Not just to you, but to all who read this thread:
I need help from Freepers now, not later. About 99.5% of all FReepers do not live in Western Carolina. As the article says, you can help by going through your Rolodex and recommending me to friends, relatives and colleagues who DO live in the District. (The relevant zipcodes are at the end of the article.)
Unless I have at least 1,000 in-District volunteers in place by January, I am NOT going to declare and run. Because if I cannot attract that many volunteers, I'm doing too poor a job to run a solid campaign. FReeper help in this area is absolutely critical. I am counting on FReeper recommendations to lead me to about 25% of those volunteers. The reason is that FReepers are, by definition, both intelligent and politically active. So, a high proportion of the people you know and respect will be the same.
The other thing that out-of-state FReepers can do is send a donation. I know that, with some exceptions, FReepers are not overrun with money, and many are at an age to have small children on hand. (Been there, done that, I know how empty the wallets can be of those who are "Married, with children.") So the level of contribution I've sought from FReepers is just "the cost of dinner and a movie for two" or about $35.
Unlike the volunteers, FReeper help in donations will not be critical. But it will be helpful, and will be an index of how successful I'll be in seeking similar donations from average citizens across the District.
To get the Republican nomination, I will have to defeat a six-term incumbent in the Primary. If I can climb that mountain, winning the General election will be relatively easy. For me, the Primary is the whole ball of wax. So raising volunteers and funds in advance of the Primary is, in effect, my "primary."
So in answer to your comment, please don't wait until "then" to help as you can. Because if you do, there might not be any "then." I've already set on myself a hard discipline -- if I can't reach my two benchmarks by January, I should not be runnning. So, the response of FReepers is essential to the whole process. (It's all in the above article.)
John / Billybob
I hope you will all run the zipcodes through your phone lists, and put in the good word, or send what you can his way.
With John's permission, I am posting our exchange in full. I think you will be as impressed as I:
Re: We Are Running for Congress -- Maybe
To Congressman Billybob | 09/03/2003 12:35 AM EDT sent
Dear John,
If I can criticize one thing about this pre-announcement, it's that I'm not sure where it's going.
You have invited us to the campaign, and to your website, but you have not drawn us there. You've told us good, but you haven't lured us so good. That make sense?
(Just trying to be constructive)
Good luck!
- Michael (aka Nicollo)
Re: We Are Running for Congress -- Maybe
From Congressman Billybob | 09/03/2003 1:04 AM EDT replied
The click link goes to my campaign website. The address in my tag line IS the website. I'd like to take everyone by the hand and lead them into my electronic parlor, but I don't know how to do more than that.
Any suggestions?
John / Billybob
Re: We Are Running for Congress -- Maybe
To Congressman Billybob | 09/03/2003 5:08 PM EDT sent
Dear John,
I wrote last night, "You've told us good, but you haven't lured us so good." You kindly and rightly replied, "Any suggestions?"
I dunno, but I do know that links lead only the willing, among whom you can count me, and once I was there I just didn't feel like I got anywhere. I, too, want education, jobs, and for Congressitters to meet me, but where do we go from there? Sure, personal contact leads to better governance, but it is a means, not an end. That is, if meeting people is your theme, what is your goal? If your goal is education, jobs, and agriculture, how does meeting me get us there? Are we talking process, or product? Process ain’t bad, but it has to lead somewhere. Forgive me if I missed it, or if it’s obvious and implicit in your message.
One of the ironies of Big Government is that while it brings government into our lives, it has at the same time distanced us from government. Our little votes mean so little. Sure, our interests are protected by our representatives, or by the lobbyists who scream and dole it out on our behalf one way or anther. But even those are so far away. If I were to meet you, I would probably ask, “Whatya gonna do for me?” I’m sure you’d have a great reply, maybe this or that, and some advice on what I can do for you, as well. We’d shake hands, and you’d go away either with or without my vote. You and I would be no closer than we were before we met.
The best Congressitters work for their constituents. Ole Strom Thurmond was one of the best - he’d make things happen for people. I’m sure you’d do Strom’s legacy great justice. Nevertheless, the system itself keeps us apart, and at the most fundamental level. What if I were to ask, "What the hell can you do for me at Raleigh?" Or, if you were running for State office, what if I asked, "What the hell can you do for me at Washington?"
Perhaps therein is the meaning and the action to your theme of meeting the people.
One of my political obsessions is the vile 17th amendment. It has cut the bond between voters and their local representatives, resulting in a public that has a closer association to its federal, rather than State, representatives, House and Senate. You know the off-year voting stats. People don’t give a damn for their State reps. I don’t even know mine. But guess, what, they define what government means to me just as much as those in Congress, especially when we’re talking jobs and education. (Initiatives and referendums, btw, have further distanced the public from their local reps -- State governments use these as tools to pass off the ugly stuff onto the public, while protecting their own jobs and reputations).
You are already working with the State folks, I am sure. But are you together working with the people? Perhaps you can bring the State folks in with you. Perhaps you can show the people how government really works, and what it really means, and how they can really influence it. I’m sure there are plenty of toes to step on in a primary, but I’m sure there’s a way to do this. If you succeed, you’d bring real meaning to the people’s connectedness with their government, State and Federal. (People don’t realize that most Federal intervention in our lives is conducted through the States by way of funding mandates. Speed limits, school testing, etc., it’s all from Congress.)
I’m just shootin’ blanks here. The exercise is to find some other way to make education and jobs meaningful, some other way to make meeting the people more meaningful. I used to live on Charles St. in the War Zone of Baltimore. On the block was a methadone clinic. Up the street was Kwese Mfume’s district office. It seemed to me that both the clinic and Mfume’s office provided the same service. I’m trying to think how it can be different.
Many thanks for listenin’. If there’s anything here worthy of general viewing, feel free to post it. I really hope I haven’t wasted your time.
Best of luck!
Michael (aka Nicollo)
PS You might study the campaigns of "the walking Governor," Lawton Chiles. I don't know much about him, but his reputation in FLA is golden, and I think it comes of his “meeting the people.”.
Re: We Are Running for Congress -- Maybe
From Congressman Billybob | 09/03/2003 6:59 PM EDT new
Michael,
Very interesting e-mail you sent, by friend. (And I like your analogy about Charles Street. I worked for the Baltimore Planning Commission when "MetroCenter" was on the drawing boards and was centered on Charles Street.)
You are absolutely right, meeting people is a process, not a goal. But it is an essential process in this race in this District at this time. I am up against an entrenched incumbent. I can only defeat him if I can reach PERSONALLY about 10,000 people, convince them that I'm a better man for the job, and then encourage them to speak PERSONALLY to five other people, and persuade them of the same thing.
You wrote, "I would probably ask, “Whatya gonna do for me?” I’m sure you’d have a great reply, maybe this or that, and some advice on what I can do for you, as well. We’d shake hands, and you’d go away either with or without my vote. You and I would be no closer than we were before we met."
A lot of people will ask that very question. Before I answer that question, I would ask, "Where do you and your spouse work? What are your primary political or social issues?" Then I would use my knowledge and experience to talk about their issues in personal terms, and do that in 180 seconds.
That, my friend, is one hellova challenge. But I've been meeting and talking with folks in all walks of life for forty years. Now it's time to put that experience to work.
I agree with you 100% that the 17th Amendment, regardless of the "good intentions" behind it, gut shot the ability of the state legislatures to rein in the excesses of the federal government. However, there is a 0% chance it will be removed from the Constitution. I am working with hundreds of state legislators on other possible means for states to be political flywheels with respect to the federal government. I expect to introduce two particular constitutional amendments on that precise point.
You wrote, "Perhaps you can bring the State folks in with you. Perhaps you can show the people how government really works, and what it really means, and how they can really influence it."
Absolutely right, my friend. Long term, effective solutions in such intractible areas as education cannot possibly be accomplished without a cooperative effort. I would get parents, teachers (all schools, not just public ones), counties, state officials, and federal officials in a room together, lock the door, and say that no one will leave until there is agreement on the basic problems, and on steps to solve them. I call that a "come to Jesus" meeting. It is MUCH harder to do that than to pass a piece of legislation that deals (poorly) with only one (small) aspect of the problem.
But when a problem has been growing for fifty years, as this one has, any politician seeking to solve it, rather than simply make hay from it, HAS to do the hard work of getting to the bottom of the problem, FIRST.
Far from "wasting my time," you have raised important questions about how any public official really does his job, rather than dealing in the cosmetics of merely appearing to do his job. Since your questions in an e-mail started this discussion, I suggest that you post it up, edited as you choose, if you think it is of interest to many FReepers. And it may be that, since education is a hot button for most FReeprs.
Cordially,
John / Billybob
Alben was a former Kentucky Senator, and hid a genius I.Q. behind a congressman BillyBob type accent and demeanor. Does that sound similar to anyone we know?
Alben described his run for the Senate. He ventured to the home of an old Kentucky farmer to ask for his and his kinsfolks votes. The old farmer allowed as how he and his kin were not going to vote for Alben this time.
Barkley was taken aback. He said to the old farmer, "Do you remember when I was county commissioner and your house got flooded?" Alben went on to say, "You came to me and I got the county to dredge out the creek and put the removed creek bottom on your side to create a levy, Remember?" The old farmer admitted that was true. Alben then mentioned that when his boy got in trouble, that Alben had gone to the prosecutor and got the boy a plea bargain that was only probation. The old farmer agreed that was so. Alben then said,"Do you remember when I was in the state legislature I got the highway going by your house designated a state highway ... paved double lanes ... and scheduled for primary snow removal?" The farmer remembered. Alben then reminded the old farmer that when he was in Congress the Social Security Administration screwed up his checks, and Alben had gotten it straightened out including all back pay.. The farmer allowed as how that was so.
Then Alben asked,"And you still are not going to vote for me?" The old farmer scratched his head and replied, "That's right." Alben asked, "Why?" And the old farmer said,"You ain't done nothing fer me lately!"
Alben was making the point that constituent services are important. And they are. Nicolle is making the point that an agenda is important too. I am certain an individual agenda is of little value other than as a campaign tool. A candidate's philosophy of government... YES SIR. A candidates personal agenda? EXPLETIVE DELETED NO!!!!
I would say to Nicolle that the chances of a congressman setting a national agenda that has a chance of being passed is roughly equal to a snowballs survival rate on a hot day in Hades. The least effective congressman is one with an agenda of his own. That texas congress critter Ron Paul or Paul Ron or what ever the heck his name is, is a prime example of tilting at windmills. Ron Paul couldn't get congress to pass toilet paper if he had terminal diahrea... and I think he does.
To implement a personal agenda a congressman must get the leadership of the house to support it, and 60 votes in the senate for it and the president to want to sign it and the supreme court not to overturn it. AIN'T NO Congress Critter ever lived that can get that done. We have enough fools tilting at windmills! The national government is a team sport... WE need team leaders and players ... not prima donnas with an agenda. The Republican party has an abundance of McCains. What it needs are some McAbles,
Doable agendas come in two flavors... those put forward by a president and those put forward by the party that does not hold the presidency.. but wants to use its agenda to get to be the party that holds the presidency.
What a congressman has an outside chance of doing is to influence some part of his parties agenda. He will find at least half of his parties congress critters are trying to do the same thing.
What Republican congressmen can do, and make a difference in the present situation, is do what he can to get the presidents agenda enacted. That is not a problem in the house. It is a huge problem in the senate.
To boil it down being a Republican congressman is being one member on a roughly 220 member team. Asking a candidate for the outfield on that team who is going to be his starting pitcher is a silly question. He will not get to decide who pitches. If he is good enough he will get to start in right field... not manage the team. His job is to get hits for his side and catch ball hit to his area of the outfield.
If I were to be able to elect the most effective congressperson I could image here is what he or she would do. My congress person would have great communications skills both at writing, speaking and making TV appearances to further public support for those parts of the presidents agenda he deemed most worthy of support. He would attract national attention for his ability to help his parties team win passage of his parties agenda. He would attract national attention for his ability to use innovative methods to solve his districts problems. He would attract this attention because his methods could be applied to other districts. National attention EQUALS influence for both the national agenda and his local district. I am not talking about being the party pit bull. I am talking about providing solutions for district problems through inovative actions.
What can a congressman do for his district other than get the Farmer his social security check on time? First he can use the prestige and influence to coordinate efforts to achieve district wide goals such as job creation.
Here are a few obvious points on Education and jobs. Employers create tax base. Tax base creates money for education. .. It will be good education if the right people are on school boards. Congressmen do not elect school boards. Congressmen can help attract employers.
In the coming good times many firms will be looking to expand...everything from a retail chain looking for location a distribution center to a software firm looking for a site near the mountains and within driving distance of the ocean.. to a local person or group wanting to do a startup. And I can't emphasize how important local support for the local job creators is. The auto industry was created in the Michigan area because that is where Henry Ford lived. The biggest hunk of the PC software industry is in the state of Washington because that is where Bill Gates is from.
A congressman should make himself available to help local Chambers of Commerce and local Directors of Economic Development sell any prospective employer on the area. I would suggest a candidate for congressman start with the help of local Directors of Economic development, and mayors where DOEDs do not exist. Get each of them to contribute to a data base of all property for sale zoned for commercial or industrial use. I would have them ask local real estate associations to try to list such properties at a known price good for a year at a time. I would ask them to get local builders to commit to construction costs for warehouse and light industrial buildings... So the database could quote land and building cost estimates in minutes not days. I would get value added to goods per dollar of labor figures for each of the zip codes in the district, average labor rates for skilled and unskilled workers, labor availability figures, and list transportation availability such are truck, train, air etc. I would try to PRE coordinate zoning and building permits etc.. Get local people to committ to make things happen quickly. Every firm I have ever worked with on expansion wants it YESTERDAY... Figure out how to give it to them and they will locate in your district.
I would have my congressperson organize a meeting with every lending institution in the district to find which ones were interested in financing expansion of the local business base... Including the ones willing to put their money where their mouth is. Find out their criteria for loans... So you can tell a prospect what they have to do to qualify.
Next I would research the federal programs that can help the establishment or expansion of jobs. Tie that information together and have my ideal candidate to pledge if elected to have a staff person be in charge of helping local firms, either new or existing, get all the help in expansion that can be legally given.
Then in every speech made in every communication with community leaders, I would ask what can be done to make government less of an obstruction to job growth and what it could do to foster job growth. Oh yes... It is important to never use the word INDUSTRIAL GROWTH.. it is always JOB GROWTH or INCREASING THE NUMBER OF HIGH PAYING JOBS.... but you knew that already.
Then my prospective congressman would try to organize a District job growth committee in each zip code in the district to handle two way communications between the congressman and the community as well as work with your office and prospective employers. They would use their local clout to make things happen. In an expanding economy prospective employers want it NOW. They have customers who want services or products yesterday. Fix it so things can happen quickly and you will beat out better but much slower competitors. Put people on these committtees that have somthing to gain by the creation of new jobs.
Each committee would be informed about existing programs and proposed programs that could help that community to have a more prosperous future. The committee would also be charged with telling the congressman what they felt the federal government could do or stop doing to help. It would also be sounding board for the congressman's proposals as well.
I would give access to this database, perhaps on the net, to every government, real estate agent, Chamber of C etc in the congressional district. I would use this database and organization to get on every TV and radio talk show known ot man. It could be used to promote this job friendly district. We can have your firm in a postion to start hiring with in weeks not months would be the pitch.
A congressman to have real clout needs to do new and innovative things to help his district. Things that expand the level of services to constituents that go beyond runing interference with the bureaucrats for individual government benefits or new welfare programs. A congressman whose office sets a new standard can be the man whom many other congress members start to emulate. That would give a congressman lots of influence and the experience to help contribute to an agenda that might be passed.
If you want to set an agenda, you had best be president or Speaker of the house when a Democrat is president.
The ideas expressed here are just to demonstrate a technique that I have not completely thought through. But as Alben said some 53 years ago, "You aint done nothin' for me lately." has to be countered with "Here is what I will do for you if elected and you can depend on my doing it." It has to be what the kinsfolks want done and it has to be believable. I do know that Harry Truman and Alben carried Ohio by 7,107 votes out of darn near 3 million in 1948. And if Dewey had offered to do dang near anything for Ohio voters besides looking extremely presidential, Thomas E. would have been president come 1949.
Here are couple of 'tatorisms.
As my eldest daughter says, "Do not ask Dad what time it is. He will describe his version of the inner workings of all time keeping machines from the sundial through digital watches. By the time he tells you the time, you have missed your appointment by several hours."
'tator