tbone717
02-28-2012, 09:54 AM
We have a lot of talk on this forum about who we would vote for, and who we personally support whether it is the primaries or other races. But one thing that we do not spend enough time on is what we do beyond our own personal selection. We are not individual voters, we are grassroots activists. So I thought it would be a good idea for all of us to do a little self-examination and look at how many votes we can personally deliver for Paul or for any other candidate in congressional, state or local races.
If you are new to all this you might be asking yourself, what does tbone mean when he says "deliver votes". Well, simply put it refers to your ability to actually get real people to move from their house to the polling place and vote for the candidate you want them to. This is more than just posting stuff on Facebook or creating YouTube videos -- that's a generalized marketing. This is more so about retail politicking; having influence over friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances and neighbors. This is really what grassroots activism is all about - being a person that has influence over another person, and one who can direct a number of people to vote one way or another.
So how do you get to that point? The key to it is being involved in your local community, being someone who others respect, and being someone who has an opinion that is valued. Here are some tips:
1) Go to local meetings such as township, school board, community centers, etc. Make yourself known, but at the same time don't stick out like a sore thumb. We aren't there to be obnoxious rebels, we are there to influence people. So listen more than talk, find out the issues that are of concern for your community. Our mission is not to shove our agenda down people's throats, but instead to find solutions to their concerns through our issues.
2) Get involved in a local civic organization, club, and/or church. If your kids are in sports, be involved in them. Be the mom or dad that makes cupcakes for the team, or hosts a victory party. Volunteer as a coach or for your local Rotary Club. Get involved in Girl Scouts. Go door to door for a local charity. Be involved in your community.
3) Be a good neighbor. Keep your place nice and attractive. Help your neighbors shovel snow, or offer to take in their newspaper when they are on vacation. You want people to know who you are and that you are a nice person they can trust. That way when they drive past your home and see a yard sign in your front yard, they will associate positive things with that candidate because they look at you positively.
4) Sign up to work at your local polling location. In PA (and I assume it is like this elsewhere) we have people outside every polling location handing out voting literature. If you have done the things above and are known in your community, then you can have a tremendous impact on election day, particuarly with races that are down the ticket. So if your neighbor comes to the polling place, sees you there and you ask for them to support Joe Smith in the primary for state rep, they are more likely to do so.
So to conclude, it is important that we look at this race, and all the others we are involved in, not solely as who we would vote for, but how many votes we can deliver for Paul or any other candidate we support. The internet campaigning is good to a point, but the true impact of a grassroots activist can be felt in their own backyard. Because if your next door neighbor isn't voting for Paul, then you have a lot of work to do. So let's get active and get out and meet people!
If you are new to all this you might be asking yourself, what does tbone mean when he says "deliver votes". Well, simply put it refers to your ability to actually get real people to move from their house to the polling place and vote for the candidate you want them to. This is more than just posting stuff on Facebook or creating YouTube videos -- that's a generalized marketing. This is more so about retail politicking; having influence over friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances and neighbors. This is really what grassroots activism is all about - being a person that has influence over another person, and one who can direct a number of people to vote one way or another.
So how do you get to that point? The key to it is being involved in your local community, being someone who others respect, and being someone who has an opinion that is valued. Here are some tips:
1) Go to local meetings such as township, school board, community centers, etc. Make yourself known, but at the same time don't stick out like a sore thumb. We aren't there to be obnoxious rebels, we are there to influence people. So listen more than talk, find out the issues that are of concern for your community. Our mission is not to shove our agenda down people's throats, but instead to find solutions to their concerns through our issues.
2) Get involved in a local civic organization, club, and/or church. If your kids are in sports, be involved in them. Be the mom or dad that makes cupcakes for the team, or hosts a victory party. Volunteer as a coach or for your local Rotary Club. Get involved in Girl Scouts. Go door to door for a local charity. Be involved in your community.
3) Be a good neighbor. Keep your place nice and attractive. Help your neighbors shovel snow, or offer to take in their newspaper when they are on vacation. You want people to know who you are and that you are a nice person they can trust. That way when they drive past your home and see a yard sign in your front yard, they will associate positive things with that candidate because they look at you positively.
4) Sign up to work at your local polling location. In PA (and I assume it is like this elsewhere) we have people outside every polling location handing out voting literature. If you have done the things above and are known in your community, then you can have a tremendous impact on election day, particuarly with races that are down the ticket. So if your neighbor comes to the polling place, sees you there and you ask for them to support Joe Smith in the primary for state rep, they are more likely to do so.
So to conclude, it is important that we look at this race, and all the others we are involved in, not solely as who we would vote for, but how many votes we can deliver for Paul or any other candidate we support. The internet campaigning is good to a point, but the true impact of a grassroots activist can be felt in their own backyard. Because if your next door neighbor isn't voting for Paul, then you have a lot of work to do. So let's get active and get out and meet people!