SaratogaForRonPaul
02-04-2008, 02:46 PM
Please forward this or the email below to your Meetups.
Today, the NYS State Republicans held a major political rally in Albany NY to declare McCain the next presidential nominee to all the Republican state workers. It was a who's who of the NYS GOP, including Joe Bruno, former Senator D'Amato, etc, and it was standing room only of over 300-500 attendees. (Note, there is also a similar rally in NYC where former governor Pataki will endorse McCain later today).
Of course, Ron Paul supporters made our appearance with large signs and passionate enthusiasm outside the event. We did receive enthusiasm from traffic, and the news crews did film our gang, so hopefully we will have a few seconds on TV. However, that was not the success I allude to by my email subject line, as I do not believe this will win votes.
The success I found were two items:
1) While I did see many gung-ho McCain supporters, I also sense major dissatisfaction among the audience with the choice that their leadership presented them. The leadership had to stress conservatism and needing to make compromises for the party to be united. The GOP is confused because they are being led away from their core beliefs in conservatism and its causing internal strife in the party.
2) When the event ended, two of us handed out flyers. One was the Ron Paul issues and the other was the Reagan/Paul flyer I have previously sent you: http://files.meetup.com/862616/Ron_Win_One_For_The_Gipper.pdf and was saying "Support the Reagan Candidate." Overwhelmingly, people took more flyers from me and read it continuously as they walked on, while some dropped the Ron Paul issues flyer. They were saying, sure I will read this and many were holding their hands out to take the Reagan flyer from me.
Does this mean I converted their vote? No, as these are the state GOP and they have to follow the parties direction. But they were very drawn to it and interested to see something that actually reflects their value of conservatism. My point is that if it has this amount of impact with McCain followers and leaders of the state GOP, you can see the impact it would have with the undecided voter and the senior citizen voter as they walk towards the poll to cast their ballot.
The reality is that up to this point, many of us were campaigning on the full gauntlet of Ron Paul issues that attracts Libertarian, Independant, and Democrat values, which helped bring in the mass supporters we now have, but not the voters. By combining all these issues and underemphasizing the conservative issues and emotional connections (Reagan/Goldwater/Taft) that are the core to the Republican belief system, we lose our target segment... the Republican voter. Campaigning is the same as marketing in business, you need to know who your customer/market is and create a message that creates an emotional link with the product (Ron Paul) that you are offering. Ron Paul is the most conservative candidate when you look at taxes, limited government, Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Gun Rights, Immigration, Strong National Defense, going after Terrorism, Federalism/States Rights, and Constitutional Liberties. The issues of ending the wars, bringing our troops back, removing the IRS/CIA, etc, has broad appeal outside the Republican party, but it repulses or confuses the base we have been trying to convert for the past few months. It may work for a 3rd party run, but not for a Republican primary, as currently we only capture the 5-10% who are of Libertarian slant.
So the day before the primary, how can this possibly help us? Well, we use the same tactic that the GOP did in Louisiana which in the last minute took away Ron Paul's win towards a united front for a Pro-Life/Pro-Family Ron Reagan fictional candidate. This time we use this flyer and have it connected to Ron Paul as they enter the ballots. This is the emotional spark for the base Republicans that we have been missing, but the other candidates continually use against us.
I ask all of you to re-read the email I sent out, which I included below. You have been working hard for Ron Paul and you all do not want to see it go away. I am not saying this will win it for us tomorrow, but it will significantly raise the chances of Ron Paul getting a much stronger showing and letting the world know that the movement is not dream, but alive and GROWING EXPONENTIALLY.
Tomorrow you can go vote and do nothing more and watch as they win and see our voices fade away, or you can take action and spread the word and see change happen before you. The message will grow with your help, but ONLY with your help. If there is one thing you need to do tomorrow, then save your country and fight for Ron Paul.
For Freedom,
Steve
After canvassing here in NY (all of you have been canvassing of course, right?), I came across the same thing over and over again: undecided and confusion over the candidates. They simply do not know who to vote for. Over and over again, I hear people say there is no Reagan conservative candidate. They are considering McCain, simply because that is what the media is telling them, but they are smart enough to know he is not a true conservative Republican. After setting them straight, I realized this is an opportunity. I have longed pushed matching Ron Paul to Ronald Reagan and even wrote emails to local GOP committees on it, but now I understand it.
Most people I saw (70-80%) did not do their own research and want the decision to be given to them, either by the media or local Republicans. If they don't watch the news or get a recommendation from friends, then they just go after the name they heard before. More than issues right now, the way we can may a quick difference before Super Tuesday is to go for the emotional hit. Every other campaign knows this, they do not really talk issues but talk about "Change" or "Fight them over there so we don't fight them over here" without actually showing anything to back it up.
In Louisiana, they created a Pro-Life, Pro Family undeclared candidate for delegates and it won because it had a picture of Ronald Reagan. Now McCain is airing new TV ads called the Reagan Revolution. The psychology works, the professional campaign managers are experts. Well, it time to fight fire with fire.
We have days to make Ron Paul = Ron Reagan = Conservative. Especially for the senior citizens and the 70-80% of the undecided, this will be the subliminal kick to vote for Ron Paul when they see his name first on the ballot on Tuesday.
I found this RON PDF (http://files.meetup.com/637551/Ron_Win_One_For_The_Gipper.pdf) on Ron Paul Forums, and I think it does the job. Print these out and include them with the lit you are canvassing with. Hand them out at events.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, hand these outside the poll all day saying "Vote for the RON Reagan Candidate". Again, the subliminal message will hit their subconscious and the impact will be the greatest on the older voter. Is this something Karl Rove would do? Yes. Is this something that can work? It did in Louisiana! Do you want Ron Paul to win? Yes.
ACTION ITEMS:
1) Print at least 300-1000 copies (based on the size of your precinct polling location) of this PDF: RON PDF (http://files.meetup.com/637551/Ron_Win_One_For_The_Gipper.pdf)
2) Find where your polling place will be (you were going to vote, right), by going to your County's website link to the Board of Election. Remember, most states require that you can not campaign within a certain distance from the polls (~100 ft).
Click on the link below and click on your county. Each county should list all of its polling places.
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/portal/page?_pageid=35,1,35_8677:35_8685&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
3) Recruit friends to help. Meetup Organizers, help your group by assigning poll stations to everyone in your group.
4) Optional: Print out your state's Election Law (In NY, 5-204.9)stating that you can hand out material outside the restricted distance from the polls, in case someone comes to you and says you can not do this. (They are wrong.) http://www.elections.state.ny.us/NYSBOE/download/law/2007NYElectionLaw.pdf (Page 87).
5) Polling Hours:
NYS Board of Elections Primary Elections
In New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie, POLLS OPEN AT 6 AM - CLOSE AT 9 PM. In all other counties, POLLS OPEN AT 12 NOON and CLOSE AT 9 PM.
Come in early as many voters vote before going to work, and stay late for those who vote after work. If you are working that day, then by going early, during lunch, and after work, you will still hit the majority of people. (Remember to vote yourself)
6) Bring Ron Paul Signs, friends, and kids to help.
7) Hand out this flyer and say "Vote for the RON Reagan candidate" or "This is the RON Reagan conservative candidate." and that's it, don't say Ron Paul. They will read it based on that alone, and by overemphasizing RON, the subconscious will connect with Ron Paul when they see his name on the ballot.
This is it, people. Now is the time. If you are a true supporter of Ron Paul, this is what you must do to turn the tide for Ron Paul, just like George Washington troops after a brutal winter in Valley Forge. Its time for you to rise to the occasion and become heroes to this, our United States of America. Many of you did not join the Ron Paul army to canvass, finding the safety of the Internet to be comforting while watching Ron lose in the real world. Well, its time to get out of your comfort zone for one day and one day only, and RISE TO BE A HERO. SAVE OUR COUNTRY.
This tactic of linking Ron Reagan to a candidate position worked perfectly AGAINST us in Louisiana. It is brilliant because it is the emotional spark that the Republican base is waiting for. LET'S FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE, and turn this battle to victory. This is Midway, Waterloo, and Stalingrad all tied up in one. This is OUR LAST CHANCE for a brokered convention, AND WE CAN ONLY WIN IF YOU ARE IN THE FIGHT.
For freedom,
Steven Vasquez
Today, the NYS State Republicans held a major political rally in Albany NY to declare McCain the next presidential nominee to all the Republican state workers. It was a who's who of the NYS GOP, including Joe Bruno, former Senator D'Amato, etc, and it was standing room only of over 300-500 attendees. (Note, there is also a similar rally in NYC where former governor Pataki will endorse McCain later today).
Of course, Ron Paul supporters made our appearance with large signs and passionate enthusiasm outside the event. We did receive enthusiasm from traffic, and the news crews did film our gang, so hopefully we will have a few seconds on TV. However, that was not the success I allude to by my email subject line, as I do not believe this will win votes.
The success I found were two items:
1) While I did see many gung-ho McCain supporters, I also sense major dissatisfaction among the audience with the choice that their leadership presented them. The leadership had to stress conservatism and needing to make compromises for the party to be united. The GOP is confused because they are being led away from their core beliefs in conservatism and its causing internal strife in the party.
2) When the event ended, two of us handed out flyers. One was the Ron Paul issues and the other was the Reagan/Paul flyer I have previously sent you: http://files.meetup.com/862616/Ron_Win_One_For_The_Gipper.pdf and was saying "Support the Reagan Candidate." Overwhelmingly, people took more flyers from me and read it continuously as they walked on, while some dropped the Ron Paul issues flyer. They were saying, sure I will read this and many were holding their hands out to take the Reagan flyer from me.
Does this mean I converted their vote? No, as these are the state GOP and they have to follow the parties direction. But they were very drawn to it and interested to see something that actually reflects their value of conservatism. My point is that if it has this amount of impact with McCain followers and leaders of the state GOP, you can see the impact it would have with the undecided voter and the senior citizen voter as they walk towards the poll to cast their ballot.
The reality is that up to this point, many of us were campaigning on the full gauntlet of Ron Paul issues that attracts Libertarian, Independant, and Democrat values, which helped bring in the mass supporters we now have, but not the voters. By combining all these issues and underemphasizing the conservative issues and emotional connections (Reagan/Goldwater/Taft) that are the core to the Republican belief system, we lose our target segment... the Republican voter. Campaigning is the same as marketing in business, you need to know who your customer/market is and create a message that creates an emotional link with the product (Ron Paul) that you are offering. Ron Paul is the most conservative candidate when you look at taxes, limited government, Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Gun Rights, Immigration, Strong National Defense, going after Terrorism, Federalism/States Rights, and Constitutional Liberties. The issues of ending the wars, bringing our troops back, removing the IRS/CIA, etc, has broad appeal outside the Republican party, but it repulses or confuses the base we have been trying to convert for the past few months. It may work for a 3rd party run, but not for a Republican primary, as currently we only capture the 5-10% who are of Libertarian slant.
So the day before the primary, how can this possibly help us? Well, we use the same tactic that the GOP did in Louisiana which in the last minute took away Ron Paul's win towards a united front for a Pro-Life/Pro-Family Ron Reagan fictional candidate. This time we use this flyer and have it connected to Ron Paul as they enter the ballots. This is the emotional spark for the base Republicans that we have been missing, but the other candidates continually use against us.
I ask all of you to re-read the email I sent out, which I included below. You have been working hard for Ron Paul and you all do not want to see it go away. I am not saying this will win it for us tomorrow, but it will significantly raise the chances of Ron Paul getting a much stronger showing and letting the world know that the movement is not dream, but alive and GROWING EXPONENTIALLY.
Tomorrow you can go vote and do nothing more and watch as they win and see our voices fade away, or you can take action and spread the word and see change happen before you. The message will grow with your help, but ONLY with your help. If there is one thing you need to do tomorrow, then save your country and fight for Ron Paul.
For Freedom,
Steve
After canvassing here in NY (all of you have been canvassing of course, right?), I came across the same thing over and over again: undecided and confusion over the candidates. They simply do not know who to vote for. Over and over again, I hear people say there is no Reagan conservative candidate. They are considering McCain, simply because that is what the media is telling them, but they are smart enough to know he is not a true conservative Republican. After setting them straight, I realized this is an opportunity. I have longed pushed matching Ron Paul to Ronald Reagan and even wrote emails to local GOP committees on it, but now I understand it.
Most people I saw (70-80%) did not do their own research and want the decision to be given to them, either by the media or local Republicans. If they don't watch the news or get a recommendation from friends, then they just go after the name they heard before. More than issues right now, the way we can may a quick difference before Super Tuesday is to go for the emotional hit. Every other campaign knows this, they do not really talk issues but talk about "Change" or "Fight them over there so we don't fight them over here" without actually showing anything to back it up.
In Louisiana, they created a Pro-Life, Pro Family undeclared candidate for delegates and it won because it had a picture of Ronald Reagan. Now McCain is airing new TV ads called the Reagan Revolution. The psychology works, the professional campaign managers are experts. Well, it time to fight fire with fire.
We have days to make Ron Paul = Ron Reagan = Conservative. Especially for the senior citizens and the 70-80% of the undecided, this will be the subliminal kick to vote for Ron Paul when they see his name first on the ballot on Tuesday.
I found this RON PDF (http://files.meetup.com/637551/Ron_Win_One_For_The_Gipper.pdf) on Ron Paul Forums, and I think it does the job. Print these out and include them with the lit you are canvassing with. Hand them out at events.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, hand these outside the poll all day saying "Vote for the RON Reagan Candidate". Again, the subliminal message will hit their subconscious and the impact will be the greatest on the older voter. Is this something Karl Rove would do? Yes. Is this something that can work? It did in Louisiana! Do you want Ron Paul to win? Yes.
ACTION ITEMS:
1) Print at least 300-1000 copies (based on the size of your precinct polling location) of this PDF: RON PDF (http://files.meetup.com/637551/Ron_Win_One_For_The_Gipper.pdf)
2) Find where your polling place will be (you were going to vote, right), by going to your County's website link to the Board of Election. Remember, most states require that you can not campaign within a certain distance from the polls (~100 ft).
Click on the link below and click on your county. Each county should list all of its polling places.
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/portal/page?_pageid=35,1,35_8677:35_8685&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
3) Recruit friends to help. Meetup Organizers, help your group by assigning poll stations to everyone in your group.
4) Optional: Print out your state's Election Law (In NY, 5-204.9)stating that you can hand out material outside the restricted distance from the polls, in case someone comes to you and says you can not do this. (They are wrong.) http://www.elections.state.ny.us/NYSBOE/download/law/2007NYElectionLaw.pdf (Page 87).
5) Polling Hours:
NYS Board of Elections Primary Elections
In New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie, POLLS OPEN AT 6 AM - CLOSE AT 9 PM. In all other counties, POLLS OPEN AT 12 NOON and CLOSE AT 9 PM.
Come in early as many voters vote before going to work, and stay late for those who vote after work. If you are working that day, then by going early, during lunch, and after work, you will still hit the majority of people. (Remember to vote yourself)
6) Bring Ron Paul Signs, friends, and kids to help.
7) Hand out this flyer and say "Vote for the RON Reagan candidate" or "This is the RON Reagan conservative candidate." and that's it, don't say Ron Paul. They will read it based on that alone, and by overemphasizing RON, the subconscious will connect with Ron Paul when they see his name on the ballot.
This is it, people. Now is the time. If you are a true supporter of Ron Paul, this is what you must do to turn the tide for Ron Paul, just like George Washington troops after a brutal winter in Valley Forge. Its time for you to rise to the occasion and become heroes to this, our United States of America. Many of you did not join the Ron Paul army to canvass, finding the safety of the Internet to be comforting while watching Ron lose in the real world. Well, its time to get out of your comfort zone for one day and one day only, and RISE TO BE A HERO. SAVE OUR COUNTRY.
This tactic of linking Ron Reagan to a candidate position worked perfectly AGAINST us in Louisiana. It is brilliant because it is the emotional spark that the Republican base is waiting for. LET'S FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE, and turn this battle to victory. This is Midway, Waterloo, and Stalingrad all tied up in one. This is OUR LAST CHANCE for a brokered convention, AND WE CAN ONLY WIN IF YOU ARE IN THE FIGHT.
For freedom,
Steven Vasquez