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View Full Version : Have an Alibi if You Plan on Being a Delegate... Here's How




1836
03-27-2012, 11:59 PM
Note: this is a continuation on my earlier thread, How to Be Effective in Your Local GOP (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?363053-New-Republicans-How-to-Be-Effective-in-Your-Local-GOP). You might consider reading that first for a "For Dummies" perspective on getting involved in your local Republican Party. This post is really if you are already at the point where you're saying "yes, I'm going to be a delegate" but maybe have very little experience.

Become a Delegate

Getting involved in the GOP is daunting for a lot of Ron Paul supporters, especially new Ron Paul supporters and young folks in the movement. Yet all Ron Paul supporters know, or should know, that becoming a delegate is the name of the game, and gives you official influence at the county, state, and perhaps national levels of the party.

Yet the problem with becoming a delegate for many Ron Paul supporters is that they may not have a lot of experience with their local party and hence, very little influence in becoming a delegate. Also, the vast majority of Ron Paul supporters do not live in areas where Ron Paul supporters have taken over/will take over the convention or the local party.

And, to become a delegate, you need experience with the party you can point to. These are your "credentials."

If you're in that boat, but don't have a lot of experience, this post is for you.

So. Here is a simple, but incredibly important tip for those of you wishing to become a delegate: have an alibi.

What do I mean by that, in the context of getting involved politically?

Simply, this: be involved in a few organizations, donate to a few organizations, and don't just hang your keys up on the Ron Paul movement alone. If you are involved in several things, then you have more to point to when it comes time to justify your credentials as a delegate. Moreover, you broaden your connections within the party and make yourself more effective as a liberty activist.

"But time is running out in my state/county/etc!"

Not necessarily. While some things take time (the best volunteers work for years on a myriad of events), you can do a few things in fairly short order, particularly if you only have a little bit of time yet want to boost your credentials to be a delegate.

A Few Quick Ways to Boost Your GOP Credentials

Become a Precinct Chairman This is often so much easier than you would think, and it gives you a real seat in a real party office that really matters. Find out who the point person is for your county Republican Party (be it a chairman, or if you cannot find a chairman call the state party office) and call them. Then, ask them if there is a precinct chairman for your precinct. If there isn't, ask how you can apply.

Tip: remember to recommend yourself as someone who is interested because you're not seeing enough interest in your area to get people involved in the party and to vote in your primary, and you are really concerned about getting enough people involved in this important election year so that we can defeat Barack Obama and elect our candidates. IF THE PRECINCT CHAIRMANSHIP IS TAKEN: Make sure you ask if there are other ways that you can help out. You could be offered an important volunteer position on the spot! How many people really get involved and help out? Not a lot. Your interest makes you valuable

Become a Field Coordinator for Candidate X If you can't already guess, candidate X is NOT Ron Paul. Instead, Candidate X is someone who is not considered by the party to be a loon. A lot of liberty candidates certainly are credible enough, but you know, even if you don't have one, find a good solid true conservative. Call them up, or their campaign/campaign manager, and ask what it would take to become a grassroots volunteer. If they ask what you mean, tell them that you're willing to help plant signs, knock on some doors, make some calls. Of course, only do this if you can follow through.

However, helping a candidate gives you a great bullet point on your Republican resume – and makes you one of very few people who ever get involved as a grassroots candidate volunteer. Plus, Candidate X may prove to be valuable in helping you get involved in the party in other ways!

Tip: Highlight any experience that you have which might help with the campaign. For example, if you have business experience, maybe tell them that you have management experience with business, and that could translate to managing volunteers. And so on. Be creative but honest.

Join A Few Conservative/ Republican Organizations Memberships are really unimportant in the grand scheme, but if you are just dying to find something to add to your resume, you can always go this route. Memberships COULD include organizations like CATO, Heritage Foundation, YAF, or any local Republican organization. You could also become a sustaining donor (which you can always cancel) to something like the SRCC. However, keep in mind that Ron Paul-affiliated organizations, while they are not of course bad to be involved in, are probably not going to help you. These include organizations like Campaign for Liberty, YAL, etc. In fact, if you're not really involved in them, you might consider leaving them off.

Simply Help Out, Volunteer Your Services As I pointed out in the "How to Be Effective" thread, local Republican parties really are just starved for volunteers. Believe me, they would LOVE to have you involved somehow. You do need to be sincere, and willing to work for the entire party, but if you are game, then call up your local GOP and just flat-out offer up your help.

A lot of times, local parties have extreme difficulty raising money. Maybe you could think of a neat idea to help your local Republican Party raise money? You'd be a hero, especially if you don't demand the time of regular party members and end up being successful.

Good luck liberty activists!

You're always welcome to PM me with specific questions.

JulioForPaul
03-28-2012, 12:11 AM
Excellent post.

Indy Vidual
03-28-2012, 12:36 AM
never mind...

jdcole
03-28-2012, 12:49 AM
Bump and +rep for great justice.

JorgeStevenson
03-28-2012, 07:58 AM
Awesome

thoughtomator
03-28-2012, 08:21 AM
There's no substitute for showing up and saying to their faces what they need to hear.

airborne373
03-28-2012, 08:31 AM
A great read for anyone interested in the process of being involved. :)

Agorism
03-28-2012, 09:03 AM
If you can't find a candidate you like, wouldn't being a field coordinator for Paul be fine or does this just cause more problems?

JK/SEA
03-28-2012, 09:24 AM
There's no substitute for showing up and saying to their faces what they need to hear.

for myself....you can count on it. I'm a pissed off 60 year old white guy who has been around the block more than once. Don't worry. I represent the R3VOLUTION with dignity, but i gotta tell ya, it would be nice if i could use blue collar language in my best imitation of William Wallace...

marcirvine
03-28-2012, 10:12 AM
thanks for the info. am brand new at this

digitaldean
03-28-2012, 10:48 AM
If you are from the south please become on for Santorum and in the north go for Paul. The goal is to get the most on the second vote and this is how.

1836
03-28-2012, 03:58 PM
If you can't find a candidate you like, wouldn't being a field coordinator for Paul be fine or does this just cause more problems?

Well, that is the issue. Paul affiliations are risky if you wish to be a delegate. So I would stick to finding another candidate. There has to be someone, maybe even the next district over.

But remember that the key is to guard Paul affiliation while still standing for your ideas, albeit very respectfully. We aren't ashamed of Ron Paul, we just don't want to turn anyone off who we don't have to.

I think I put it in my other thread, but it gets back to a basic principle of politics: don't say more than you have to.

This is politics. The "establishment" got where they are because they are good at politics. The average Ron Paul person is smarter than the average establishment person, so I have confidence that our people, too, can succeed in the party.

PolicyReader
03-28-2012, 07:54 PM
bump

1836
03-28-2012, 11:03 PM
No delegates on RPF?

PolicyReader
03-28-2012, 11:28 PM
Link added to my compendium thread :) thanks for the write up :)