Kerry campaign must need help.

[VLC98]

I think the Kerry campaign must be severely understaffed. I sent an e-mail a few days ago, asking when I would receive my bumper stickers, which I ordered over a month ago. I just received a reply, a form letter thanking me for my thoughts on gay & lesbian issues. I'm not gay but I support gay marriage, although I understand why Kerry can't. I just want my bumper stickers!

[sangha]

1. Oh, they're definitely understaffed

Democratic campaigns are ALWAYS understaffed.

[eileen from OH]

2. Sorry, I don't buy it

There is NO bloody reason why phone calls cannot be returned. There are a TON of us out here who would volunteer. But there is no one to volunteer TO. Phone calls to Kerry for Ohio currently take about a month to get a reply. There is NO paid staff in Ohio and ONE volunteer returning calls. I am not making this up, I wish I was.

There is no bloody reason why there is noone collecting names at rallies, or referring volunteers to a site, or passing the hat for donations. All of which was conspicuously absent at a Kerry rally in Akron a few weeks ago which drew 4,000+. That's 4,000 people who bothered to show up whose names/emails were not captured, 4,000 people who weren't hit up for a buck apiece, 4,000 people who will probably vote for Kerry, but have absolutely no CLUE where to go to volunteer and bring other voters. All it takes is a few paid staff to organize scores of willing volunteers. Or even a small cadre of solid volunteers to organize OTHER volunteers. But IT IS NOT HAPPENING.

Democratic campaigns understaffed? If so, it's their own goddam fault. They rely on the the local party "machineS." And the local party "machines" are, in too many counties, more fucking concerned with getting their mugs in the paper with the candidates than actually DOING THE JOB.

Howard Dean is right - we have to start running for precinct chairmen and local offices. On a county level, the Dem party is moribund and paralyzed. And as long as national candidates rely on these creaky old organizations, hell YES the Dem party will not only be understaffed - they'll be "under" everything.

eileen from OH

[beyurslf]

4. Agreed.

I called the campaign HQ a month ago to volunteer. I said I would do anything from home or make calls or anything. I live in KS so I know we won't win here but I live near MO and that is an important battle state. I told them I would go every weekend if they wanted and I am saving 2 weeks vacation for the end of the campaign. They took my name and number and I have heard nothing.

Anyone know how to contact the campaign in MO? Surely they have something there.

[Jane Austin]

6. FWIW, they can't pass the hat at rallies.

Even one dollar donations have to be accompanied by campaign finance disclosure forms.

If there were a big pickle jar on the table, who's to say somebody wouldn't slip a hundred dollar bill in amongst the singles.

We should be glad of this, because it would be much more likely to happen at a Republican rally than at a Democratic one!

[MAlibdem]

8. True...

You sign up at the Kerry site and expect that they will contact you to volunteer. So far only contribution pleas.

They only responded when they needed me for the NH and MA primary...kind of disappointing, but understandable.

[VLC98]

3. Update.

I received an apology from the campaign hq. Apparently a lot of similar messages were sent by mistake. Also, due to overwhelming demand (sounds great!) they are behind on sending out bumper stickers, but they will be sent.

[MoonRiver]

5. I suspect they respond faster to e-mails.

No matter where they are, volunteers and staff can probably log on and check the e-mail messages.

[yelladawg]

7. unorganized is my take

I am a state wide coordinator for Kerry. It takes 3 to 4 days for my phone calls to be returned. A week on e-mails. No materials at all have reached Oklahoma.

No bumper stickers, no signs, no nothing. We have collected monies and are buying our own bumper stickers and t-shirts.

Kerry Okies

[LonghornJack]

9. Kerry Support in OK!

It's good to see that Kerry has some support in Oklahoma.

I live in Norman, but I don't see much in the way of Kerry support around this place. Maybe it's those slow-moving bumper stickers that haven't made their way here yet.

Maybe we can stir something up over here.


GO KERRY!

[yelladawg]

13. Band of Brothers for Kerry

It's too bad someone in the Kerry staff doesn't see the potential in Oklahoma. The Veterans lined up and voted Kerry at the last minute in the Feb. primary to give Kerry a shocking 14 delegates, when he was hoping for 2, statewide.

This is well the Band of Brothers for Kerry started and is growing, in spite of the lack of support from the Kerry staff.

[MaineDem]

11. Ditto in Maine

Paid campaign staff has been let go, at least for a while. It's almost impossible to get campaign supplies and people are calling me daily trying to get things. Even people having fund-raisers have nothing to give out to donors.

I know funds aren't as available as the Bush campaign and I'm assuming there's a hold on printing until the ticket is established but, heck, we have people coming on board now who want to show their support and offer their help. We need to respond to them quickly.

I've left phone messages and email for people on the DC staff and have had zero response. I'm really hoping this is just a temporary situation. They've been very responsive in the past.

[radfringe]

10. waiting for my bumper sticker

while out shopping this saturday, we got stuck behind a truck decorated with NRA stickers and the "pissing kid" decals..

but smack dab in the middle of the bumper was a bush*-cheney 04 bumper sticker

my partner burst into a tirade about it...

I've been a "bad" influence on her... up until a couple of months ago, whenever I mentioned politics -- she would grimace and say "...please, just stop... it's all just mental masterbation, nothingis going change...yadda yadda yadda..."

not sure what changed her mind, but over the past month she has been reading me articles/polls etc, yelling at the TV, arguing with the radio and now she rants and raves at bumper stickers...

[VLC98]

12. PATHETIC!

I'm sorry, but it's just pathetic. My thanks to all of you in this thread who are working for the Kerry campaign btw, but I'm disgusted that you have your hands tied. I'm British and can't vote, so showing my support with a bumper sticker is one of the only things I can do to get rid of the worst president ever. My husband and I have made a small donation to the Kerry campaign and all we've had in return are tons of e-mails asking for more $. It's demoralizing.

ALSO, my husband works on DOVER AFB, and can influence a lot of military members, voting absentee in many states, so he really needs his bumper sticker. If it's about waiting for the VP selection,why doesn't Kerry just announce it already? He's starting to look like a procrastinator.