Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
Getting Out The Vote! Claims Manager, Housewife, Mother, and - Patriot? This young mother is spreading Ron Paul's message of Freedom throughout her neighborhood! You can too!, but will you?by creator
(libertarian)
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Maggie Steffensen is a housewife and the mother of an energetic, strong-willed three-year old. She also works from her Oceanside, California home as a claims manager for a large insurance company. Now, in addition to those demanding duties, Maggie is also an activist in the Ron Paul Revolution, showing us by her example that anyone can "get out the vote" for Dr. Paul in their own precinct.
I recently received an email from Maggie describing her personal approach to telling the neighbors about Ron Paul. I was intrigued! Contacting her for an interview, this is what I learned:
Maggie graduated from UCSD with a degree in political science, and in days gone by has campaigned for congressmen and state senators. Becoming disillusioned with the political process, she remained inactive until last March, when she learned about Ron Paul from her husband. An engineering manager at a Carlsbad company, he shared with Maggie the excitement of his first-ever political enthusiasm for Dr. Paul.
Pursuing a Ron Paul Presidency now fills the time that remains after commuting to Northern California for her job and caring for her family. Maggie campaigns on weekends while others watch 3–year old Aidan. Recently she became particularly concerned about getting out the Primary Election vote.
"We only have a few weeks left before our opportunity to change this country is gone. California voters start voting absentee next week, and the voter registration deadline is January 22nd."
With a sense of urgency in the waning hours of 2006, Maggie took to the streets of her neighborhood with a precinct list of some 821 voters. The list identifies voters by party, and as Maggie only had Ron Paul "slim-jims" (campaign literature) that address conservative Republicans, she focused on Republican and Libertarian households.
Splitting the list, she covered one portion on each of three outings.
"I'll admit it was a bit uncomfortable to get started. Approximately half the households opened the door, and lots of them were not even aware of the upcoming presidential primaries! They were clearly surprised to have someone spending their weekend walking their neighborhood to promote a candidate."
"I introduced myself and asked for them by name (based on my list) and told them I am a volunteer for Dr. Paul. I got lots of thumbs ups and smiles for being proactive."
While doing what she has done is not difficult, Maggie has some tips for would-be canvassers:
Dress neatly and casually
Map your precinct in advance
Carry a small portfolio to organize your materials
Keep a big smile on your face!
Answer questions, but don't argue
Move on quickly if you find you aren't welcome
Record household results - i.e. contact, not home, or supporter
The Ron Paul 2008 Campaign makes voter lists for every precinct in America available to Ron Paul supporters willing to sign up and spread the news in your neighborhood. Time is growing short!
"I felt there was a lot of apathy or just plain ignorance by many I contacted, which can be to our advantage. We must focus on name recognition and encouraging people to look into Dr. Paul. Even though this revolution started on the internet, it must be completed on the street, door to door, person to person. Canvassing is easy and fun!"
Like Maggie, we can impact our neighborhoods for Liberty! Let's follow in Maggie's footsteps and get out the vote!
The views expressed in this
article are those of creator only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. creator is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2008-01-06 09:28:09
Sorry--my previous comment didn't contain the entire message for some reason.
-JahfÂ
Hooray for Maggie! This is exactly what I wrote recently about in the article, Redouble Canvassing Efforts or Ron Paul's Message Dies Along with Hope for America.
Maggie's point about not arguing cannot be emphasized enough. For many Ron Paul fans this is an impossible task. They simply cannot refrain from spouting everything they think they know every time they encounter an objection. These people should not canvass. They can be a designated driver or something. The less contact they have with undecided voters the better Ron Paul's chances.
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Why? This is very simple. Their methods are contrary to their stated goals. Canvassing is not an evangelical activity. There should be no expectation of 'convincing' anyone of anything during canvassing encounters.
An evangelical approach is just as likely to motivate Dr. Paul opposition to get off their couch and participate as it is to get a Paul supporter to do likewise.
One primary tenet of canvassing is "Do Not Motivate the Opposition". Evangelizing is a wonderfully effective way to motivate the opposition.
Instead, canvassing should be akin to blueberry picking. No one is fool enough to try to 'convince' a blueberry to be ripe. They either are or they are not. The solitary goal of canvassing should be to find the ripe ones and leave the rest untouched. Perhaps they will ripen on their own if no one steps on them.
Thanks, Dann, for sharing such an inspirational story. People like Maggie are the ones who win elections.
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I recently received an email from Maggie describing her personal approach to telling the neighbors about Ron Paul. I was intrigued! Contacting her for an interview, this is what I learned: