The Libertarian Action Super PAC sent the following email this morning:
Dear Libertarian:
Please donate to our Ohio Robocall Drive to promote Gary Johnson.
Our goal is to robocall 500,000 independent voters in the swing state of Ohio before election day.
Polls show Ohio is shaping up to be very close between Obama and Romney, and we want to make Gary Johnson an important factor in that race. Keep in mind that, just a few weeks ago, Republicans tried to kick Gary Johnson off the ballot in Ohio — but Ohio Libertarians defeated that cowardly attack.
You can help us flood the Buckeye State with robocalls for 4 cents each. There is no cheaper way to reach so many voters!
$40 will call 1,000 voters.
$100 will call 2,500 voters.
$1,000 will call 25,000 voters.
$2,500 will call 62,500 voters.
Over 90% of what you donate will go directly towards paying the robocall vendors. Your money will not be wasted. It will go directly towards promoting Libertarian Gary Johnson for President. Whether or not we make it to $20,000, we will use all the money for robocalls in Ohio.
Please visit our donation page to read our hard-hitting robocall script.
And please donate to make this project a huge success!
–Wes Benedict
512-659-8896
P.S. Donate for robocalls now!
Comments removed from this thread; see archive.org to find them.
Andy @43 I agree about leaving out a position on abortion, see my post @30. I was rewording WB’s original script: “…and he’s pro-choice on abortion.”
and assumed a position on abortion would be in the robo-call.
“Also, labeling Gary Johnson as “pro choice” on abortion is not entirely accurate. He’s come out against late term abortions…”
I am pro-choice, and I think that all reasonable people are against late term abortions. There is no reason for a woman to wait several months into the pregnancy to decide to get an abortion.
“protecting women’s rights”
If you are making reference to abortion here, I think that it is foolish to even bring that subject up. It is a highly contentious issue even among libertarians.
Also, labeling Gary Johnson as “pro choice” on abortion is not entirely accurate. He’s come out against late term abortions, and he also thinks that abortion should be refered back to the states, and decided on a state-by-state basis (the same position as Ron Paul).
Bringing this subject up at all for a mass outreach effort is politically foolish.
@35 Thanks for the addition:
Ballot Status races where the Gary Johnson vote can make the difference this year:
CT 1% 1.6 million registered voters
MD 1% 2.5 million registered voters
WI 1% 2.9 million registered voters
IA 2% 1.5 million registered voters
KY 2% 2.1 million registered voters
AR 3% 1.3 million registered voters
MA 3% 3.2 million registered voters
How many phone numbers for independent voters are available for each state?
How about adding a Ballot Status robo call project, Wes? Call all the independent voters in these 7 states, in the order listed. Raise enough money to do the first then on to the second …
Imagine adding up to 7 states with Ballot Status for the LP.
Yahoo has a story today discussing how people hate telemarketing calls and robo calls. Apparently most robocalls are illegal now, political calls are exempt from the law.
So, to avoid the problem of the aversion the public has toward robo calls, we should make the calls a bit longer and add some refresing honesty:
Announcer:
“Hello. This is a political robo call. If you do not wish to hear it, we apoligize for disturbing you and you may hang up at any time. If you are interested, please stay on the line for a message from _______ (Big Name celebrity endorser).”
Big Name celebrity endorser:
“Hello, this is [Big Name*] calling to urge you and your family to vote for former two term Governor GARY JOHNSON, the Libertarian Party candidate for President of the United States.
America is in real trouble. We can’t afford four more years of gridlock, fighting and failed policies. Republicans and Democrats have been fiscally reckless, assaulted our civil liberties and developed an incoherent foreign policy that wastes trillions of dollars, makes enemies around the world, and has meant the tragic loss of thousands of American lives.
Governor Johnson sees the need to restore fiscal sanity, protect our rights and restore America’s tradition of a humble foreign policy.
Governor Johnson calls for immediately balancing the federal budget, ending marijuana prohibition, protecting women’s rights and bringing our sons and daughters in the military HOME by ending the wars.
This year send the career politicians a clear message, vote for Governor Gary Johnson, Libertarian candidate for President of the United States.
Paid for by Libertarian Action Super PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”
So Penn Jillete will be replacing Wayne Root as the “celebrity” spokesperson?
It’s quite likely that robocalls will irritate some people. For me, robocalls I’m not interested in are irritating, those about something I care about are not.
It would be usefull if we could test different scripts as to response. Is there any way to gather names of interested individuals at the end of the script? We could gage the effectiveness and build the party at the same time. It probably costs more, but party building is an important goal and feedback will help us to be more effective.
I think robocalls would irritate more people than it would influence to vote Johnson.
correction @36 BR’s revision leaves *out* RP…
sam @33 “Johnson/Grey is being introduced to America in secondary, alternative, terms. That is a problem.”
Another way to look at it is that GJ/JG are claiming the mantle of successors to RP in the growing Liberty movement. Something that few if any Repubs, including Rand, seem to be too interested in.
BR’s revision leaves RP, mine tried to tie RP and GJ. It is a judgement call that WB and his PAC will make.
zapper@31 BR @34
Nice additions/changes. I think we should use the “L” word judicously, but it does need to be in there. I like telling the story of how we got here and then GJ’s solutions and vision for the future.
WB, like zapper I’m curious as to the maximum length, any guidance for us?
Btw, obviously Penn Jillette would be my celebrity choice for this type of call. He’s well known, fairly popular and a libertarian.
MD should be added to the list for ballot status. Top of ticket needs 1% of the vote to get 4 years of recognition, Mr. Barr got 0.37% and I think this is achievable this year.
Another revision incorporating some of the ideas and revisions above:
“Hello, this is [Penn Jillette*] calling to urge you and your family to vote for former two term Governor GARY JOHNSON, the Libertarian Party candidate for President of the United States.
America is in real trouble. We can’t afford four more years of gridlock, fighting and failed policies. Republicans and Democrats have been fiscally reckless, assaulted our civil liberties and developed an incoherent foreign policy that wastes trillions of dollars, makes enemies around the world, and has meant the tragic loss of thousands of American lives.
Governor Johnson sees the need to restore fiscal sanity, protect our rights and restore America’s tradition of a humble foreign policy.
Governor Johnson calls for immediately balancing the federal budget, ending marijuana prohibition, protecting women’s rights and bringing our sons and daughters in the military HOME by ending the wars.
This year send the career politicians a clear message, vote for Governor Gary Johnson, Libertarian candidate for President of the United States.
Paid for by Libertarian Action Super PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”
wb@22
That you regard my suggestion to omit Ron Paul’s name from the aforementioned robo-call script as an insult to him and his supporters is commendable. He is your hero…got it.
Yet when even a Johnson-dedicated SuperPac clings so tenaciously to the Texan it only serves to reinforce my point- Johnson/Grey is being introduced to America in secondary, alternative, terms. That is a problem.
I want your campaign to be successful; that’s why I provided feedback. Good luck.
@26 Thanks Richard.
Ballot Status races where the Gary Johnson vote can make the difference this year:
CT 1% 1.6 million registered voters
WI 1% 2.9 million registered voters
IA 2% 1.5 million registered voters
KY 2% 2.1 million registered voters
AR 3% 1.3 million registered voters
MA 3% 3.2 million registered voters
How many phone numbers for independent voters are available for each state?
How about adding a Ballot Status robo call project, Wes? Call all the independent voters in these 6 states, in the order listed. Raise enough money to do the first then on to the second …
Imagine adding 6 states with Ballot Status for the LP.
@30 I like your revision. I’ve added a bit more to the opening. I wonder about length: How long is it allowed to be at 4 cents per call? How long is too long to keep the voter’s interest? Plus, I still think there should be a response section to gather names of those who want more info or to get involved.
“Hello, this is [Penn Jillette*] calling to urge you and your family to vote for former two term Governor GARY JOHNSON, the Libertarian Party candidate for President of the United States.”
Be Rational @24
item 1 – good question, judgement call.
item 2 – good point but I don’t think it matters when you mention ending drug prohibition and I agree it should be mentioned. Personally I’d rephrase or eliminate GJ’s stance on abortion (others will disagree).
item 3 – ABSOLUTELY! I’d change “…Libertarian Gary Johnson for President.” to “…former two term Governor Gary Johnson for President.” Then refer to him as Governor Johnson thereafter.
With due respect to Wes, my version:
“Hello, this is [Penn Jillette*] calling to urge you and your family to vote for former two term Governor GARY JOHNSON for President.
Thanks to Republican and Democratic politicians, our country is in real trouble. The two parties have been fiscally reckless, assaulted our civil liberties and developed an incoherent foreign policy. Governor Johnson agrees with Congressman Ron Paul, the 1988 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate, on many issues. Like Congressman Paul, Governor Johnson sees the need to restore fiscal sanity, protect our rights and restore America’s tradition of a humble foreign policy. Governor Johnson calls for immediately balancing the federal budget, ending marijuana prohibition, protecting women’s rights and bringing our sons and daughters in the military HOME by ending the wars. This year send the career politicians a clear message, vote for Governor Gary Johnson for President. Paid for by Libertarian Action Super PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”
Is the Wes Benedict PAC still being funded by his billionaire Democrat friend?
The same one who donated large sums of money to the LNC every single month so long as Wes was allowed to be the exec director?
The same guy who has bundled big time for Barack Obama this election cycle?
I like the access approach. It frees up local resources for real campaigns, not just endless petitioning, and it’s hard to seem like a credible party without it.
*fault line*
Other states in which the Johnson campaign, or independent efforts, should target for the sake of ongoing ballot access are: Wisconsin 1% (I would think that will happen no matter what); Iowa 2% (I should have remembered that one in my first comment); Massachusetts 3%.
I understand the wish to appeal to Paul supporters, but “is very similar to Ron Paul on many issues” sounds a little weak and a little clunky. I’m not a writer – at least not this kind of writer, but I’m wondering about some other way to word it. “Gary Johnson’s a life member of the Libertarian party – and you know what? So’s Ron Paul.” That may not be any better – just an idea. Also instead of “pro-choice”, I’d like to see him get on the right side of government recognition of same sex marriages. That is a cultural and generation fault ine that the LP is on the right side of. Maybe something like “Gary Johnson wants to keep the government away from your body and out of your beroom.” Just my two cents – maybe all it’s worth… while OH isn’t a place where I’d be putting my money – too many ads and robocalls already – you’ll just get lost in the clutter and forgotten by election day) I respect that you do this as a professional and I do it from the safety of my anonymous office chair. Best wishes, and thanks for your efforts.
Here are my concerns about the robo call script:
1) Is it best to include Ron Paul? Does the name and issue recognition help more than the automatic rejection by those who consider him a negative hurts?
Would it be better to let Gary Johnson start with a clean slate of opinion instead of taking on Paul’s?
2) Including marijuana legalization is essential, but should it be the lead issue?
3) Should one of the mentions of “Gary Johnson” be “former Governor Gary Johnson?”
And a technical question?
Is there any way for robo-call recipients to follow-up on the call for more info – such as “for further information about Governor Gary Johnson, press 1 now” – to be added to a mailing list or become active as a member or donor?
Wes is such a class act, even when people are hurling stones.
I like the project, but I do this Winger and other’s criticism is worth listening to. Put up or shut up, critics–pay the money to have robocalls run elsewhere.
I have great respect for Ron Paul and think he is the greatest Congressman in 100 years.
Insulting him and his supporters is counterproductive. Our liberties won’t be secure until Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians are fighting over the best way to shrink government. I respect those who feel their efforts are best spent working within the two larger parties (as long as they are working towards freedom), and respect those who work to promote freedom via the Libertarian Party.
I personally feel like I get the biggest bang for my efforts working by promoting Libertarian Party candidates (instead of D’s or R’s), and think many others would too. But, I think my time is better spent promoting libertarianism through the Libertarian Party rather than attacking someone like Ron Paul who has supported libertarianism outside the Libertarian Party.
I’m also especially thankful the times in 2004 and 2006 when Ron Paul was a featured speaker at the Libertarian Party of Texas state conventions.
The Libertarian Party was getting very weak-kneed in the 2002-2006 time frame on the war issue. Republican Ron Paul’s brave and big 2008 campaign for President is what gave the Libertarian Party the courage to be anti-war again.
Let’s build the entire pie and spend our time building up our own liberty organizations to be bigger than others, and earn supporters by delivering results, rather than spend our time tearing down other promoters of libertarianism, trying to beat them down to be smaller than our own.
Ron Paul is still my hero.
Gary Johnson’s on the right track, has hero potential, and Gary Johnson is who will get my support and vote for President.
@18. I have a comment.
I presume you are expert in your statistical work but I’m here to tell you this voter regards Johnson/Grey’s constant reference to Ron Paul and supporters as both tiresome and damaging. Johnson is a vastly superior candidate; his stature is greatly diminished by the “instead of Ron Paul” meme. As well, Dem/Rep media seems to be driving that bus.
I have no kind words for the Republican Congressman. Like Mr. Root, he too is an anchor that needs to be cut loose. Get control of your messaging.
Cranky 🙂
Don’t grovel to the cranky troll New Federalist.
@17 Good points.
Here’s the script from LASPAC.
“If we raise $20,000 for Ohio, we’ll pick another state to target.
Here is a draft of the script we expect to use:
“Hello, this is [speaker’s name] urging you and your family to vote for Libertarian GARY JOHNSON for President. GARY JOHNSON wants to legalize marijuana, cut federal spending, and he’s pro-choice on abortion. Our country is in real trouble thanks to Republicans and Democrats. Libertarian GARY JOHNSON is very similar to RON PAUL on many issues. Vote for Libertarian GARY JOHNSON. He will balance the budget with serious spending cuts, end the wars, and protect your civil liberties. Paid for by Libertarian Action Super PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”
Comments?
(I’ll have to mull this over a bit.)
Swing or safe isn’t the issue. It is rate of return.
Robocalls here in Missouri are a cosmetic and logistical problem because
1. Some have gone from landlines to cellphones.
2. Robocalls turn voters off because of the medium of choice.
I suggest instead of quantity, focus on quality. Humanize the call and let Gary Johnson and others speak for himself through another voice.
Face to face can build a brand.
Be Libertarian with me is weak if it comes from a recording.
Paulie is correct about the Ohio project being already underway.
My post did not suggest cancelling it, just adding a project for ballot status races. But we should try one state at a time, spend enough to have an impact before adding the next.
$2000 to get the ball rolling in the first ballot status target state … hmmm …
Would like some feed back from Richard Winger about all the possibilities and odds. Were CT, KY and AR the best options? Are there others?
NewFederalist, please call me at 512-659-8896. Thanks.
How about a period not a comma.
NewFederalist @ 9,
This is a PAC, not the campaign. I’d encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and advice with the campaign here (I’m here listening as are others), or by email [email protected].
AND I’d encourage you to contribute both to the campaign, and to ANY and ALL PACs that are doing things you want to support (in this case adding the states you want). Federal campaign laws prohibit coordination between PACs and Campaigns and we’re all very careful to obey those laws around here!
Joe
paulie… as usual you are the voice of reason but the arrogance of “my way or the highway” is a real pain in the ass! Perhaps Tom Knapp is right,
NF
Wes is not coordinating with the campaign. If you don’t want to contribute to Wes you should contribute directly to the campaign.
I can understand that this message has already gone to numerous places, not just IPR, and that he’s not just going to change his plan just because he gets a few comments on IPR.
The safe state vs swing state argument is a long standing one. Both sides make good points on that.
I’m more inclined to target states not based on swing or safe status but on other factors such as cost of market saturation, strength of local LP, number of down ticket candidates, ballot retention rules, and so on.
@8
1) I like adding new members so we can raise more money, run more candidates, and earn more votes in the future.
2) I like winning ballot status races so we can use the savings to run advertising to add even more members, raise even more money, run even more candidates and earn even more votes. This in turn will allow winning even more ballot status races and adding even more members.
Political strategic planning.
Advertise with a plan toward the future.
So much for the “People’s President” Wes. You get excellent advice and reject it out of hand. Not very encouraging and not likely to foster goodwill and more contributions. No more from me thank you very much!
Thanks for the suggestions and commentary. Nevertheless, we will robocall Ohio as planned.
However, per the details on the donor page:
http://do.nr/kBl
In addition, “If you want to target a different state, we’ll require a minimum $2,000 donation towards those calls. Contact Wes Benedict at 512-659-8896 or [email protected] to discuss, and we can set up a fund for the state you choose.”
DSZ, how much would you donate to robocall Colorado? I’d love to hit them too.
I like hitting tight races smack between the parties:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2008-11-07/699379/
The ads in Pennsylvania have virtually disappeared from Obama and Romney. If the court cases are successful, PA could be a great state to get the vote out for Johnson…lots of Ron Paul supporters here too.
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2010/tables.html
@3 – Good point Richard, I didn’t even think of the issue of people being overly saturated with calls and ads. Some of the TV ads I see almost make me wonder if the campaigns are trying to throw away money because they seem like they would only appeal to their own base. I remember hearing some years ago about how, at a certain point, campaign spending has a negative statistical correlation to votes received.
Good call by Richard Winger:
Ohio has 5.6 million registered voters.
CT has 1.6 million registered voters.
KY has 2.1 million registered voters.
AR has 1.3 million registered voters.
All 3 of Richard’s suggested targets add up to about 5.0 million registered voters.
Why not make a bigger project?
Start with CT and saturate the state with robocalls, if this is your thing to try this election. Earn ballot status for the LP one state at a time. That would be a victory.
At 4 cents a call, for $200,000 you can call them all – or target independents as you’ve suggested as a cheaper alternative.
Hey Richard. Are there any other interesting opportunities for LP Ballot Status victories in any state and in any race this year – even those a bit long on the odds – or places that need help to retain?
I agree with DSZ. Voters in Ohio and the other “swing” states are flooded with campaign ads of all kinds, including robocalls. Voters in those states are angry at the deluge. The robocalls would be far more useful if they were in states that aren’t deluged, and where it is plausible that Johnson will poll enough votes to keep the party on the ballot, even though the LP has never before polled enough votes to remain on the ballot. Good targets would be Connecticut (1%), Kentucky (2%), Arkansas (3%). Virgil Goode isn’t on the ballot in any of those three states and Jill Stein isn’t on in Connecticut. Those are safe states for one major party candidate or the other and there is no glut of robo-calls in those states, at least for president.
@1 – The official campaign is targeting “safe” states, I see nothing wrong with pursuing voters in swing states. Both are options worth pursuing. Getting a high vote total is nice and all, but it means nothing unless you can spoil the election for someone and force either party to move in a libertarian direction.
In the period 1872-1920, all political observers agreed that virtually all people who voted for the Prohibition Party would have voted Republican if the Prohibition Party had not been running.
The Prohibition Party cost the Republicans two presidential elections, 1884 and 1916. After the 1884 election the Prohibition candidate, John P. St. John, was hung in effigy or burned in effigy all across the north, by angry Republicans. But after the 1916 election, when the Republicans again lost the election due to “spoiling” by the Prohibition Party, the Republicans in Congress decided to pass the prohibition amendment, which had been pending in Congress since 1875 but which had made no headway. The Republicans were sick of losing over the prohibition issue. This shows the power of minor party voters. “Spoiling” is a stupid name but it is a potent weapon and voters should not be intimidated into being afraid to use it. It is one of the few ways a small minority can have some leverage.
Umm, no LASPAC, let’s not. Let’s make calls to potential Johnson voters, such as in NM or CO, instead. Why feed into wasted vote syndrome? Are we trying to marginalize ourselves further? Swing states are important, but only if they might swing your way.