Tabling for Bernie. Or campaigning like Ben Franklin did it.

[Cleita]

Last edited Sat May 30, 2015, 04:16 PM - Edit history (1)

I was kicking this idea around with another DUer, whom I know in person. What if we drag a card table, pamphlets and other paraphernalia to places where people are going to be, like farmer's markets for instance. We can register voters but also pass out Bernie information. My friend DUer, emsimon33, suggests, we label it:

"Who is Bernie" or "Ask us about Bernie"

We both have been following Bernie's career for years now and feel pretty competent to sort out the lies and misinformation as well as inform people accurately about him. We have found that rank and file people we know don't know who Bernie is. Since, we know he is not going to have the cash for ads that the other candidates are going to have, we felt this way would get the word out.

emsimon33 wants to go door to door but I think it's too early yet. Being this is a tourist destination, there are a lot of festivals and other venues to attend even parks and shopping centers. I hope we start garnering a following of Bernie volunteers to do this every weekend, maybe even during the week in the summer.

We will probably ask for some support from the Democratic Central Committee. Anybody have any other ideas for us? eesimon33 has work and must travel a lot, so most of this would fall to me.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I think that's a great idea, and I think the group here could come up with

pamphlets that we could all print out and take with us to hand out in places we go. Farmer's markets sound like a good place for it, as well as any place with a lot of foot traffic that will let you set up and hand stuff out. (Obviously get permission first, we don't want folks associating Bernie with people with no regard for rules.)

[Jackpine Radical]

3. I had his 12 Steps & Iraq speech pinned at the top of this group.

You can print that stuff out--I like to just use it rough, because it sorta matches Bernie's style of all substance, no prettification--and hand it out wherever you go. You don't even need a booth, but that's a fine idea.

You could sell a few Bernie stickers & other paraphernalia. (OMG-the idea of a Bernie Bong…Nevermind.)

[Cleita]

4. Thanks. I am going to be relying heavily on this group.

I have to get my local Dem club on board to because they are pushing Hillary. I think though, since he's running as a Democrat, they should give me some minimal support as well.

[Cleita]

7. I will get permission, of course, and in order to use the DCCs equipment,

I think they expect us to do voter registration, but I'll have to ask to be sure.

[HassleCat]

2. Tabling Works

It's a good way to reach people on the grassroots level, without spending big bucks. You need to move around a little because you will reach saturation if you go back to the same place every week, and talk to the same people. If you register people to vote be careful to handle the completed registration forms correctly and get them to the appropriate place quickly. Tabling efforts often run afoul of election officials when voter registration forms get lost or mishandled.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. In Wisconsin, one of the things the Walkerbots did was to complicate the registration process,

so I don't think you can just get some forms & start registering people here. Seems to me people were having to go through special training to register people last election.

[HassleCat]

8. Some justification

Some states had to clamp down on doing voter registration at events, tables, etc. There was some intentional funny business, as well as some accidental carelessness, and the end result was people thought they registered, then found out they couldn't vote because the form never made it to the county clerk's office. Edit: By the way, where do you live? I have relatives in the north country, Rhinelander, Bayfield, Spooner, Hertel, etc.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Originally Hayward, now Eau Claire.

I've lived in Superior, know Ashland, Spooner, Hertel, Rice Lake, Barron--all those little towns. I also lived in Madison & Milwaukee in the 60's & 70's

[HassleCat]

11. Eau Claire is good

That's where I was born. Also lived in Chetek, Altoona, Buffalo City, Hudson and Hammond, to put them in chronological order. Oh, forgot Stevens Point when my wife went to grad school there.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. I moved down here from Superior for the climate.

Well, OK, the job climate.

[Cleita]

6. I can do that because there's things going on every weekend in this county and the

next one. There is also the beach that gets lots of people in from the Central Valley. They are mostly RWingers but I will answer their questions too.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Never give up on apparent "right-wingers" without exploring what they really think.

You can often find common ground with them about bank bailouts, anger at Wall Street, SocSec & Medicare issues (if they're older, as most of them are, along with the likes of you & me), their grandchildrens' futures (free university education?), the sense of loss & of things falling apart (rebuild the infrastructure; echoes of WPA & CCC, ow which they have at least second-hand memories) etc. There is a distinct advantage to having a non-Establishment candidate in talking to this crowd. Just be gentle, listen, & meet them where they are.

But of course you know all that.

[Snotcicles]

12. "Join the Bernie Journey" or "Bernie Journey 2016"

[sabrina 1]

14. I think it's a great idea because people need to become familiar with his name. That is the only

real impediment to his success. And you can see just from the past month, how once people know who he is and what he is about, his poll numbers have jumped, from 3% in Jan to 15% since people are beginning to learn about him.

And we have a lot of time to make sure he is a household word before the primaries.

I like your idea, maybe have some bumber stickers, buttons etc with his logo on them his name and maybe a label that says 'Union Made in the USA' on the table.

Another idea is to invite people to small house parties and show some video of him, one in particular is 'The President We Need'. It is posted right now in the Video Forum.

Good luck, I love that people are so enthusiastic about him already!

[fed-up]

15. You should have separate tables for voter reg and Bernie stuff

I just got permission from our farmers market to table for Bernie starting next week after our flyers, bumper stickers, buttons and t-shirts are ready! I will have a friend table next to me doing voter registration. I am allowed to use a sign that says "Democrats Register to Vote here" even though I will register anybody that asks. I will also try to get people to switch to Dem so they can vote for Bernie in the primary.

I will not answer any question that I am unsure of, but will direct people to Bernie's website. I will avoid confrontation and keep pleasant at all times.

I will let people know about our North Staters for Bernie facebook page, and that info is also on our flyer.

I will have a clipboard with list of possible volunteer activities they want to do that they can fill out. I will collect names, addresses, phone numbers, email or other contact info. I will be recruiting others to help table.

I will remember to bring/drink lots of water and a snack!

[mmonk]

16. Good idea.

Doing it near a street vendor or restaurant with outdoor dining if possible can help with foot traffic flow.