What’s Wrong With the Ron Paul Super Brochure?
I am certain that we all have anecdotal stories that seem to discount what I am saying here. Please do not think that I am opposed to your own personal methods of activism. Everyone will have their own unique way of reaching their own sphere of influence. However, discounting the tried and true methods of political activism that have worked for decades–and recently put Rand Paul in the Senate–would be very unwise.
Here’s an excerpt from an earlier article that will help put this all in perspective.
Winning an election is a numbers game. When it comes down to it, a shockingly small segment of the population decides an election. Think about it, among the entire population–for our purposes, let’s say 100 people. Of this group, 60 will be eligible voters (think children, illegals and felons). Of these 60, 40% will be registered to vote, leaving us with 24. Of these 24 voters, 25% will likely turn out on election day. That leaves us with 6 people, of which 3 will vote in the Republican primary. In order to win, you need only 50% +1 of this final pool; this assumes a contest of two candidates. In a primary with multiple candidates, even fewer votes are required for victory. (These numbers are approximate and vary from year to year.)
How We Win
While our activities can take many forms, they must all focus on identifying and influencing this exclusive pool of likely Republican primary voters. For many of us, this requires a whole rewiring of our activism mindset. The time has come to shift from education mode to full-on effective campaigning for Ron Paul!
At iroots.org, we pledge to provide you with the resources and training you’ll need to be the best and most effective activist you can be. So go ahead, jump right in and share your activism success and horror stories and stay tuned…there is so much more to come!
In Liberty,
Aaron Jones
Founder and Activism Coordinator
iroots.org
If you are ready to join with us in this worthy cause, you can help by making a partnership donation to ensure our work continues.
Mark Toffler I’m sorry, but this is just wrong. I don’t even care if the Super Brochure turns people off. IT’S HONEST. Honesty is the NUMBER 1 reason Ron Paul sets himself apart from other candidates, which is in turn the number 1 reason people adore him.
People might not understand what Ron Paul is saying a lot of the time, but they recognize that he is TRULY saying it. He speaks what’s on his mind and he says what he believes and what he honestly wants to do.
If the Super Brochure suffers from too much honesty, so be it. For every 10 uninformed people turned off by it, there will be one informed person who reads it, agrees, and takes it upon themselves to inform 20 of their less-informed friends. This is how the rEVOLution has operated from day one. It’s why the movement grows. Screw this business as usual “numbers game” bullshit.
The truth will set us free.
a few seconds ago · Like
Thanks for the heartfelt response. I just hope everyone will at least consider what we are presenting here. There is an educational battle and a getting-Ron-Paul-elected battle going on. Sometimes they go together and sometimes we have to target our approach.
There is no mystery to how door to door canvassing works. You always find out the opinions of the home before you reveal what you are “selling.” This brochure puts the cart before the horse.
In my opinion, getting Ron Paul elected is the most effective way to educate the greatest number of people. The polls are clear, electoral victory is within reach. Anyone who is a serious activist needs to think about these concepts carefully.
Thanks again!
Why not take atnvadage of the apathy and half-hearted support of Paul’s opponents? It is politics, not mumbly-pegs.I think you should denounce McCain as a warmonger.
Aaron, you make some good points. I just took a minute to look at the Super Brochure and I can say I would not use it as a canvassing tool. The main reason is that it “machine-guns” positions on several issues and, as you stated, if a person has an issue with just one of those positions, you may have just lost a potential supporter.
Think of it this way. If I was trying to meet a girl, would I go up to her and say, “You should go out with me because I’m smart, I have blue eyes, I like sex, I like to read books on economics, I like red wine, cheese, and I’m a libertarian?”. Of course not… but why not? It’s honest, isn’t it?
No matter how honest, it comes across as arrogant, and shows no empathy. I can be just as honest by starting with “Hi, that’s a pretty dress.”
I canvassed for Dr. Paul in 2008 with some success. The average percentage voting for Paul in my city was 5%. In my precinct, it was 14%, so I must have done something right. I had several different issue brochures. The first thing I did at the door was to ask the person who they were considering voting for and why? After starting a conversation, and assessing what was important to them. I handed them a brochure on a specific issue that mirrored a position that the person held.
At the very least, the person came away knowing that I cared about what they think, and knowing that Dr. Paul cares about what they think.
Well said Aaron
“A wise person’s heart controls his speech, and what he says helps others learn.”
http://www.meetup.com/SanDiegoRonPaul/messages/boards/thread/20859982