Registration Deadline to Vote in Republican Primary (Must Register Republican):
May 21st, 2012
Primary Election Date:
June 5th, 2012
California is the largest delegate holding State in the Republican Primary, and while it is a “winner-take-all” “bound-delegate” state, the delegates are awarded through a combination of congressional districts, state-wide winner, and from the party.
The winner of the State’s Primary will receive 10 delegates to the National Convention. In addition, 3 delegates will be awarded per Congressional District to the winner of that district. Last, 3 delegates will be determined by the State Party.
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/CA-R
You can see the results of this from the 2008 Republican Primary:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Republican_primary,_2008
In a post on the Daily Paul, I lay out a basic strategy to maximize efforts in California:
http://www.dailypaul.com/222711/the-golden-state-winning-california-by-district-texas-heads-up
Cover Your District/Run for Delegate
California recently redrew our Congressional District lines. The first thing you must do is figure out what your new Congressional District is:
http://swdb.berkeley.edu/gis/gis2011/
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/29/3804492/see-your-senate-assembly-or-congress.html
Now that you know your district, map it out, make a list of the major cities, and focus. This is your turf. For the next two months focus all of your activism on this area. In order to get yourself invested in this, sign up to be a delegate if Ron Paul wins your district:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/delegate/
‘…even if you don’t get picked, as you are campaigning to your family and friends you will be campaigning for yourself. If you are like me you have probably gotten the “I’d vote for you; you should run for something.” At the same time, you probably get frustrated when the same people won’t simply support the candidates you do. Well, now you get the best of both worlds, “Hey, I’m running to be a delegate to the RNC; to win I need to get Ron Paul to win our district’s GOP Primary. You’ve always said you’d vote for me if I ran for something, I can count on your support right?”‘
Campaigning Fundamentals
- Until the Registration Deadline on May 21, all campaigning efforts need to focus on registering supporters to vote in the Primary. To do this, go to your Post Office and Library and grab about half the voter registration forms they have. Stock up! Bring these with you everywhere you go. Share them with other supporters to give to their friends. Remember, you can always go back and get more; they’re free!
- Have copies of Ron Paul literature on hand. The “Super Brochure” is the best default piece to have. You can buy some for yourself (they are relatively cheap) and most likely if you attend some Ron Paul meet-ups there will be someone there handing them out: http://www.ronpaulproducts.com/brochure2.html
- Attend your local Ron Paul meet-ups in order to network and join forces with other activists in your area; this is your team! http://ronpaul.meetup.com/
- Hit up your “Social Precinct.” This is your friends, family and co-workers. That is right, for the next month or two you are going to be “that guy.” Deal with it, it is important. Don’t be a pest, but at least bring it up once with everyone you know. If you’ve gotten this far in supporting and getting active with the Ron Paul grassroots effort the topic is probably going to start coming up naturally in casual conversation.
- Start canvasing. This includes going door-to-door, standing at high traffic sidewalk areas, talking to people behind the counter in “like-minded” stores (and asking them if you can put a stack of brochures on any table/counter where they let people put fliers), and tabling at flea markets, farmers markets, and related trade shows.
- Go to Republican Party Meetings and events. This is where your communication skills are going to come into play. Don’t get into arguments with supporters of the other candidates. Simply express why you support Ron Paul, talk about how he is the best candidate to challenge the President, and respond to any questions/comments with respect and confidence. http://freeindependentsun.com/republic/what-the-new-ppp-3-way-race-poll-shows-only-a-ron-paul-led-republican-ticket-can-beat-obama/
- Make a list of Ron Paul supporters you find along the way, get email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses, if you can. For those that give you email addresses send them an email a few days before the primary, and on the day of the primary, reminding them to vote. With phone numbers call them. With addresses offer to organize a ride for them on the day of the election.
- In the days leading up to the election, start calling all your friends and fellow Ron Paul supporters and start doing some “couch-to-couch” canvasing. Drive over to their house with a sign to put in their front yard (or a banner to hang from their balcony). Sit down and talk to them for a few minutes and see if they can call a few friends and get them on board. See if they are interested in coming out with you for a day to do some canvasing. This is the “last minute” outreach to people that weren’t able to commit during the campaign, but may be interested in helping out “a little bit” for a day or two. Even getting them to put a sign in their yard is more than enough.
April [4/20 End The Drug War!] Money Bomb
Currently there is an effort to raise funds in order to build and maintain a website dedicated to an April Money Bomb for the Ron Paul Campaign. This money will help the campaign with efforts in California and for the remaining Primary states.
http://orenbus.chipin.com/moneybomb-web-dev
I have promoted the concept of doing a Money Bomb on April 20 with the theme “End the War on Drugs!” in order to motivate anti-Prohibition activists behind our candidate, and to draw the support of Medical Marijuana advocates in California that have recently been attacked by the Obama Administration:
http://www.dailypaul.com/221817/4-20-end-the-drug-war-money-bomb-good-idea-to-win-california
Whether or not the group organizing the April Money Bomb goes with my theme, it is important that we support a strong Money Bomb for April to help enable the Campaign to make a strong showing in the Golden State. If you like the 4/20 theme, please comment on the groups threads:
CA-5/Out of State Support
I live and vote in California Congressional District 5. I will be campaign actively in my district for the next two months once I return home from my travels:
During this time I will be helping other activist train in canvasing and campaigning (from what I’ve learned the last 7 months of on-the-road activism). I encourage anyone from around the State, and from out of State to join any of the meet-up groups in California and contact the active members of those groups to come out and help for a weekend, week, or however long you can afford to come out.
Feel free to contact me if you are interested in helping out: jack@freeindependentsun.com
Sign up to http://couchsurfing.org to find accommodations. Even look for a farm to work/stay at through http://wwoofusa.org and campaign the surrounding areas on your time off (I did this in South Carolina and Florida).
Los Angeles Liberty Headquarters
If you are in Southern California, visit the LA Liberty HQ to meet other activist and possible grab some supplies for campaigning in your area. There was a similar headquarter in Pensacola, FL when I was there and it served as a great place to meet, make signs, organize activism and hold events.
Ron Paul Los Angeles Fund Raiser with Nassim Taleb (Writer of Black Swan)
http://jaktober.chipin.com/ron-paul-fundraiser-w-nassim-taleb
I started a chip-in to fund the purchasing of a $2,500 ticket to the May 1st Fund-Raiser in Los Angeles for Ron Paul, hosted by Nassim Taleb. The chip-in will also help pay for a plane ticket, transportation in LA, and even a place to stay if I cannot find a couch surfing host. My trip to LA would also allow me to visit the LA Liberty HQ and meet with So. Cal Ron Paul Activist in order to share everything I learned on my 7-month campaign across the Country. Please help me make it down South for this event, and begin a state-wide coordinated effort to help Ron Paul win the California Primary!
Thank You!
Jack Wagner is the Editor of The Free Independent-Sun. Born in Sonoma, California and currently residing in San Francisco, Jack set up The Free Independent-Sun on July 4th, 2009, after sleeping in and not making his usual trip up north for his hometown festivities. He figured he'd do something revolutionary to make up for it. In the Summer of 2010 Jack registered Seraf Media with the City and County of San Francisco as a Sole-Proprietorship. He is dedicated to articulating the finer points of the Revolution in order to bring about a Global Renaissance and Abundant World Economy. He also isn't afraid to get his hands dirty transplanting succulents. 
