spacehabitats
02-06-2008, 10:21 AM
I just watched the video from the Alaska volunteers who claim to have witnessed Ron Paul's campaign and his loyal volunteers being sabotaged by Craig Bergman and most of the professional campaign staff at their headquarters.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6651130870022713042&q=%22Ron+Paul%22+alaska&total=38&start=0&num=10&so=1&type=search&plindex=9
There is an adage that goes, “Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by stupidity."
But like George Bush's "strategy" in Iraq; Ron Paul's national campaign "strategy" goes beyond incompetence.
Please understand that I am not being critical of Ron Paul himself. I think the man is incredible, his integrity impeccable, and his message inspired.
Unfortunately, I believe that the effort to defeat him and, more importantly, to demoralize the movement that has grown up around him, has infiltrated his very own campaign staff.
The events described in this video struck a chord in me, reminding me of the frustration I felt in the weeks prior to the Iowa caucuses.
I am from Iowa. I was also appalled by the ineptitude, inefficiencies, and inexplicable delays in support we received from Craig Bergman and his professional staff.
1) Ron Paul spent far less time campaigning physically in Iowa than any of the other "mainstream" candidates. Unlike the other candidates, Dr. Paul could not count on free publicity through news reports to reach the masses. Fred Thompson chartered a bus and traveled border to border across the state. Ron Paul needed that kind of exposure and his candidacy did not stand a chance without it.
It is not just the rank and file Iowa voter that he missed. He also missed out on any number of activist volunteers.
I personally had never heard of Ron Paul until the November 5th money bomb and yet John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and several other candidates had ALL visited my little Iowa town. These are the kind of mistakes that are supposed to be avoided, not caused, by a campaign staff. Whoever designed the campaign strategy in Iowa apparently didn't know much about either campaigning OR Iowa. Either that or he was playing for the other team.
2) Even when I did discover Ron Paul, and had donated a couple of times, I did not realize how much help he needed. When the campaign finally did put out the call for precinct captains it was too little and far too late. Nationally, I think that the same mistake was made. The call for precinct captains is a great idea whose time is past.
3) When my wife volunteered to make phone calls, she was given a list that included only the registered Republicans from ONE PRECINCT in our county and did not receive the complete list until a couple of days before the caucuses. Given enough time we could have identified and recruited a precinct captain for every precinct and expanded into the surrounding counties.
4) When the state headquarters mentioned hiring someone to make phone calls, my wife referred one of her unemployed friends. Her friend, Kelly, was hired and worked diligently for a week and a half at her assigned tasks. The Iowa caucuses came and went, the Iowa campaign staff moved on, and no one contacted Kelly or sent her a check for the amount agreed upon. After numerous phone calls and unanswered emails on behalf of her friend, Kelly's rent came due and my wife paid Kelly the promised amount out of her own pocket. I still wonder what happened to the money Kelly was promised.
I know that some of this may seem trivial and/or the result of 20/20 hindsight, but these are the kinds of things that make or break presidential campaigns, especially when multiplied over many several states and many volunteers.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6651130870022713042&q=%22Ron+Paul%22+alaska&total=38&start=0&num=10&so=1&type=search&plindex=9
There is an adage that goes, “Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by stupidity."
But like George Bush's "strategy" in Iraq; Ron Paul's national campaign "strategy" goes beyond incompetence.
Please understand that I am not being critical of Ron Paul himself. I think the man is incredible, his integrity impeccable, and his message inspired.
Unfortunately, I believe that the effort to defeat him and, more importantly, to demoralize the movement that has grown up around him, has infiltrated his very own campaign staff.
The events described in this video struck a chord in me, reminding me of the frustration I felt in the weeks prior to the Iowa caucuses.
I am from Iowa. I was also appalled by the ineptitude, inefficiencies, and inexplicable delays in support we received from Craig Bergman and his professional staff.
1) Ron Paul spent far less time campaigning physically in Iowa than any of the other "mainstream" candidates. Unlike the other candidates, Dr. Paul could not count on free publicity through news reports to reach the masses. Fred Thompson chartered a bus and traveled border to border across the state. Ron Paul needed that kind of exposure and his candidacy did not stand a chance without it.
It is not just the rank and file Iowa voter that he missed. He also missed out on any number of activist volunteers.
I personally had never heard of Ron Paul until the November 5th money bomb and yet John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and several other candidates had ALL visited my little Iowa town. These are the kind of mistakes that are supposed to be avoided, not caused, by a campaign staff. Whoever designed the campaign strategy in Iowa apparently didn't know much about either campaigning OR Iowa. Either that or he was playing for the other team.
2) Even when I did discover Ron Paul, and had donated a couple of times, I did not realize how much help he needed. When the campaign finally did put out the call for precinct captains it was too little and far too late. Nationally, I think that the same mistake was made. The call for precinct captains is a great idea whose time is past.
3) When my wife volunteered to make phone calls, she was given a list that included only the registered Republicans from ONE PRECINCT in our county and did not receive the complete list until a couple of days before the caucuses. Given enough time we could have identified and recruited a precinct captain for every precinct and expanded into the surrounding counties.
4) When the state headquarters mentioned hiring someone to make phone calls, my wife referred one of her unemployed friends. Her friend, Kelly, was hired and worked diligently for a week and a half at her assigned tasks. The Iowa caucuses came and went, the Iowa campaign staff moved on, and no one contacted Kelly or sent her a check for the amount agreed upon. After numerous phone calls and unanswered emails on behalf of her friend, Kelly's rent came due and my wife paid Kelly the promised amount out of her own pocket. I still wonder what happened to the money Kelly was promised.
I know that some of this may seem trivial and/or the result of 20/20 hindsight, but these are the kinds of things that make or break presidential campaigns, especially when multiplied over many several states and many volunteers.