Maryland for Dean.
Apr. 16th, 2003 09:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaTo my shock, I seem to have wound up on what looks like it's going to be the statewide steering committee of Maryland for Dean - at least, until the national campaign opens an office here.
We met last night in a pub, ten of us. Our primary goals for the meeting were to coordinate efforts between the Baltimore group and the group from the Maryland suburbs of DC, and to decide what we'll do as we start getting too big for the Meetup for Dean concept.
We agreed that we need to focus our efforts on three things: (1) community outreach and promoting name recognition, (2) fundraising, and (3) volunteer recruitment. Teams of people will be working on different aspects of the campaign, and the Meetups will be a way of directing new volunteers to work teams and having teams report back to each other. We agreed that it didn't make a lot of sense to try to plan strategies and work out details at the Meetups - gatherings of 50+ people in a bar aren't really conducive to that. Meetups should be a way of energizing people, educating them about what our organization is doing, and funneling them towards opportunities to get involved.
As a start, we're going to be putting together packets of information that we can distribute at Meetups: what do you need to know if you want to make and pass out flyers? who's in charge of organizing efforts in your county? who should you send letters about Dean, and what makes for a good letter? how do you host a house party? where do you get Dean paraphernalia?
I reported on my efforts to organize a trip to the first presidential debate in South Carolina. Unfortunately, it looks as though we're not likely to get seats for the debate itself. It's being held in a 300-seat auditorium, and for obvious reasons the hosts are giving priority to South Carolina Democrats. However, the Dean campaign would still like us to go and rally outside the hall. The debate will be televised live on ABC, and almost certainly the accompanying news coverage will include footage, and probably interviews, of supporters outside the hall. A good showing for Dean is essential, especially since the debate in the South and he's a New Englander. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to get at least a few tickets, but mostly I'm planning to arrange for outside agitators. *grin* It looks like we'll be carpooling down, and we're trying to arrange for local hosts through South Carolina for Dean and Students for Dean. I think that it will be fun.
Nine months to the Iowa caucuses. Wow.
We met last night in a pub, ten of us. Our primary goals for the meeting were to coordinate efforts between the Baltimore group and the group from the Maryland suburbs of DC, and to decide what we'll do as we start getting too big for the Meetup for Dean concept.
We agreed that we need to focus our efforts on three things: (1) community outreach and promoting name recognition, (2) fundraising, and (3) volunteer recruitment. Teams of people will be working on different aspects of the campaign, and the Meetups will be a way of directing new volunteers to work teams and having teams report back to each other. We agreed that it didn't make a lot of sense to try to plan strategies and work out details at the Meetups - gatherings of 50+ people in a bar aren't really conducive to that. Meetups should be a way of energizing people, educating them about what our organization is doing, and funneling them towards opportunities to get involved.
As a start, we're going to be putting together packets of information that we can distribute at Meetups: what do you need to know if you want to make and pass out flyers? who's in charge of organizing efforts in your county? who should you send letters about Dean, and what makes for a good letter? how do you host a house party? where do you get Dean paraphernalia?
I reported on my efforts to organize a trip to the first presidential debate in South Carolina. Unfortunately, it looks as though we're not likely to get seats for the debate itself. It's being held in a 300-seat auditorium, and for obvious reasons the hosts are giving priority to South Carolina Democrats. However, the Dean campaign would still like us to go and rally outside the hall. The debate will be televised live on ABC, and almost certainly the accompanying news coverage will include footage, and probably interviews, of supporters outside the hall. A good showing for Dean is essential, especially since the debate in the South and he's a New Englander. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to get at least a few tickets, but mostly I'm planning to arrange for outside agitators. *grin* It looks like we'll be carpooling down, and we're trying to arrange for local hosts through South Carolina for Dean and Students for Dean. I think that it will be fun.
Nine months to the Iowa caucuses. Wow.
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no subject
Date: 2003-04-16 07:45 am (UTC)I hope the guy wins it all. If he does, it'll be due in no small part to you and your colleagues.
Do you have anyone in Anne Arundel County yet?
Re:
Date: 2003-04-16 07:52 am (UTC)The other useful thing to do would be to join the Yahoo Group MarylandForDean (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarylandForDean/). Everything that's going on is announced there.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-16 08:31 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-04-16 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-16 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-16 09:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-16 09:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-16 10:34 am (UTC)But I'm glad you joined the list! Would leafleting for Dean be good social anxiety practice? ;-)
Re:
Date: 2003-04-16 10:40 am (UTC)Would leafleting for Dean be good social anxiety practice? ;-)
I don't know but I'm willing to find out!