Get the Low Hanging Fruit, FIRST!

[ronpaulhawaii]

Many activists only like to be involved in dramatic (sexy) type activities. Ignoring the retail politics and basic necessities of winning elections. Here is a case in point:

A local GOTV leader went to a grassroots "signwave" the other day and found out the event organizer, who was out there waving signs for 5 hours, was NOT EVEN REGISTERED TO VOTE, and the deadline is tomorrow...

C'mon folks. Get the low hanging fruit FIRST!

[sailingaway]

you might want to be more specific on where the low hanging fruit is..... we should take voter registration cards, pens and stamps to sign waves?

Colleges? (my thought)

[eleganz]

Every Ron Paul supporter should be registering those that like RP and wish to vote for him. Simple as that.

Low hanging fruit!

[ronpaulhawaii]

In this case it was good for the GOTV leader to stop by. What we are encouraging here is "signwaves" in high FOOT traffic areas. We call them sign waves because more people come out, but they are really voter outreach (and until tomorrow, voter registration) events...

For urban areas there are plenty of high foot traffic choices. For rural areas there are post offices and grocery stores (I usually ask permission from the manager, this will be easier if you are there to do "Voter Registration" and you can put your button back on after asking your mileage may vary.)

[sailingaway]

I was thinking voter registration with a post box (post office works) and a stamp if they mail it immediately..... any problem with us stamping them so they don't get put aside, that you are aware of? Registration isn't specifically for one candidate, so I was figuring there shouldn't be an issue..........

[Shane Harris]

low hanging fruit are local elections to local offices and state offices, and even US representative spots can be low hanging fruit. The Senate is harder but still low hanging fruit compared to the Presidency

[harikaried]

In this case it was good for the GOTV leader to stop by. What we are encouraging here is "signwaves" in high FOOT traffic areas. We call them sign waves because more people come out, but they are really voter outreach (and until tomorrow, voter registration) events...

Indeed. The point of the signwaves are not to convince people to support Ron Paul (sign waves are really bad at that). Sign waves help gather existing Ron Paul supporters and find Ron Paul supporters who haven't been active yet. Once you find them, make sure they're registered to vote for Ron Paul.

We've been holding Ron Paul meetings and sign waves near libraries where they have voter registration forms.

[ronpaulhawaii]

I was thinking voter registration with a post box (post office works) and a stamp if they mail it immediately..... any problem with us stamping them so they don't get put aside, that you are aware of? Registration isn't specifically for one candidate, so I was figuring there shouldn't be an issue..........

There are different laws for each state. In NM we had to become registered "registars". In NY we can get stacks of forms, have people fill them out, collect them and bring them to BoE (or mail them) ourselves. In NYC is best to bring them in because GOP registrations have a disproportional history of getting "lost in the mail"...

[sailingaway]

There are different laws for each state. In NM we had to become registered "registars". In NY we can get stacks of forms, have people fill them out, collect them and bring them to BoE (or mail them) ourselves. In NYC is best to bring them in because GOP registrations have a disproportional history of getting "lost in the mail"...

I'll check but I didn't see anything about having to be registered registrars if we aren't 'collecting' them but are just handing out forms and stamped envelopes and they mail their own. But I will double check.

[ronpaulhawaii]

If you guys can get stacks of forms from places, chances are there is no "registar" issue. The stamped envelopes are good, collecting them and mailing them yourselves even better

[sailingaway]

If you guys can get stacks of forms from places, chances are there is no "registar" issue. The stamped envelopes are good, collecting them and mailing them yourselves even better

I was going to have us right next to a mail box and the stamped envelope is conditional on their mailing it on the spot....the whole point is that they not be put aside. I think there might be requirements if we take personal charge of delivering them, but I will double check the requirements.

[eleganz]

I was thinking voter registration with a post box (post office works) and a stamp if they mail it immediately..... any problem with us stamping them so they don't get put aside, that you are aware of? Registration isn't specifically for one candidate, so I was figuring there shouldn't be an issue..........

Sailing, I know you live in L.A.

It is very important to make copies of the registration forms before mailing them out for voters. We have a deal with the GOP to get paid per registration that we turn in as a group.

Make sure you put your name on the bottom as the person who helped complete it.

Enter registrants on http://www.ronpaullosangeles.com/register.htm to put into our database.

[sailingaway]

Sailing, I know you live in L.A.

It is very important to make copies of the registration forms before mailing them out for voters. We have a deal with the GOP to get paid per registration that we turn in as a group.

Make sure you put your name on the bottom as the person who helped complete it.

Enter registrants on www.ronpaullosangeles.com to put into our database.

oh, I wasn't aware of that. I just wanted to get people registered. If I take custody of the forms do I need to be credentialed? My idea was that if they mailed their own we avoided that.

--
edit, I actually had that site bookmarked, but not that part of it.

[LenMorewood]

you might want to be more specific on where the low hanging fruit is..... we should take voter registration cards, pens and stamps to sign waves?

Colleges? (my thought)

I think the point that was being made is that If even the SIGN WAVERS aren't registered, how can they expect the people who see those signs to bother to vote?

[sailingaway]

I was being facetious, hoping that MOST of our sign wavers are registered, but I've just been thinking of stuff for this area, too.

Welcome to the forums!

[parocks]

you might want to be more specific on where the low hanging fruit is..... we should take voter registration cards, pens and stamps to sign waves?

Colleges? (my thought)

On March 29 and later? Conventions. But, there are still some spots where we can get delegates from election day voters. Colleges, sure, yeah. Classic that the leader of the sign wave wasn't registered to vote.

That's it in a nutshell.

I could type the same 5000 words about "what to do" but it's pretty much too late for that.

Every area should have a "project". There shouldn't be a massive failure where there should be a massive success. If there's a state university in session when the vote takes place, this is something everyone in the state should already know about. The efforts to make sure that tons of people on that campus will be voting should've happened a long time ago. The existence of a college is not a surprise. The buildings were the kids live aren't on wheels. Skip everything else but those projects. Most of the time the projects should be a college.

Start a goal that we need accomplished. We need those kids in the dorms to vote. The kids at the college the university to vote. And then you have a plan to accomplish that. In most cases, we are so very far from that. And we never really were very close to that ever.

An unregistered voter leading a Ron Paul Sign Wave is Classic Ron Paul Grassroots.

Sign Waves are pretty much pointless. Voting is necessary.

People even here aren't focused on votes and voting. "How does this get VOTES for Ron Paul?" is often not asked or answered.

"Let's have a march on Tampa!"

"How does this get VOTES for Ron Paul? Don't the delegates that we're trying to persuade inside the building hate Kokesh? Why are we affiliating with this when it hurts Ron Paul?"

"blah blah ... founding fathers ... blah blah ... enjoy ... blah blah ... Gandhi ... blah blah ... creative outlet ... blah blah ... happy"

"WE NEED VOTES"

[parocks]

I think the point that was being made is that If even the SIGN WAVERS aren't registered, how can they expect the people who see those signs to bother to vote?

It seems like another, accurate, "WE SUCK" post. And yep, we do, at least in this phase. Getting delegates, doing well at local and state conventions, we are good at, or we seem to be so far.

Do other campaigns do massive sign waves? Normal people think that's kinda crazy.

[PolicyReader]

Many activists only like to be involved in dramatic (sexy) type activities. Ignoring the retail politics and basic necessities of winning elections. Here is a case in point:

A local GOTV leader went to a grassroots "signwave" the other day and found out the event organizer, who was out there waving signs for 5 hours, was NOT EVEN REGISTERED TO VOTE, and the deadline is tomorrow...

C'mon folks. Get the low hanging fruit FIRST!

In this case it was good for the GOTV leader to stop by. What we are encouraging here is "signwaves" in high FOOT traffic areas. We call them sign waves because more people come out, but they are really voter outreach (and until tomorrow, voter registration) events...

For urban areas there are plenty of high foot traffic choices. For rural areas there are post offices and grocery stores (I usually ask permission from the manager, this will be easier if you are there to do "Voter Registration" and you can put your button back on after asking your mileage may vary.)

Now this is a ground game.

[sailingaway]

On March 29 and later? Conventions. But, there are still some spots where we can get delegates from election day voters. Colleges, sure, yeah. Classic that the leader of the sign wave wasn't registered to vote.

That's it in a nutshell.

I could type the same 5000 words about "what to do" but it's pretty much too late for that.

Every area should have a "project". There shouldn't be a massive failure where there should be a massive success. If there's a state university in session when the vote takes place, this is something everyone in the state should already know about. The efforts to make sure that tons of people on that campus will be voting should've happened a long time ago. The existence of a college is not a surprise. The buildings were the kids live aren't on wheels. Skip everything else but those projects. Most of the time the projects should be a college.

Start a goal that we need accomplished. We need those kids in the dorms to vote. The kids at the college the university to vote. And then you have a plan to accomplish that. In most cases, we are so very far from that. And we never really were very close to that ever.

An unregistered voter leading a Ron Paul Sign Wave is Classic Ron Paul Grassroots.

Sign Waves are pretty much pointless. Voting is necessary.

People even here aren't focused on votes and voting. "How does this get VOTES for Ron Paul?" is often not asked or answered.

"Let's have a march on Tampa!"

"How does this get VOTES for Ron Paul? Don't the delegates that we're trying to persuade inside the building hate Kokesh? Why are we affiliating with this when it hurts Ron Paul?"

"blah blah ... founding fathers ... blah blah ... enjoy ... blah blah ... Gandhi ... blah blah ... creative outlet ... blah blah ... happy"

"WE NEED VOTES"

In CA the primary isn't until June. People are just starting to pay attention and most of the debate/introduction interview stuff is done. That's why I put the Des Moines Register interview on the front page. There are people who don't REALLY research until right before they vote.

The first question is 'who is still really IN it?' but I am hoping we will have caucus state delegate numbers of some sort before the election.

The point is, if Mitt DOESN'T have enough on the first ballot, who do you want, voter?

[parocks]

In CA the primary isn't until June. People are just starting to pay attention and most of the debate/introduction interview stuff is done. That's why I put the Des Moines Register interview on the front page. There are people who don't REALLY research until right before they vote.

The first question is 'who is still really IN it?' but I am hoping we will have caucus state delegate numbers of some sort before the election.

The point is, if Mitt DOESN'T have enough on the first ballot, who do you want, voter?

I do often overstate the case about how we have a chance at the conventions, but very little outside of the conventions. I'm sorta throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It's not all bad. All this talking to random people on the street might be training for talking to delegates in conventions.

The conventions are not where everyone sits down in front of the tv and absorbs what they're saying. It's people who are making the arguments.

Yeah, Romney is electable.

Because Americans love the 1%
Because Americans want to vote for the guy that Goldman Sachs likes
Because Americans are getting Kolob-mania

And there's a lot more, and the tv isn't really addressing these things. We'll have that opportunity in Tampa and we have that opportunity in state conventions.

Most random street level campaigning is pretty pointless at this time. If everyone in California decided that 1 CD was the best to win, and everyone worked on that, we might get it. But everybody in CA spread out and working on their own thing is not as likely to get any success at all. It doesn't really appear that there is any thought being given to trying to figure out what CD or CDs might be winnable.

In CA, there are likely districts in LA that are almost entirely Democrat. The numbers of people who voted in the Republican primary in 2008 were likely very small. Find those CDs. Are there any of those precincts with colleges in them?

[MelissaCato]

Getting people to register is easy. Most register if you do all the work. I take the forms along when I canvass, let them fill 'em out, (they must provide a phone number to confirm) then drop them off at the voters office. The ladies in the office call to verify the voters registration. The people get their card in a few days. A bunch of people told me they had their cards in 3-4 days. The hard part is getting them to the polls.

[PolicyReader]

bump