I Canvassed yesterday and got 46 African Americans Republicans to support RP

[Phunbaba]

How did I do it?

Well first of all, let me explain a little bit about where I live. I live in Aurora, Colorado, a predominantly Hispanic and African American suburb of Denver and I live in the most African American part of it. I'm also a white guy, so I am the minority.

Our town has more cops than any other town in Colorado, and is very much on welfare, so getting people to support a candidate like Ron Paul, who is in favor of abolishing the welfare state, might seem like an impossibility. The area I live in is very poor, and by doing volunteer work at the Boys and Girls Club of America here, I discovered that most families don't even own a computer, so really finding out about Ron Paul is a near impossibility. But then I really dug into his views and discovered that he really does have a message for every demographic and personal liberty really does appeal to all in the end.

The more I got to know the families here, the more I realized that quite a high number of them have immediate and non-immediate family members in prison for non-violent related drug crimes. Even more of them have friends that do. Then I remembered what Congressman Paul said about pardoning all people in prison, white, black, hispanic, asian, anyone with a non-violent related drug charge. I conveyed to them how Dr. Paul believes that our judicial system is more unfair to minorities than any other demographic, and I happen to believe it's true as well. It was amazing how fast that opened the door to other issues like taxes, welfare, and personal liberty. In the end I got 46 telephone numbers of African Americans who have pledged to support Dr. Paul in our precinct on Super Tuesday. I will be calling them on Febuary 4th for a reminder :)

I posted this not to call out a specific demographic, but to encourage other RP supporters to get out there in canvass, because, let's be honest: If a suburban white boy can get out there and get 46 African American folks, who normally are very liberal minded and wouldn't know about Ron Paul in the first place, to vote for him, then there is no obstacle to big to overcome when it comes to canvassing! I did this in 5 hours of canvassing! Sure some people were rude, and I even had a lady pull a can of mace on me when I rang her doorbell, (I'm not joking), but it was still worth it, and she didn't fire it :)

Rally the troops! Information is power! How can someone support and vote for a candidate that they know nothing about? It's up to you to tell them, then they can decide whether or not they agree with the man or not. 9 times out of 10, if they actually listen to you, they will agree with his views, and if 1 out of 9 of those goes out and votes, WE WIN.

[werdd]

awesome

[crink]

Great job. We really need support from the black community

[qwerty]

Awesome!!!!!



:D

[thechitowncubs]

Encouraging.

[WilliamC]

Freedom Brings Us Together!

Thank you!

I was at a meetup/facebook meeting last night, ~17 people, 6 already Precinct captains, the rest now ready to sign up.

This is how the rEVOLution grows....

[Azprint]

Good job!

[sharpsteve2003]

GREAT WORK!
I keep telling people that anyone is a possible Ron Paul VOTE! Don't Target or not Target someone because you don't think they will listen. If they are eligible to vote then they too may be a Ron Paul VOTE!

[Exarel]

Very encouraging.. i only got 10 today. I will try harder :)

[robert4rp08]

nice

[MooCowzRock]

Yeah, all too manypeople forget that Ron Paul's message doesnt pander to ANYONE, and at the same time, lets EVERYONE WIN!

Whether you're black, white, male, female, old, young, citizen, soldier, poor, rich, etc, etc...Ron Paul has the best message!

[Phunbaba]

Very encouraging.. i only got 10 today. I will try harder :)

46 is a high number, and mostly because most households have 2-5 adults living in them. Going out again tomorrow and hoping for just as a successful day.

[Iowa4Paul]

Nice work :D

[nuklbone]

Thanks, man. That's great!

[Sarge]

Great work.

The nice thing is those 46 people will likely talk to, and convert, more people.

[firebirdnation]

Sounds kind of racist, why not target individuals instead of groups? I am sure if someone said they canvassed and got 46 White people to vote for Paul, all these people praising you would be calling you a racist.

[MooCowzRock]

Sounds kind of racist, why not target individuals instead of groups? I am sure if someone said they canvassed and got 46 White people to vote for Paul, all these people praising you would be calling you a racist.

Because society is a certian way today, and it is very rare to have an old white guy gain the support of a bunch of black people. Thats unfortunately the way it is, but what we prove with such a fact, is that if you have a good message, anyone and everyone will join you.

[Eponym_mi]

Fantastic!

[Phunbaba]

Sounds kind of racist, why not target individuals instead of groups? I am sure if someone said they canvassed and got 46 White people to vote for Paul, all these people praising you would be calling you a racist.

I did target induviduals. It just so happens that almost my entire neighborhood is African American, with few exceptions.

I posted this because the black vote usually does go to a democrat. Most black republicans have a hard time getting excited about any candidate from the GOP side, so this post was meant to be an inspiration to people who may write off certain demographics as being too unlikely to be swayed.

Ron Paul's message speaks to all willing to listen.

[amy31416]

That's absolutely fantastic and inspiring.

Crafting a message to a demographic is not racist. I'm preparing for canvassing and will have different literature for Republicans than I will for Democrats, that's not racist or even "party-ist."

It's real-ist.

[firebirdnation]

Because society is a certian way today, and it is very rare to have an old white guy gain the support of a bunch of black people. Thats unfortunately the way it is, but what we prove with such a fact, is that if you have a good message, anyone and everyone will join you.

Regardless, if the roles were reversed, it would be deemed racist and the author vilified as a racist. In addition, this goes against Ron Pauls ideas of individuality.

[Phunbaba]

Regardless, if the roles were reversed, it would be deemed racist and the author vilified as a racist. In addition, this goes against Ron Pauls ideas of individuality.

Did you not hear me correctly? I used one of his views to open the door to a certain demographic. From there I was able to inform folks of the rest of his views. To not have in mind who you are talking to before you set out to talk to them is foolish and poor politics. Call it racist if you wish, but I would have certainly opened up on a different note if I had been canvassing a white neighborhood.

It's simply realistic.

[firebirdnation]

I did target induviduals. It just so happens that almost my entire neighborhood is African American, with few exceptions.

I posted this because the black vote usually does go to a democrat. Most black republicans have a hard time getting excited about any candidate from the GOP side, so this post was meant to be an inspiration to people who may write off certain demographics as being too unlikely to be swayed.

Ron Paul's message speaks to all willing to listen.

Why do you need to keep track of the race of the individuals you come into contact with? It sounds kind of racist. Do you also keep track of the Whites who you have convinced to vote for Ron Paul. And if so, why don't you also start a thread mentioning how many Whites you have convinced to vote for Ron Paul. Of course if you did you would be called a racist. Ron Paul has said many times that he does not think in terms of groups.

[Phunbaba]

Why do you need to keep track of the race of the individuals you come into contact with? It sounds kind of racist. Do you also keep track of the Whites who you have convinced to vote for Ron Paul. And if so, why don't you also start a thread mentioning how many Whites you have convinced to vote for Ron Paul. Of course if you did you would be called a racist. Ron Paul has said many times that he does not think in terms of groups.

I kept track of it, because I had such low expectations for the day, and I was quite suprised at the end of the day. You can act like race isn't an issue all day, but at the end of that day, it is a big issue in this country.

Ron Paul may not see them as groups, but they are. When approached about the racist newsletters on CNN, the first thing he did is tout his views on minorities, or in other words, he tailored his message to appeal to minorities that might be watching. Does he judge them based on what group they belong to? Absolutely not. But he certainly does know that certain issues mean more to certain groups of people. To ignore this would be folly.

[firebirdnation]

Did you not hear me correctly? I used one of his views to open the door to a certain demographic. From there I was able to inform folks of the rest of his views. To not have in mind who you are talking to before you set out to talk to them is foolish and poor politics. Call it racist if you wish, but I would have certainly opened up on a different note if I had been canvassing a white neighborhood.

It's simply realistic.

Did you not see that I was responding to someone else's comments? I call it pandering, and I like Ron Paul because he doesn't pander. If Ron Paul did this, he would be flip flopping like all the rest of the candidates. He didn't change his delivery or message when he went the Spanish language debates. This proves that he does not see people as groups, but rather as individuals. This also proves that he is not a racist.

[s35wf]

I am new on this forum but active in campaign down here in FL since august.
I also have almost 20 yrs of sales & marketing experience. I am precinct captain here in #78 of florida.

If you dont canvass than atleast pick up the phone and start calling your precinct.
Of about 50 or so contacts last night; most are UNDECIDED. (2 ghouls, 1 huck, 1 thompson, 1 paul) most undecided!

I took the nonadvocacy script from HQ and sort of rearranged it. and Winged my pitch!

First Question instead i asked what are the most important issues to you?
then on to HQ question 3 i asked second in order. Opinion on War.

Then I took their issues, who they thought they might vote for, and mentioned Paul's stance on the issues! From that I got about 10 maybe I will Vote for Paul!

When I first get them on phone I just say this is (your name) I am with the (your state) presidential primary researh group. Do you a minute to discuss the upcoming election? (didnt mention survey) wanted to hear their thoughts first and take it from there! It Works!

[WilliamC]

Yeah, all too manypeople forget that Ron Paul's message doesnt pander to ANYONE, and at the same time, lets EVERYONE WIN!

Whether you're black, white, male, female, old, young, citizen, soldier, poor, rich, etc, etc...Ron Paul has the best message!

Well not for the power-hungry control-freak liberty-hating war-loving authoritarian bad guys ;)

But everyone else, sure.

[Phunbaba]

Did you not see that I was responding to someone else's comments? I call it pandering, and I like Ron Paul because he doesn't pander. If Ron Paul did this, he would be flip flopping like all the rest of the candidates. He didn't change his delivery or message when he went the Spanish language debates. This proves that he does not see people as groups, but rather as individuals. This also proves that he is not a racist.

You are correct, he doesn't flip flop at all. Flip flopping is completely changing your message to fit the group you are speaking to. However he DOES emphasize a different part of his message depending on which group he is speaking to. Case in point: His South Carolina Ads have a religious undertone to them, while his California ones do not.

See what I'm getting at?

[dblee]

jeez firebird will you get off his back. you're starting to sound like someone who is more concerned with political correctness than the fact that he's actually winning voters.

[firebirdnation]

I kept track of it, because I had such low expectations for the day, and I was quite suprised at the end of the day. You can act like race isn't an issue all day, but at the end of that day, it is a big issue in this country.

Ron Paul may not see them as groups, but they are. When approached about the racist newsletters on CNN, the first thing he did is tout his views on minorities, or in other words, he tailored his message to appeal to minorities that might be watching. Does he judge them based on what group they belong to? Absolutely not. But he certainly does know that certain issues mean more to certain groups of people. To ignore this would be folly.

Yes, this was the first time I seen Ron Paul define people as groups, and I haven't seen him interviewed on many of the major news networks since. He clearly pandered to minorities and Blacks and it was very painful to watch.

I am not acting as if race is a non-issue, but rather if you said the same thing in this thread, but changed the words from Black to White, everyone would be calling you a racist. Its clearly a double standard. That is the point I am making.

[steph3n]

I have one quick question, did the newsletter issue come up? Did you make them aware it may come up and retort it before it is a problem?

[Phunbaba]

Yes, this was the first time I seen Ron Paul define people as groups, and I haven't seen him interviewed on many of the major news networks since. He clearly pandered to minorities and Blacks and it was very painful to watch.

I am not acting as if race is a non-issue, but rather if you said the same thing in this thread, but changed the words from Black to White, everyone would be calling you a racist. Its clearly a double standard. That is the point I am making.

Agreed, there has been a double standard there for the past 30 or so years. It is sad but true. If I had gone to a white neighborhood yesterday and got 46 people I would have still posted, but left race out, simply because I am white as well. If I were a black man and got 46 people to agree to vote I would have left race out, because I am a black man. Many are intimidated by the issue of race in politics. This post was meant to encourage folks to see past it :)

Thanks for the discussion!

[liberteebell]

Congrats, phunbaba! That's awesome work!!

[Phunbaba]

I have one quick question, did the newsletter issue come up? Did you make them aware it may come up and retort it before it is a problem?

It did twice, and the people that brought it up were very well educated about politics in general. They were proud leaders of the African American community here.

One of them I simply couldn't convince, so I went on my way, but the other person warmed up when I informed her that the president of the NAACP himself had spoken on Paul's behalf in in his defense. From there I was able to get the conversation going on a more positive note.

[JimInNY]

awesome!

[lloydian]

firebirdnation - you are being completely irrational, illogical, and a jerk.

Stop it already with the racist bullshit! Your logic behind your arguments is a total joke.

[hopeforamerica]

Great work! Now the hard part will be getting every one of them to caucus! I hope you kept track of everyone and do what you can to get them there on caucus day.

[-lotus-]

Ive gotten around 20 new voters to come over to our side already, including my neighbors, a few of their friends and sons/daughters. My neighborhood is a mix of hispanic/black/filipino and ive had no problems getting people to listen. you just need to be presentable and smile a lot. having a few jokes handy doesnt hurt either. this is so easy to do that no one has an excuse to not talk to at least 5 people a day at random. GOTV!!!!

[Arklatex]

Everyone should read this post!

[Derek Johnson]

you ROCK Phunbaba! I'm printing your post out and committing it to memory!

My precinct [Marlin, TX] is about 60% black. Hopefully my precinct will vote 100% Ron Paul! Hopefully ;)

Freedom!

[Highstreet]

bump

[steph3n]

you ROCK Phunbaba! I'm printing your post out and committing it to memory!

My precinct [Marlin, TX] is about 60% black. Hopefully my precinct will vote 100% Ron Paul! Hopefully ;)

Freedom!

wow Derek, interesting I used to live just down the road in Kosse, did a lot of shopping in Marlin, went to school in Groesbesk!

[iamvoodoo]

also tell them they'll never have to worry about being drafted

[thegr8drronpaul]

Great job Phunbaba. Thanks for sharing your story. This man has no reason to be attacked. RELAX.

[RollOn2day]

Fantastic job! Thanks for the info.

At our last meetup here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi it was brought up that we needed to get out and invite the black communities to join us in this freedom effort as they are not presently represented in our group.

To that end, I downloaded a copy of the the Austin NAACP president's interview to use as hand outs when the racist issue came up.
http://www.nolanchart.com/article1134.html

Here is another link supporting RP from a Mexican American who use to be on staff:
http://stewart-rhodes.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-am-mexican-american-i-worked-for-ron.html

While I have heard this before I havent seen the clip or interview.

Where is there a video link or article on Ron Paul stating that he would pardon all non-violent drug offenders?

[BeFranklin]

Bump. We need to put up a website for this for MLK day. We've lost an opportunity by not doing this last week when discussed. :(

[Energy]

If you have a laptop, video ipod or other portable video player, bring along the youtube videos like this one on CNN where Ron rails against racism and the unfair judicial system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvzsiESqVss

If you don't have anything portable, at least have the links with you or get their email to send them links.

And remind people of MLK day coming up "Oh, did you know MLK day is next Monday?"

[Shink]

How did I do it?

Well first of all, let me explain a little bit about where I live. I live in Aurora, Colorado, a predominantly Hispanic and African American suburb of Denver and I live in the most African American part of it. I'm also a white guy, so I am the minority.

Our town has more cops than any other town in Colorado, and is very much on welfare, so getting people to support a candidate like Ron Paul, who is in favor of abolishing the welfare state, might seem like an impossibility. The area I live in is very poor, and by doing volunteer work at the Boys and Girls Club of America here, I discovered that most families don't even own a computer, so really finding out about Ron Paul is a near impossibility. But then I really dug into his views and discovered that he really does have a message for every demographic and personal liberty really does appeal to all in the end.

The more I got to know the families here, the more I realized that quite a high number of them have immediate and non-immediate family members in prison for non-violent related drug crimes. Even more of them have friends that do. Then I remembered what Congressman Paul said about pardoning all people in prison, white, black, hispanic, asian, anyone with a non-violent related drug charge. I conveyed to them how Dr. Paul believes that our judicial system is more unfair to minorities than any other demographic, and I happen to believe it's true as well. It was amazing how fast that opened the door to other issues like taxes, welfare, and personal liberty. In the end I got 46 telephone numbers of African Americans who have pledged to support Dr. Paul in our precinct on Super Tuesday. I will be calling them on Febuary 4th for a reminder :)

I posted this not to call out a specific demographic, but to encourage other RP supporters to get out there in canvass, because, let's be honest: If a suburban white boy can get out there and get 46 African American folks, who normally are very liberal minded and wouldn't know about Ron Paul in the first place, to vote for him, then there is no obstacle to big to overcome when it comes to canvassing! I did this in 5 hours of canvassing! Sure some people were rude, and I even had a lady pull a can of mace on me when I rang her doorbell, (I'm not joking), but it was still worth it, and she didn't fire it :)

Rally the troops! Information is power! How can someone support and vote for a candidate that they know nothing about? It's up to you to tell them, then they can decide whether or not they agree with the man or not. 9 times out of 10, if they actually listen to you, they will agree with his views, and if 1 out of 9 of those goes out and votes, WE WIN.

GREAT JOB, absolutely fantastic! Wark, by the way. ;) This is the kind of thread that was prevalent back in the day, and I'm glad to see more of them popping up. Stay positive and just do what you can! We have a lot of support TO win, and we have a lot of support we CAN win.

[wgadget]

My husband has a friend who is a drug felon. Too bad he's not allowed to vote...

[Bilgefisher]

This makes me feel really good about Colorado now. I was getting a bit nervous up here in Fort Collins. The only Ron Paul signs I have seen are the ones we've put up. That and the one in my yard :)

[Ex Post Facto]

My husband has a friend who is a drug felon. Too bad he's not allowed to vote...

I could be wrong but Nevada passed legislation to allow convicted felons to vote after there sentence was completed.

[SwanMaiden]

This makes me feel really good about Colorado now. I was getting a bit nervous up here in Fort Collins. The only Ron Paul signs I have seen are the ones we've put up. That and the one in my yard :)

Don't worry Bilgefisher. I was feeling the same way in my town, Colorado Springs. That is until I was driving around doing errands with my mom, and suddenly she's like "Look! Look! A Ron Paul Sign!" Sure enough, there it was. Someone had planted a Ron Paul sgin in their yard not a mile from my house. I was ecstatic!:D

[Cyclone]

"How can someone support and vote for a candidate that they know nothing about? It's up to you to tell them."

Truer words were never spoken.

Signs are not going to do it, blimps won't do it, we have to talk face to face with people. Get busy people. Sign up to be a precinct captain if you really want to help that is.

We need people on the ground helping. Please help.

[rollingpig]

great job!!

[romeshomey]

I could be wrong but Nevada passed legislation to allow convicted felons to vote after there sentence was completed.

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfelonvote.html

Specifically, while only four states allow felons to vote while they are in prison, 18 allow felons to vote while they are on parole and 21 allow them to vote while on probation. Only 10 states permanently disenfranchise all felons and another handful do so to some ex-offenders or restore the ability to vote after a time limit. The Sentencing Project, a prisoner advocacy group, says that 13% of black males are disenfranchised under these laws. They're an advocacy group and their exact figure is subject to challenge, but let's not quibble over a few percentage points. Clearly, this is a big deal.

http://www.sentencingproject.org/IssueAreaHome.aspx?IssueID=4

Nationally, an estimated 5.3 million Americans are denied the right to vote because of laws that prohibit voting by people with felony convictions. This fundamental obstacle to participation in democratic life is exacerbated by racial disparities in the criminal justice system, resulting in an estimated 13% of Black men unable to vote.

[ReallyNow]

I've been working on a black friend of mine for a couple of months and he has always blown me off, especially when the newsletter stuff came out. Apparently there was a recent posting about Ron Paul (and some other stuff) over at allhiphop.com (I think that's the site) in the rumors section and now he's seeking me out for information on Dr. Paul.

If you're a member of a message board such as that one, it certainly doesn't hurt to bring Ron Paul up every once in awhile.

[Liberty_is_NORML]

Awesome job, man.:)

The more diverse we are ethnically, the more it speaks to the true message instead of all the racial BS that we have to defend over and over again.

[wgadget]

How did I do it?

Well first of all, let me explain a little bit about where I live. I live in Aurora, Colorado, a predominantly Hispanic and African American suburb of Denver and I live in the most African American part of it. I'm also a white guy, so I am the minority.

Our town has more cops than any other town in Colorado, and is very much on welfare, so getting people to support a candidate like Ron Paul, who is in favor of abolishing the welfare state, might seem like an impossibility. The area I live in is very poor, and by doing volunteer work at the Boys and Girls Club of America here, I discovered that most families don't even own a computer, so really finding out about Ron Paul is a near impossibility. But then I really dug into his views and discovered that he really does have a message for every demographic and personal liberty really does appeal to all in the end.

The more I got to know the families here, the more I realized that quite a high number of them have immediate and non-immediate family members in prison for non-violent related drug crimes. Even more of them have friends that do. Then I remembered what Congressman Paul said about pardoning all people in prison, white, black, hispanic, asian, anyone with a non-violent related drug charge. I conveyed to them how Dr. Paul believes that our judicial system is more unfair to minorities than any other demographic, and I happen to believe it's true as well. It was amazing how fast that opened the door to other issues like taxes, welfare, and personal liberty. In the end I got 46 telephone numbers of African Americans who have pledged to support Dr. Paul in our precinct on Super Tuesday. I will be calling them on Febuary 4th for a reminder :)

I posted this not to call out a specific demographic, but to encourage other RP supporters to get out there in canvass, because, let's be honest: If a suburban white boy can get out there and get 46 African American folks, who normally are very liberal minded and wouldn't know about Ron Paul in the first place, to vote for him, then there is no obstacle to big to overcome when it comes to canvassing! I did this in 5 hours of canvassing! Sure some people were rude, and I even had a lady pull a can of mace on me when I rang her doorbell, (I'm not joking), but it was still worth it, and she didn't fire it :)

Rally the troops! Information is power! How can someone support and vote for a candidate that they know nothing about? It's up to you to tell them, then they can decide whether or not they agree with the man or not. 9 times out of 10, if they actually listen to you, they will agree with his views, and if 1 out of 9 of those goes out and votes, WE WIN.

{cracker}
:D

[angrydragon]

Everyone loves Freedom!

[Trigonx]

wow awesome :)

[Trigonx]

"How can someone support and vote for a candidate that they know nothing about? It's up to you to tell them."

Truer words were never spoken.

Signs are not going to do it, blimps won't do it, we have to talk face to face with people. Get busy people. Sign up to be a precinct captain if you really want to help that is.

We need people on the ground helping. Please help.

I was at work today, and i was curious on how my co-workers were politically, so i bring it up and i was kinda upset at how no one knew who Ron Paul was.

The owner of the place likes Huckabee because he saw him on some late show, my manager wants Clinton because shes a woman, and 2 others who I consider very bright people and friends had never heard of Ron Paul before so I convinced them to look into him.

[wgadget]

I could be wrong but Nevada passed legislation to allow convicted felons to vote after there sentence was completed.

He's in GA.