To those who believe we're disorganized...

[JeffWhiteside]

I have waited until NOW to sign up for an account & this is my first post. Why? Because I've been too busy getting out there and actually DOING things for Ron Paul here in Washington state than to sit around posting to a forum all day. Instead, I work a 50+ hour a week job AND have taken on 30-40+ hours a week to organize and communicate with thousands of voters in our area.

I feel this group needs some encouragement - I've been reading a lot of posts about disorganization and other frustrations.

I was encouraged watching the results come in last night. Paul's campaign did a GREAT job turning out the vote. Almost 12,000 people came out for him last night, only a few thousand short of TWO other candidates. I think we were slighted by a massive evangelical turnout that even the Paul campaign hadn't expected. No one counted on such a huge turn out.

As for those who think things things are disorganized - you should know that if this was true in Iowa, this is certainly not the case everywhere. We, the meetup group here in Spokane, WA, were responsible for communicating the following message in the front section of our newspaper to hundreds of thousands of readers this morning. Washington state arguably has one of the most challenging systems, with both a caucus and a primary that determine roughly half of the GOP delegates each.

I was quoted a couple times & had a strong message to our city and surrounding area:

---
Snippet from the Spokesman Review on 1/4:

"Supporters of Democrats Obama and John Edwards and Republican Ron Paul gathered to watch the results roll in from Iowa. And while Obama supporters clearly had the best night as their candidate was the easy Democratic winner in Iowa, Paul and Edwards supporters also found reasons to cheer.

Jeff Whiteside, a Paul supporter who helped organize a caucus watch party that drew about 50 people to Big Daddy's restaurant on Spokane's South Hill, was happy as a screen showed the Texas congressman dueling with former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson for fourth place. Although Paul would later finish fifth, he was in double digits, with 10 percent of the delegates awarded by the caucuses, and ahead of a much better known and better financed Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City.

"We've been planning for the last six months. We have a definite strategy in place," Whiteside said.

The Iowa caucuses are not directly comparable to what Washington Republicans face, he added. Unlike Iowa, there's no tally of support for individual candidates at the caucuses, and half the GOP delegates will be awarded on the basis of the Feb. 19 primary.

"We have to have two strategies in play," said Michael Cathcart, another organizer of the Paul watch party.

Part of that strategy involves putting up signs asking "Who is Ron Paul?" On Thursday that strategy paid off. Former Spokane County Commissioner Phil Harris said he saw one of the signs, couldn't answer the question and looked Paul up on the Internet. Although he wasn't committed to Paul, Harris said he came to the caucus watch party to find out more."
----

We've impressed the heck out of our GOP, are working with them, are finally getting the local media to pay attention to our efforts and have managed to rally huge support here in Spokane. It's tough to say...but we get thousands of honks when we hold banners up over the freeway. People are oozing to find out about this Ron Paul character.

This election is going to be interesting and this is just the beginning. Ron Paul is no dummy and the people he has around him aren't either. What was true two days ago is true today...nothing has changed and neither should we.

Jeff Whiteside

NOW...learn the political system, work your local media, get OUT there & FIGHT! This is neither a popularity contest nor any easy effort, but each and everyone of you can be a powerful force in your area. Make that CHOICE and Ron Paul will win. Do not delay.

 

[xerxesdarius]

Great post.

 

[Melissa]

perfect first post

 

[Rhys]

+1

 

[itshappening]

thank you Jeff.

 

[Mortikhi]

Take Kent Snyder's place. He's fucking useless.

 

[Joel High]

I'll second that. Eastern PA is well organized and we don't vote until April. Between Harrisburg, Reading Allentown and Philly there are about 20 plus meetup groups and well over a thousand members. Several sign waving events take place every week. Signs are going up all over the place.

An organization has been set up for delegates and signatures. Dozens of individuals have taken leadership roles all across (at least this half) of the state.
Congression Districts have been well defined. Plans are in the works for canvassing and signature drives.

 

[worldtruthfreedom]

thank you, great post

 

[JMO]

All these different caucus rules. Did I understand that in Washington you don't vote for the candidate?

 

[JeffWhiteside]

We vote for a candidate at our primary, but then we also have a caucus system that elects 49% of our state's delegates that go to the state and national convention. We have to have PCO's and Captains in place, find our own delegates AND win over the popular vote for the primaries, which determines the remaining 51% of the delegates. It's tough, but we were the only game in town and we've been on the ball, doing what we need to be doing whereas other candidates have not.

We have also been fortunate to have energetic members that have spread our movement far and wide into outlying counties & we have operated as a coordination center for the entire eastern half of the state.

Spokane received honorable mention in Ron Paul's 3rd quarter fund raiser.

 

[Knut Schreiber]

Great job! I wish I was living in the states and could participate.

Make sure that you don't just wave signs, but get personal cantact with the people and spread the message with its arguments! We have to "infect" them with our passion. That doesn't happen through signs only. It's good that you guys are already presenting yourselves so early and have a working structure. Keep it up! I'm with you in spirit!

 

[dblee]

This is what we need more of. I'm sick of the bellyaching. Take a look around, join your meetup group or start one.

Stop blaming the official campaign. You can't change what they do, you can only change what you do.

I'm a member of meetup group 59 in Irvine, California. We're at 500 members strong. We have several events weekly and are highly organized and coordinating with the other meetup groups in our area.

Our events include systematically canvassing our neighborhoods, sign waving at major traffic areas, and letter writing for the primaries. You have to be willing to do the actual grunt work and talk with your feet in order to get results. I feel blessed to be surrounded by such motivated and capable people. Our meetup group leader formerly ran for state senate and has extensive experience in political campaigns.

Last night we took calls in conjunction with the Los Angeles call center from individual precinct observers and helped verify the caucus results for liberty broadcast.

We need to stop focusing on what others are not doing, and start focus on what WE are not doing. There is room for everyone to contribute.

I saw a great idea on the forum today about meetup groups running local newspaper ads. I think this could be VERY effective.

Decentralized grassroots efforts are disorganized on a large scale, yes, but very effective on a local level and far more efficient than any top down organization.

Remember. Ron Paul can not become president by dragging all of us along behind him. We have to push him to the top.

Let it not be said at the end of the day, that you did not do everything in your power to help us win your state.

 

[icon124]

this is what we need in NH right now

 

[Clutch]

+1

 

[Knut Schreiber]

This is what we need more of. I'm sick of the bellyaching. Take a look around, join your meetup group or start one.

Stop blaming the official campaign. You can't change what they do, you can only change what you do.

I'm a member of meetup group 59 in Irvine, California. We're at 500 members strong. We have several events weekly and are highly organized and coordinating with the other meetup groups in our area.

Our events include systematically canvassing our neighborhoods, sign waving at major traffic areas, and letter writing for the primaries. You have to be willing to do the actual grunt work and talk with your feet in order to get results. I feel blessed to be surrounded by such motivated and capable people. Our meetup group leader formerly ran for state senate and has extensive experience in political campaigns.

Last night we took calls in conjunction with the Los Angeles call center from individual precinct observers and helped verify the caucus results for liberty broadcast.

We need to stop focusing on what others are not doing, and start focus on what WE are not doing. There is room for everyone to contribute.

I saw a great idea on the forum today about meetup groups running local newspaper ads. I think this could be VERY effective.

Decentralized grassroots efforts are disorganized on a large scale, yes, but very effective on a local level and far more efficient than any top down organization.

Remember. Ron Paul can not become president by dragging all of us along behind him. We have to push him to the top.

Let it not be said at the end of the day, that you did not do everything in your power to help us win your state.

Quoted for being spot on! All Meetup groups should be doing this!