Just heard from a State big-big

[GunnyFreedom]

Was glad to hear that I am a COnstitutionalist, downright excited to hear that I'm a Ron Paul person: "Damn we need more of you Dr. Paul people in office everywhere! I almost left the GOP on account of what they did to him, but he inspired me to keep on workin it."

Left me with two major things:

1) You can't raise money and be your own campaign manager at the same time, so I desperately need a campaign manager if I want to win.

2) NC State House race if you can't make $100,000, then you will not win. I need to have logged $20,000 by the end of March.

He really wants me to step up to State Senate instead, because that would make for a strong Conservative ticket for two other races he's coordinating, and he is arguing that if I cannot make the $100,000 to beat Lucy T Allen that the money would be better spent in a Senate race for more coverage that would help me for a 2012 run. But he will back my play in either case, and really wants to see me win.

He said, like I thought, that it all comes down to fundraising. If I can't raise $20,000 by the end of March, chances are I won't even get heard. And, I can only manage to raise that money if I have someone (other than myself) as a campaign manager. Both of which I kinda knew, but now it's been confirmed by someone who has run several races in NC and won a few of those, and thinking about running again this year.

Well damn.

I don't have a campaign manager. I don't know how to raise $7,000 a month, and that's going to be especially hard without a campaign manager.

Oh well, I'm not going to give up in any case, I'll be running through November come hell or high water. If I have to knock on every door in my district myself... but I got plenty of volunteers to help canvass.

just need a campaign manager, and someone to help raise funds....

[LittleLightShining]

Good luck, Gunny. If I was in NC I'd help you in a heartbeat.

[TCE]

Didn't you have a money bomb date setup? I don't think the $100,000 is possible, but $20,000 shouldn't be too difficult by March 1st. That's just 200 people giving $10.00 each. I'm sure some people would throw in $50 or $100, meaning we'd need a lot less. As for a Campaign Manager, good luck. Why exactly can't you do both?

EDIT: What run are you planning for 2012?

[kathy88]

Gunny I have some great books on managing campaigns I'd be glad to send you if you get a volunteer. I would totally do it if you were in PA.

And THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!

[georgiaboy]

was in NC recently. good folks - salt of the earth, 10th amendment types. can't give you any contacts, but i know they're out there. did the person you talked with have any ideas on how to get a campaign manager locally, besides just buying one?

[LittleLightShining]

Gunny I have some great books on managing campaigns I'd be glad to send you if you get a volunteer. I would totally do it if you were in PA.

And THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!

Kathy, what are your top 3 titles on this subject? I'm helping someone with a Senate run and I've been asked to run a gubernatorial campaign :eek:

[kathy88]

keep in mind my research was initially for a county election....

How to Win a Local Election
Campaign Boot Camp
The Campaign Manager - Running and Winning Local Elections

[LittleLightShining]

keep in mind my research was initially for a county election....

How to Win a Local Election
Campaign Boot Camp
The Campaign Manager - Running and Winning Local Elections

Thanks!

[GunnyFreedom]

need to run to the store, will weigh back in on this when I get back

[cbc58]

give BJ Lawson a call. he lives in Apex, NC and sold a medical software company prior to his run last election. he may at least give you some insight and leads on raising $$.

[tpreitzel]

Didn't you have a money bomb date setup? I don't think the $100,000 is possible, but $20,000 shouldn't be too difficult by March 1st. That's just 200 people giving $10.00 each.

2,000 people donating $10 each ... Let's hold a RPFs contest and hopefully 500 of us can donate $20 each for this cause. That will leave $10k remaining.

[GunnyFreedom]

As much as possible, I'd like to not lean too hard on RPF's for direct funding. Y'all got me my start on the race, and I don't want to become the guy screaming for money on RPF's. But money-wise where I do really need the help from you guys is strategic and organizational. I'm not a politician. I'm just not. Where it comes naturally to some people to go to folks with their hands out, it does not come naturally to me. But the reality is hitting home that if I cannot raise this frakkin money I am just not going to win the race. So if I want to win, I have to raise the money. So I can, because I must.

My thing is I have no clue what to do, who to talk to, nothing. Getting endorsements would help. The C4L is not endorsing anybody without a record. Being on good terms with PAC's will help. I was contacted by someone with a Veteran's PAC back in November, and that looks good, but the contact is cold two months later because I'm trying to manage my own campaign.

We have the best grassroots org ever, and that's got to mean more than asking for money.

Help, organizational stuff, advice, all these would be gold right now. What I do know is I have to start NOW.

[TCE]

As much as possible, I'd like to not lean too hard on RPF's for direct funding. Y'all got me my start on the race, and I don't want to become the guy screaming for money on RPF's. But money-wise where I do really need the help from you guys is strategic and organizational. I'm not a politician. I'm just not. Where it comes naturally to some people to go to folks with their hands out, it does not come naturally to me. But the reality is hitting home that if I cannot raise this frakkin money I am just not going to win the race. So if I want to win, I have to raise the money. So I can, because I must.

My thing is I have no clue what to do, who to talk to, nothing. Getting endorsements would help. The C4L is not endorsing anybody without a record. Being on good terms with PAC's will help. I was contacted by someone with a Veteran's PAC back in November, and that looks good, but the contact is cold two months later because I'm trying to manage my own campaign.

We have the best grassroots org ever, and that's got to mean more than asking for money.

Help, organizational stuff, advice, all these would be gold right now. What I do know is I have to start NOW.

Without Liberty Forest, Rand Paul isn't a candidate, without RPF's, Peter Schiff isn't a candidate, without us, Adam Kokesh would have no shot. You will require much less funding than all 3 of these. Even if we can toss you $20,000-$25,000, you should be able to get something done. I agree, BJ Lawson should be able to get you in touch with some people, perhaps tell you what works and what doesn't.

Bev Perdue's approval rating is at 27%, http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/perdue_approval_at_27_percent, North Carolinians don't like her and they'll make the Democrats pay at the ballot box. You're going to have some coattails nationwide. If you can tie her to Gov. Perdue in debates (does Lucy T. Allen vote with her over 90% of the time ;) ), and make yourself well known, it should be a cake walk unless you have a ton of Democrats in your district.

Action plan:

1. Contact BJ Lawson, the Republican Party, and/or people who are currently in office. Ask for their help and any advice they can give you. Advice is often worth more than money.

2. Set-up a money bomb site or get someone to do it for you. I recommend sometime in mid-February since Schiff is commanding and Rand will be taking March. Kokesh has one in February, but if you place it in the middle of the month, it should be fine. Get some people on here to advertise it for you.

3. If you need a Campaign Manager, find the best ones. Doing #1 will help you.

4. Find out which PACs donate to Republicans in North Carolina, or which PACs would donate to someone who shares your views. Get them to endorse you and perhaps give you money.

5. Gather people to work as volunteers working on cold calling, canvassing, etc.

That is a good starter list to get you through March.

[ronpaulhawaii]

Gunny, I'll support you anyway I can...

Someone mentioned BJ, he may be able to help you find a CM, and he has a good list...

Can you get a list from the Big - Big? Can he help you find people to help incl, CM?

Once you have good lists, you need to be on the phone as you walk door to door. You need to ask for money. The people expect to be asked for money, don't be shy.

Personal phone calls from the candidate are the number one fundraising technique.

The books mentioned are good...

#1 - Get and stay on the Phone. Start with your own contact list, and get more...

Onward and forward

[GunnyFreedom]

Funny thing is this guy is a GOP establishment type -- turns out he harbored a secret love for Ron Paul from day one (so he says) and BJ has helped him in some campaign a while ago, and he is now 'learning' about our platform from BJ.

I am working with BJ to some extent already. Actually, we are trying to convince him to run for State House also, so we can go in together as a slate. This guy I spoke to likewise wants BJ to run. He, and someone in my District were the next people I was going to have a heart to heart with on this subject.

This big guy, funniest thing, after our talk, and it sounded like he didn't think I had a hope in hell of making the funding (this is what he wanted me to run for State Senate, to prep the ground for my run in 2012) he said I had the perfect platform, the perfect ideas, needed to clean up my soundbites for media consumption, but that I understood the priorities better than any first-run he had ever encountered. So that's when I drop the Ron Paul bomb.

"well, raising the funds may not be as hopeless as you think, see, I don't only have to raise funds from within my district alone, because, and I don't know what you think of him, but I am in this big Ron Paul network, having canvassed for him in three states...you see, he is a strict Constitu..."

"OHHHHH!! Doctor PAUL! Well hell yeah! Then I KNOW you got the right platform, and you just might be the first Republican first-run in North Carolina, other than the independently wealthy, to ever make enough funding to win your race!"

So he has an awful lot of confidence in the Ron Paul network it would seem...

Tuesday I am going to talk to the former Precinct Chair in my precinct. He's a really great guy, a former USMC Sgt Major who I worked with on a House election out here. He is increasingly disgruntled with GOP-as-usual and increasingly attracted to my/Ron Paul's platform (he liked it from day one, but had reservations. Now after two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a private contractor, it seems he is now 100% sold on our way of thinking) and he is VERY connected locally. So I'm going to be asking him about CM specifically.

Then I will be scheduling a meet with BJ this week to ask about fundraising specifically.

We can get this done, I'm convinced of it. Especially with the Dem blowback we will experience in November, and my lack of a primary opponent. When big-guy said I need to have $20,000 in collections by end of March, well, it really hit home. Core gut-fear. That's a lot of money. I know it's possible, but it is not something I have any experience with.

But the good news is that big-guy thinks I can win my District, if I can get funded. he seemed particularly excited about the prospect of a first timer...a Ron Pauler winning a seat in the NC House. "This is how we gonna change the way the State does business yessiree, puttin young Republicans just like you and BJ in the State House, them's the kind of Republicans we need, not those other guys..."

[TCE]

Funny thing is this guy is a GOP establishment type -- turns out he harbored a secret love for Ron Paul from day one (so he says) and BJ has helped him in some campaign a while ago, and he is now 'learning' about our platform from BJ.

I am working with BJ to some extent already. Actually, we are trying to convince him to run for State House also, so we can go in together as a slate. This guy I spoke to likewise wants BJ to run. He, and someone in my District were the next people I was going to have a heart to heart with on this subject.

This big guy, funniest thing, after our talk, and it sounded like he didn't think I had a hope in hell of making the funding (this is what he wanted me to run for State Senate, to prep the ground for my run in 2012) he said I had the perfect platform, the perfect ideas, needed to clean up my soundbites for media consumption, but that I understood the priorities better than any first-run he had ever encountered. So that's when I drop the Ron Paul bomb.

"well, raising the funds may not be as hopeless as you think, see, I don't only have to raise funds from within my district alone, because, and I don't know what you think of him, but I am in this big Ron Paul network, having canvassed for him in three states...you see, he is a strict Constitu..."

"OHHHHH!! Doctor PAUL! Well hell yeah! Then I KNOW you got the right platform, and you just might be the first Republican first-run in North Carolina, other than the independently wealthy, to ever make enough funding to win your race!"

So he has an awful lot of confidence in the Ron Paul network it would seem...

Tuesday I am going to talk to the former Precinct Chair in my precinct. He's a really great guy, a former USMC Sgt Major who I worked with on a House election out here. He is increasingly disgruntled with GOP-as-usual and increasingly attracted to my/Ron Paul's platform (he liked it from day one, but had reservations. Now after two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a private contractor, it seems he is now 100% sold on our way of thinking) and he is VERY connected locally. So I'm going to be asking him about CM specifically.

Then I will be scheduling a meet with BJ this week to ask about fundraising specifically.

We can get this done, I'm convinced of it. Especially with the Dem blowback we will experience in November, and my lack of a primary opponent. When big-guy said I need to have $20,000 in collections by end of March, well, it really hit home. Core gut-fear. That's a lot of money. I know it's possible, but it is not something I have any experience with.

But the good news is that big-guy thinks I can win my District, if I can get funded. he seemed particularly excited about the prospect of a first timer...a Ron Pauler winning a seat in the NC House. "This is how we gonna change the way the State does business yessiree, puttin young Republicans just like you and BJ in the State House, them's the kind of Republicans we need, not hose other guys..."

Did I hear something about a money bomb?

[GunnyFreedom]

Did I hear something about a money bomb?

Mid February is good -- but I don't have the tools to make a moneybomb site worth a spit. I used to have Dreamweaver 2, with which I could have worked miracles on the web, but that only worked in Classic, which, well, is now defunct. So I am stuck with the rudimentary web design that I can do in text or in iWeb, and my raw HTML skills are not good enough for anything that nice, and iWeb is simply not capable of it.

What I really want more than anything is a live-updating donation thermometer. In fact, if I could afford to hire a programmer I would want to have the most open and transparent fundraising ever in the history of any campaign, with not only income listed live ---- but expenses listed live also. The whole balance sheet.

I have been extremely frugal with what donations I have taken in already, and the materials I have purchased with what I have gotten rival those of campaigns who have taken taken in 4 times as much or more. So I am unafraid of my balance sheet being live.

[TCE]

Mid February is good -- but I don't have the tools to make a moneybomb site worth a spit. I used to have Dreamweaver 2, with which I could have worked miracles on the web, but that only worked in Classic, which, well, is now defunct. So I am stuck with the rudimentary web design that I can do in text or in iWeb, and my raw HTML skills are not good enough for anything that nice, and iWeb is simply not capable of it.

What I really want more than anything is a live-updating donation thermometer. In fact, if I could afford to hire a programmer I would want to have the most open and transparent fundraising ever in the history of any campaign, with not only income listed live ---- but expenses listed live also. The whole balance sheet.

I have been extremely frugal with what donations I have taken in already, and the materials I have purchased with what I have gotten rival those of campaigns who have taken taken in 4 times as much or more. So I am unafraid of my balance sheet being live.

Aren't there a ton of site makers on the forums? Post something in the General Politics with specifications or message one of the few site makers. They should be able to hook you up. As for live donation ticker: I have no clue about that, but if it's not possible, a general update of how much you have at certain times during the day will suffice.

[cbc58]

you can get a free donation ticker at www.chipin.com

[Working Poor]

Gunny I will be able to help with a donation next month. I could also help with phone calls. I do not live in your district but I don't think that would matter. I may possibly be moving to SC pretty soon too so let me know how I can help.

[Southron]

I think in this political climate you can do it with less money.

Also, a campaign manager would really help.

[GunnyFreedom]

Thanks everyone -- IIRC, ChipIn takes their cut on top of PayPal's cut.

Thanks WorkingPoor, it looks like I'm leaning towards February 14th as a moneybomb date. Boots on the ground I have -- if my Ning site membership is to be believed. So I have the manpower for lit drops and canvassing. As of this point the whole question of win or lose boils down to whether I can get a good campaign manager, and whether I can get the campaign funded. As for funding, my copy of Dreamweaver is too old to function in any OS I have, and I absolutely need someone to take up the responsibility for the moneybomb page. We can talk domains etc. As for phonebanking, I am exploring several options right now. There is a pretty good "virtual phonebank" system that several people have recommended, but it, alas, costs money.

Rifleman -- I hope so, but I am not as confident of that. Four years ago, the entry level funding for a State House victory was $100,000, and costs have only shot up. Chances are the average victorious race in 2010 will be closer to 150 -- 100 is already lowballing the number on account of a large and motivated canvass team, and the fact that I am far more frugal than most, if not any other candidate. I'm not using campaign funds for dinners or shmoozing. I am squeezing out every single penny of value. WRT a Campaign manager, indeed that is probably the very most critical aspect as of right now.

The NC Pauler group, which I have helped to coordinate for two years, is being disturbingly silent WRT donations. 5 appeals and (other than 3 people who have given multiple times without needing an appeal to do so) all I have gotten is one gift-in-kind of 100 H-frames to plant my yard signs. My concern on that front is growing.

My current effort over the next week will be in going to some of the bigger names in my District with local GOP backing and seeing if I can work some magic there.

[Southron]

Have you considered getting a table at the gun shows? That would be a good way to meet thousands of people.

Greensboro has one coming up at the beginning of February. And I know Raleigh has them as well.

[GunnyFreedom]

Have you considered getting a table at the gun shows? That would be a good way to meet thousands of people.

Greensboro has one coming up at the beginning of February. And I know Raleigh has them as well.

Both of the majors in Raleigh I have spoken to have stated a strict "No Politics" rule. I wanted to work the gun shows for Ron Paul in 2007 and 2008, and was quite heavily denied. I found out from booth-holders that the strict no politics rule goes back a few years, apparently several years ago there was a lot of abuse and the shows ended up being more about political activists than firearms, so it was not a Ron Paul only thing. I did, however, wear a Ron paul shirt and snuck a stack od SlimJim's in in a cargo pocket, so I was able to hand stacks of 30-ish quietly to select vendors. :D

C&E is a little less strict on the policy than Dixie, but that may be because they tend to sell significantly fewer booths, and may be willing to bend the rules to sell more space. I can inquire to C&E about the possibility. I can assure you, however, that Dixie will flat refuse. Been there, done that. :(

[Southron]

Both of the majors in Raleigh I have spoken to have stated a strict "No Politics" rule. I wanted to work the gun shows for Ron Paul in 2007 and 2008, and was quite heavily denied. I found out from booth-holders that the strict no politics rule goes back a few years, apparently several years ago there was a lot of abuse and the shows ended up being more about political activists than firearms, so it was not a Ron Paul only thing. I did, however, wear a Ron paul shirt and snuck a stack od SlimJim's in in a cargo pocket, so I was able to hand stacks of 30-ish quietly to select vendors. :D

C&E is a little less strict on the policy than Dixie, but that may be because they tend to sell significantly fewer booths, and may be willing to bend the rules to sell more space. I can inquire to C&E about the possibility. I can assure you, however, that Dixie will flat refuse. Been there, done that. :(

Ah. I have met some candidates with booths at Greensboro. Granted, that's a little ways west of you but its getting pretty massive.

[Ethek]

Get a phone for the campaign and keep it on you. Anwser it 'Gunny Freedom for State Representative'

Get a stamp at Staples that says 'To Volunteer Call XXX-XXX-XXXX', stamp every peice of literature and mail and buisness card. :)

just my two off the cuff suggestions.

The forum should help find local print or embrodiery people for materials. :)