Ticket idea for the Ron Paul Blimp.

[Elijah]

Individuals who donate the max amount to the Ron Paul Blimp PAC of $5,000 get 3 days on the blimp, 6 hours a day for a total of 18 hours. They will also be entered into the raffle.

Individuals who donate the minimum of $25 gets entered into the raffle for the rest of the remaining days that were not taken by the 5k donors.

A minimum of 20 days will be raffled even if we get 70 - 5k donors, which would pay for the blimp instantly.

If we have very few 5k donors then there will be up to 200 raffle tickets.

[Elijah]

Ok, we need more than 4 votes here to get an idea. I like that 100% like the idea but I want this to be an open source project. Please vote.

So far all these ideas I am proposing came from Ron Paul supporters. Not me. I did piece them together. I love it!

[AdoubleR]

like the idea as well...

[Man from La Mancha]

You don't have enough options in this poll, as much as would like a ride I probably won't be near a city to take advantage of it if I won one. I really don't think that is a reason anyone would donate for just a nice bonus. I rather have a 5 minute personal meeting with Dr. Paul in private than a airship ride. I already can fly Cessna 182's and most people have flown. I would think offering free rides to the media and people who could promote Ron would be more valuable, like local news media and mayors and children that entered a Ron Paul fly the blimp contest.IMO





http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/6191/0g13ul5.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA) ..http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/7226/0j1ajj7.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA)..http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9435/blackwsmallyh7.gif (teaparty07.com)..http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8947/brighton7gs5.gif (teaparty07.com)..copy,paste,linked to teaparty07.com, last 2, put the ladies anywhere and men will click on them, or make up your own hooks.

[Elijah]

You don't have enough options in this poll, as much as would like a ride I probably won't be near a city to take advantage of it if I won one. I really don't think that is a reason anyone would donate for just a nice bonus. I rather have a 5 minute personal meeting with Dr. Paul in private than a airship ride. I already can fly Cessna 182's and most people have flown. I would think offering free rides to the media and people who could promote Ron would be more valuable, like local news media and mayors and children that entered a Ron Paul fly the blimp contest.IMO

I like that idea a lot!!! Sorry I tried to make the poll simple and based on feedback I thought we could have another one.

Great idea to reserve some tickets for that!! How about we do what is proposed above and have 40 tickets reserved for press and children etc. in the contests.

This would be approximately 2 people per flight day along with the folks who got the blimp in the air!

Now I have a feeling that once this goes live the whole ground crew will be all for Ron Paul and who knows what they will try and pull off for the man!

[Man from La Mancha]

Give the winners of the seats a choice to give them away for promos, a news person would be much more valuable or a newsworthy person or the head of that county's GOP:). IMO

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[RonPaulCult]

First of all - I like the idea of letting people on the blimp. But let's not go nuts here and promise anything without being sure we can deliver.

Also whoever said let the media on the blimp - that is a much better idea than putting us on it. You should just raffle off a few trips on the blimp not hundreds imo - let's keep it simple. We're trying to promote Ron Paul not create a Ron Paul Disneyland.

[llamabread]

Anybody who likes Ron Paul enough to pay $5000 to get a blimp in the air is going to have sense to give up their seat to somebody in the media. Any local news station would kill to put one of their reporters in a completely grassroots Ron Paul blimp.

[Elijah]

I like the idea of getting people to pledge by offering them a ticket. The blimp will only be reserved until the end of the month so we need to get this raised quickly.

The whole point of offering tickets is to help spread the word and get the money raised fast enough so we can have the blimp in the air well before the primaries begin and hopefully on or shortly after the TeaParty. I would love it if we could raise the money without that but how long will that take?

Here is another question. Do you think it would be better to have a couple reporters mixed in with the Ron Paul supporters on the blimp so they can get some detailed personal accounts of the movement?

I mean if the reporters go up there together then they are isolated from the real movement. If we have a 10:2 ratio of fans to reporters guess who is coming out a Ron Paul fan after a 6 hour flight?

Let me know and I will do another poll - Media only or Real Ron Paul Grassroots supporters mixed in with media at a 10:2 ratio?

Great ideas guys keep em coming!

[Mithridates]

Depending on the city, I think it would be a good idea to take reporters from certain immigrant communities on the blimp as well. Koreans in particular (I've lived in Korea for almost 5 years now) are very attracted to being paid attention to, and a single ride on a blimp for one of the reporters would probably warrant a full-page story. Interviews in Korean newspapers (I wrote for a Korean newspaper for 3 years) are less about drilling for information or trying to get a scoop than telling a story. I see that Ron Paul also voted yes on doubling the number of visas for skilled immigrants, another area that Koreans like. They are also big on keeping immigration legal in their country - bringing in the most skilled and making them feel as welcome as possible while not welcoming those that are there to live off the system. Bureaucracy here is a mess like most other countries but their image of immigration at least is closer to what RP envisions.

Plus, the income tax in Korea starts at 3%. They're very into keeping taxes low.

Here's the site of the largest Korean newspaper both here and in the US:

http://www.koreadaily.com/

I say give them a call after the blimp's ready and bring two or so reporters along one day.

[Elijah]

Depending on the city, I think it would be a good idea to take reporters from certain immigrant communities on the blimp as well. Koreans in particular (I've lived in Korea for almost 5 years now) are very attracted to being paid attention to, and a single ride on a blimp for one of the reporters would probably warrant a full-page story. Interviews in Korean newspapers (I wrote for a Korean newspaper for 3 years) are less about drilling for information or trying to get a scoop than telling a story. I see that Ron Paul also voted yes on doubling the number of visas for skilled immigrants, another area that Koreans like. They are also big on keeping immigration legal in their country - bringing in the most skilled and making them feel as welcome as possible while not welcoming those that are there to live off the system. Bureaucracy here is a mess like most other countries but their image of immigration at least is closer to what RP envisions.

Plus, the income tax in Korea starts at 3%. They're very into keeping taxes low.

Here's the site of the largest Korean newspaper both here and in the US:

http://www.koreadaily.com/

I say give them a call after the blimp's ready and bring two or so reporters along one day.

Awesome input!! I love this idea to!

I am really liking the idea of more media seats as well!

[Tarzan]

I voted NO on the poll... but I really like the other ideas that have been submitted. There is just SO much that can be done to get MSM exposure. Some rides for RP supporters would be great. BUT maximizing the possible exposure should be the main goal... HOW DO WE MAKE THE MOST OF THE BLIMP? Its all about exposure and Name Recognition for RP.

I think a raffle is a VERY good idea but should only be one segment of using the blimp for marketing... so, it should be limited in scope. Note that 100 hours of flight time is not as much as you might think... three hours per day... and transit time to other locations will eat up a lot of the 100 hours, LA to Dallas would take about 34 hours at the 35mph cruise speed.

Regarding mixing RP supporters with the media. This should not be done randomly... the RP message should be presented rationally... put bluntly, don't mix the tinhat crowd with the media during the ride!

Here are some of my hair brained thoughts from my post on the other thread:


What if the airship (blimp) were donated to the NFL, NFL Films or the network carrying the game? Just a wild shot here... perhaps a negotiated "back door" might get the airspace opened.

And, if the SuperBowl is not possible what about some major college bowl games? How about allowing a film crew aboard to cover the Rose Bowl Parade (that seems to last forever) and would get lots of air time. Or, with some good planning the RP blimp could be overhead at 2, 3 or 4 (perhaps 5) major bowl games. Do any of the states with early primaries have a team playing in a bowl game... hmmmm? Maybe the SB AND the college bowl games? College students and RP... hmmmm? Perhaps some coordinated events there? What if a stadium (or five) were to start chanting "Ron Paul, Ron Paul" at halftime when the blimp is overhead?

Maybe a military tie-in... how about an airshow where the Thunderbirds join the Ron Paul Airforce... the Black Knights skydive from the RP Blimp holding a RP Banner... film at 11 (and 6 and 7 and 9 and on the morning show). How bout we take the crew of several morning TV shows for a ride... or, they do part of the morning show while airborne? Maybe Oprah hosts her show from the RP blimp where she announces a change of her endorsement? What about whale watching with an environmental group off the CA, OR and WA coasts? What if a film crew goes along to create a special to be aired about campaigning using a blimp and crossing America? Maybe a BlimpCam? You get the idea.

[NewEnd]

After reading the website, my thoughts:

the $25 raffle is not very realistic, unless the tickets were sold a couple of days in advance... with nice weather in the forecast... but a couple of days is not enough for effective raffling. Having to travel to the launch point would make the tickets unattractive.

I bet no money could be raised for the campaign in the blimp, but money for the PAC may be raised, so $5000 donations should get a day...

after that, the blimp should be sustained by $2000 dollar donations for a day long ride. that would net 15 x 12 x $2000 = 360,000, give or take bad/good weather days.. that way, we may be able to keep it in the air... the whole campaign... and summer months could be a boon.

[Elijah]

I voted NO on the poll... but I really like the other ideas that have been submitted. There is just SO much that can be done to get MSM exposure. Some rides for RP supporters would be great. BUT maximizing the possible exposure should be the main goal... HOW DO WE MAKE THE MOST OF THE BLIMP? Its all about exposure and Name Recognition for RP.

I think a raffle is a VERY good idea but should only be one segment of using the blimp for marketing... so, it should be limited in scope. Note that 100 hours of flight time is not as much as you might think... three hours per day... and transit time to other locations will eat up a lot of the 100 hours, LA to Dallas would take about 34 hours at the 35mph cruise speed.

Regarding mixing RP supporters with the media. This should not be done randomly... the RP message should be presented rationally... put bluntly, don't mix the that crowd with the media during the ride!

Here are some of my hair brained thoughts from my post on the other thread:

Yes I agree. We are doing this for one thing and one thing only and it is media attention. The idea for the poll has been voted as a good poll but getting the media on the blimp is a GREAT idea!!

When the blimp gets to town we will have mainstream media reporters "hopeful with anticipation" that they will get to ride the blimp.

I really don't see who would turn down a ride in the blimp. Lets look at it in there shoes. They bust there ass to do stories and sometimes they get censored themselves. Then you come to town in a blimp and offer them a VIP seat in a blimp. Even if it was a normal blimp they wouldn't turn it down. Now, wouldn't you report on the only day of your life you ever got to ride a blimp. I mean it's your job to report things.

The raffle is to get people to donate more but I think that in order to get widespread support this new idea should be implemented as it will attract the most media attention. The people are trying to get Ron Paul elected and if they see that this will really work then we will raise the funds quickly regardless if they get a ticket on the blimp. We have until the 30th to raise the funds.

Every city we hit will be plowed with media articles because the reporters are reporting on their once in a lifetime blimp experience.

We will be able to hit the superbowl and fly over it right up until it starts according to the owner (if that is ideal). We can contact the NFL and offer them broadcast capability. It takes about three weeks to cross the country from the east coast because it will be stopping in cities along the way, so this needs to be considered.

I also see the blimp as providing massive motivation and inspiration to the Ron Paul supporters in the city it visits. That will cause some very powerful stuff to happen in those cities that it visits. We have no idea the power it will give to the Ron Paul supporters that it touches with its beautiful and powerful vibe!

In the end, the Mainstream Media and the Ron Paul supporters in the city are left "charged"!

[RockyWisdom]

I have a big problem with the "Ron Paul Blimp", not because of the concept, but because of the financing.

Ron Paul supporters donate their hard-earned money to Paul's campaign, and they donate a lot. This dedication is a strong lure for unscrupulous persons looking to con a few bucks out of supporters. I'm not claiming the blimp is a hoax, but I am stressing caution when giving money to anyone but the official campaign.

I will never donate money to anyone except the official campaign, because I can't stand the idea of my money being stolen from me in a guise of support. Where's the oversight in this type of project?

If you don't know for sure where your money is going, give it directly to Paul himself...it's a safer bet everytime.

[Ozwest]

I have a big problem with the "Ron Paul Blimp", not because of the concept, but because of the financing.

Ron Paul supporters donate their hard-earned money to Paul's campaign, and they donate a lot. This dedication is a strong lure for unscrupulous persons looking to con a few bucks out of supporters. I'm not claiming the blimp is a hoax, but I am stressing caution when giving money to anyone but the official campaign.

I will never donate money to anyone except the official campaign, because I can't stand the idea of my money being stolen from me in a guise of support. Where's the oversight in this type of project? Who would keep the blimp after the campaign?

If you don't know for sure where your money is going, give it directly to Paul himself...it's a safer bet everytime.

Grassroots projects are vetted prior the acceptance of contributors monies.

I suggest you choose your words more carefully.

[Elijah]

I have a big problem with the "Ron Paul Blimp", not because of the concept, but because of the financing.

Ron Paul supporters donate their hard-earned money to Paul's campaign, and they donate a lot. This dedication is a strong lure for unscrupulous persons looking to con a few bucks out of supporters. I'm not claiming the blimp is a hoax, but I am stressing caution when giving money to anyone but the official campaign.

I will never donate money to anyone except the official campaign, because I can't stand the idea of my money being stolen from me in a guise of support. Where's the oversight in this type of project?

If you don't know for sure where your money is going, give it directly to Paul himself...it's a safer bet everytime.

This is a valid concern and everyone should keep an eye on us. It would be silly for us to think that no one is thinking about this as a possibility.

[Ozwest]

I've said nothing to offend anyone, I simply voiced my concerns.

Perhaps you should heed your own suggestion before pushing people away.

No one's trying to push you away, but there are a lot of worthwhile grassroots projects that currently are in need of donations, and any dispersions as to their bona-fides is counterproductive.

[RockyWisdom]

This is a valid concern and everyone should keep an eye on us. It would be silly for us to think that no one is thinking about this as a possibility.

Thanks Elijah.


No one's trying to push you away, but there are a lot of worthwhile grassroots projects that currently are in need of donations, and any dispersions as to their bona-fides is counterproductive.

Raising questions in the name of protecting supporters is productive. Explaining and allieviating said concerns as you did is also productive, thank you for answering my question. Saying that I should choose my words more carefully is what is counterproductive, not only to the campaign, but to the message. It was a valid concern.

Let this be past us, conflict is more counterproductive than anything.

[Ozwest]

All is peaceful in the valley.

[Mckarnin]

Individuals who donate the max amount to the Ron Paul Blimp PAC of $5,000 get 3 days on the blimp, 6 hours a day for a total of 18 hours. They will also be entered into the raffle.

Individuals who donate the minimum of $25 gets entered into the raffle for the rest of the remaining days that were not taken by the 5k donors.

A minimum of 20 days will be raffled even if we get 70 - 5k donors, which would pay for the blimp instantly.

If we have very few 5k donors then there will be up to 200 raffle tickets.



How about raffling something off for people who enter a siting of the blimp via phone or internet? Perhaps local meetups could get a couple items together if the blimp is scheduled to be in their town and people who call in could win them? We could also have parties like another person mentioned with balloons, coffee, tea, etc... in areas where the balloon will be passing and hand out slim jims.

[hillertexas]

Give the winners of the seats a choice to give them away for promos, a news person would be much more valuable or a newsworthy person or the head of that county's GOP:). IMO

.

Yes...getting media people and people we want to "court" up in the blimp should be of high importance. However I do like the idea of giving the $5000 doners a ride for their money.. How about giving them 1 day instead of 3 and the other 2 days to media types (invite them with a cool written invitation, RSVP and all)?