Lazy Freddy

Fred Thompson said something interesting today:

Thompson, in a brief roundable with Michigan reporters, said he isn’t worried about his late start.

“I don’t know why I have to worry about catching up when most of the polls have me already ahead,” he said.

That's exactly the sort of thinking that'll cost him this election. Polls mean nothing - you and I know that by now. What matters is, to borrow a term from the early Iraq War debate, 'boots on the ground.' Having a solid, energized, sincere base of supporters and activists nationwide. But it's more than just that. It really comes down to those individuals coming together into a cohesive and productive organization. State by state, county by county, precinct by precinct. Freddy's intent seems to be to just coast along and grab the GOP nomination out of the air, and I'd wager that by Thanksgiving, his poll numbers having dropped by 10 points or more, he'll be scrambling to build a real campaign. Or more likely, he'll decide it's too hard, too complicated, too expensive, just too much work. Lazy Freddy... poor guy.

Now to my point: We have three months, people. Three months. That's it. Three months to turn our mobs of rabid freedom lovers into a disciplined campaign with a real plan of action. Now, I'm not suggesting a centralized, top-down campaign like the other guys will run. Those are indeed expensive, because after all, they're bought and paid for, unlike our spontaneous and passionate volunteerism. Meetup.com has become a hub of activity alongside other sites such as DP and RPF, and that is well and good, but these do not a national campaign make. What will win this for us is the good will and the participation of the average 'middle America' Joe or Jane. To earn that, we have much work to do. Three months to get the supply lines in place, the troops recruited, trained, and armed, and our battle plans laid and war-gamed. And those in the early voting states have even less time. The final weeks before any vote are when the voters are won.

There's a question in the point above, also. How strongly do you want to be free? Strong enough to put an extra few hours here and there into the campaign, above what you're already doing? Strong enough to overcome fears, squelch anxieties, and approach complete strangers and try to earn their vote? Do you believe in our message firmly enough to dig just a little deeper into your pocket, give up a luxury, buy the cheaper version, drop your change in a jar every evening, and really give the Good Doctor the tools and resources he needs?

I am learning a lot about nitty gritty campaigning even in just the first two weeks as a regional coordinator. It's a frightening amount of work. I have eight counties, and I estimate about 130,000-150,000 voters to appeal to. Those of you taking up the task in more populated areas are in even deeper. But there's no reason on this good earth we can't pull this off. We have the greatest message and the most worthwhile candidate any national election has seen in living memory. All we need are the right attitude, the right work ethic, and the right approach. I urge all who truly want liberty within their lifetimes to GET MOVING. To that end, I have a few small suggestions, and would love to hear more from all of you.


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