Machiavellian4Liberty
11-14-2010, 05:14 PM
I know you guys are very hostile towards those of us who don't have at least 25,000 nerdy posts. But I've been in the movement for a long time now and have been very influential in many of the victories our movement has had since 2008. I've worked on campaigns that have won and been a part of EFFECTIVE political actions that have made a difference for our movement. (i.e NOT WAVING SIGNS OR DONATING MONEY TO FLY A BLIMP AROUND)
I've read a lot of the planning tactics you guys have been proposing and for the most part it is reminding me of the 2008 race and largely contributed to why the campaign in 08 was such a dismal failure in a practical sense. (I realize the 2008 was not a failure in the big picture but we could have been far more effective if so many supporters and meet up groups were not wasting their time waving signs in intersections instead of going door to door , doing voter-ID, making phone calls to encourage republicans to vote for your candidate ect...)
If Ron is to secure the nomination this time around we have to drop the quirky, de-centralized campaign approach. The only positive that came from that was money-bombs that is something we need to keep around. But the blimps, ron paul radio, ron paul tv trucks blasting youtube clips and speeches, driving around the country on a bike handing out ron paul literature, sign waving. And all the useless tactics need to be abandoned.
You have to stop and think. If these strategies REALLY were effective why do other campaign managers not adopt the same tactics? It's real simple. It's because they are a complete waste of time and have 0 effect.
If what I've said offended you. GET OVER IT! this is not about your petty ego, this is about advancing the liberty movement. We have a real shot at winning this thing and one of our movements greatest strengths is our passion and work-ethic. Unfortunately most of the passion and ethic gets channeled into in-effective campaign methods. If we can channel our energies the right way and do the things that actually win elections this time around we have a real shot at winning this thing.
Out of any of the potential 2012 candidates ron paul is the only one with a nation wide grass roots network that is ready to be boots on the ground for his campaign. The campaign this time around I estimate could start with a potential 10-15 million dollars in the first couple of months with some successful money bombs. This means we will have plenty of capital to spend in Iowa and NH and possibly some bleed over into NC and the other early primary states. If this campaign is going to succeed it needs to have a much more top down approach. We do not need our supporters brain storming on the RPF forums about some quirky idea they think will convince the masses to vote for ron paul. They need to show up and listen to those who know what they are talking about and channel their energy into effective campaign tactics.
If Ron is to win he needs US the grass roots to be effective and not just waste our time and money finding stupid ways to promote his campaign. There are several immediate things that should be on our radar and we need to look no further than these goals.
1 WE MUST WIN THE CPAC 2011 PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL!
Anyone who knows anything knows how important this straw poll was. Last year we were under the Establishment's radar at CPAC. They had no idea we were going to be so organized and that is why they tried to totally write off ron pauls win as anything serious. Imagine if Romney had won last year? Yeah it would be all over the news as ROMNEY IS THE FRONT RUNNER FOR 2012. Well guess what? This year they are going to be ready for us. They know we are coming and they are going to organize everything in their power to silence us and most of all keep Ron from winning that straw poll. I reckon Romney will be paying double what he normally spends to bus in all his drones to come vote for him. WE MUST NOT LET THIS HAPPEN! If you can spare the resources and time you NEED to get to CPAC this year and take part in the presidential straw poll. We need to have a commanding presence this year and show that the liberty movement is the new face of the republican party. Winning that straw poll leads us to the next focus.
2) WE MUST ORGANIZE TO WIN THE IOWA STRAW POLL IN 2011
This is undoubtedly the most important poll for president there is. We need to focus all our time and attention on Iowa and then NH. We need boots on the ground getting the word out about Dr. Paul. Attending any republican event, having a strong presence. Handing out good literature and talking to voters and finding out what issues they most care about and then demonstrating that Dr. Paul is the choice for them. You wont see romney spending money to have people sit on the side of the road waving romney 2012 signs. He and everyone else who is serious about 2012 will be organizing to win that straw poll.
3) WE MUST CRAFT AND CAREFULLY REFINE OUR CAMPAIGN NARRATIVE
Libertarian is a dirty political word to most voters. We need to look at how Rand Paul was able to sell the libertarian message far better than Ron did in 2008. You and I get it. We are very drawn to libertarianism. Unfortunately we are the minority. Most voters ESPEICALLY social conservative voters like the kind that make up the majority of republican votes in iowa are not ready to be thrown head first into libertarian policy. they need to first start with their feet in the water and gradually ease their way in. I've noticed our movement is prone to behave towards voters in the following way: "If you disagree with ron paul on anything you are just a statist/neo-con/war-mongering" Fill in the blank with what ever derogatory word you prefer. We have to carefully craft our narrative so we do not turn off people who might potentially be friendly towards Ron on plenty of issues its just the war is not something they are ready to come around on yet. The message this time around is going to be the economy. Ron is going to be the most articulate and have the best voting record to defend his positions on this topic. IT IS OUR JOB TO RELATE TO VOTERS AND WHAT ISSUES THEY CARE ABOUT NOT BAPTIZING THEM IN LIBERTARIAN PHILOSOPHY!
4) IF WE ARE TO WIN WE MUST BE THE TEA PARTY CANDIDATE
Regardless of what you think of the TEA party if we do not have their support we do not win the nomination. They are dominating the republican narrative now and you better believe the establishment is doing everything in its power to fit in and or co-opt the tea party to their side. We must appeal to TEA party voters and talk TEA party issues if we are going to get any traction in the primary. This means we need a careful and well thought out announced candidacy. Glenn Beck would be the optimal show to announce on because so many TEA party types follow his show religiously. If Sara Palin does not run (KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED) we need her support. We need to reach out not only to Sara Palin but her supporters as well because she commands some serious political capital and we need it if we are going to have a shot. We can not rely on just our own grass roots that have developed these last 2 years. If we are going to win this we have to make Ron Paul main stream. In order to do this it requires us to reach out to those media giants and other TEA party favorites to garner their support. It will be easy to do going against a Romney who could never claim he is a tea party type because we have his voting record.
I say all this with good intention. I do not mean to turn people off. I want us to win this thing. But we cannot and must not do what we did in 2008 and that is useless campaign tactics that are a waste of time and our opponents would openly encourage you to continue to blog/signwave/ronpaulradio whatever dumb idea it may be because they know it is ineffective and is a waste of your time. If you are serious about Dr. Paul securing the nomination put down your own ego's and when the time comes listen to those who have campaign experience and know how elections are won and lost. Phone banking/ voter ID/ door to door/ polling issues all of these things are effective and what we should be channeling our time and money into. Not some silly idea born on the RPF forums. I look forward to seeing our impact in 2012 and I firmly believe that if we act as a unified body in effective tactics we can win the nomination. It all depends on how much money we raise and how effective our tactics are.
I've read a lot of the planning tactics you guys have been proposing and for the most part it is reminding me of the 2008 race and largely contributed to why the campaign in 08 was such a dismal failure in a practical sense. (I realize the 2008 was not a failure in the big picture but we could have been far more effective if so many supporters and meet up groups were not wasting their time waving signs in intersections instead of going door to door , doing voter-ID, making phone calls to encourage republicans to vote for your candidate ect...)
If Ron is to secure the nomination this time around we have to drop the quirky, de-centralized campaign approach. The only positive that came from that was money-bombs that is something we need to keep around. But the blimps, ron paul radio, ron paul tv trucks blasting youtube clips and speeches, driving around the country on a bike handing out ron paul literature, sign waving. And all the useless tactics need to be abandoned.
You have to stop and think. If these strategies REALLY were effective why do other campaign managers not adopt the same tactics? It's real simple. It's because they are a complete waste of time and have 0 effect.
If what I've said offended you. GET OVER IT! this is not about your petty ego, this is about advancing the liberty movement. We have a real shot at winning this thing and one of our movements greatest strengths is our passion and work-ethic. Unfortunately most of the passion and ethic gets channeled into in-effective campaign methods. If we can channel our energies the right way and do the things that actually win elections this time around we have a real shot at winning this thing.
Out of any of the potential 2012 candidates ron paul is the only one with a nation wide grass roots network that is ready to be boots on the ground for his campaign. The campaign this time around I estimate could start with a potential 10-15 million dollars in the first couple of months with some successful money bombs. This means we will have plenty of capital to spend in Iowa and NH and possibly some bleed over into NC and the other early primary states. If this campaign is going to succeed it needs to have a much more top down approach. We do not need our supporters brain storming on the RPF forums about some quirky idea they think will convince the masses to vote for ron paul. They need to show up and listen to those who know what they are talking about and channel their energy into effective campaign tactics.
If Ron is to win he needs US the grass roots to be effective and not just waste our time and money finding stupid ways to promote his campaign. There are several immediate things that should be on our radar and we need to look no further than these goals.
1 WE MUST WIN THE CPAC 2011 PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL!
Anyone who knows anything knows how important this straw poll was. Last year we were under the Establishment's radar at CPAC. They had no idea we were going to be so organized and that is why they tried to totally write off ron pauls win as anything serious. Imagine if Romney had won last year? Yeah it would be all over the news as ROMNEY IS THE FRONT RUNNER FOR 2012. Well guess what? This year they are going to be ready for us. They know we are coming and they are going to organize everything in their power to silence us and most of all keep Ron from winning that straw poll. I reckon Romney will be paying double what he normally spends to bus in all his drones to come vote for him. WE MUST NOT LET THIS HAPPEN! If you can spare the resources and time you NEED to get to CPAC this year and take part in the presidential straw poll. We need to have a commanding presence this year and show that the liberty movement is the new face of the republican party. Winning that straw poll leads us to the next focus.
2) WE MUST ORGANIZE TO WIN THE IOWA STRAW POLL IN 2011
This is undoubtedly the most important poll for president there is. We need to focus all our time and attention on Iowa and then NH. We need boots on the ground getting the word out about Dr. Paul. Attending any republican event, having a strong presence. Handing out good literature and talking to voters and finding out what issues they most care about and then demonstrating that Dr. Paul is the choice for them. You wont see romney spending money to have people sit on the side of the road waving romney 2012 signs. He and everyone else who is serious about 2012 will be organizing to win that straw poll.
3) WE MUST CRAFT AND CAREFULLY REFINE OUR CAMPAIGN NARRATIVE
Libertarian is a dirty political word to most voters. We need to look at how Rand Paul was able to sell the libertarian message far better than Ron did in 2008. You and I get it. We are very drawn to libertarianism. Unfortunately we are the minority. Most voters ESPEICALLY social conservative voters like the kind that make up the majority of republican votes in iowa are not ready to be thrown head first into libertarian policy. they need to first start with their feet in the water and gradually ease their way in. I've noticed our movement is prone to behave towards voters in the following way: "If you disagree with ron paul on anything you are just a statist/neo-con/war-mongering" Fill in the blank with what ever derogatory word you prefer. We have to carefully craft our narrative so we do not turn off people who might potentially be friendly towards Ron on plenty of issues its just the war is not something they are ready to come around on yet. The message this time around is going to be the economy. Ron is going to be the most articulate and have the best voting record to defend his positions on this topic. IT IS OUR JOB TO RELATE TO VOTERS AND WHAT ISSUES THEY CARE ABOUT NOT BAPTIZING THEM IN LIBERTARIAN PHILOSOPHY!
4) IF WE ARE TO WIN WE MUST BE THE TEA PARTY CANDIDATE
Regardless of what you think of the TEA party if we do not have their support we do not win the nomination. They are dominating the republican narrative now and you better believe the establishment is doing everything in its power to fit in and or co-opt the tea party to their side. We must appeal to TEA party voters and talk TEA party issues if we are going to get any traction in the primary. This means we need a careful and well thought out announced candidacy. Glenn Beck would be the optimal show to announce on because so many TEA party types follow his show religiously. If Sara Palin does not run (KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED) we need her support. We need to reach out not only to Sara Palin but her supporters as well because she commands some serious political capital and we need it if we are going to have a shot. We can not rely on just our own grass roots that have developed these last 2 years. If we are going to win this we have to make Ron Paul main stream. In order to do this it requires us to reach out to those media giants and other TEA party favorites to garner their support. It will be easy to do going against a Romney who could never claim he is a tea party type because we have his voting record.
I say all this with good intention. I do not mean to turn people off. I want us to win this thing. But we cannot and must not do what we did in 2008 and that is useless campaign tactics that are a waste of time and our opponents would openly encourage you to continue to blog/signwave/ronpaulradio whatever dumb idea it may be because they know it is ineffective and is a waste of your time. If you are serious about Dr. Paul securing the nomination put down your own ego's and when the time comes listen to those who have campaign experience and know how elections are won and lost. Phone banking/ voter ID/ door to door/ polling issues all of these things are effective and what we should be channeling our time and money into. Not some silly idea born on the RPF forums. I look forward to seeing our impact in 2012 and I firmly believe that if we act as a unified body in effective tactics we can win the nomination. It all depends on how much money we raise and how effective our tactics are.