pinkmandy
06-14-2008, 09:26 AM
Phase 2 of Ron Paul's Political Strategy
Gary North
January 9, 2008
In Phase 1 of Ron Paul's political strategy, he achieved national name recognition among conservatives and libertarians, raised over $28 million, assembled a huge data base -- a postage-free data base -- and got network TV interviews all over YouTube, which are permanent. Nothing like this has ever been done in the history of libertarianism.
The mainstream media perceive none of this. All they perceive is the vote percentages in the primaries. This is a good thing. The blinder the mainstream media are to what is really going on here, the better.
My concern is that his recent recruits will be equally as short-sighted. So, I am writing this report.
THE MEDIA'S MEMORY HOLE
Ron Paul has been unofficially dropped down the mainstream media's memory hole.
The decision of Fox News to exclude him from the televised debate in New Hampshire was indicative of what was soon to come. In reporting the New Hampshire election results, the press did not list his name, even though he came close to beating Giuliani. It is clear that the mainstream media will no longer report on his campaign. He has become an also-ran even while he is still running.
The man-bites-dog aspect of his campaign -- the size of his on-line fund-raising -- is no longer media worthy. His numbers in the primaries are too low to pose a threat to the Establishment in 2008. He is yesterday's news.
He can and should maintain the official position that he is still running for President. That position will be non-news. Non-news is just what the doctor ordered.
When the media finally go away, he can get down to business.
What I am about to describe is a strategy that involves quietly moving below the media's radar. There is no reason for him to announce to the media, "My campaign has now moved to phase 2." I am sure he won't.
PHASE 2
Every day that he stays in this race is another day of gathering e-mail addresses and (I hope) zip codes.
No less than 80% of his campaign spending should be devoted to running ads that produce e-mail addresses, zip codes, and donations for running more ads. Everything else is peripheral.
What I propose here is a strategy for long-term political victory. I am willing to post the basics of this strategy here because I am not posting all of it. It will therefore get no attention from the mainstream news media. This article is "hidden in plain site." It is sufficient that a hard core of his hard corps see it here and forward it to friends. My recommended strategy begins with word of mouse.
The mainstream media have a very short attention span. When you think "mainstream media" think "attention deficit disorder." The media simply cannot ADD things up. They cannot and will not connect the dots.
It is amazing what a dedicated group can accomplish at the bottom of the media's memory hole.
The two crucial questions are these: (1) How dedicated is Ron Paul's hard corps? (2) How future-oriented are they as individuals?
Out of cyberspace has come a total of $28 million in donations to Ron Paul's campaign. There will be more before the Republican national convention. If spent wisely -- and not all in 2008 -- this money can become the foundation of a new political movement.
The most important asset this movement possesses is a political leader with the following attributes:
A consistent worldview
A voting record to match this worldview
Widespread trust
A national audience
Three decades of real-world experience
A bully pulpit: a seat in Congress
A Congressional research staff
Several million dollars in his campaign kitty
E-mail lists (no postage or printing costs)
Supporters who are fed up with the political system
YouTube presence
New, low-cost, decentralized communications technologies
Technologically savvy supporters: "nerds with attitude"
Before his presidential campaign, Ron Paul was known to a small core of hard-money newsletter subscribers (old folks) and readers of LewRockwell.com. He was not nationally known. He is now. The media made this possible. So did YouTube. Those YouTube videos of his network guest appearances can become recruiting tools for a long-term program of recruiting and training.
This would not have been technologically possible in 2004.
Today, a new group of people know him, trust him, and will pay attention to what he recommends. It is an identifiable group: e-mail addresses and donation receipts. He can communicate with them very inexpensively. He can do it through his campaign organization. He does not need to involve his Congressional staff.
THE KEY TO POLITICAL SUCCESS Continued... (http://www.garynorth.com/public/2928.cfm)
Gary North
January 9, 2008
In Phase 1 of Ron Paul's political strategy, he achieved national name recognition among conservatives and libertarians, raised over $28 million, assembled a huge data base -- a postage-free data base -- and got network TV interviews all over YouTube, which are permanent. Nothing like this has ever been done in the history of libertarianism.
The mainstream media perceive none of this. All they perceive is the vote percentages in the primaries. This is a good thing. The blinder the mainstream media are to what is really going on here, the better.
My concern is that his recent recruits will be equally as short-sighted. So, I am writing this report.
THE MEDIA'S MEMORY HOLE
Ron Paul has been unofficially dropped down the mainstream media's memory hole.
The decision of Fox News to exclude him from the televised debate in New Hampshire was indicative of what was soon to come. In reporting the New Hampshire election results, the press did not list his name, even though he came close to beating Giuliani. It is clear that the mainstream media will no longer report on his campaign. He has become an also-ran even while he is still running.
The man-bites-dog aspect of his campaign -- the size of his on-line fund-raising -- is no longer media worthy. His numbers in the primaries are too low to pose a threat to the Establishment in 2008. He is yesterday's news.
He can and should maintain the official position that he is still running for President. That position will be non-news. Non-news is just what the doctor ordered.
When the media finally go away, he can get down to business.
What I am about to describe is a strategy that involves quietly moving below the media's radar. There is no reason for him to announce to the media, "My campaign has now moved to phase 2." I am sure he won't.
PHASE 2
Every day that he stays in this race is another day of gathering e-mail addresses and (I hope) zip codes.
No less than 80% of his campaign spending should be devoted to running ads that produce e-mail addresses, zip codes, and donations for running more ads. Everything else is peripheral.
What I propose here is a strategy for long-term political victory. I am willing to post the basics of this strategy here because I am not posting all of it. It will therefore get no attention from the mainstream news media. This article is "hidden in plain site." It is sufficient that a hard core of his hard corps see it here and forward it to friends. My recommended strategy begins with word of mouse.
The mainstream media have a very short attention span. When you think "mainstream media" think "attention deficit disorder." The media simply cannot ADD things up. They cannot and will not connect the dots.
It is amazing what a dedicated group can accomplish at the bottom of the media's memory hole.
The two crucial questions are these: (1) How dedicated is Ron Paul's hard corps? (2) How future-oriented are they as individuals?
Out of cyberspace has come a total of $28 million in donations to Ron Paul's campaign. There will be more before the Republican national convention. If spent wisely -- and not all in 2008 -- this money can become the foundation of a new political movement.
The most important asset this movement possesses is a political leader with the following attributes:
A consistent worldview
A voting record to match this worldview
Widespread trust
A national audience
Three decades of real-world experience
A bully pulpit: a seat in Congress
A Congressional research staff
Several million dollars in his campaign kitty
E-mail lists (no postage or printing costs)
Supporters who are fed up with the political system
YouTube presence
New, low-cost, decentralized communications technologies
Technologically savvy supporters: "nerds with attitude"
Before his presidential campaign, Ron Paul was known to a small core of hard-money newsletter subscribers (old folks) and readers of LewRockwell.com. He was not nationally known. He is now. The media made this possible. So did YouTube. Those YouTube videos of his network guest appearances can become recruiting tools for a long-term program of recruiting and training.
This would not have been technologically possible in 2004.
Today, a new group of people know him, trust him, and will pay attention to what he recommends. It is an identifiable group: e-mail addresses and donation receipts. He can communicate with them very inexpensively. He can do it through his campaign organization. He does not need to involve his Congressional staff.
THE KEY TO POLITICAL SUCCESS Continued... (http://www.garynorth.com/public/2928.cfm)