PDA

View Full Version : 435 Liberty Candidates?




TruthAtLast
05-09-2008, 12:04 PM
Is it possible to locate, mentor, and train 435 Congressional candidates, one for every Congressional district in the U.S.?

It can't just be anyone we pull off the street. We need to find true supporters to our Movement that can speak well and are knowledgeable on all of the issues and the Constitution. How hard can that be. There is debate and media training classes available almost everywhere. Isn't there at least ONE person in every district that we could rally behind?

The GOP has been trying to put out fires all over the country by running people against our Liberty Candidates. The attempt to get Peden elected over Ron Paul was one of the most obvious.

But the National GOP can't help everyone. Their "Regain Our Majority Program" (ROMP) has targeted 10 candidates that they are trying to help financially and politically but even that assistance is limited and most of these funds are spent fighting the Democrats.
Source: http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/17581009.html

In fact the party is so strapped for cash that their new strategy is to try to recruit rich people to run on their platform.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/us/politics/26recruit.html


If we had 435 candidates (or however many seats were up in 2010 and 2012), the chances of us winning a good number of those seats would be fairly good. If there are 3 things that Ron Paul Liberty supporters have proven above all else it is:
1) we have the ability to raise funds
2) we can get highly organized at local levels
3) we are far more devoted to our cause

The GOP would never have the funds to run counter-candidates against us in that many districts without going bankrupt. They are already spending a lot of money trying to defend or regain certain districts from the Democrats.


Though this plan sounds good in theory, it requires effort at all levels and the individuals chosen must not only be true conservative patriots, but also willing to do the hard work it takes to win.

These liberty candidates would need to get out in their community and meet people. They need to spend the next two years canvasing the area, gaining relationships, and getting their name out. Word of mouth spreads and if they would just meet 5-10 people every day in that district, in two years it would be a huge advantage. Once a core group of local supporters is found, those people would help spread the message further. It is really quite viral... but I don't need to tell you... many of you are already seasoned veterans when it comes to local campaign techniques.

With solid effort by the candidates, our Movement's National support should be able to push many people over the top. However, if candidates expect to run in name only and think that we will give them all of the money and support they need to win, then they will be destined to lose.

There is still a lot to accomplish in this election but it isn't too early to start preparing. 2 years goes by REALLY fast.

Adam Smith
05-09-2008, 02:14 PM
It can be done. Do you have a strategy in mind? I have one, and just like everyone else's it involves a website. I'm hoping to get that at least partially constructed by our State convention.

AJ Antimony
05-09-2008, 02:19 PM
Um I think there's something wrong about running candidates that need to be "trained."

Adam Smith
05-09-2008, 02:24 PM
Um I think there's something wrong about running candidates that need to be "trained."

Not trained like a dog.;) It's definitely an education process. In fact it's probably better to pull from a pool of inexperienced people who don't know enough people or process to be tainted by the corruption inherent in the system right now.

newyearsrevolution08
05-09-2008, 02:25 PM
We are actually going one level lower and building UP candidates so they have actual political experience ie city council and mayoral positions then going to congressional runs. It would be much easier to win in districts that were being ran under the constitution and local liberties.

Need to get the sheeple behind liberty by SHOWING THEM what it is like. We can't win on t.v. or elections alone unless they actually SEE what is needed and what is currently wrong with our entire system.

Could we honestly win enough congressional positions in the next 4-8 years to make a difference? I know it is possible BUT these high dollar campaigns and finding the right candidate is not the simplest task to do.

We are looking into 20k campaigns to get multiple people into the mayoral positions in key cities throughout the u.s. then build up the congressional district campaigns accordingly THEN take the surrounding cities with us and expand.

I just hope people don't RUSH things so fast they don't get accomplished or hit a wall. I hope we can get all congressmen and women on board TODAY but I am glad that we are all doing so many different strategies that will all work towards the same goal.

They can't stop us all lol, keep fighting locally and everything on up to the Presidential position.

and like Adam Smith said, a website is key to taking back the gop (-; I got a few ron paul websites myself setup. Soon enough our opposition will be the minority and we can SQUASH them for good and bring this nation back to where it needs to be.

IDefendThePlatform
05-09-2008, 02:27 PM
I was actually thinking just the opposite of what the op is proposing. If we could focus our efforts on just a handful of candidates and put our cash and volunteer time behind them then we could maybe get a few elected. A freedom loving elected representative from Texas is just as valuable to people from Maine when it comes to national politics. For example, Murray Sabrin seems to have a decent chance of winning. With a little extra push from freedom lovers in other states, he might get it done.

Adam Smith
05-09-2008, 02:34 PM
We can put people in national spots OR local spots. There is no need to limit ourselves to just one kind of strategy.

We have group members from both the Democratic and Republican parties and everywhere in between. In reality, we should be running somebody in every conceivable party primary election from city councilman to US senator. Then, if we don't win either party's primary, we run someone independent or third party in the general. AND DO THIS FOR EVERY ELECTION.

I know it's ambitious, but it can be done with preparation.

eleganz
05-09-2008, 03:27 PM
I think it is best to delegate this down to the local level, by making sure all precinct and meet up group leaders know about this and we can start to find our possible congressional and senatorial candidates.

First things first, they must be eligible (age and citizenship) and have a true passion for this movement.

Second level of requirements, good background, good public speaker and looks presentable.

A Ron Paul Rebel
05-09-2008, 03:30 PM
I have the perfect domain that I got a couple weeks ago...










FutureFoundingFathers.com


I've been strategizing and envisioning several future actions along these lines. :)

TruthAtLast
05-09-2008, 03:38 PM
I think 435 candidates, one for each congressional district ,would help the Movement by the mere fact that the "message" tends to spread more quickly during election years and as long as there is a local candidate preaching it, eventually it will sink in. But the momentum of that many candidates running can also snowball.

Not all will be successful and all will have to put in the work to raise money and support at the local level, in additional to the national support we can provide. But it also means that if the Neo-Cons want to defeat us, they would have to spread themselves so thin that it either sends them into bankruptcy or makes their attacks much more ineffective (thereby helping the chances of all Liberty candidates).

Demographics and political situation plays a clear roll but that doesn't mean that even a failed Congressional run in 2010 wouldn't help a successful Presidential run 2012. Not only would we have identified and educated people that are sympathetic to the message but we would have also started to form a larger grassroots base in each district. There were about 180,000 precincts but how many actual precinct leaders did we get? We still have a lot of room for improvement and Congressional bids on the Liberty platform could help to that end.

It is all part of a larger, long-term goal.

* what I meant by providing "training" was simply that there are people that are very passionate about our Movement and are knowledgeable about the issues, but may not know every detail and may not have the public speaking and debating skills. Do they know how to talk to the media? Unfortunately, just having the right message isn't enough. It has a lot to do with how you communicate it.

This just takes practice and I think we can help many of these candidates sharpen their skills.

Adam Smith
05-09-2008, 03:46 PM
I have the perfect domain that I got a couple weeks ago...

FutureFoundingFathers.com


I've been strategizing and envisioning several future actions along these lines. :)

Isn't that a little sexist?;) No, I'm just picking. I'm sure Future Founding Mothers will understand. I did have a name like 'New American Countrymen' in mind for what I was working on, but I was afraid 'Countrymen' would turn away potential female visitors.

A Ron Paul Rebel
05-09-2008, 04:01 PM
Isn't that a little sexist?;) No, I'm just picking. I'm sure Future Founding Mothers will understand. I did have a name like 'New American Countrymen' in mind for what I was working on, but I was afraid 'Countrymen' would turn away potential female visitors.

did you know that the feminist movement was a Nazi (I think) technique
to get women to fight for 'equal rights', equal jobs, etc... only to get more
tax payers?!!!!

Seriously, countrymen, founding fathers, congressmen, etc... are all OK
in my book for women and aren't sexist at all. If anything, calling a female
congressman a congresswoman is sexist and isolating.

Hunter

p.s. I still prefer calling female actors 'actors'... instead of actresses.

MMolloy
05-09-2008, 04:11 PM
I know our meetup is planning on having a candidate ready to run in 2010 for congress... and we'll be investigating other local races as well

A Ron Paul Rebel
05-10-2008, 07:31 AM
goose bumps

invisible
05-10-2008, 11:11 AM
The GOP has been trying to put out fires all over the country by running people against our Liberty Candidates. The attempt to get Peden elected over Ron Paul was one of the most obvious.

But the National GOP can't help everyone. Their "Regain Our Majority Program" (ROMP) has targeted 10 candidates that they are trying to help

Funny, no one seemed to care when the religious zealots hijacked the party in the 1980's, and the neocons did the same in the 1990's. Now that there is a concerted effort to take our freedom back, suddenly it's an issue.



Could we honestly win enough congressional positions in the next 4-8 years to make a difference?

It probably won't make a difference as far as a 433 - 2 vote on an unconstitutional bill - but even that will still double our impact, and our message of freedom would certainly get even more impact if two or more people spoke out in favor of it instead of one. It's much easier to dismiss one person as a "kook" than a group of people. IMO, getting the message out and reinforcing it in front of legislative bodies is more effective in the long run than losing a vote by 433 instead of 434 votes.



I know it is possible BUT these high dollar campaigns and finding the right candidate is not the simplest task to do.

That's why it makes obvious sense to concentrate on the races we can win. Even though we'd all rather see torchbearer in Congress instead of a local municipal position, he did do the smart thing. If we can shoot for the moon and get people elected to Congress and the Senate, great - but if those positions are not realistic to win in some areas, it's still great to take whatever we can get - just look at the difference being made in the NH state legislature.

dude58677
05-10-2008, 11:49 AM
This might draw too much attention to ourselves and the media will advise the public not to vote for RP's message as they did for the Presdential message. It's best to go gradually. I support the candidates we hnow have running but we need to go slower then what you mentioned so the establishment doesn't go out in full force to put a stop on us. Wel'll try to get 50 for this term and then 100 in two years, etc.

nate895
05-10-2008, 11:59 AM
This is a really bad idea with the amount of donors we have.

There are upwards of 300,000 people who donated to the Ron Paul campaign. Assuming they each could give $200 per Congressional election cycle (which is actually almost average), that would mean we'd have $60,000,000. $60,000,000 distributed over 435 offices is $137,931.03, which is good, but not enough to win. If we instead target 60 Congressional seats and somehow manage to mobilize every donor, that would give each $1,000,000 to compete with.

Paul.Bearer.of.Injustice
05-10-2008, 12:00 PM
The movement is alive and well, but to be honest there are people out there running for congress that shouldn't be.
Everyone has their part to play in this enlightenment, and most of it isn't political IMO - but I think the future political leaders will be natural and obvious.

A Ron Paul Rebel
05-11-2008, 12:52 PM
This might draw too much attention to ourselves and the media will advise the public not to vote for RP's message as they did for the Presdential message. It's best to go gradually. I support the candidates we hnow have running but we need to go slower then what you mentioned so the establishment doesn't go out in full force to put a stop on us. Wel'll try to get 50 for this term and then 100 in two years, etc.

Dude, I've questioned a few of your posts in the post and I'm
really concerned about this one...

'Draw to much attention', what the hell do you mean? They'll
try to stop us no matter how many there are!

The more who are running, the harder it is for them to stop/
attach/fight!

Hunter

p.s. I do agree that we don't need all 435 but that it should be
strategically done to a) oust the most evil b) get the easiest spots
and c) wake the most people up.

newyearsrevolution08
05-11-2008, 02:26 PM
If we get a list built, I would love to add that list to the Revolution By Mail Campaign that we will be doing as well. We could include a letter to the "potential" candidate stating what we are looking for as well as the site with the questions to see IF they are "the one"....

I see building these mailing lists for potential candidates being a great method at building up sound candidates who will actually be based by something, THE CONSTITUTION.

MMolloy
05-11-2008, 02:46 PM
Part of this effort should be to develop a quesionare for the candidates, with the purpose of seeing how in line their positions are with the Constitution.

Once we get candidates elected, our job is not done. Just like any politician they need to be kept accountable... by publishing their voting record.

There will be many questions involved in deciding which Candidates or CDs we target:
1) How many RP supporters do we have in that CD? (I think this one is the most important... as we can find "money outside the CD" easier than finding "workers outside the CD")
2) Is there an Incumbant? What party is the Incumbant?
3) What is the makeup of the CD: Rep/Dem/Ind
4) Are there any unique circumstances in this CD that make running in this CD advantageous for us
5) Do we have contacts with other groups that will help us in the CD?

We should make attempts to get a slate of candidates where we do run people for Congress (getting some State Reps in office will be very helpful when the CDs are being redrawn after the next census).

A Ron Paul Rebel
05-11-2008, 03:33 PM
Part of this effort should be to develop a quesionare for the candidates, with the purpose of seeing how in line their positions are with the Constitution.

Once we get candidates elected, our job is not done. Just like any politician they need to be kept accountable... by publishing their voting record.

There will be many questions involved in deciding which Candidates or CDs we target:
1) How many RP supporters do we have in that CD? (I think this one is the most important... as we can find "money outside the CD" easier than finding "workers outside the CD")
2) Is there an Incumbant? What party is the Incumbant?
3) What is the makeup of the CD: Rep/Dem/Ind
4) Are there any unique circumstances in this CD that make running in this CD advantageous for us
5) Do we have contacts with other groups that will help us in the CD?

We should make attempts to get a slate of candidates where we do run people for Congress (getting some State Reps in office will be very helpful when the CDs are being redrawn after the next census).

all very good points/strategies... can use primary voting ### to shed light on states and counties with high RP support thus easiest to win

Conza88
05-11-2008, 08:27 PM
Part of this effort should be to develop a quesionare for the candidates, with the purpose of seeing how in line their positions are with the Constitution.

Once we get candidates elected, our job is not done. Just like any politician they need to be kept accountable... by publishing their voting record.

There will be many questions involved in deciding which Candidates or CDs we target:
1) How many RP supporters do we have in that CD? (I think this one is the most important... as we can find "money outside the CD" easier than finding "workers outside the CD")
2) Is there an Incumbant? What party is the Incumbant?
3) What is the makeup of the CD: Rep/Dem/Ind
4) Are there any unique circumstances in this CD that make running in this CD advantageous for us
5) Do we have contacts with other groups that will help us in the CD?

We should make attempts to get a slate of candidates where we do run people for Congress (getting some State Reps in office will be very helpful when the CDs are being redrawn after the next census).

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=1447121

:)

MMolloy
05-11-2008, 09:30 PM
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=1447121

:)

Too Long and we need to get them to answer either multiple choice or yes/no questions and then give them room to comment if they choose to