"'Ron Paul, who?' no longer applies" --SF Chronicle

[LizF]

This is the same article by Jose Antonio Vargas that appeared in the Washington Post yesterday--reprinted in the San Francisco Chronicle today. Different paper = more (positive) exposure...yay!

'Ron Paul, who?' no longer applies
GOP hopeful big hit in YouTube videos

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/06/17/MNGD0QGTLD1.DTL

[RJB]

I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but most of the republican delagates I've talked from phone calls in Iowa, either never heard of him or didn't know about him. AND THESES ARE THE POLITICALLY ACTIVE! The ones who will decide in Iowa-- and the rest of the country. We need more callers if you can. Please. I'm very hopeful but we need more people. Contact: Austinphish, a member on this forum if you can help. People really don't know Ron Paul.

[LizF]

I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but most of the republican delagates I've talked from phone calls in Iowa, either never heard of him or didn't know about him. AND THESES ARE THE POLITICALLY ACTIVE! The ones who will decide in Iowa-- and the rest of the country. We need more callers if you can. Please. I'm very hopeful but we need more people. Contact: Austinphish, a member on this forum if you can help. People really don't know Ron Paul.


Well, it makes me wonder what sort of politically active delegates they have over there who don't bother watching the debates, for if they had, they certainly would have heard about him, especially after the brouhaha Rudy brought up re:9/11.

However, point well taken about the importance of attacking these problems (increasing RP's exposure, drumming up interest, etc.) from all angles-- although exposure in the MSM certainly helps in raising RP's profile--folks need to get involved in Meetups, straw polls, making phone calls to delegates, etc.

Maybe we should have a sticky about things people should be doing to help in Iowa? As far as phone calls go, these should only be made by Iowa voters/residents, right?

I'm including the link to the thread started by Austinphish as a reminder to folks:
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=3226

[RJB]

I apologize if I came off as an alarmist :) but it has me in a panic almost. One of the delegates I talked to is a Giuliani supporter. So I said well I guess you wouldn't be interested in hearing about Ron Paul. He said, "who?" I about dropped the phone in shock. We had a good friendly discussion and he gave me a new address to send him some RP info.

Also you don't have to be from Iowa. I'm a Missouri boy, and of bunch of these guys are from Austin, TX.

Also these guys we're calling are expecting calls and most love to talk politics and they like the fact a LIVE person is calling other than a recording machine.

[maggiebott]

On weekends my cell phone has free minutes. So why couldn't I get some white pages on Iowans and make random calls?

If they love politics then maybe this is the best way to make cold contacts. Time consuming I know, but if we really want Ron Paul to win we need to get extremely busy. I watched all the Sunday morning political shows and they still won't talk about him.

[RJB]

On weekends my cell phone has free minutes. So why couldn't I get some white pages on Iowans and make random calls?
.

Who we're trying to call right now are the delegates. Not everyone votes as in a primary-- if I'm right. I don't completely understand the caucus system. Right now we're calling the selected few (the delagate) who actually vote for the nominies in the caucuses.

[G-khan]

I went to a birthday party yesterday for a friend that I had not seen in a while.. There were about 25 people there and no one knew who Ron Paul was! I wore a Ron Paul T-shirt and got asked about it and spread some good info and planted seeds..

Point is we got a long way to go and they won't vote for him in Iowa if they don't even know about him?

[maggiebott]

RJB
I understand the need for delegates for Ron Paul, but the voters in Iowa are fairly clueless as is the general population. I don't see how my idea is unproductive.

[4Horsemen]

What country is Iowa located in? Who are these people?

[angrydragon]

POLITICALLY ACTIVE? Wouldn't they know all the candidates? I wonder if they're faking. Try another lesser known candidate first, then ask about Ron.

[RJB]

RJB
I understand the need for delegates for Ron Paul, but the voters in Iowa are fairly clueless as is the general population. I don't see how my idea is unproductive.

I didn't say it's unproductive. (I apologize if I came off sounding like that. I'm sometimes too sparing with words and I sometimes sound more obtuse than I mean to be) I was just saying what the group told me to do. Also these people would be more inclined to listen and they are the ones voting in the coming straw poll.

[ChicagoLawyer]

I think there might be some misunderstanding about how the caucuses work. ALL people who are registered Republicans can vote in the Iowa Caucuses. I'm not sure on the specifics of if they have to register before or can just show up and say they're Republican, but the important thing is pretty much everyone in the state who is over 18 and a US citizen, and who is willing to join the GOP, can vote in the caucuses.

The "delegates" are chosen AT the caucuses. Each precinct gets a certain number of delegates to go to the next round (the county or regional convention, then the state convention, then the national one in Minneapolis) based on the turnout in the precinct. The list you guys have been calling is probably the delegates from last time, I would imagine. These people, you are right, are very important, as they were willing to commit the time to be delegates last time, and are probably big-wigs in their local, if not state-wide, GOP committees.

However, it is important to remember that there are thousands and thousands of other people who will vote in the GOP caucuses. On that note, I would be willing to help make phone calls and even write letters to Iowa GOP members. I emailed Jason Stoddard the other day and haven't received a response. Anyone know what's the latest on the Iowa organizing effort?