The Iowa College Ad Project and Grassroots Web Portal - Chip-in Included

[D.A.S.]

We are implementing a project that will reach the critical demographic in Iowa. We are very popular with the college kids, but organizing them and getting out the vote is a challenge because traditionally they haven't turned out in very large numbers. To deal with this challenge, we urgently need money to roll out this project in a timely manner.

NEW CHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/th...roject-part-ii

Iowa has three very large public schools: Iowa State University (~18,000 Iowa residents in student body), the University of Iowa in Iowa City (~15,000 Iowa residents in student body), and the University of Northern Iowa (~ 12,000 Iowa residents in student body). Each school has a professional college newspaper that reach a lot of students each run: Iowa State Daily (Iowa State U) and the Daily Iowan (U of Iowa) reach around 12,000 - 14,000 people per run, and the Northern Iowan (U of Northern Iowa) reaches around 8,000 people per run.

TO COMBAT THE SKEPTICS WHO SAY COLLEGE KIDS DON'T READ NEWSPAPERS: We are not targeting college kids in just some newspaper -- we are targeting them through their official COLLEGE newspapers. That is a very big difference that must be understood. Anyone who at some point was a student at a large school that publishes a good campus newspaper will tell you -- college kids love their school newspapers and read them religiously.

Here is the example ad for Iowa State University that will run both IN PRINT and at the newspaper's online site (I credit Justin Page Wood for the design suggestions on which this ad is based, David Hatchard for his drawing of Ron Paul appearing on the ad and the design suggestions, and Justin Hubbard for his design suggestions):



Keep in mind that this "Call To Action" is not meant to convince young people to choose Ron Paul - young people are internet-savvy, and we already have very strong constituency in them everywhere, as the polls show. What we DO need is for that group to get out the vote, to know the Caucus date, to register to vote, and to turn up for Caucuses.

Our web portal, already in development by RPF user orenbus, will make this happen because we will have the ability to sign people up and group our registrants by location, map their approximate locations via cities/zipcodes/counties, and send them mass emails about grassroots efforts in their local area (such as meet-ups, sign bombs, voter registration, caucus date/place). The website itself will have far greater capabilities than that: the eventual goal is to have data from 2008 primaries as well as current polls to gauge how Ron Paul is doing in various places around the country, so we know where to throw our support (in terms of other ad campaigns in local newspapers I proposed before, geared to different demographics) and link up to the local grassroots in those areas.

NEW CHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/th...roject-part-ii

For now, the focus is on 3 Iowa colleges. Eventually, we hope to expand this initiative to New Hampshire and South Carolina - other key states where we need the young people to turn out in record numbers for the primaries.

(1) Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa

Iowa State will be targeted via Iowa State Daily (daily printed circulation ~12,500). Online version of the paper is here.

A black-and-white PRINT ad sized roughly 3" X 3" costs approximately $480 for 15 consecutive days (newspaper is printed monday - friday). This is a seriously discounted rate.

The online ad package includes two versions of the same ad: one medium rectangle (a 300 pixel x 250 pixel) ad and a half page ad (300 pixel x 600 pixel). We are allowed 500 hits per day on these ads, and they are rotated through the entire newspaper website (iowastatedaily.com). The package costs $70 per week, and we want to run it for 3 weeks, to match the time in print edition.

Total ad costs for 3 weeks (online + print): $690.

The website for Iowa State Daily apparently gets a LOT of hits, and currently there is an increased traffic of Ron Paul supporters there because Barry Snell is in the process of publishing a serious of interviews with Ron Paul, which are excellent articles.

(2) University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa

The University of Iowa will be targeted via The Daily Iowan (daily printed circulation ~14,500). Online version of the paper is here.

A black-and-white PRINT ad, which is roughly 3" X 3", costs approximately $340 for 5 consecutive days (newspaper is printed monday - friday). This is a discounted 5-day rate, and we want to run this ad for 10 business days days total, which is the duration of 2 weeks.

Every day the ad appears in the print edition, it will also appear on their website at no extra charge except $5/day to link the ad directly to our website, which is very worthwhile.

Total ad costs for 2 weeks (online + print): $740.

(3) University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa

The University of Northern Iowa will be targeted via The Northern Iowan (daily printed circulation ~8,000). Online version of the paper is here.

A black-and-white PRINT ad, which is roughly 4" X 3", costs approximately $175 for 4 runs. The newspaper is printed twice a week, Tues and Fri, so this essentially gives us a 2-week advertising period.

With the print ad buy, the online ad costs $50/week, and we want to run that for 2 weeks.

Total ad costs for 2 weeks (online + print): $275.

Summary

NEWCHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/th...roject-part-ii

In total, we need to raise $2,000 for this Iowa College Ad Project, and we need this money now to get things rolling. November is when we should already be running the advertising, so the web portal needs money to be set up as soon as possible.

Aside from direct costs of advertising, there are development and hosting expenses for the website orenbus is currently developing - they are included in this chip-in. I haven't listed any possible taxes from the ad purchases, as well as Paypal fees from collecting donations, so we are keeping the costs down as much as possible and volunteering a mountain of our personal time to make this initiative happen.

This is where we as the grassroots will be much more nimble than the official campaign because we are essentially an open project, and we are very focused on one very specific task to get it done as quickly and as effectively as possible. We are also picking up the area that the RevPAC is not likely to address. Neither the campaign nor the RevPAC indicated any plans for doing newspaper advertisements in the same capacity as we are planning. Specifically, we will take tangible returns from this project by actually widening the grassroots base and streamlining communications between people in the online communities and events on the ground.

Please support this initiative to help reach out to the college kids in Iowa, enroll them in the grassroots network, and get the vote out for Ron Paul.

NEW CHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/th...roject-part-ii

[SchleckBros]

www.ronpaulwins2012.com isn't a website, correct? I assume that is there just as a template.

[D.A.S.]

www.ronpaulwins2012.com isn't a website, correct? I assume that is there just as a template.

CORRECT. The website in the ad is just a placeholder - bogus.

We will roll out the actual web address when we get hosting and domain purchase sorted after some donations start rolling in.

[orenbus]

This is a great project that needs grassroots support to purchase critical ads and generate a Call to Action of Ron Paul supporters in the early states.

CHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/io...ege-ad-project

Some of you guys may remember the following article from Barry Snell at the Iowa State Daily, this is one of the papers being initially targeted for this effort of doing a Call to Action to join and help grassroots activist support in Iowa. Grassroots and volunteer activities is going to be a huge part of whether we succeed or fail in the early states, which determine Ron Paul's candidacy for the rest of the election. I strongly encourage everyone to support this chipin, this is the type of project that can generate a lot of buzz and bring about both activism in Ron Paul supporters and encourage those that are already activists to recruit others to help with critical Canvassing and Get Out the Vote efforts in an early state like Iowa.

Snell: Ron Paul presents honesty, sincerity
Posted: Wednesday, October 5, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 4:06 pm, Thu Oct 6, 2011.
Snell: Ron Paul presents honesty, sincerity By Barry Snell

On Tuesday evening, Sept. 27, Congressman Ron Paul gave a speech at the Story County GOP chili supper in Nevada, Iowa. Prior to the event, A.J. Spiker, vice-chairman of the Ron Paul Iowa campaign, called and offered me five minutes with Paul for an interview for the Iowa State Daily.

Upon arrival, Mr. Spiker informed me I'd get my interview after the congressman got a chance to meet everyone and right before he gave his speech. I took a seat near the podium and patiently awaited my turn while the long line of people snaked by, also awaiting their turn to talk to Dr. Paul, and get an autograph or their picture taken with him.

That Ron Paul's supporters love him is obvious. I've met many congressmen before. I've been to a senator's birthday party and even rubbed elbows with two presidents. So I've had plenty of contact with politicians, campaigns and supporters of many candidates over the years.

But none of the campaigns or supporters seem to love their guy like the folks pulling for Paul. A young girl stood up before the whole crowd prior to the congressman's speech and read a report she wrote for her grade school class on her hero, Ron Paul. Her message: I believe in Ron Paul because he believes in me. Powerful stuff.

Then when A.J. Spiker walked over and knelt next to me, I figured something was wrong. The life of politics is one of change, and I assumed my interview was bumped off schedule due to time constraints. But what Mr. Spiker asked me was to become one of the highlights of my political involvement. "Would you be willing to ride with Congressman Paul on the way to the airport?" A silly question in hindsight.

Ron Paul finished his speech, interrupted several times by the enthusiastic crowd, and hurried out the door to catch his plane. Spiker looked at me and gestured toward him. "You're on, get going" was the unspoken message. Rushing to catch up, I followed the congressman to his waiting car. "Here," Paul said, "you hop in this side. I'll go around." Say what? A congressman deferring his seat to a regular guy like me? Someone get me the weather report in Hell, quick.

We got in the SUV and took off. "So," Ron says to me, "what did you think of the speech? Was it OK?" Yes, I told him. I enjoyed it very much. "I hope so. You know," he said with the wave of his hand, settling himself into the backseat, "I feel like I repeat myself a lot. I feel bad that I have to say a lot of the same things all the time, but the message of freedom is important." Clearly this was a humble man I was dealing with here, with a refreshingly human touch of insecurity.

Congressman Paul and I talked casually, like old friends. We chatted about what I was doing in school, what I wanted to do in the future, some of his past trips to Iowa State, and the fast pace of the campaign. We pulled into the Nevada McDonald's. "I'm so hungry" Ron said. "We haven't had time to eat today." Paul had stopped in Dubuque, Clinton and Muscatine before arriving in Nevada.

As we sat in the parking lot waiting for the congressman's value meal, a couple walked by. Illuminated by the dome light overhead, they could see Paul sitting there. The man peered in at us and did a double take, quickly tapping the woman's arm and pointing. The two grinned and waved excitedly, and Paul leaned forward between the front seats and waved back, no doubt making their night. Like I said, Paul's people love him, and it just goes to show that his people are everywhere.

For half an hour, I had private, unscripted access to the libertarian star; the man who seems to be setting much of the Republican agenda these days (auditing the Federal Reserve, ending the war, states' rights, the restoration of individual liberties, etc., are all classic Paul-isms that the "establishment" Republicans are copying). I asked him about the economy, a nuclear Iran, military spending, abortion, Medicare and Social Security, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, gay rights and even the space program.

The information I collected was much more than that expected from my scheduled five-minute interview and far too much for a single article in the Daily. And rather than do injustice to a rare honest and sincere man, I have been given license by my editor to split my report on Paul up into several parts, to allow the congressman to speak for himself instead of reducing him to irrelevant and uninformative sound bytes.

So stay tuned!



Presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, signs a "Don't Tread on Me" hat for a young boy during the Story County GOP's Chili Supper on Tuesday, Sept. 27, in Nevada, Iowa. Paul was the keynote speaker for the GOP's fundraiser supper after spending the day campaigning in eastern Iowa.

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/opinio...cc4c03286.html

[orenbus]

The type of excitement and energy that was seen at LSU is what needs to be encouraged and supported at Iowa State, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa. More important to help foster those students, faculty, staff, friends, families and communities to come out and support grassroots efforts and volunteer on campaign activities as we move into the final months before the caucus and primaries in the early states.



CHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/io...ege-ad-project

[orenbus]

"...this is completely about grassroots, and about you saying what you believe in..."

CHIP IN FOR THE PROJECT: http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/io...ege-ad-project

[rich34]

Is there a chipin for these activities? I'd support this, young peoples passion can convince older people plus their energy is unmatched!

[orenbus]

Is there a chipin for these activities? I'd support this, young peoples passion can convince older people plus their energy is unmatched!

Excellent chipin link is in the original post, here is a link as well, once you donate please post here so we can give you +rep.

http://iowacolleges4rp.chipin.com/io...ege-ad-project

[D.A.S.]

Is there a chipin for these activities? I'd support this, young peoples passion can convince older people plus their energy is unmatched!

The challenge with young people is that they aren't the dominant voting block traditionally - people 50+ are. Yet, we find some of our strongest support in the young people. So, this project is specifically designed to get them signed up and connected to the grassroots, so we can be in touch with them to keep prodding them to get involved and get the vote out.

We need as many college kids supporting Ron Paul as possible to get out and vote - ESPECIALLY in early states! This ad campaign targets precisely that. The chip-in link is in the original post.

Thank you for your support, and we will very much appreciate anything you can afford. This is for Ron Paul! And it's a direct-contact campaign by the grassroots for the grassroots! We MUST win Iowa and win it big.

[orenbus]