The responsibility of a delegate entails more than just nominating the president.
Submitted by Gmartine on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 19:56I have become a delegate in CO and was a delegate last election in NV.
What I have learned from this whole process is that there is more to being a delegate than just supporting Ron Paul which of course is without question. But also at the conventions we will be nominating which republicans will be on the general election ballot from local commissioners, regents and even determining the party platform.
What I have also noticed is that Ron Paul supporters are rarely at regular republican events. We recently had a local republican meet and greet to meet the commissioner candidates. I set up a recent RP meetup for a republican event and we had a lot of young bloods show up and the party chair even approached me and was praising me on bringing so many new people to the party event. The people I helped bring to the event were grilling the candidates and in the end it was a success in determining which commissioner candidates we will support. One of them was even agreeing about ending the FED.
My point is that we not only need to work for Ron Paul but we have to work within the party to elect liberty minded individuals locally and be as involved as possible to gain credibility within the rank and file who have been active in the party long before 2007.
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If you are a delegate make sure you fill out your intent to run form that many caucuse state GOP's make you fill out to be a national delegate. Also you need to pay for badge fees. These are usually due before the conventions so you need to check with your local GOP to make sure you have all forms and payments completed.
Coordinate with your other local Ron Paul delegates to determine who wants to go to the national convention.
Even if you are not a delegate you can be a tremendous help. Try to get a hold of the delegate list that are sometimes posted on your local GOP website. These people are who you need to call/mail/canvass to.
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I also want to mention that when you are at your caucus you need to not only volunteer to be a state delegate, but county delegate and congressional district delegate if there is one available. This will give you more leverage over the local candidate's primaries.
Yes! Tisha Casida...
will be at Loaded Joe's, in Avon on Saturday, at 10 am.
Don't know where you are, but if you can make it....
AWESOME! So glad I'm no longer in Polis' district!
"The only thing we die with is our own personal integrity!" LRH
Vail, CO
Eagle County Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/freedomforeaglecounty/
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Tisha is amazing. I went to her meeting in GJ, CO and heard her speak. Ironically it was at a discreet mason lodge (lol). Every RP supporter should check her out as she is Colorado's Brenda Medina. She is extremely brilliant and is very beautiful.
Bump
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Good advice...
Honestly, at this point it almost seems to me that it would be better to start using party events less than the meetups.
In 2008, there were too few of us who really understood how it all worked. There are enough now that understand the process that it makes sense to take new RP people directly into the party events and teach them how it works.
In 2008, we were also far more marginalized than we are in 2012. But from hearing all kinds of stories, the party folks actually start to be interested in Ron Paul when lots of civil Ron Paul people show up and help grow the party.
Those areas where Ron Paul people took over the local party should be used as a model.
The Philosophy Of Liberty -
http://www.jonathangullible.com/mmedia/PoL.English.The.Philo...
meetups
Meetups are useful for organizing on our one issue of RP 2012, in terms of primary/caucus delegate strategy.
Beyond that, you are right we should go directly into the GOP meetings. I have been regularly attending GOP meetings, am a precinct chair, and now I am the GOP.
http://FlipFlopRomney.blogspot.com
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Your point is right on the mark. If anyone else has a meetup group that hasn't had a caucus please stress to them how important it is to show up and become a delegate, alternate delegate, precinct captain or even an election judge. I regret not stressing this more as we probably only had about 20% of my meetup become delegates. I am lucky however to have RP supporters that tried but didn't become delegates but still want to be active in informing the delegates that our local GOP posted on their website of Dr. Paul's views.
Also advise them that there is more than one type of delegate. There are delegates to county conventions, state conventions and congressional district conventions so have them sign up for all delegate spots.
county
Do you have a county convention? If so, keep reading: most of the rules will say something like "only those who attended caucus may participate at county". If enough primary delegates don't show to county, the delegates AND ANYONE STANDING AROUND WHO HAD ATTENDED CAUCUS will be able to be seated (at least as an alternate) at county. It is plausible those people can get alternate slots to the state convention, and may be able to be seated there.
Summary: have some people show up at county, as they might get seated.
http://FlipFlopRomney.blogspot.com
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We have our county delegate and state delegates posted on our local GOP website. Every RP supporter should check their local GOP website for this info and if you cannot get it reach out to your precinct captains for this info to confirm you are listed as a delegate or alt. I am listed for all state, county and district delegations so I am good but I am working with our other RP delegates to try and get them voting rights at the county convention where we will confirm state delegates.
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I see a lot of people complaining about straw polls but unless everyone is being very active within the GOP all those complaints are moot. The local leaderships can be swayed to support RP if you get enough delegates organized to make a strong voting bloc at the conventions. The candidates for local office are begging delegates for support as they are also in primary races. This is our chance to force them and their supporters to support RP delegates for the state conventions.
We have access to delegate names and addresses via the local GOP website. I hope this is also the case for other caucus states. We are going to target these specific persons for brochures and campaign door knocking.