EXCELLENT! Just converted a Hucklebee and a Kucinich supporters to RON PAUL!

[Lord Xar]

Okay,

the Hucklebee Switch:
At work we have a Hucklebee fan ( I enlightened a Ghouliani fan last month to Ron Paul), but I just found out about this person. So in the coffee room we are all talking about Amnesty and the Dream Act.. hearing different points, nothing serious.. just light and I 'knew' this dude was listening so I just said.... "its ridiculous how you have these presidential candidates saying one thing now and then another to pander and gain votes".. etc.. he is like yeah, "like obama, and hillary, romney" etc.. I was like "all of them.. Guiliani and taxhikemike too" .. the guy was like "mike?" , "yeah, hucklebee.. he is almost as bad......... flipping on his tax stances, flipping on his immigration stances" etc....

So we got to talking about the only "non flipflopper" and he was like "Ron Paul is crazy though.." I was like "where did you hear that? And if you did, what is so 'crazy' about him." well, he wants to get rid of the IRS and end the war....... nothing substantial, just the same parroting of the MSM.

I laughed.. "tell me when peace was ever a crazy idea? Especially when Greenspan validated that we are their (iraq) for oil and they had nothing to do with 9/11. So to me, the crazy one would be to promote an unjust AND an unconstitutional war that the majority of americans want out. To me, that smells of special interests.. doesn't it to you?"

Anyways, his tactic was to play the "crazy card" and instead of getting all aggro, I said lets stack issues side by side and lets truly talk about this "fake war on religious beliefs and terror.."...... So we talked AIM for a bit..

And once i said.. "think about it. IF you are a true conservative, you would truly want to cut all this wasteful spending, all this wasteful borrowing and allow US, the american citizen to spend and earn the money we make. " I said "How long would it take to save for a house if you had that 30% of your check put back in.?" He says.. "2 years".. great! how about now "I can't save a dime.. I live hand to mouth every month.." - I said then "doesn't sound too crazy does it...?"

Anyways, he signed up to my meetup and we hung some signs on Tuesday night.. hahahah

The kucinich dude
I got him by default. I have been working on him for about 3 weeks. He said its either Kucinich or Paul - whomever lasts the longest...........

Anyways... 2 converts in a week.. not bad.

[4Horsemen]

Good job, it's not easy changing minds.

[Thomas_Paine]

"what makes you think he's crazy"

CLASSIC!

Puts it in his court to explain just HE THINKS Ron is nuts. Great oppurtunity to explain Ron's stance on the issues and how his solutions are the only viable path to Freedom, Peace and Prosperity.

[Lord Xar]

Good job, it's not easy changing minds.

No, its not.. but the great thing that I am finding reading "other's" stories and experiencing my own is that MOST VOTERS do not have their minds set.. NOBODY cements their ideals.... so they are easily talked to..

For instance, nobody could change my mind on Ron Paul.. YET, all the other candidates are just "excuses" to vote.. they don't inspire and don't require thought.

In other words, if you tell someone there is filet mignon to be had when all they know is skirt steak.... its easy to give them a taste... you see?

[centure7]

"Enlightened", not "Converted".

[Bradley in DC]

Way to go!

Working with people by finding where we agree is much more effective than being rude and annoying.

[Adamsa]

I love you Xar (this is my compliment to people who convert others).

[fcofer]

This is absolutely great!

We have a great advantage in the fact that we are so well-versed on the issues (and our candidate is so great) that we can always afford to engage supporters of other candidates! I hope more people who are currently heaping vitriol on the emerging grassroots supporters of other candidates take note from your story that peaceful diplomacy and free trade (of ideas) really works!

You deserve an extra feather in your cap for converting a true supporter of another candidate. These people are more valuable to us than regular undecided voters (this guy jumped right in and started helping you post signs!) and we should make an extra effort to reach them! We might not get all of the rank-and-file, but there's no reason why we shouldn't have a monopoly on enthusiastic, principled voters!

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Good job, it's not easy changing minds.

It is definitely a skill. No doubt. Not just anyone can convert the opposition in a 1 on 1 setting.

[ronpaulhawaii]

Very encouraging news, thanks

m- with ten more miles for the day :D

[Shatterhand]

Great work, Xar.

[freelance]

Here's what Xar did. He didn't make them change their minds. He gave them enough new information that he allowed them to reach a new decision. See the difference? He didn't make them do anything, but he allowed them to do what they wanted to do.

WAY TO GO!

[jgmaynard]

I just got two of my friends to join the Revolution tonight as well. Second and third friend this week. All they need to do is ask me "What have you been up to?" and I start telling them about Ron. :D

JM

[Lord Xar]

I just got two of my friends to join the Revolution tonight as well. Second and third friend this week. All they need to do is ask me "What have you been up to?" and I start telling them about Ron. :D

JM

awesome...!!! see, its not hard. most people aren't truly committed anybody yet.

[werdd]

good job man, this is how we win the big one

[jesshwarren]

I try for one a day. LOL yea paul supporters are devoted. LIKE NO OTHER!! I think we will win big.

[Benaiah]

That's awesome.

[Nate K]

I've already converted 3 people. My bro who was a Guiliani supporter, his fiance, and my friend who is apathetic and hates politics.

I'll soon be converting my parents, sister and her husband, and the rest of my friends. I'm a passionate speaker when i get into it so people have always listened when i spoke.

[foofighter20x]

Anyways, his tactic was to play the "crazy card" and instead of getting all aggro, I said lets stack issues side by side and lets truly talk about this "fake war on religious beliefs and terror.."...... So we talked AIM for a bit...

AIM? :confused:

[Lord Xar]

AIM? :confused:

actually, it was "GAIM" - on my linux box.. so it wasn't officially AIM, I just said that so people would understand "just a popular online chat.." haahhah..

[maxmerkel]

i just came home and read that. great :) (especially the huckster part (i hate this guy - maybe even more than fred guimmney))

[Bradley in DC]

AIM? :confused:

I think he means AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). ;)

[me3]

I like how you got the Huckabee guy to hang signs with you. Kinda like initiation. :)

[max]

Huckabee is also a global warming fanatic..out there with al gore

[steph3n]

Huckabee is also a global warming fanatic..out there with al gore

Dr Paul is concerned but takes the right approach, property rights :D

[Nathan Hale]

No, its not.. but the great thing that I am finding reading "other's" stories and experiencing my own is that MOST VOTERS do not have their minds set.. NOBODY cements their ideals.... so they are easily talked to..


This is an important point that speaks to both our ability to change the minds of others AND our problem in the polls. I'll start with the latter issue.

We have a problem in the polls, and it's not the fault of the polls. Our problem is that there are two classes of people who vote: Activists and voters. Activists are people interested in politics, like the people on these boards. They follow politics, talk competently about issues, and could name every credible candidate running for president in both major parties, if not a few independents on top of that. Voters are people who don't even know that theres a presidential race afoot except for the occasional bit that makes it to the evening news or entertainment tonight. If they're particularly "well" informed, they can name more than one candidate in each major party's primary.

RP has a huge activist base, but a terrible voter base. Activists only account for 1-2% of all voters, so despite the size of our activist base it doesn't help us in the polls. We need more voters. This is where Zar's strategy comes in handy, because it's relatively easy to win over voters. They don't think about politics. If you listen to what they say on the issues, their opinions have more holes than swiss cheese. As Winston Churchill once said, "the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter". So long as you command the issues you could EASILY overpower an average voter when debating, so why not do it with Ron Paul's name on your tongue???

As a thought experiment, lets all go out and introduce Ron Paul to an average voter. Trust me, it's easy. Just present him within the logical framework that an average person would expect, and you WILL gain an RP convert. Alas, if you live in NY or NH, you need to approach only registered Republicans, but even that's not hard, b/c most people register for a party, especially people who dont think about politics in any deeper context than one of two major party labels.

[centure7]

"the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter". So long as you command the issues you could EASILY overpower an average voter when debating, so why not do it with Ron Paul's name on your tongue???

I wouldn't "argue" with anybody. Just present the facts. Don't convert them. Enlighten them.

[james1906]

I'm lazy. I just send people links to avaroth's videos. It works though.

[Nathan Hale]

I wouldn't "argue" with anybody.

I never said to argue. I said to debate. People still have opinions. My point was that most people's opinions aren't well-developed and thus are easily switched.


Just present the facts. Don't convert them. Enlighten them.

Converting people, enlightening people, it's the same thing, except that enlightenment implies rightness while conversion simply implies a change.