Interesting article that backs the claim of Rand having incredible ground game in Iowa

[kbs021]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...iowa/77746152/

"Unlike most other groups, the two group supporting Paul focused the majority of spending on making phone calls, paying field canvassers and printing door hangers. In Iowa, the group has spent more than $2.5 million to pay field canvassers and another $27,500 on voter files, data and outreach tools."

Looking at the other spending from opposing campaigns, it seems that the claims of the great ground game may ,in fact, be true. I do believe they got the name of one of Rand's pacs wrong though. Should be America's Liberty Pac I believe instead of Religious liberty pac. While other campaigns have been focused on ads, mailing, etc. The Rand camp have a large amounts of boots on the ground. I actually saw some posts today about several Students for Rand groups heading to Iowa to spend the rest of their break volunteering in Iowa. I am getting extremely excited about Iowa. It also seems like Phone Banking has been going very well.

[devil21]

bump

[hells_unicorn]

If all of this is going as they say, in order to maintain their "reputations", the polling companies will start to show Rand's numbers going up within the next couple weeks, probably towards the middle of the month. Either that, or they will find some sort of idiotic statement from the several dozen that Trump has made and point to that as his so-called Dean Scream in order to justify him losing.

Again, all hypothetical, but this story is definitely encouraging.

[Liberty74]

I will repeat this again, a ground game is over rated. It doesn't and will not translate into a win. What matters is how the media reports you and it's viewer's perception of you.

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

[LatinsforPaul]

I will repeat this again, a ground game is over rated. It doesn't and will not translate into a win. What matters is how the media reports you and it's viewer's perception of you.

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

Not the only one but definitely the best one. Rand and his campaign have very little effect on how the media reports on him as most of the MSM is bias against him. I agree that Rand needs to win Iowa so the viewers perception of him can change from a liberty candidate who can't win to a constitutional candidate who has won and can win.

[nikcers]

I will repeat this again, a ground game is over rated. It doesn't and will not translate into a win. What matters is how the media reports you and it's viewer's perception of you.

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

Donald Trump is that you?

Donald Trump’s Iowa Supporters Not Sure They’ll Show Up At The Iowa Caucuses

“In the end, everything that he’s saying might not happen if he is elected — but I’m willing to give it a shot,” said Randy Reynolds, 49, who used to vote for Democrats but switched to Republicans a decade ago. “I will give him 100 percent. . . . It would be amazing if the majority of things that he said would actually happen. That would be amazing.”
So, obviously, the couple plan to caucus for Trump on Feb. 1?
“We’re going to see,” Reynolds said. “With kids and grandkids and all this, it’s kind of hectic. . . . We’ll look into it. If our time is available, then yeah, maybe we’ll do it. Maybe. We’ll have to see.

[RonPaulMall]

I will repeat this again, a ground game is over rated. It doesn't and will not translate into a win. What matters is how the media reports you and it's viewer's perception of you.

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

A strong ground game is definitely a necessary condition for any Liberty Candidate to prevail. It is not a sufficient condition by any means, but without a strong ground game a Liberty Candidate has no hope. The ground game is the one area of the Paul campaign that I am truly impressed with. If everything else about Paul's campaign were as good as his ground game we'd be up 20 points right now.

[69360]

I will repeat this again, a ground game is over rated. It doesn't and will not translate into a win. What matters is how the media reports you and it's viewer's perception of you.

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

I tend to agree. Somebody can knock on a door and ask you to vote for Rand, but if they see on TV that he is polling 2% and won't win they aren't going to vote for him. Boobus likes to vote for winners.

[kbs021]

I tend to agree. Somebody can knock on a door and ask you to vote for Rand, but if they see on TV that he is polling 2% and won't win they aren't going to vote for him. Boobus likes to vote for winners.

WE are talking about the Iowa caucus here.. Ground game is VERY important. GOTV isn't as important in other states, but in Iowa it is key. The fact that Rand Campaign had over 5000 college student pledges months ago is huge! They are not only door knocking, but also organizing transportation.

[hells_unicorn]

Donald Trump is that you?

Donald Trump’s Iowa Supporters Not Sure They’ll Show Up At The Iowa Caucuses

I'm surprised that any of Trump's "supporters" actually know what a caucus is.

[idiom]

We need to outright win the straw poll, not just the delegate game.

Then the sparks will fly.

[LatinsforPaul]

We need to outright win the straw poll, not just the delegate game.

Then the sparks will fly.

Agree 100%, we need a Caucus win plus a delegate win in Iowa. But be prepared if Rand's campaign pulls out a win in Iowa. The MSM will blame the win on the college kids and dismiss him so that he doesn't get any momentum for New Hampshire. We will then have to push harder to give Rand a top three in New Hampshire.

[r3volution 3.0]

WE are talking about the Iowa caucus here.. Ground game is VERY important. GOTV isn't as important in other states, but in Iowa it is key. The fact that Rand Campaign had over 5000 college student pledges months ago is huge! They are not only door knocking, but also organizing transportation.

Yup

[Joeinmo]

I will repeat this again, a ground game is over rated. It doesn't and will not translate into a win. What matters is how the media reports you and it's viewer's perception of you.

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

in 2011 between Dec 14 and Dec 20 Rick Santorum was at 4-6% - he had no media attention it was all Romney and Gingrich, but Santorum practically lived in Iowa campaigning - come caucus night he was in a 3 way tie for first.

its always ground game in Iowa but polling is even harder with even fewer land lines than there were in 2012 and 2011.

[69360]

in 2011 between Dec 14 and Dec 20 Rick Santorum was at 4-6% - he had no media attention it was all Romney and Gingrich, but Santorum practically lived in Iowa campaigning - come caucus night he was in a 3 way tie for first.

its always ground game in Iowa but polling is even harder with even fewer land lines than there were in 2012 and 2011.

That isn't the same. Frothy benifitted from a push poll and the resulting huge media coverage. Rand won't get either.

Cruz and Trump are both polling around 30 and Rand is polling 1 and 2. That is just about insurmountable no matter how many doors are knocked on.

Kids are notoriously unreliable voters. Old people vote in caucuses.

I'd like Rand to win. I am going to vote for him. But I won't have hopium blown up my ass about how he is winning and the polls lie.

[CPUd]

That isn't the same. Frothy benifitted from a push poll and the resulting huge media coverage. Rand won't get either.

Cruz and Trump are both polling around 30 and Rand is polling 1 and 2. That is just about insurmountable no matter how many doors are knocked on.

Kids are notoriously unreliable voters. Old people vote in caucuses.

I'd like Rand to win. I am going to vote for him. But I won't have hopium blown up my ass about how he is winning and the polls lie.

Rand will end up #1 or #2 in Iowa.

[kbs021]

That isn't the same. Frothy benifitted from a push poll and the resulting huge media coverage. Rand won't get either.

Cruz and Trump are both polling around 30 and Rand is polling 1 and 2. That is just about insurmountable no matter how many doors are knocked on.

Kids are notoriously unreliable voters. Old people vote in caucuses.

I'd like Rand to win. I am going to vote for him. But I won't have hopium blown up my ass about how he is winning and the polls lie.

Your right in that this year is different.... Campus organization is key due to school being in session. Students for Rand are basically unmatched. They are likely to get upwards of 7k student votes alone. They are organizing transportation and WILL be getting the students there, I can guarantee it. Don't doubt brother, We can win Iowa. These polls are drastically undercutting youth vote and independent votes. We can do this.

[Liberty74]

in 2011 between Dec 14 and Dec 20 Rick Santorum was at 4-6% - he had no media attention it was all Romney and Gingrich, but Santorum practically lived in Iowa campaigning - come caucus night he was in a 3 way tie for first.

its always ground game in Iowa but polling is even harder with even fewer land lines than there were in 2012 and 2011.

Total rubbish. Santorum had no ground game. No one in Iowa was giving Santorum a first though except his 8%. Ron Paul rose to the top to 24% in Iowa early December. ALL HELL BROKE LOSE. The media needed Ron's replacement as so many rose and fell...Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann, Cain. The only real option left was Santorum. All the right wing talk radio went nuclear on Ron - I'm assuming on purpose and with purpose by an ORDER. CNN then puts out a Republican only poll that showed Santorum like at 12%. The MEMO across the state controlled news was that Santorum was surging. That manufactured surge is what pushed Santorum into first place knocking Ron out. Again, had nothing to do with Santorum living in Iowa as he was literally going no where. That is why I said what matters most is HOW THE MEDIA REPORTS YOU is what determines your positive and negative ratings. Ron's rating reversed from like 60/40 to 35/65. The rest was history...

[Mad Raven]

I guess 7,000 student votes is great, if they all show up, but aren't there like 120,000 voters who turn out?

[Keith and stuff]

And it's not like Rand has the only ground game either.

True. There are 30 Kasich folks in NH, 30 Bush folks and so on. Neither of them are even in the top 3 in NH.

[kbs021]

I guess 7,000 student votes is great, if they all show up, but aren't there like 120,000 voters who turn out?

Absolutely, however, being able to have close to 10 percent of the vote by way of 17-29 year olds is huge. They are working on cementing 2012 Ron Paul supporters as well. If they can do both, we probably win Iowa.

[LatinsforPaul]

I guess 7,000 student votes is great, if they all show up, but aren't there like 120,000 voters who turn out?

Don't be surprised when Rand gets more than the 26,036 caucus votes that Ron got in 2012.

[Lord Xar]

Total rubbish. Santorum had no ground game. No one in Iowa was giving Santorum a first though except his 8%. Ron Paul rose to the top to 24% in Iowa early December. ALL HELL BROKE LOSE. The media needed Ron's replacement as so many rose and fell...Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann, Cain. The only real option left was Santorum. All the right wing talk radio went nuclear on Ron - I'm assuming on purpose and with purpose by an ORDER. CNN then puts out a Republican only poll that showed Santorum like at 12%. The MEMO across the state controlled news was that Santorum was surging. That manufactured surge is what pushed Santorum into first place knocking Ron out. Again, had nothing to do with Santorum living in Iowa as he was literally going no where. That is why I said what matters most is HOW THE MEDIA REPORTS YOU is what determines your positive and negative ratings. Ron's rating reversed from like 60/40 to 35/65. The rest was history...

winner winner, chicken dinner. To me, the Santorum surge was manufactured and its sole purpose was to thwart Ron Pauls momentum. Once that was done, he was discarded for the their puppet, Romney.

Rand will get none of this, he will not get the media attention, he will not get any favors. Infact, he probably won't even make the next debate. They do NOT want any liberty lovers cracking the top 5.... too many sheep woke up last time, they don't want any more leaving the farm.

[thatpeculiarcat]

I've been making a fuss about the need for media attention and questioning how good the ground game really is, so this article is somewhat comforting.
The fact that school is in session is a pretty big deal, but I think 7K students is way too generous. It's already been stated that students are not reliable voters--last IA caucus this forum went banana nut crunch over students not showing up.

We have the best ground game in IA, I'll conceded it and willfully so. But like others have mentioned, if we don't get positive media attention we will not poll well, nor will we win the straw vote outright. Santorum was a fabrication of the media, Rand won't be. Expect the media to throw every candidate in the sheeple's face. We'll hear about how great Ben Carson is a second time before we even get fair coverage of our guy.

[kbs021]

I've been making a fuss about the need for media attention and questioning how good the ground game really is, so this article is somewhat comforting.
The fact that school is in session is a pretty big deal, but I think 7K students is way too generous. It's already been stated that students are not reliable voters--last IA caucus this forum went banana nut crunch over students not showing up.

We have the best ground game in IA, I'll conceded it and willfully so. But like others have mentioned, if we don't get positive media attention we will not poll well, nor will we win the straw vote outright. Santorum was a fabrication of the media, Rand won't be. Expect the media to throw every candidate in the sheeple's face. We'll hear about how great Ben Carson is a second time before we even get fair coverage of our guy.

I hear ya on the media coverage point. I do think that Rand Paul having a great digital media team will help with this, but yes, the media coverage is keeping up from the top right now. The rush, hannity, etc. coverage has been terrible just on the fact they always state that Trump, Cruz, Carson are the outsiders (always ignored).

I disagree with the youth vote comment. The goal is 10k students... This organization is unlike anything I have ever seen before on the campuses. MUCH better than Ron's. They are almost criminally (kidding) organized. They have freaking Dorm room leaders... They have Student for Rand leaders embedded in the campuses. Cliff Maloney Jr. is the main guy for this group and he is tearing it up. I have heard from Rand Paul's mouth that they had 5000k committed to caucus in October I believe. I also heard Rand state they will be focused on "getting them there" as well. I actually think they will get close to 10k and that is crazy huge. I don't see turnout being an issue this time... These groups are extremely peer driven and they will be knocking caucus night ready to drive them to the caucuses... It's going to be crazy.

[Jeffster]

Total rubbish. Santorum had no ground game. No one in Iowa was giving Santorum a first though except his 8%. Ron Paul rose to the top to 24% in Iowa early December. ALL HELL BROKE LOSE. The media needed Ron's replacement as so many rose and fell...Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann, Cain. The only real option left was Santorum. All the right wing talk radio went nuclear on Ron - I'm assuming on purpose and with purpose by an ORDER. CNN then puts out a Republican only poll that showed Santorum like at 12%. The MEMO across the state controlled news was that Santorum was surging. That manufactured surge is what pushed Santorum into first place knocking Ron out. Again, had nothing to do with Santorum living in Iowa as he was literally going no where. That is why I said what matters most is HOW THE MEDIA REPORTS YOU is what determines your positive and negative ratings. Ron's rating reversed from like 60/40 to 35/65. The rest was history...

Wow, that's some severe revisionist history there. The "state controlled news" did not force a bunch of people to show up and caucus for Santorum.

[XNavyNuke]

But be prepared if Rand's campaign pulls out a win in Iowa. The MSM will blame the win on the college kids and dismiss him so that he doesn't get any momentum for New Hampshire. We will then have to push harder to give Rand a top three in New Hampshire.

That will be a horrible problem, won't it?

XNN

[laissez faire]

Don't be surprised when Rand gets more than the 26,036 caucus votes that Ron got in 2012.

Like the optimism but why? I would be thrilled with 10% and 4th place.

[RDM]

in 2011 between Dec 14 and Dec 20 Rick Santorum was at 4-6% - he had no media attention it was all Romney and Gingrich, but Santorum practically lived in Iowa campaigning - come caucus night he was in a 3 way tie for first.

its always ground game in Iowa but polling is even harder with even fewer land lines than there were in 2012 and 2011.

That had nothing to do with ground game. What took place in Iowa was that "secret" religious faction thing they got going there. There are "code words" used to describe a candidate by well respected individuals worshipped by the religious faction. They direct that attention toward one candidate.

The reason Cruz is polling high in Iowa right now is when King endorsed Cruz, in his speech he said: "Cruz is the answer to our country's prayers".

" Country's prayers" was the code word for religious leaders and their congregations to rally around.

[thatpeculiarcat]

Wow, that's some severe revisionist history there. The "state controlled news" did not force a bunch of people to show up and caucus for Santorum.

What's revisionist about it?