Will social networking lead to tangible help for state & local GOP candidates?

[Ron Miller]

Let me say up front that I support the rapidly growing conservative social networks popping up everywhere and I've joined several of them. I have a practical question, however.

I'm planning to run for Maryland Senate in 2010 as a Republican against a sitting Democratic incumbent in my district and he's got money to burn and enough power and influence to frighten away potential donors or buy votes with pork from the state treasury. From a candidate's perspective, how are these social networking tools going to help me run a viable race? Unless they bring me money and volunteers, they're not an effective use of time for a candidate.

I welcome your comments!

Regards,

Ron

[Ron Miller]

I'm keeping an eye on Slatecard.com. I was a donor and active participant this past election cycle but I'm waiting for them to extend their business model to include state and local candidates. I'd like to be able to use it as my primary online fundraising resource if at all possible.

[Robert Willington]

I would focus first on building real relationships with activists in these communities early. Then, when you go into battle and call the troops, it's not "who's Ron Miller?" Get intimately involved with your network and they will help you in the future.

[Michael Brennan]

Each person who is your contact should be considered a family member, get to know them and they know you. If you have people who care about you and your needs, they are more likely to listen to you when it comes to finding solutions and people who can give them solutions. How easy was it talking about McCain, Hillary or the other candidates who lost? Not real easy. Obama ran on the platform of "Change". He was going to change how Washington worked and the people had empathy for him because D.C. stopped working for the people and they needed the help that was not coming. We cannot win voters with stale rhetoric, personal attacks and negative ads abecause those are the way of the past and the way of the past cost us 2 elections. What made Reagan great was not the message, we had the message before Reagan was born, but what made Reagan great was he could listen and then respond to the people on their level and not treat them as the simple people who need controlled. Our politicians today believe THEY have all the answers and the people are to dumb to help themselves. NO, the people are what run this country and the representatives are to dumb to help themselves. We need to be a part of each person we meet, greet and bring into the fold. If we cannot meet them at their point of need, we will never win their vote.

[Ava]

They may not be effective for you personally, I'm a bit new at this to say. But the larger picture is that we are building a base of conservative AMERICANS and we are thinking nationally not only locally.
So the social networks, of which I have yet to become a member, are vital I would say to keeping people connected, happy and in the team. We DO want to take back the country, right ?

[Suzanne]

I consider meetup.com to be pretty effecitve. You can do the same thing on yahoogroups.com for free though. If i were you I would start a meetup or yahoo group, print up fliers and cards and put them everywhere. Go to every local event you can and have a table there. Lawn signs...that's an old technique, but I think it works. So many people vote on name recognition...ya gotta get it out there. I guess lawn signs have to come much later though. I would be trying to find someone who can make you a very hip you tube video if you want to capture the youth..

[Whitehorse (Robin Ray)]

Well Ron, you'll need to focus your usage of etools to get volunteers & donors. State senate is a pretty big initial voyage, as said get out there & get your name known - make sure you're on facebook. Get to know the Republican party chairpersons in the counties, get to meetings & get known. Talk to just about any group who will let you talk to 'em. For good or bad, it's already time to be running for 2010.

[tyler sims]

Ron,

There is a clear reason. In the old models of campaigns one would get resources donated by dinner parties, and sometimes in strategic races from the party.

So your available money pool and support was very, very limited.

But in todays social networking model. A person can become a national figure from another state if they keep their nose clean and work really hard.

In these situations they enhance their fund raising ability and given themselves the ability to really fight against the other guy.

The key thing to do though is to engage the big groups, sites and get involved.

There are groups that are working on cooker cutter startup donations and website design, e-marketing everywhere. Plug into them as well as the local party and fight hard.

[Henri]

I am an active conservative, being active is what conservatism is all about. Calling talk radio, writing state and fedural government, joining the American Conservative Union; To be educated and directed to importent issues at hand. Conservatism is not for the couch patato. Call your rep's...

[Larry Puckette]

Henri..

Lets take the Geithner appointment as example.. We called and emailed our 'reps' in an overwhelming way, told them that we couldn't trust him no matter how smart he is. Yet most of the negative votes they cast were mere symbolism, no substance at all due to they came after his confirmation was ensured. There was no intent of trying to deny that nomination.

When our reps aren't honoring our wishes, or the integrity needed in such an important position, at such a critical time, what's next??? Time to rebuild doesn't appear to be a luxury we have to me.

[Jim Rock]

I real active in one Ning site and kinda like a leader there, like what the others here have said is you develop a "family" type atmoshere and then people start to get off on ya

something on radio today made some pure sence to me--obama used all the latest gizmos and gadgets to pull this farce off and we are still learning it. Now that he is in the White House all his little toys are gone and now hes up against real polititians using the dark age tools against him and he is totally dis armed

The GOP has found the mix of the two styles and now you can put that to use,

the obama people have gone overboard on the hate element and that is showing with Palin, the hate makes more people come to her everyday so watch out on the neg part on the net tools, people get carried away too easy and they cant stop

look at Paul, Mike E , Jason ,Uranus here--they began as haters and thats all they know