Comments on: Greens learn “lessons of an Obama field organizer”

By: Edward

Edward — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Darryl,

As Rob would point out. If you don’t want to phone or knock on doors, that’s fine, go somewhere else. Your energy will be much better spent working for an NGO, and there’s no shortage of them out there that you can support. If the Greens are going to get elected we need to work harder and ID voters.

The lessons learned here are what the Greens need, strong organizational advice. We already have good policy. We have good messages and things to say to voters. Now we need to spread the word and gain as many votes as possible.

- e

By: bluegreenblogger

bluegreenblogger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:47:06 +0000

@Daryl,
sorry it took awhile to respond. I don’t agree that the green door knockers and speed diallers are empty headed. In my experience, very few people who are actively engaged in Politics, in any Party or organisation are empty headed. You must however bow to the reality that when conducting outreach, the majority of electors are pretty empty headed when it comes to exercising their sovereignty, (ie voting).
If you follow the Obama campaign as described by Rob, the early part of the campaign was about persuasion, and convincing people. The speed dialling and door knocking has a purpose. To identify by name those people who had already decided to vote for Obama. This is to support the subsequent GOTV effort. This is the real world of politics. It is highly competetive, and with so many billions of dollars at stake, it is no surprise that it takes more than great policy, and caring patient canvassers to win elections.
I don’t understand why you are so very critical of political mechanics like myself who genuinely care about outcomes, and want to make their desired outcome happen. It is way more fun to take a leusurely stroll down the road, and engage in deep discussion at the door step. It’s just that it gets you worse results than wearing out shoe leather, and having hurried conversation about voting intention.
As far as the off-topic Toronto advantage, I am supporting a totally unexpected candidate, who is not Ms. Charisma, but is a very skilled and experienced manager. She will be disadvantaged by the Toronto location, unless some cheesy mechanic like myself happens to have created a great ID GOTV campaign, to go along with the field team, and persuasion campaigners. I think that Frank has simply left it too late. Being steeped in GPO infighting for over a decade can dull the knowledge that the GPC is stuffed full of people who aren’t engaged, but will become so when they are politely asked. This is a failing of 99% ( and I don’t exaggerate that number) of Green Party activists. Those with whom they are accustomed to engaging are a tiny minority of the skills, and passion that exists within the current and past party membership.
As you have gathered by now, I cannot name names yet. Circumstances are still too fluid, and the terms of the race are nowhere near being set. Without more certainty as to timing, and the mechanical details of the race, the candidacy has to remain sub-rosa.

By: Daryl Vernon

Daryl Vernon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:19:28 +0000

blue’ & chris, how good of you to completely avoid the gist of my comments — come on, you two, any fool can see what needs to be done with retail campaigning, how about some concurrent injection of content, but what’s this nonsense, the dupish appeal to obamaiacs? lack of a smiley face does not mean grumpy, i’m rather smiling myself just now, but there is not all that much to be expected from empty-headed doorknockers and speed-dialers

green politics has apparently attracted this past decade or so a gross imbalance of people who just like the fun or mechanics of Cdn. politics, when greens are shut out as thoroughly as they are and are likely to continue to be, assimilating to those mechanics, esp. with American inspiration (woe is us that we think we need Americans so much — that includes Shreiner, no? — even Eliz. — i remember i gave him some free consultation advice (as i do for everyone, don’t you know it) many years ago about starting up in the local organic food distribution business, looks like what i said must have been of some encouragement, so when i see him resurface as a politico, i extend an online greeting and…he stays mum…that’s ok, but didn’t look too good on him — good luck with ont. greens, what a wreck in de jong’s wake); so when greens are so shut out, it is precisely NOT in an electorally assimilating vein that they should be primarily operating to get worthy attention, but, you know, those low expectations…

but low expectations should not have to have been had for ont greens, although now it’s too late i think — i dunno, good luck, but i’m afraid i doubt it will come to much

a bit off topic, blue’, are you at liberty to openly at least hint at whom you think might seek gpc leadership with that toronto advantage? you can email me privately if you wish

By: Chris Tindal

Chris Tindal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:49:28 +0000

@bluegreenblogger Yes, Rob is a huge asset. What doesn't come across in my account is how engaging and funny he is.

By: bluegreenblogger

bluegreenblogger — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:06:13 +0000

Goodness Daryl, why the grumpy face? We live where we live, and our democracy functions this way. We can be revolutionaries, and try to trash the system, or we can set out to acheive our goals within it. They’re both revolutionary, but the second route is winnable.
Anyhow, I wish i had been there. Rob seems pretty talented. I certainly buy into the door knock, or telephone, or stop wasting the other good folks time message. I wish i could turn back the clock and re-run a few campaigns without the time wasters developing ass-kicking, but never implemented stratgies. There’s no substitute for direct voter contact.

By: Daryl Vernon

Daryl Vernon — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:28:54 +0000

focus on obama’s story?? and omit how he was picked up by brzezinski in the 80s & set up for what brz’s superiors knew was coming (being set up)? omit how obama actually is not legally able to become president for not having been born in the right place (but why would legality get in the way)? about the strange resemblance to mussolini acolyte-ism? about the “colour revolutionary” subversion asociated with obama’s handlers? omit the contentlesness of it all, the exploitation of “feel good”-ism for a lost generation? how thinking people, essential critics, are cut out of meaningful direct political influence if they can’t go along with the stupid simplification and dumbing down to get votes?

pretty ominous about being “off message” and firing– greens are falling right through the trapdoor looks like — and Eliz. was there to endorse this??!! With scrymgeour in the thick of it, mr colour revolutionary himself? unbelievable (actually, not, i did my bst to stave it off, so good bye, what a waste (not of my efforts))

“When Reverend Wright happened” — what a laugh, as if his involvement with obama was not formative & with clandestine attachment (why not part of the stupid-simple “obama story”? why?) — Chris, once you spoke to me of the benefits of naivete, all this is NOT one of them

no smiley face for you today either, Chris, sorry