Alaska Converts McCain Delegates to Ron Paul

[Phantom]

Thanks to Fed-Up on the Daily Paul forum (http://www.dailypaul.com/node/44658) for finding this one/

Alaska Converts McCain Delegates to Ron Paul

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Hope for St. Paul Convention - A successful plan proven by Alaska meetup group for converting delegates to Ron Paul nationwide.
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by Future Writer - Heather Saarela
(Libertarian)

A letter from Evan Cutler - Girdwood, Alaska, District 32 Delegate for Ron Paul

Here in Alaska we grew a group of delegates after our primaries into the Alaska Ron Paul Delegates meetup. In that group we pulled together about 70 of our 110 or so Ron Paul delegates in order to work and communicate together for the seven weeks before the state convention.
We did one project that I think bears replication, both for states with pending State Conventions, but also, and most importantly, on a national level, before the St. Paul Convention. First, we realized that mainstream media had been almost completely ignoring Dr. Paul.

According to my own study, which I can provide to Nolan Chart, of the 2,188 mainstream media stories about presidential candidates between January 14th and February 10th, only 4 were about Dr. Ron Paul. Contrast that to:

756 stories about Hillary Clinton
760 stories about Barack Obama
674 stories about about John McCain
424 stories about Mitt Romney
281 stories about Mike Huckebee

While we set the world record for single day campaign contributions the month before, our candidate was virtually ignored just one month later!

So, what could we do? We decided to send our own media, in the form of a DVD, to every single registered delegate and alternate in Alaska before the state convention, on the grounds that at least they could have a chance to learn who Dr. Paul was. This would help counter that "fringe" candidate label the media was applying to Dr. Paul.

And it worked! Not as well as we might have liked, but very well indeed. We found a lot more support at the convention as most the delegates who watched it never before had the opportunity to learn about Dr. Paul before, and many found they were far more in agreement with Dr. Paul, than with John McCain.

I believe we could improve on what we did here in Alaska. We have five months. With the proper support, we could manage a campaign that sends a DVD each month for four months to the national delegates and alternates going to St. Paul. It is far less expensive to have a directed campaign toward 6,900 delegates and alternates, than it is to reach 150 million voters.

I'm willing to help, but not to run this project alone--or at least not run it alone without income; I organized our own project in my spare time, which became none existent for the two weeks it took to make it happen. You can view (and even get your own copy of) our effort here:

[link edited for length (http://kunaki.com/sales.asp?PID=PX00Z0AE8N)]

Replicating (and Improving) this DVD Project on a National Scale

I'm already finding there is interest among other organizers to help make this happen on a national scale! When I suggested the larger scale project to a national Ron Paul Organizers meetup, I was immediately contacted by organizers from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Colorado who also liked the idea. Two of these organizers are planning similar projects now in their states.

My model imagines a series of four DVD's, one sent each month, to each National Delegate and Alternate we can identify. As we get closer to September, more and more will be chosen and identified, so the mailings will get successively larger. This means the most important DVD will be the last one.

We will find a way to allow each state to know their prorated share of manufacturing cost, and use a chip in to pay for it together. This will allow very professional manufacturing at the lowest cost per unit. Then, we will drop ship each DVD as it is ready, to the Ron Paul organizers in each state, who will use their meetups to address and stuff the envelopes to the national delegates in their states. Handwritten addresses and colorful postage stamps of super heroes will get people to open these envelopes.

The DVD cover information will get people to place the DVDs in their players. The content will draw them in and make them thirst to learn more. What they learn will help make them our allies at the convention, so there is no such thing as "US versus Them." Ron Paul Delegates and Activists in every state will call their respective non Ron Paul delegates and make sure they received their DVDs. We have an advantage in this campaign on a national level, as compared to what already worked in Alaska.

We have more time to prepare each video, and to allow people to watch and reflect upon each one. We did pretty well with just a couple weeks lead time on the Alaska Delegate DVD Project. Now we have more weeks of prep time just till the first mailing, then a month more for each successive mailing.

One of the challenges will be to invent that content. As a group, Alaskan delegates did a great job on choosing content for the Alaska DVD, and there is no time like the present to start brainstorming what will go in the series envisioned.

Would you please help me brainstorm a strategic outline of content for this video series?

Let's include the best of the best material we all know of. I will assemble and present brainstorms to the national Ron Paul Organizer and Activists communities for further feedback, and try to settle on a final syllabus all can appreciate.

The purpose here is to educate delegates to the national convention on the most important issues that need to be addressed by the Republican Party. Choosing Ron Paul is of course, our top priority, but there is so much more to share! Remember, we can use these DVD's to propose and explain and advocate for resolutions we will bring to the floor (or try to), so that even regardless of the presidential nominee, the party platform changes.

Some of us retain hope in our hearts and the will to prepare for success. Perhaps to others, we look like Rocky Balboa on the verge of passing out in his first heavy weight fight. But no one knows our real strength comes from the righteousness of our cause. What we seek is not only reasonable, but in every freedom loving American's interest.

The project lets us stop complaining about the media, because we are producing media instead. Think of this opportunity to educate the national leaders of the Republican Party. Already there is national support for this project.

I need all of you who are interested to join in.

If any more of you want to help, please let me know, share your ideas, and let's once again show America what happens when Ron Paul supporters band together to share a dream. This week, I will start a national website dedicated to organizing this project. Send me an email at EvanAlaska@aol.com with "Join National DVD Project" in the subject and I will be sure to invite you to collaborate with us. If you have content suggestions, links, permissions to use content, please type "DVD Content Suggestions" in the subject line.

Evan Cutler
EvanAlaska@aol.com
Girdwood, Alaska, District 32 Delegate for Ron Paul
Organizer Alaska Ron Paul Delegates Meetup
Organizer of the Alaska Ron Paul Delegates DVD for Delegates Project
Organizer of the National Ron Paul Delegates DVDs for Delegates Project

Link (http://www.nolanchart.com/article3329.html)

[Andrew-Austin]

So your talking about a semi-professional documentary here? A comprehensive documentary about both Ron Paul and his positions relative to current events? Sounds difficult to produce, but if it worked in Alaska then its definitely worth a go.

[Zera]

Wait, wasn't their state convention like two-three weeks ago? So... the national delegates that were chosen, they persuaded them to go for Paul at the national convention?

If so, awesome!

[slamhead]

great idea. Good job. I suggest stickying this.

[kigol]

very :cool:

[kirkblitz]

i thought we only got 5 delegates? How did i persuade delegates when none of the romney/huck delegates were given to use because they suspeneded instead of quit their campaigns?

[nayjevin]

excellent idea.

my suggestion is that the lower resolution youtubes used on the DVD be framed with a border - so it doesn't take up the whole screen - and won't be quite as pixelly.

[Conza88]

Wow - that is awesome.
Subscribed, email sent.

BB - with a thinking cap, on how to best address - cognitive dissonance, and a proper process for waking people up.

[TruthAtLast]

I see two different types of videos depending on the audience. If a video is being sent to a Ron Paul supporter that doesn't need to be convinced so much as merely informed on the issues and resolutions that may arise. Emphasis on a professional and non-hostile delivery and attitude would be good. There are also many Ron Paul supporters that don't really know the ins and outs of every issue, especially how it relates to their state (like the REAL ID).

The second and more important video would the one sent to all delegates, most of which would have a preconceived notion of Ron Paul and his beliefs as portrayed by the MSM. So I would start off the video as a somewhat unbiased look at each issue. Cover both sides of the issue and explain what all candidates stand for. For many people, this will be the first time they've ever really been educated about certain policies.

Example Issue might be the FED & MONETARY POLICY
From there you explain a very brief history of the FED and how and why it was created. You explain what their alleged purpose is in the economy is and how the Federal Reserve system works. (the member banks etc. Bring up that it is a non-elected FOR PROFIT organization controlled by the member banks who are also FOR PROFIT institutions. There are many great documentaries you can use for this). Bring up the stock market crash of the 1930s, the inflation of the 1970s, and more recent issues like Bear Sterns and the fall of the dollar. When the "reasons" for the Federal Reserve were answers to situations CAUSED by the Federal Reserve, you are really left will little reason for a privately owned central bank in first place. Ron Paul isn't against a Central Bank. He just believes it shouldn't be in the hands of an unelected private and secretive group of elite men.

You probably don't need to go too far into the NWO but you can mention a real incentive and any documented facts on the NAU and what it would mean in REAL terms to America. This is much easier to understand since there is already the European Union and the Euro.

Again, make sure it isn't necessarily bashing the other candidate directly, just lay out the pros and cons and let people make their own decision. People get turned off when your views are FORCED down their throat. Passive Aggressive is the way to go. Like giving them the information and letting them think THEY thought of the solution themselves. haha

When discussing the IRS, lay out the argument logically and answer many of the common questions that people have.

1) that's a crazy (and radical) idea, how would the Government survive with no money from the Income tax?

Answer: The #1 expense in the Federal Budget is the social redistribution, (food stamps, unemployment, etc.) The #2 is our maintaining our 700 bases in 130 countries. (this does not really include the IRAQ war, which is a supplemental expense on top of the Federal Budget). And the #3 largest expense in the Federal budget is the Interest we pay on our National Debt. These 3 expenses combined FAR exceed all of the revenue generated from Federal Income tax. So even if you just minimized #2, pay down #3, and eliminate wasteful domestic spending and subsidies, we wouldn't even need the Income Tax. And in fact we didn't have an Income tax until the Federal Reserve was created in 1913.

1a) Yes but where does the money for Roads and other services come from?

Answer: Well, much of it comes from the States, but the Government still makes money on corporate taxes, constitutional revenues such as taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, tires, tariffs on trade, military hardware sales, and other minor categories. This adds up to hundreds of billions of dollars.

Ultimately, the real question is whether you believe in BIG Government that should control all aspects of society and your life (do you completely trust everyone in Government to take on this task for the benefit of America?), or whether you believe that the purpose of Government is that which is laid out in the Constitution, to protect and preserve the rights and liberties of all Americans.

1b) But wouldn't we have a weak Military if we cut that spending? We need to keep America strong right? What about 9/11?

Answer: Many argue (including our own CIA and top Military Generals) that due to over-deployment and policing of the world, America is actually weaker. It is very important to keep our military strong and if anyone attacks us, Congress can and should declare war and defend its citizens. But not only does maintaining a military empire increase our debt and hurt our economy, it also infuriates many other cultures around the world. Americans would feel the same way if the same action were done to us. The most powerful empires the world has ever known typically fell due to a collapsing economy and the majority of time the economy faltered due to an overextended and ever expanding Military empire that they could not longer afford. History is simply repeating itself, only faster due to the devaluing of our currency at the same time.
Let us keep the strongest Military in the world here at home to keep us safe while also saving us hundreds of billions of dollars. Let our soldiers see their families and stay out of harm's way while remaining ever ready to protect us. One must realize who gains when the Government spends hundreds of billions of dollars in war. This money does not all go to paying soldiers. It goes to the Military Industrial Complex and those companies that look to profit from war. Imagine having a strong Military here at home and still keeping your entire paycheck. This isn't a radical idea, it is just common sense if anyone in the Government could put their own ego and personal profit aside and actually learn to balance a checkbook.


Once you lay out these answers in a real-world logical way, it is much easier for people to understand and accept it (without pounding "Ron Paul Revolution" down their throat". How many people really know what is in the Federal Budget or how much our Military costs, or even how much revenue is generated from the Income Tax? Most people in this forum have done that research, but others haven't taken the time.

A DVD outlining both sides of each issue and backed up by facts and historical documentation can go a long long way.

As the DVD progresses, then you can align Ron Paul's views with those that were covered when discussing each issue. If you had video of Ron Paul speaking to confirm this, that would be great. Likewise if you had video of McCain speaking aginst the same topic, it would make a great contrast.

But that is just my $0.02 :D

Some good stuff here: Why You Should Vote For Ron Paul (http://www.oodora.com/life-stories/personal-commentary/why-you-should-vote-for-ron-paul.html)

[hawks4ronpaul]

Even 3% of GDP (about 1990s levels) is more than enough for the military.

See my website for military issues.

http://hawks4ronpaul.blogspot.com/

[Join The Paul Side]

great idea. Good job. I suggest stickying this.

Indeed. Must sticky this thread! :D

[Paul Revered]

Good work!

[TastyWheat]

This should be a high priority for all supporters (converting delegates). Think of it as post-primary canvassing. Delegate lists are public record so go get em!