Posted on 09/19/2011 10:57:28 AM PDT by SarahPalin2012
Hello. Like most of you, I've had it up to here with Dear Leader. It's good to laugh at him and criticize, etc., but when he keeps insisting on destroying America (latest proposal of huge tax increases), it's hard to bear. I know that those tax increases probably won't come to pass (for now anyway), it's just hateful that he is that clueless/evil.
So, I see that in Virginia 10,000 signatures (400 from each district) are required to run for Senate. I will be voting for George Allen, so I don't mean anytime soon. But for the future sometime, how do candidates go about getting the signatures? Does the GOP do it for them (they must have a system of workers/volunteers. Is it possible to utilize what's in place for a non-traditional candidate (as I am UBER-conservative, the GOP probably won't want to help me even down the road). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
These days, I think you send some brothers down to the polling places with clubs and clipboards.
You do it yourself or find people to help you. If you have money you hire people to help you.
You do it yourself or find people to help you. If you have money you hire people to help you.
Pen and paper works pretty well.
First, open a “FREE BEER” stand in a preferred marketing location.
Second, hire interior decorator for your new office.
SarahPalin2012,
Assuming for a moment that you could be the REAL Sarah Palin, I just have to add this:
Sarah, you don’t have to wait. We’re behind you!
:)
If you intend to vote for George Allen, then volunteer to work for his campaign. They will accept your help and there you can learn the ins and outs of how to run for office.
Get to know County level GOP committee chairs - once they’re on-board, they can help you with getting enough signatures for ballot petitions.
There are others where only hiring specialists who go door to door will yield the needed signatures. And even then, you hsve to collect extras because many of those you collect will be thrown out for various reasons (illegible, not registered in the proper locale or party, etc.)
In some areas, the two party duopoly makes it even tougher by decreeing that the signatures must be collected over a fairly short time frame. You need an organization and plan in place before you start. Good luck!
“But for the future sometime, how do candidates go about getting the signatures?”
First, I would get deeply active in your state Tea Party movement. I mean, get REALLY active. Become indispensable. Be ever-present at meetings. Meet the people already involved, take them out to lunch. Let people know you.
As for your state’s GOP, that is probably for the more “upper crust” elites, the Old Guard. But the Tea movement is so new there isn’t an Old Guard yet. There are open places, places to make a difference. Make every effort to meet the right people. The Tea movement is grass-roots enough so that anyone can find a place right now.
In my opinion, this is the best way to get your name out there for a possible future run.
There’s pretty much a “ladder” for achieving a higher office like Senator. Unless you’ve made a fortune you can invest in a ‘dry run’ like Mark Warner did in ‘94, you have to start at the bottom.
Get active in some politically oriented group(s) in your community and achieve a leadership position there, join your local Republican committee, attend fundraisers and/or rallies. Once you’ve established your reputation locally, run for a local office, i.e., your county’s govt or school board, even the water board.
You have to become known. Once you are known, and assuming you develop a reputation as someone who can get things done and is perceived as electable, the signatures become nothing to worry about.
You don’t have to vote for George Allen, you can vote for a conservative.
If you need to ask, you shouldn’t be running for office.
You have to axe, Sarah?
KiI is right - get involved in your local county central committee and Tea Party/912ers well before the signature deadline and cultivate some workers. I have never heard of central committees themselves getting a candidate’s signatures so it will be up to you or your campaign chair to organize that. Have your team ready to hit the ground running.
Know the ‘drop-dead’ date for turning those in and give yourself at least 3 months before that to start collecting them if possible. Iowa has official signature petitions you can download and print. Those must be used to be legit. Your state may differ. Iowa’s deadline for most offices is March. Make sure you get extras.
You can get voter lists from your secretary of state to identify GOP households for a target-rich signature environment. Always make your effort the most productive and efficient as possible.
And as EDINVA says, it’s hard to start at the top. Some states you can do that. I’ve seen it done here in Iowa, VA strikes me as more difficult. I would definitely not take on a bigger race than what you can handle and conceivably win. A statewide race will be tough and exhausting.
Free Vulacn, in VA, earlier in the year there was a “Tea Party” candidate who was going to challenge George Allen for the GOP Senate nomination. Total unknown. Don’t know where she is now, but Allen is the nominee.
Even current sitting D Senator Mark Warner used his vast fortune to build name recognition. Years ago (it wasn’t ‘94 as I previously stated; that year was Ollie North v Chuck Robb) he ran against John Warner. Mark Warner knew he had not the proverbial snowball’s chance to win, but he sure did establish name ID and was ready to go when John Warner retired. It’s a very tough state to win statewide.
I’ve seen a lot of people with clipboards soliciting at commuter train stations (kind of a captive audience). I don’t know if they had to have permission to be there.
They were usually soliciting on behalf of someone whose petition I wouldn’t have been caught dead signing. At my denial, their usual argument was that everyone deserved a chance to run, so it wasn’t fair for me to refuse to sign the petition, thereby depriving the would-be candidate of his rights. I have no way of knowing how many of the people who signed were convinced by that argument.
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