Iowa is SHORT on delegates!

[jenninlouisiana]

I don't know the details, but I was on a conference call last night with a National Campaign person and he said the Ron Paul camp is having trouble getting delegates in Iowa and that this is a a HUGE concern to them.

Anyone know the gory details?

[Bradley in DC]

The official staff usually have their heads in the sand and put everything off until the last minute, so if they're worried, it must be dire. :eek:

[jenninlouisiana]

+1

[bucfish]

Have faith and to all who are near make it happen. Make it your priority!!! There is enough of us in Ron Paul Nation to do the other things that need to be done. So those that can do the IOWA delegate thing go volunteer. YOUR support is necessary.

Let it not be said that we did nothing, RP

[Dave Pedersen]

I cannot believe this.. surely the campaign staff will be our undoing..

[jenninlouisiana]

My immediate suggestion would be to join a meetup... they should know something. In fact, I'm going to go e-mail a meet up in Iowa right now.

[Melissa]

The official staff usually have their heads in the sand and put everything off until the last minute, so if they're worried, it must be dire. :eek:

I really dont mean to be mean but yes I have read your post and you hate HQ I know your reasons to I see them everywhere can you not forget or forgive and just keep doing what ever it is you do when not yelling about HQ. Every thread I go in you are there yelling. (Probably the mom in me saying chill for a bit)

[jenninlouisiana]

I cannot believe this.. surely the campaign staff will be our undoing..

From this point of view, the Iowans need to step up here... the campaign staff can't force people to be delegates.

[1913_to_2008]

bump...Come on Iowins

[fgd]

bump

[ARealConservative]

It wouldn't surprise me.

I'm the meetup leader for one group in Iowa...and this is news to me.

We helped out Illinois the week before Thanksgiving in getting signatures, but have heard nothing about problems in Iowa.

[Dave Pedersen]

From this point of view, the Iowans need to step up here... the campaign staff can't force people to be delegates.


Its about communication. Its about organization. Its about taking charge and getting it done like professionals. There are plenty of supporters in Iowa who will respond to the call. All that is required is some central unifying voice, a call to action. This is what a professional campaign does is it not?

In large part the grassroots has a vacuum of leadership. It is no one's fault. But where the campaign can step in and provide that leadership surely it can at least communicate a particular point of concern. Maybe that is what they just did but it seems time is short for this kind of need to remain unnoticed and unannounced.

Perhaps there is no good reason to gripe. It just surprises me that Iowa does not have enough delegates at this stage. It surprises me very much. Is this problem due to a lack of people willing or able to become delegates? I doubt it. It is far more likely due to a lack of communication and organization. Most of the grassroots do not know what to do. They have been told over and over to "become a delegate" and they have been furnished with plenty of instructions for doing that.

However at some point someone has to show us some numbers as to how many are needed and what the geographic breakdown is. Without a numerical order to fill most supporters will assume it is being done by someone more experienced and better informed. This is why the donations widget has worked so very well. People could see progress and also the remaining need.

We need delegate widgets.

[weary]

Yes I know what a delegate is.
Yes I know the rules/procedures of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Yes I understand now delegates could be used as part of a strategy for a RepublicanParty Candidate.

But that has nothing to do with Ron Paul!!

It surves no purpose for the Ron Paul campaign to be talking about delegates. In fact, talking about this topic takes away from the legitimate purpose of the campain, which singularly is...

Winning in the preference poll. <<<<<<<--------------

The presidendial campaign of Ron Paul will "win" or "lose" based on the preference poll. And that has NOTHING to do with being a delegate.

How can we get the leaders of the campaing to shut up about this? The only possible reason I can see why the leaders of the campaign are saying something like "we need more delegates" is that they want Ron Paul to be a VP candidate with some other republican. ??

I want no part of that. Who does?

[jenninlouisiana]

In other words, here in La we have a district captain... 7 of us. We have a conference call every Sunday night where a member or two of the national campaign sits in.

The district captains keep in touch daily with their delegate candidates: either through conference call or e-mail.

Can you reassure us that Iowa is organized on this level?

We also have a preference primary, which here in La. means that the votes mean nothing. The delegates are elected independently of the preference primary (unless one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote which isn't happening this year).

So I guess that's my question: Is Iowa organized where all the district/precinct captains are in tune with each other because they speak with each other often and coordinate the delegate situaiton?

[therealjjj77]

Yes I know what a delegate is.
Yes I know the rules/procedures of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Yes I understand now delegates could be used as part of a strategy for a RepublicanParty Candidate.

But that has nothing to do with Ron Paul!!

It surves no purpose for the Ron Paul campaign to be talking about delegates. In fact, talking about this topic takes away from the legitimate purpose of the campain, which singularly is...

Winning in the preference poll. <<<<<<<--------------

The presidendial campaign of Ron Paul will "win" or "lose" based on the preference poll. And that has NOTHING to do with being a delegate.

How can we get the leaders of the campaing to shut up about this? The only possible reason I can see why the leaders of the campaign are saying something like "we need more delegates" is that they want Ron Paul to be a VP candidate with some other republican. ??

I want no part of that. Who does?

You are wrong.

The preference poll means nothing in Iowa. That's just a media stunt. Delegates are everything. Delegates can choose whatever they want, irregardless of what happens at the caucus, in Iowa. I don't know where you live, but here all that matters are the delegates. Make sure RP supporters are in there.

You could have 99% of the votes caucus night for Ron Paul in Iowa and if you don't have the majority of delegates it doesn't matter. That straw poll is just a straw poll and does not determine anything.

If the delegates that went to the national convention wanted to vote differently, they can. They are not bound to the straw polls in Iowa.

[jenninlouisiana]

I suspected the poster was wrong, but different states do things differently...

Louisiana it is the same way: everyone's all into the primary and the primary is only for show and means nothing.

The delegates are everything.

There.... do you want me to help you figure out how to get together a conferece call and then find a national campaign person to sit in?

[hellah10]

delegates are the most important aspect during the primary... ron paul can lose all 50 states on the votes... but can still win the nomination due to the delegates

come on iowa! someone has to step up

[weary]

I live in Iowa. I attended Republican Party training (in addition to ron Paul training) for Caucuses. I have spoken to the Republican Party precinct rep for my caucus. I have talked to one of the former Republican Party leaders here in Iowa about this same issue.

For the Ron Paul campaign, delegates do not matter in Iowa.

What does matter is the "Preference Poll" and yes, it is all a media stunt. I can certainly agree with that.

If Ron Paul is to win, he has to do well in the "preference poll". and everything matters NOW. What delegates do or do not do 7 months from now is hardy the issue. Searching for delegates for Ron Paul in Iowa is a distraction from what is important. And that is the "Preference Poll".

[jenninlouisiana]

Bump

[James Henderson]

I live in Iowa. I'm attending the caucus along with my wife on January 3rd.

What are you people talking about? We cannot become delegates until caucus night. There are no delegates prior to caucus.

I've not been contacted about being a delegate but intend to ensure that there are Ron Paul delegates from my precinct on caucus night.

So I'm really not understanding the dire concern in this thread regarding something that is not possible to discern until caucus night.

Who cares about delegates now? We need people to vote in the caucus and those people will make sure there are delegates.

[rodo1776]

I don't live In Iowa but I read the rules and know how this works. Those of you saying delegates don't matter are way wrong. Are we trying to get man Nominated for the Republican Presidential candidate from the GOP party here? IS that not the goal. What will all this straw poll business amount to when we don't get the nomination. As I understand it and correct me if wrong but the first order of business at the caucus is to do the straw poll. The GOP party website says they do that so because the networks want hat early to report on. And I 100% agree get people to the caucus and have a great showing on the straw poll. But if everyone then leaves the caucus patting themselves on the back then the local GOP hacks are going to Love t. Why because now they can elect the delegates and I assure you know with be for Ron. Everyone needs to stay after the straw poll and have a strategy for getting some of those delegates elected. If not we lose. Please Please commit to staying after the straw poll and try to elect delegates. That is the real election whether you believe it or not.

[jenninlouisiana]

I live in Iowa. I'm attending the caucus along with my wife on January 3rd.

What are you people talking about? We cannot become delegates until caucus night. There are no delegates prior to caucus.

I've not been contacted about being a delegate but intend to ensure that there are Ron Paul delegates from my precinct on caucus night.

So I'm really not understanding the dire concern in this thread regarding something that is not possible to discern until caucus night.

Who cares about delegates now? We need people to vote in the caucus and those people will make sure there are delegates.


Is there no application or anything you need to do now in order to prepare? Was there a deadline if people had to change parties? Are the "delegate candidates" for your precinct organized and do they have a game plan? Have the potential delegates lined up people to vote for them? How many are voted in per precinct? Will the caucus voters in each precinct know who the Ron Paul people are as opposed to Huckabee people, Thompson people, etc?

I ask those questions based on things we have done in my district and state.

My guess is the national campaign is unable to get a feel for who wants to be a delegate because there is no way for them to tell.

[therealjjj77]

Is there no application or anything you need to do now in order to prepare? Was there a deadline if people had to change parties? Are the "delegate candidates" for your precinct organized and do they have a game plan? Have the potential delegates lined up people to vote for them? How many are voted in per precinct? Will the caucus voters in each precinct know who the Ron Paul people are as opposed to Huckabee people, Thompson people, etc?

I ask those questions based on things we have done in my district and state.

My guess is the national campaign is unable to get a feel for who wants to be a delegate because there is no way for them to tell.

It's kinda goofy they way they determined how many delegates per precinct. It is based on how many people in that precinct voted for Nussel in 2006. Then they divided up the delegates accordingly. You only need to be a registered Republican and present at the caucus to become a delegate, and you need to garner a nomination, second, and majority vote from your precinct. That's why it is important to get enough Ron Paul people to go for each precinct and then get the proper delegate counts there. Then those delegates go to county convention and the process narrows down fewer people. Then they go on to district. Then those from district go on to state. And then to national.

[saahmed]

The first thing that needs to happen is to get a lot of Ron Paul supporters at each district. Ron Paul will naturally get delegates when this happens. In order to become a delegate you simply need someone to nominate you and then someone to second it. Then there is a vote. The more Paul supporters at a precinct, the more delegates.

[Matt Collins]

If this is true, then this is CRITICAL!!!!

[stevedasbach]

I don't live In Iowa but I read the rules and know how this works. Those of you saying delegates don't matter are way wrong. Are we trying to get man Nominated for the Republican Presidential candidate from the GOP party here? IS that not the goal. What will all this straw poll business amount to when we don't get the nomination. As I understand it and correct me if wrong but the first order of business at the caucus is to do the straw poll. The GOP party website says they do that so because the networks want hat early to report on. And I 100% agree get people to the caucus and have a great showing on the straw poll. But if everyone then leaves the caucus patting themselves on the back then the local GOP hacks are going to Love t. Why because now they can elect the delegates and I assure you know with be for Ron. Everyone needs to stay after the straw poll and have a strategy for getting some of those delegates elected. If not we lose. Please Please commit to staying after the straw poll and try to elect delegates. That is the real election whether you believe it or not.

What people are saying (correctly) is that how Paul finishes in the preference poll will have a greater impact than the number of people willing to serve as delegates in Iowa.

First, if Paul doesn't have enough caucus-goers to do well in the preference poll, very few of his delegates will be elected.

Second, the impact of the preference vote on the states that follow will have a greater impact than the number of delegates he gets from Iowa.

If he finishes 3rd or better in Iowa, his chances of winning later states increases dramatically. Conversely, if he finishes below third, it will be easy for the media to ignore him and his chances of doing well and winning delegates in future states will be reduced.

That said, it still is important for people to stay and elect delegates.

[rodo1776]

Everyone has to remember that the goal here is 50.1% of National Convention delegates elected and voting for Ron Paul in St. Paul Minnesota at the national convention.
Please everyone watch this Host video and PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT SHE IS SAYING.
We need delegates in St.Paul. We need 50.1% if we don't have that we lose. Watch this video and cry like she does. I'm crying myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNKvMFwgQC0&eurl=http://www3.webng.com/ronpaul/becomedelegate.html

[therealjjj77]

Everyone has to remember that the goal here is 50.1% of National Convention delegates elected and voting for Ron Paul in St. Paul Minnesota at the national convention.
Please everyone watch this Host video and PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT SHE IS SAYING.
We need delegates in St.Paul. We need 50.1% if we don't have that we lose. Watch this video and cry like she does. I'm crying myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNKvMFwgQC0&eurl=http://www3.webng.com/ronpaul/becomedelegate.html

It is also important to keep in mind that a lot of the delegate positions are filled by default at the national convention. For instance, from Iowa there are 14ish/40 that are already filled by people working in the Republican Party. That means we need a very large majority to overcome the votes of those already working in the GOP. We have a lot of work to do that way in letting the RP supporters know what needs to be done to get in there.

[rodo1776]

Hey there therealjjj77. YOU ARE SO RIGHT ON DUDE.! You have the the idea so clear. We are at such a disadvantage here in the sense that you understand. So many of the delegates to the GOP national convention (8-25%) in every state are Republican NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS automatically or state party officials. We have no ability to change that without a TOTAL takeover of the GOP party which of course is difficult. Not impossible but very difficult. I do not think that we currently have ANY RNC members from any state. Please I would hope that this is not true. And correct me if I am wrong. If we have any current RNC members from any state that currently have come out publicly in support of Ron Paul I will donate $25.00 for each one. Let me know who they are and what state and give me your favorite meet up or special project and I will send the cash by credit card. Of course depending on the rules we can elect new GOP RNC members through this years process. But it means an incredible turnout and knowledge of the rules and organization to kick ass on these established political hacks.
GO Ron Paul and all you great people working for the movement. But understand the rules and be organized otherwise these GOP regulars will give us a bad spanking in delegates.

[rodo1776]

Be wary of weary!!! I sent weary a Pm asking her/him xactly which campaign other than ours he/she works for. No answer. Understand here folks we have spys on the forum. Anyone telling you that delegates are not important and that the straw poll is the only thing is complete BS. Weary where are you now? Please respond with your credentials. If not, all of you please understand that the only thing and the only thing that counts is National convention delegates. We need that. Straw poll important yes but stay to elect delegates.
Weary we are waiting for your response.

[Gimpster]

Don't forget that being an alternate delegate is good too, should you get slated at your caucus.

I've been told that being an alternate is almost as good as being a delegate, since often they dont show up to the county convention.

[Jaderak]

apparently we vote at the caucus...and im in a really small precienct so i might end up a delegate. :)

[Jaderak]

just to update, I am an alternative delegate, and my mom is a delegate...in Iowa City, IA