a2planet2
10-15-2007, 05:27 PM
As it is currently set, Michigan will have its primary on January 15. Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis seems committed to a primary.
However, the Democrats may well pull out of the primary, and if so, it's likely that the Michigan GOP will as well. Because of the early date, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, and Biden have all withdrawn from the Michigan Primary ballot under pressure from the DNC, and none of the Democrate candidates are campaigning in Michigan at all. Which means, Michigan's Democratic Party is not getting their campaign money.
If the Democrats abandon the primary for a caucus, the GOP is likely to follow suit (only with a convention, rather than a caucus), because the rules of a semi-closed primary stipulate that a voter (voters do not register with a party, any voter can vote in any primary) can only vote in one primary, and with no Democrat Primary, Republicans fear the Democrats will walk right over and vote in the Republican primary. This is a well-founded fear; in 2000's open primary, both parties voted in each other's primaries.
This is a problem for Ron Paul supporters in Michigan, because until November 15 (the deadline for making plans final) we don't know whether we will have a primary or go straight to convention. The strategy is completely different in each case.
If we have a primary, we need to get all of Michigan's voters to vote for Ron Paul. On the other hand, if we skip the primary and go straight to county conventions, the ONLY people who get to vote are precinct delegates and state and local GOP officials.
So at least until November 15, we need to cover both bases. Reaching voters is fairly straightforward--door-to-door literature distribution, writing letters, placing signs and banners, and so forth--but for reaching precinct delegates, everyone needs to:
1) Obtain a list of their county's Republican precinct delegates from their county clerk
2) Write them a nice letter, include a slim jim, maybe a liberty card and DVD if available (I recommend "A man for all seasons (http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3808882/Ron_Paul_-_A_Man_for_All_Seasons_-_Plus_Extras)") and include your phone number. (NOTE: If you cannot write a good letter, don't! Just mail them a slim jim)
3) Follow up with all of these delegates after a week or so, and talk with them about how great it is that we have a candidate who is so conservative on all the key issues and has the "no foreign intervention" stance to haul massive support from the anti-war vote, enough to easily defeat Hillary next year.
However, the Democrats may well pull out of the primary, and if so, it's likely that the Michigan GOP will as well. Because of the early date, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, and Biden have all withdrawn from the Michigan Primary ballot under pressure from the DNC, and none of the Democrate candidates are campaigning in Michigan at all. Which means, Michigan's Democratic Party is not getting their campaign money.
If the Democrats abandon the primary for a caucus, the GOP is likely to follow suit (only with a convention, rather than a caucus), because the rules of a semi-closed primary stipulate that a voter (voters do not register with a party, any voter can vote in any primary) can only vote in one primary, and with no Democrat Primary, Republicans fear the Democrats will walk right over and vote in the Republican primary. This is a well-founded fear; in 2000's open primary, both parties voted in each other's primaries.
This is a problem for Ron Paul supporters in Michigan, because until November 15 (the deadline for making plans final) we don't know whether we will have a primary or go straight to convention. The strategy is completely different in each case.
If we have a primary, we need to get all of Michigan's voters to vote for Ron Paul. On the other hand, if we skip the primary and go straight to county conventions, the ONLY people who get to vote are precinct delegates and state and local GOP officials.
So at least until November 15, we need to cover both bases. Reaching voters is fairly straightforward--door-to-door literature distribution, writing letters, placing signs and banners, and so forth--but for reaching precinct delegates, everyone needs to:
1) Obtain a list of their county's Republican precinct delegates from their county clerk
2) Write them a nice letter, include a slim jim, maybe a liberty card and DVD if available (I recommend "A man for all seasons (http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3808882/Ron_Paul_-_A_Man_for_All_Seasons_-_Plus_Extras)") and include your phone number. (NOTE: If you cannot write a good letter, don't! Just mail them a slim jim)
3) Follow up with all of these delegates after a week or so, and talk with them about how great it is that we have a candidate who is so conservative on all the key issues and has the "no foreign intervention" stance to haul massive support from the anti-war vote, enough to easily defeat Hillary next year.