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Thread: Operation Cat Herder

  1. #1

    Operation Cat Herder

    Welcome to Operation Cat Herder

    The project is launching - go to:

    http://OperationCatHerder.com/wiki2/


    As a movement, we have several serious problems:

    [1] We are not all talking to each other
    [2] We don't know who we all are
    [3] We are loosing supporters, organizers and Meetups
    [4] We lack a corporate memory

    *Please give us 15 minutes of your time, and maybe more if you are interested in a bigger part.*

    To address these issues, Operation Cat Herder was created. Dr. Paul has stated that beyond the upcoming states and the delegate process he wants us to transition into a long term movement. What exactly his plans are in this regard is anybodies guess – he hasn't announced them yet. What is clear is that we don't have a well oiled and tuned movement to give him.

    There is a lot of responsibility and leadership sitting on the table here, just waiting for someone to pick it up. A lot of someones. We need people to show initiative, pick a corner they want to work on and run with it. It is a very distributed effort. We are here to provide tools, outline a direction and NOT to micromanage anything.

    [1] Get all the known organizers talking and in the same loops on a national basis
    [1a] Bridge the 3 organizer groups (158/511/RPMO) – done (158 should be bridged in a week)
    [1b] Conference calls – 511 and RPMO both used to have a weekly conference call,
    we need to re-establish these on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. - started, next call 4/18
    [1c] Establish a opt-in organizer directory that will only be available to those listed. - pending


    [2] Get the rest of the organizers on board and map out Ron Paul space.
    [2a] Contact and invite all the organizers that are not part of the bridge or Alliance to join us. That's over
    half of them. - ongoing
    [2b] Contact all the organizers that are part of either the bridge or the Alliance and ask them to join the other.
    There is very little overlap. - pending
    [2c] Update state group list and make sure all organizers in a state know about their local one. - ongoing


    [3] Supporter networking and migration away from Meetup – or more often, migrating to bigger Meetups in their
    area. - This is a ongoing distributed, local effort – we just want to know where you end up and what Meetups
    are being phased out so we can add the information to roadmap sites.
    [3a] Adopt a Meetup project for maintaining Meetup presence through November, staggered migration away
    from Meetup and Group consolidation within states. - ongoing
    [3b] Adopt a Social Networking Site project to map and organize State groups on MySpace and Facebook, etc.
    [3c] Map other Ron Paul resources: web sites, blogs, suppliers, chat systems, etc. and refer to road map
    sites, as above – pending
    [3d] Map special resources groups and network people, as above. Video, Artists, Bands, etc. - starting
    These people are our most valuable resources!

    We currently have contact information for about half the organizers and somewhat less than that are members of one of the 3 organizer groups or Meetup Alliance. This is a easy and quick job that we need a lot of volunteers for – please step up! Write to OperationCatHerder@gmail.com and we will send you a list of 25 Meetups that we don't have contact info for the organizer of. Go to each Meetup and click on “contact the organizer”, and cut and paste this message (what you are reading) into the mail, add a title “Operation Cat Herder” or something, and click send. Then do the next one. It should take you about 15 minutes tops. PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO DO THIS! - we need 30-40 people.

    Feeling a bit more ambitious? We need to map out and organize Ron Paul space. Avery and I are doing Meetup, Kevin is working on Facebook, Yahoo is done, we need people to take on MySpace, Youtube and anywhere else we have a presence. Web sites, blogs, special skills – artists, promoters, meteorologists, programmers, bands, pilots and so on. If you want to step up, we can point you to known habitats for these folks. If you have special skills, or have someone in your Meetup that does – please write and tell us about them. We are trying to develop “go to” lists. Websites, blogs and Social Networking Sites state groups are encouraged to join http://www.meetupalliance.com/RonPaul2008/

    If you are a Meetup organizer or assistant organizer and do not belong to one of the 3 organizer groups or Meetup Alliance, please join the other or both. The organizer groups are bridged, so a post to one goes to the others – so just join one of them. (158 will be bridged in a week).

    http://ronpaul.meetup.com/511/
    http://ronpaul.meetup.com/158/
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RPMeetupOrganizers/
    and/or
    http://www.meetupalliance.com/RonPaul2008/

    On state group lists – we are referring to Meetups or web sites, generally forums, that are used to communicate across the entire state. Some are organizer only, while others are open to any supporter. This list will be distributed and is another communication channel in addition to the mailing list and organizer groups/alliance and conference calls – giving us resilience and redundancy. The ability to route around communications problems.

    [4] Establish a corporate memory

    Here we are talking about searching the Ron Paul space and collecting expertise from people. The goal is to end up with a R3volution field manual written by the grassroots, for the grassroots. To preserve knowledge before people and sites drift away for future use. Mike Esler is setting up a Wiki to aid in this and for other project purposes. A message forum may be added later.

    We are looking for people to take on pieces of this, form teams and find or put to pixel all the HOW-TO's we have learned in the past year and 3 months. We want to document the lessons learned, so we don't have to learn them again and can use that as a building point. Things like: making banners and stencils, Burma shaves, reaching out to special communities, infiltrating and taking over the GOP and DNC, the delegate process, setting up a Internet radio or TV station, remote broadcasts, working with audio and video (capture, embedding in web pages, post processing, transcription, compression settings, making YouTube video's, etc), getting ads on radio or TV, renting billboards, projection bombing, preparing fliers and getting them printed, DVD production, setting up call centers and auto-dialers, setting up PAC's, buying newspaper ads and how to read ad rate cards, event promotion, renting charter buses, getting permits for events and renting space, interacting with the media – both positive and negative ways, setting up and using an Advokit system, obtaining voter registration data and precinct maps, yard signs and t-shirts, tableing, voter registration drives and GOTV efforts, hiring a banner tower or a blimp – that kind of thing.

    To volunteer, please e-mail us at: OperationCatHerder@gmail.com
    Last edited by tangent4ronpaul; 05-02-2008 at 11:10 PM.



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  3. #2
    sounds interesting..


    bump
    The ultimate minority is the individual. Protect the individual from Democracy and you will protect all groups of individuals
    Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual. - Thomas Jefferson
    I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

    - Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

  4. #3
    If nothing else, Ron Paul has proven that "virtual" communities are even more false than 'real-life' communities. All planning and organization must happen in the old skool fashion, face to face and local.

    Herding a bunch random internet people all across the country is an exercise in futility.

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by orlandoinfl View Post
    If nothing else, Ron Paul has proven that "virtual" communities are even more false than 'real-life' communities. All planning and organization must happen in the old skool fashion, face to face and local.

    Herding a bunch random internet people all across the country is an exercise in futility.
    Oh you are so right - like I have not been able to reach out to fund raise and get an aircraft to fly a banner over a debate in Florida, like I have not been able to network artists and writers to produce fliers that were printed and distributed in many states, like I wasn't able to get folks in multiple states to build floats and enter them in parades, etc...

    /sarcasm

    -n

  6. #5
    Hey, if you can pull together a rag tag of half-hearted internet Ron Paul supporters in any meaningful way (ie doing something OTHER than typing their credit cards and refreshing ronpaulgraphs.com), more power to you brother.

    I like the points you bring up, especially getting some big money donors. Of course, you know the Golden Rule, right? He who has the Gold makes the Rule.

  7. #6
    blimp!

    -n

  8. #7
    truth be told, i think we're passed the era in human history where people are looking to be a part of something (anything really) on the long-term, excepting perhaps family.

    people are more coalescing around certain events/people/causes and then dispersing, some regathering here, others over there.

    i wouldn't expect anything different for the rpr. some will infiltrate the repub. party, some the democratic. many will return to the libertarian party, and others back to the greens. still others won't be involved in the political process but will take what they've learned to the dinner tables and coffee shops of america (the most important aspect, imo. i believe it is rp who said the politicians only respond to consensus/noise... we must individually work to manufacture consensus in whichever way we can).
    Dude, I'm rich! Check out this tin can! Uber wealth, ftw!

  9. #8
    the problem is the gop,not ron paul supporters.. GET OVER IT
    2016 gop est business as usual, rules do not apply.



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by orlandoinfl View Post
    If nothing else, Ron Paul has proven that "virtual" communities are even more false than 'real-life' communities. All planning and organization must happen in the old skool fashion, face to face and local.

    Herding a bunch random internet people all across the country is an exercise in futility.
    are you sure...?

    I can give you a good example of what online communities can do..go here. This is a 3d movie project created only using free software and online funds, powered by a internet community of a free software called Blender.
    If its possible to make/sell a full 3D animated movie without seeing all the people making it..what the OP wants here is not such a big deal imo.
    you needn't open every door in the asylum to realize that you are in a madhouse


    Current and ex Alex Jones listeners
    Where do you place this guy vis-a-vis AJ ? 1 2

    Guest: Eustace Mullins


  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by orlandoinfl View Post
    Herding a bunch random internet people all across the country is an exercise in futility.
    I disagree.

    Although I understand the limitations of centralized control (especially given the nature of the membership of this group) I believe it is both possible and essential that there be some type of top down direction. The movement needs a leader, a name, a way to identify ourselves, a mission statement and some clearly articulated long and short term goals. There IS strength in numbers and good communication will be key to our success.

    I applaud the efforts of both those just "making it happen" locally and those who are focusing on "herding cats".

    I plan to do both. Here in North Florida I am helping organize the NE FL Republican Liberty Caucus - where we plan to educate, recruit and gain power for the movement with the Republican Party.

    I am also interested in getting involved in any efforts on a national level that bring us together and facilitate better communication and a stronger organization as a whole.

    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.
    Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has...


    John Stevens

  13. #11
    As both a Ron Paul supporter and the owner of a herd of cats, I would suggest that everyone join Freedom Force International.
    At least check them out,
    http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/

    WORK FOR RON PAUL OR FREEDOM FORCE?
    That’s a trick question that needs to be explained. Some of our members have asked to be excused from working on Freedom Force projects because they feel it is more important to devote their time to the Ron Paul campaign. I am delighted to know that they are doing that because, as we have stated many times in our Monthly Reports, that is a top priority of Freedom Force. However, this is not an either-or situation. Being active in the Ron Paul campaign IS the number-one project of Freedom Force.

    Political campaigns come and go. Every four years, large numbers of people become motivated for political activism because they can see (or hope for) a specific victory with a specific date. When that date passes, most of them drop out. They return to inaction and wait another three years before doing much of anything.

    THE BATTLE WILL NOT BE OVER IN 2008
    The battle to restore the Constitution is not going to be won in 2008 even if Ron Paul is elected. Please re-read that statement. It is naive to believe that getting a Constitutionalist into the White House is going to change the collectivist orientation of Congress, the Courts, and the huge bureaucracy of civil servants that make the wheels of government turn. Getting Ron Paul elected would be a huge accomplishment and a giant step in the right direction, but members of Freedom Force understand that he would be surrounded by enemies, and his every move would be resisted. This struggle eventually will span many years and spread into every branch of government before we can even come close to claiming victory.

    We work in the Ron Paul campaign, not because we expect the election of a single man to restore freedom in America, but because we know that political campaigns are a powerful educational and recruiting tool that, because of the passion attached to them, allow us to reach many more people with the message of freedom than is possible in off-election years. Regardless of the outcome in the primaries, regardless of the outcome at the convention, regardless of the outcome in the November election, we know that we have just begun. The long battle will continue into the next election or, if meaningful elections are no longer held, into whatever arena we may find ourselves, and we must be laying the groundwork for that now.

    The Ron Paul campaign is not the end-all of our efforts; it is a means to that end. We must work mightily within the campaign, but we also must be preparing and building a foundation to carry the battle, far beyond 2008, to future action and ultimate victory.
    For their (our) strategy look here,
    http://www.freedomforceinternational...age=membership
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

  14. #12
    Many here on the forums have convinced me that 'the revolution'
    is just a hobby.

    We've bled ourselves dry.
    We aren't bringing in hardly any new peeps.
    We aren't bringing in hardly any new money.
    We aren't supporting each other's businesses.

    It'd be nice if we could evolve beyond this, but
    frankly, I really don't think we will. It'll probably
    happen with a different generation's revolution.
    www.StandAndUnite.com
    Here's a very advanced, stealthy, yet simple way to spread the word of freedom, peace, prosperity and Dr. Paul!


    "247 Gas Saving Tips to Help Save Gas, Pay Less for Gas & Get More Miles Per Gallon 24/7!"
    Affiliates earn 100% commissions for every $7 membership they refer!


    "I am a friend of the Free State Project!" -- Rep. Ron Paul
    FreeStateProject.org
    "I'm not only a friend, I'm also a member!" -- Alex Hunter

  15. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by pcosmar View Post
    As both a Ron Paul supporter and the owner of a herd of cats, I would suggest that everyone join Freedom Force International.
    At least check them out,
    http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/

    For their (our) strategy look here,
    http://www.freedomforceinternational...age=membership
    This looks great!

    This is where having some leadership in the movement would help.

    FreedomForceInternational could very well be the best option for the movement to coalesce around. However, if we are only able to attract 15%-20% of the people committed to keeping the movement going and the rest splinter off into other organizations and strategies - then I believe we will be weaker as a whole.

    Ron Paul mentioned having some type of a summit amongst grassroots leaders. Perhaps representative of the top 3 or 4 strategies/organizations could be invited to present and then one could be chosen and "endorsed" by Ron Paul as the "future of the movement".

    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.
    Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has...


    John Stevens

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by pcosmar View Post
    As both a Ron Paul supporter and the owner of a herd of cats, I would suggest that everyone join Freedom Force International.
    At least check them out,
    http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/



    For their (our) strategy look here,
    http://www.freedomforceinternational...age=membership
    Thanks for the link, looks like a good organization.

  17. #15

  18. #16
    you need TLC if you herd cats!
    its sorta cool that a national publication
    has neatly summed up these HQ related issues!



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  20. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by A Ron Paul Rebel View Post
    Many here on the forums have convinced me that 'the revolution'
    is just a hobby.

    We've bled ourselves dry.
    We aren't bringing in hardly any new peeps.
    We aren't bringing in hardly any new money.
    We aren't supporting each other's businesses.

    It'd be nice if we could evolve beyond this, but
    frankly, I really don't think we will. It'll probably
    happen with a different generation's revolution.

    if you really think that, you need to get out more.... look at Washington state, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin. the GOP takeover is happening now

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Aratus View Post
    you need TLC if you herd cats!
    its sorta cool that a national publication
    has neatly summed up these HQ related issues!
    What national publication and what HQ related issues?

    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.
    Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has...


    John Stevens

  22. #19
    Many of us, after doing the work in our state, are just back at doing the same thing we were doing before -- being Ron Paul Republicans at the local level which is where it's at.

    Believe me the UN has infiltrated our local governments and this is where the work is needed to expose the push to take away our money and our property and our freedoms.

    Some things we continue to fight in NH:

    - Real ID
    - Fed Ed in the public schools (because 90% are forced to send their children there)
    - UN in the public schools (because 90% are forced to send their children there)
    - Homeschooling restrictions
    - Firearms restrictions
    - Taxes and more taxes
    - Other restrictions

  23. #20
    http://www.newsweek.com/id/131748 George Will's column!
    trying for a leadership position in the libertarian party was
    likened to what would happen if one is trying to herd cats..
    http://www.lp.org/yourturn/archives/000573.shtml
    Last edited by Aratus; 04-14-2008 at 03:04 PM.

  24. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by raystone View Post
    if you really think that, you need to get out more.... look at Washington state, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin. the GOP takeover is happening now
    Ohh, I'm following the delegates and conventions and think
    it's an awesome and beautiful thing... And I'm 100% convinced
    that we can win Dr. Paul the nomination.

    But as far as us really working together and focusing our
    efforts
    for mass change in society (in all areas not just
    convention delegates), I have little hope that it will come
    from here.
    www.StandAndUnite.com
    Here's a very advanced, stealthy, yet simple way to spread the word of freedom, peace, prosperity and Dr. Paul!


    "247 Gas Saving Tips to Help Save Gas, Pay Less for Gas & Get More Miles Per Gallon 24/7!"
    Affiliates earn 100% commissions for every $7 membership they refer!


    "I am a friend of the Free State Project!" -- Rep. Ron Paul
    FreeStateProject.org
    "I'm not only a friend, I'm also a member!" -- Alex Hunter

  25. #22

  26. #23
    There are some very decent people on here. We need to follow the NH model in our own states. Free Nation Project.

  27. #24
    While online-based communities have led to some tactical offline accomplishments here and there, overall they have been a distraction from focusing on the strategic big picture that could have turned the election for Paul. Did the average online person recruit dozens of workers in their state to hunt down major endorsements of Paul within their state? Did they try to persuade thousands to change their enrollment in organized registration drives? or at least try to efficiently focus on Republican districts, versus 'outreaching' and sign-waving to people who couldn't vote in the GOP primaries?

    I have run (and seeded many other) meetups with hundreds of members, but in each of them only one fourth to one third truly active at any time---so what is the point of "unifying " passive people? By contrast. much of the energy of the grassroots (leading to significant results) was done by supporters who never joined a meetup, or an online forum or email list. Centralizing the online passive/ discussion-only armchair activists into another mega-schema has not, and does not solve the problem of cultivating the offline grassroots movement. It exacerbates the problem by putting the focus on the wrong organizing platform (the web), since Paul could not break through the silicon ceiling, any more than Howard Dean or Harry Browne before him. The 'let's organize some more online' approach is not a matter of steering cats---it's focusing on the wrong herd.
    -----Peace & Freedom, John Clifton-----
    Blog: https://electclifton.wordpress.com/2...back-backlash/



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  29. #25
    This is an out of the blue question, but the musician thing caught my eye. What if we get John Mayer to help us out somehow? Maybe come to the march? I know he's a Paul supporter.

  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Peace&Freedom View Post
    While online-based communities have led to some tactical offline accomplishments here and there, overall they have been a distraction from focusing on the strategic big picture that could have turned the election for Paul. Did the average online person recruit dozens of workers in their state to hunt down major endorsements of Paul within their state? Did they try to persuade thousands to change their enrollment in organized registration drives? or at least try to efficiently focus on Republican districts, versus 'outreaching' and sign-waving to people who couldn't vote in the GOP primaries?

    I have run (and seeded many other) meetups with hundreds of members, but in each of them only one fourth to one third truly active at any time---so what is the point of "unifying " passive people? By contrast. much of the energy of the grassroots (leading to significant results) was done by supporters who never joined a meetup, or an online forum or email list. Centralizing the online passive/ discussion-only armchair activists into another mega-schema has not, and does not solve the problem of cultivating the offline grassroots movement. It exacerbates the problem by putting the focus on the wrong organizing platform (the web), since Paul could not break through the silicon ceiling, any more than Howard Dean or Harry Browne before him. The 'let's organize some more online' approach is not a matter of steering cats---it's focusing on the wrong herd.
    You seem to be missing something important here. Meetup organizers - that is the people that make things happen on the ground, are the ones that have been talking and we are trying to get the rest of them talking.

    Part 4 is about on the ground activities, the howto of them.

    and so on... This is very much about physical space, not virtual space so much. But it's about the virtual space too.

    -n

  31. #27
    blimp

  32. #28

  33. #29
    Something here people seem to be missing. We have a direction, sort of a plan that can be added to. We are looking for people to step up and take chunks of it - and own their chunk, perhaps in combination with others.

    We are providing tools, resources and networking. A Wiki should be up soon to aid things - it's very distributed.

    We have no desire to control how states organize, but we want to know how they are transforming into a long term movement. How to contact them - so we can publish a list and let people know where to find groups and supporters in various states as we transform. WA state is forming into 2 main groups, one republican and the other libertarian - they will be addressing their future direction in coming weeks and know more then. NV and TX have both formed central groups outside of Meetup, IA has a statewide organizer and supporter Meetup people are condensing into, AL seems to be joining the United Liberty Alliance that has some people that were involved with developing the official RP website. etc. Just in the preliminary stages of talking to people and gathering info now.

    There are 18 known state groups that we have known about for a while.

    On the Adopt a Meetup project, we don't even keep track of who has adopted or joined a meetup to steer members to a larger group so that one can phase out - We like it when they post about what they have done, as it encourages others. When the Wiki comes online, this info can be updated by the people adopting so people know what groups are covered and which ones need attention. We just run a scan and let people know what groups are going away in the next 2 weeks. Suggesting several alternate plans of action to avoid disenfranchising supporters.

    This project is about enabling communications, providing tools, preserving knowledge and networking - not control.

    We've had a bunch of people write in and volunteer, but for the short term projects, maybe a third of how many will be needed and for the longer term project - well, it will probably take more.

    On the R3volution Field manual - that's a distributed effort and will be Wiki written, like Wikipedia. It will probably have a couple of editors to bring it into a consistent form, but it's by the grassroots for the grassroots.

    Please volunteer! - We need you!

    thanks.

    Nathan
    Last edited by tangent4ronpaul; 04-15-2008 at 10:38 PM.

  34. #30
    wOOt! - we are going live!

    just waiting for the DNS to propagate!

    OperationCatHerder.com

    We are reaching out to congressional candidates and helping them, establishing skill pools, writing a field manual - well, it's the grassroots that's really writing it, gluing together communications pathways and last weeks adopt a meetup list scored 16 adopted meetups!!!!

    Way to go guys! - it's working!

    -n

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