. No further funds should be managed by the current staff.
11. Have Ron Paul as the figurehead of this movement but take away the duties of making executive decisions. Instead, find a proven professional capable of acting as the CEO and making decisions; including hiring and firing.
12. Create a small, effective leadership group (responsible to the grassroots) to lead and guide the Revolution to achievable victories.
The Revolution is certainly not over. We CAN win the ultimate victory... but it may take a bit longer than this election cycle. Let's keep Ron Paul out there working for us... let's take back our government by replacing our representatives... once we have won, LET'S WATCH THEM LIKE HAWKS!!!
Remember, the original American Revolution lasted 8½ Years! Our fight has just begun... and we CAN win! It may take a bit more time... it may take a bit more effort... it CAN be done.
So, let's get focused on the task at hand and be flexible if we need to change tactics... let's support one another in our efforts to win back our government... let's coordinate our efforts as never before... let's get to work on the materials we need to win this war... let us stand together during the hard times knowing that we may not win all of the battles but that we MUST and WILL win this Revolution.
I am not trying to dishearten anyone here… instead, I think we all need to take a deep breath and seriously consider our position. We need to reevaluate how to achieve our goals and regain a government under our Constitution. This may be a painful realization as so many emotions are tied to this goal. We need to look at the broader picture… we need to consider how we can change our tactics, become more united, and win this Revolution.
.
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