Today was they day of the South Carolina Primary. At first, I am extremely excited and prepared for the day - a day I know will be long, tiring, and hopefully surprising to a lot of people in the end. Fred certainly has some momentum, and I hope its enough to claim victory here in South Carolina. While there are always doubts, we must remain steadfast in our belief that his ideology and beliefs will prevail.
Today we made did a huge phone blitz and made almost 14,000 calls.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Jeri Thompson, Fred's wife and Hayden, his daughter. I also met up with fellow Nashvillians Bobbie Murphy, Suzie Browning, David Mansouri, Trevor Garrett, and my man Woody Woodruff.
Around 7, I left the office to get Prina and then head over to the victory party. Fred spoke fairly early, but we did finish in third place. Although we expected to do better, we still beat Mitt Romney (always a good thing). Fred gave an excellent speech which you can watch at fred08.com.
After the event, we went to Liberty Tap Room and Bar. 'Nough said.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
South Carolina Primary Day 5: January 18, 2008
The day before a primary takes place is guaranteed to be a hectic day. People are scrambling to get out the vote, people are scrambling to put up signs, and people are scrambling to get organized enough to finish strong in the final tally. I certainly appreciate all the hard work people have to do in order to simply keep up with a Presidential campaign. Oftentimes, the things most people need is a sense of control - the ability to organize things in one's own manner regardless of outside interference. The difficult part about working in a campaign is that there are infinite variables that impact decision making and they manifest themselves every minute of every hour of every day. For example, a recent pro-Huckabee group started push polling voters against Fred. So obviously, we had to come up with a strategy to combat that very quickly, since it was happening less than two days before the primary.
Long story short - What I learned today was that not everything can be as controlled as you like it to be. Things happen and different problems present themselves as formidable obstacles to your controlled environment. Best way to deal with it? Be alert, adapt to your situation, and act quickly.
Vandy destroyed LSU. GO DORES!
Long story short - What I learned today was that not everything can be as controlled as you like it to be. Things happen and different problems present themselves as formidable obstacles to your controlled environment. Best way to deal with it? Be alert, adapt to your situation, and act quickly.
Vandy destroyed LSU. GO DORES!
Friday, January 18, 2008
South Carolina Primary Day 4: January 17, 2008 [Take 2]
In my soapbox I forgot to say what I actually did:
1. I went on a secret mission. I can't give details. It was cool.
2. I made chicken soup in 15 minutes. Mom, you would've been proud.
3. I met former Governor George Allan of Virginia who asked what my name meant since he knew that most South Asian names have meanings to them. He also pronounced my name correctly the first time, which may not mean much to many people, but it does for me because rarely anyone gets it right the first time.
4. I got to pick up one of the most dynamic and gentle people that I have ever met in Congressman Steve King. We had a fantastic conversation in the car and I know he will help us to his maximal capacity.
5. Vandy got killed. Not cool.
1. I went on a secret mission. I can't give details. It was cool.
2. I made chicken soup in 15 minutes. Mom, you would've been proud.
3. I met former Governor George Allan of Virginia who asked what my name meant since he knew that most South Asian names have meanings to them. He also pronounced my name correctly the first time, which may not mean much to many people, but it does for me because rarely anyone gets it right the first time.
4. I got to pick up one of the most dynamic and gentle people that I have ever met in Congressman Steve King. We had a fantastic conversation in the car and I know he will help us to his maximal capacity.
5. Vandy got killed. Not cool.
South Carolina Primary Day 4: January 17, 2008
Today started off fantastic! I woke up and went straight to a Meet Fred event in West Columbia. It was only a mile away from my cousin's apartment so I figured I would stop by before I went in for work. The good thing about this event, in my perspective, was that it was a radio type of event - something I have never seen before, even though I've been to what feels like a few dozen events. Usually, Fred comes on stage and preaches his consistent conservative mantra to a large crowd. He then proceeds to answer questions from the audience. In this format, Fred sits down and talks to a local radio host who asks Fred several questions. Then the questions are opened up to the floor.
One thing that I have come to notice about Fred is that he is a very refreshing politician. So often people tell me how much they are fed up with politicians who offer nothing but empty promises, politicians that change their position in order to appease an electorate, and certainly politicians they just flat out don't trust. To me, Fred is the one politician that can break this cycle of doubt and pessimism towards voters.
That being said, I wonder why people choose candidates that could reaffirm the status quo. For example, take the following conversation:
Person 1: I honestly have no idea who I am going to vote for - I am completely decided because there is no one that I believe should have my vote. In fact, I'm sick of politics - all the pundits say something and the candidates do what they say and it's all just hoop-la.
Person 2: What are you looking for in a candidate?
Person 1: I am looking for someone who is strong on national security, pro life, strong against illegal immigrants, and against lavish government spending. However, I want the person to have always had these beliefs and not changed their position.
Person 2: Well, Fred Thompson is a pretty consistent conservative that believes in all those things!
Person 1: I don't think Fred can win though - he's a great guy, but I think he go in the race too late and doesn't have much "fire-in-the-belly".
You may be surprised how many times a day I get this conversation - and frankly, it frustrates me a lot. Why do Americans want a truthful candidate and then discount that candidate because they got into the race (god forbid) only 6 months before the first primary. We, as Americans, are so caught up with the idea of a continuous election and doing things the way political pundits tell you to think that we never step back to realize that when we have a candidate that can restore dignity and honesty to a public office, our hope is pushed away by a small mention of laziness.
Frankly, its stupid. Sometimes I hope people will be able to voice their own opinions without quoting everything they read in the newspaper. Why you may ask? I think, and hope, that Americans are smart enough to look at a situation objectively. Obviously if you are looking for something or someone, and that person comes along, I certainly hope you give them more than a second look! It reminds me of an saying back in the 1990's when one campaign slogan was "Hey! It's the economy, stupid!" I guess sometimes its as simple as saying just that. To conservatives, it should be "Hey! It's Fred, stupid!" He's a candidate that doesn't have to play any defense on his positions (everyone else does), he's the only candidate that can rebuild the Reagan coalition, and he's certainly a candidate that everyone trusts.
But maybe the concerns of getting in too late and being "lazy" are valid. The situation definitely brings up some valid questions: To what extent do we, as Americans, value the Presidential Election Process? Do we want to have a constant election? Are we okay with being constantly bombarded by Presidential information? Will we actually pay any attention to all this information? Would we rather continue the trend of a candidate that placates voters as opposed to a candidate that stands up for the values of America? Are we complacent and so indifferent to change that we are not strong enough to abandon the current system?
I think its important that we also ask the question to what degree we all value change? The word "change" has been used for numerous campaigns, whether Republican or Democrat. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney pride themselves on bringing a "change" to Washington D.C. in that they have no or relatively little experience in the city. John Edwards aims to change the way Americans perceive and approach solutions towards ending poverty. Mike Huckabee, being the naive idiot that he is, says he can change everything in the world for good. However, there is an ingenuine or at least a degree to which I believe these people promise change only in order to get votes - it seems like a political ploy.
We should value change not simply for the sake of change, but rather change that aims to rectify contemporary problems. We should no be hesitant to accept change, but we should also not make brash changes. How do we distinguish between the two? I think we seek answers to that by looking at our own first principles. What type of change increases our freedom, our liberties, and our pursuits for happiness? What type of changes encourage us to step out against a system which no one completely trusts? In essence, how should we act against the status quo in a manner that will change the world in which we live in order to reaffirm our first principles?
This is certainly a discussion which I would love having with someone. But I think Fred hits it on the spot. You approach change by stepping up the challenge - by going out of your comfort zone to do what you think is best for you, best for the people around you, and if you're running for President, what's best for your country. You approach change by going beyond what is expected. You approach change by doing things your way, not by obliging to a set framework and method for action. You approach change by finding a desire within yourself to better the world and reaffirm the ideas, values, and traditions that you have always believed in.
Mahatma Gandhi once said "you must be the change you wish to see in the world." He was right.
One thing that I have come to notice about Fred is that he is a very refreshing politician. So often people tell me how much they are fed up with politicians who offer nothing but empty promises, politicians that change their position in order to appease an electorate, and certainly politicians they just flat out don't trust. To me, Fred is the one politician that can break this cycle of doubt and pessimism towards voters.
That being said, I wonder why people choose candidates that could reaffirm the status quo. For example, take the following conversation:
Person 1: I honestly have no idea who I am going to vote for - I am completely decided because there is no one that I believe should have my vote. In fact, I'm sick of politics - all the pundits say something and the candidates do what they say and it's all just hoop-la.
Person 2: What are you looking for in a candidate?
Person 1: I am looking for someone who is strong on national security, pro life, strong against illegal immigrants, and against lavish government spending. However, I want the person to have always had these beliefs and not changed their position.
Person 2: Well, Fred Thompson is a pretty consistent conservative that believes in all those things!
Person 1: I don't think Fred can win though - he's a great guy, but I think he go in the race too late and doesn't have much "fire-in-the-belly".
You may be surprised how many times a day I get this conversation - and frankly, it frustrates me a lot. Why do Americans want a truthful candidate and then discount that candidate because they got into the race (god forbid) only 6 months before the first primary. We, as Americans, are so caught up with the idea of a continuous election and doing things the way political pundits tell you to think that we never step back to realize that when we have a candidate that can restore dignity and honesty to a public office, our hope is pushed away by a small mention of laziness.
Frankly, its stupid. Sometimes I hope people will be able to voice their own opinions without quoting everything they read in the newspaper. Why you may ask? I think, and hope, that Americans are smart enough to look at a situation objectively. Obviously if you are looking for something or someone, and that person comes along, I certainly hope you give them more than a second look! It reminds me of an saying back in the 1990's when one campaign slogan was "Hey! It's the economy, stupid!" I guess sometimes its as simple as saying just that. To conservatives, it should be "Hey! It's Fred, stupid!" He's a candidate that doesn't have to play any defense on his positions (everyone else does), he's the only candidate that can rebuild the Reagan coalition, and he's certainly a candidate that everyone trusts.
But maybe the concerns of getting in too late and being "lazy" are valid. The situation definitely brings up some valid questions: To what extent do we, as Americans, value the Presidential Election Process? Do we want to have a constant election? Are we okay with being constantly bombarded by Presidential information? Will we actually pay any attention to all this information? Would we rather continue the trend of a candidate that placates voters as opposed to a candidate that stands up for the values of America? Are we complacent and so indifferent to change that we are not strong enough to abandon the current system?
I think its important that we also ask the question to what degree we all value change? The word "change" has been used for numerous campaigns, whether Republican or Democrat. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney pride themselves on bringing a "change" to Washington D.C. in that they have no or relatively little experience in the city. John Edwards aims to change the way Americans perceive and approach solutions towards ending poverty. Mike Huckabee, being the naive idiot that he is, says he can change everything in the world for good. However, there is an ingenuine or at least a degree to which I believe these people promise change only in order to get votes - it seems like a political ploy.
We should value change not simply for the sake of change, but rather change that aims to rectify contemporary problems. We should no be hesitant to accept change, but we should also not make brash changes. How do we distinguish between the two? I think we seek answers to that by looking at our own first principles. What type of change increases our freedom, our liberties, and our pursuits for happiness? What type of changes encourage us to step out against a system which no one completely trusts? In essence, how should we act against the status quo in a manner that will change the world in which we live in order to reaffirm our first principles?
This is certainly a discussion which I would love having with someone. But I think Fred hits it on the spot. You approach change by stepping up the challenge - by going out of your comfort zone to do what you think is best for you, best for the people around you, and if you're running for President, what's best for your country. You approach change by going beyond what is expected. You approach change by doing things your way, not by obliging to a set framework and method for action. You approach change by finding a desire within yourself to better the world and reaffirm the ideas, values, and traditions that you have always believed in.
Mahatma Gandhi once said "you must be the change you wish to see in the world." He was right.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
South Carolina Primary Day 3: January 16, 2008
Today was a fairly interesting day. At first I thought I was going to go door-to-door in the morning. However, I was quickly pulled off that list in order to accompany a few staffers out to a Club For Growth Press Conference outside the South Carolina State Capital (pretty cool, huh?). So I met up with our Coalitions Director, Joe Cella, and a few other people from the McLean office to walk to the capital. I learned the purpose of this CFG conference was essentially in order to inform people that Mike Huckabee should not be voted for because he has the most abysmal fiscal record ever witnessed by a Republican candidate. This was a pretty fun activity since I got to see Pat Toomey and Dick Armey. We handed out some fliers which have a comparison of candidates on fiscal policy and immigration policy. Someone was handing out cigars with a flier highlighting Huckabee's flip flop on the smoking ban - which I personally thought was hilarious!
When I got back to the office, Finnegan grabbed me to go door to door. I was pretty excited about going door to door because I have never done it before - so at the very least today was a day I got to do two new things. We headed over to Lexington, SC (a suburb of Columbia) and to a quaint little neighborhood. I'm not going to lie when I say there is something a bit sketchy about going from one house to the next giving out information (as well as anyone's intentions may be). One interesting occasion was when I met the self proclaimed "neighborhood snoop". Needless to say when she saw two guys walking around in trench coats around young kids (that had the COOLEST skateboards ever) she was like "who are you? I am the neighborhood snoop!" Overall, it was a pretty fun and exciting event and it was fun to have my first door to door experience.
Only a few more days until the primary!
Only one more day until Vanderbilt dominates UT.
When I got back to the office, Finnegan grabbed me to go door to door. I was pretty excited about going door to door because I have never done it before - so at the very least today was a day I got to do two new things. We headed over to Lexington, SC (a suburb of Columbia) and to a quaint little neighborhood. I'm not going to lie when I say there is something a bit sketchy about going from one house to the next giving out information (as well as anyone's intentions may be). One interesting occasion was when I met the self proclaimed "neighborhood snoop". Needless to say when she saw two guys walking around in trench coats around young kids (that had the COOLEST skateboards ever) she was like "who are you? I am the neighborhood snoop!" Overall, it was a pretty fun and exciting event and it was fun to have my first door to door experience.
Only a few more days until the primary!
Only one more day until Vanderbilt dominates UT.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
South Carolina Primary Day 2: January 15, 2008
First day in South Carolina was pretty exciting. After hearing the great news about our numbers in the polls and the great turnout in Simpsonville, it seems as if South Carolinians are starting to respond to Fred's consistent conservative message. We had a ton of phone calls where people seemed very enthusiastic about coming to see Fred and certainly voting for him on Saturday.
Around 5 pm, I ventured out towards Sticky Fingers for a Meet Fred event we were having in Columbia. The turnout for this event was also fantastic. The capacity of the location was 260 and we got a conservative 300 in the building. I was happy to meet up with fellow Nashville office friends: Bob Davis and Bobbie Murphy. Fred was rockin' at this event answering questions with a level of specificity that is rarely seen on a Presidential campaign. He answered questions about illegal immigration, the economy, and national security with usually a 5-7 minute response that hit points that no other candidate has touched on. For example, on the economy question, Fred analyzed various markets including the Dow Jones, mortgages, automobile loans, corporate taxes, public vs. private dichotomy, etc. Seeing that much conviction in his policies and certainly that level of interests are things that prove his viability as a candidate.
After the event, a couple of us stayed over at Sticky Fingers in order to sample some South Carolina BBQ. Now usually I have a problem with BBQ places that make theirs too sweet. So, I have learned to order the dry rubbed stuff and then put BBQ sauce on it if I so prefer. Sticky Fingers wasn't all that bad. The ribs were not as tender as I like them to be, but the seasoning was fantastic. They also had a very nice mustard BBQ sauce and a very unsatisfying Tennessee Whiskey sauce. Either way, after not having eaten all day, I was glad to eat something.
We got back to the office at about 8:30 and it was time to stuff collateral into plastic baggies for people to take when they go door-to-door tomorrow. It was nice having the Vandy crew (Gaske, Allison, and myself) cranking out hundreds of packets at a time. Go Dores. I was here until about 11:30, got home and then went to sleep.
Until tomorrow!
PS The Titans fired Norm Chow? really?
Around 5 pm, I ventured out towards Sticky Fingers for a Meet Fred event we were having in Columbia. The turnout for this event was also fantastic. The capacity of the location was 260 and we got a conservative 300 in the building. I was happy to meet up with fellow Nashville office friends: Bob Davis and Bobbie Murphy. Fred was rockin' at this event answering questions with a level of specificity that is rarely seen on a Presidential campaign. He answered questions about illegal immigration, the economy, and national security with usually a 5-7 minute response that hit points that no other candidate has touched on. For example, on the economy question, Fred analyzed various markets including the Dow Jones, mortgages, automobile loans, corporate taxes, public vs. private dichotomy, etc. Seeing that much conviction in his policies and certainly that level of interests are things that prove his viability as a candidate.
After the event, a couple of us stayed over at Sticky Fingers in order to sample some South Carolina BBQ. Now usually I have a problem with BBQ places that make theirs too sweet. So, I have learned to order the dry rubbed stuff and then put BBQ sauce on it if I so prefer. Sticky Fingers wasn't all that bad. The ribs were not as tender as I like them to be, but the seasoning was fantastic. They also had a very nice mustard BBQ sauce and a very unsatisfying Tennessee Whiskey sauce. Either way, after not having eaten all day, I was glad to eat something.
We got back to the office at about 8:30 and it was time to stuff collateral into plastic baggies for people to take when they go door-to-door tomorrow. It was nice having the Vandy crew (Gaske, Allison, and myself) cranking out hundreds of packets at a time. Go Dores. I was here until about 11:30, got home and then went to sleep.
Until tomorrow!
PS The Titans fired Norm Chow? really?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
South Carolina Primary: Day 1, January 14, 2008
As I drove into South Carolina this morning, I felt a rush of excitement because I was not surrounded by the barren wasteland of Iowa. After seeing Fred's debate performance in Myrtle Beach, I think people are finally realizing that Fred is the candidate of the true conservative, not only in terms of consistency, but also his ability to bring back the Reagan Coalition (interesting article by the way that I found on Drudge:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011408/content/01125111.guest.html). It is necessary that we establish this outright because I think that so many people are undecided that they are looking for someone to look up to. That person is Fred Thompson - a consistent, strong, and trustworthy candidate.
After finally getting some good press after a tremendous debate performance, we had some great news today:
1. Fred is in a statistical dead heat for second place in South Carolina and went up four points in the Rasmussen poll. As far as I am concerned that number is only going up.
2. We had an event tonight in Simpsonville, SC. The hard count (RSVP's) for this event was somewhere near 130. The capacity of the location we were in was 250. At the door, there were over 600 people! This is unheard of for a Republican (or any for that matter) town hall meeting! The response to Fred has been fantastic and we can certainly feel the excitement out here. People were standing outside any window they could find to try and listen to Fred and get a glimpse of America's next President. Just these numbers tell you something about what is going on in the minds of South Carolinians.
This kind of news is what gets me excited about being a part of one of the closest primaries in the history of the Presidential Election process. Its not only fun and educating, but also unpredictable and surprising. Each and every day is different from the next and there is definitely value in being a part of this whole process.
Saturday will definitely be a very important day in this campaign. Fred needs to finish in a very strong position in order to have a chance at the Republican nomination, that I believe he deserves. That makes every moment of every day to help in this effort critical.
Should be interesting to see what happens on January 19. I think we're gonna surprise a lot of people.
And with that conviction, let's get to work in South Carolina!
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011408/content/01125111.guest.html). It is necessary that we establish this outright because I think that so many people are undecided that they are looking for someone to look up to. That person is Fred Thompson - a consistent, strong, and trustworthy candidate.
After finally getting some good press after a tremendous debate performance, we had some great news today:
1. Fred is in a statistical dead heat for second place in South Carolina and went up four points in the Rasmussen poll. As far as I am concerned that number is only going up.
2. We had an event tonight in Simpsonville, SC. The hard count (RSVP's) for this event was somewhere near 130. The capacity of the location we were in was 250. At the door, there were over 600 people! This is unheard of for a Republican (or any for that matter) town hall meeting! The response to Fred has been fantastic and we can certainly feel the excitement out here. People were standing outside any window they could find to try and listen to Fred and get a glimpse of America's next President. Just these numbers tell you something about what is going on in the minds of South Carolinians.
This kind of news is what gets me excited about being a part of one of the closest primaries in the history of the Presidential Election process. Its not only fun and educating, but also unpredictable and surprising. Each and every day is different from the next and there is definitely value in being a part of this whole process.
Saturday will definitely be a very important day in this campaign. Fred needs to finish in a very strong position in order to have a chance at the Republican nomination, that I believe he deserves. That makes every moment of every day to help in this effort critical.
Should be interesting to see what happens on January 19. I think we're gonna surprise a lot of people.
And with that conviction, let's get to work in South Carolina!
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