I've told some grassroots supporters over the years to never show up again

[zulchzulu]

I've done grassroots stuff over the years where it involved tabling, phone banking, canvassing and other tasks for candidates.

Part of doing this involves getting people to actually show up and volunteer their time and do the tasks that they are skilled enough at and comfortable with. Many times, it's a perfect fit and the job gets done.

But sometimes you get volunteers that just either get in the way, are not schooled enough on the issues to really help or have substance abuse problems, etc.

There were a couple of times this summer where I had a volunteer show up at my Obama table and actually do damage to the cause. Both times involved the person getting in shouting matches with people who stopped by to try to raise a ruckus or just want to annoy us. It was difficult to do, but I had to tell the person who was not really helping by being positive to leave the area.

I mention this since the story about the jerk who supports Hillary Clinton's campaign was spreading rumors about Obama. Despite how easy it is to pin the blame on her campaign, there isn't a whole lot a campaign can do other than the usual notice that you represent the campaign by proxy.

The same issue about the volunteer in New Hampshire who apparently berated the Hillary Clinton supporter in a phone call goes the same way.

If you've ever done grassroots stuff with other volunteers, you know that all kinds of people show up and it's the responsibility of people spearheading the efforts to keep an eye out for people that just drag the efforts down.

[cali]

1. thanks zulchzulu

you're spot on about both situations.

[quinnox]

2. good post

Its rare to see an objective post like this from Obama supporters, its nice to see.

[Adelante]

3. Exactly

:thumbsup:

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Misplaced post - deleted and reentered below n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. Hillary has a pretty brutal phone volunteer in Socal

I have read several accounts here that sound dead-on for being the same girl, but as a democrat I am really glad to know that Hillary is tough on islamofacism...

This chick was using talking points for a Fox News appearance on a democrat fundraising list and calling anyone who supports another canidate naive. But even after trashing you, she concludes with a plea for money.

[saracat]

5. I do have a problem with the fact that is was not an "ordinary " volunteer though.This was a

County Chair" an elected Democratic Party Official, who one would think would know better? Why on earth would such a person do this kind of thing? They would have to be aware how badly it would reflect on the Campaign. This was not just a silly overzealous kid.

[cali]

6. people can be silly and overzealous at any age

Exhibit A: You.

[ronnykmarshall]

18. ....

[Catherine Vincent]

9. Plenty of grownups do horrible things.

Take the woman that created a myspage page to screw with a teenager down the street. She did this for a whole year. The teenager ended up committing suicide.

[zulchzulu]

12. You have a point...but in the end, if someone does that kind of act...

...you have to give the campaign the benefit of a doubt that they aren't that bizarre.

If the person does say that he/she was told to do something like what was done, that's another story...

[demnan]

7. Yes last year we had execellent volunteers

The organization from the top of the Webb campaign wasn't that strong, but the local communty stepped in. We had the best people, it was reflective on Jim Webb success in Prince William County which ultimately gave him his Senate seat. But it takes a lot of patience and it takes a certain amount of finesse to do. Just being out petition gathering a few weeks ago, I had to ask a man not to touch me. He approached me in a threatening manner. Now he was very old and on oxygen, so there was no fitting way I could have defended myself from him. Therefore I stepped back and asked him not to touch me. Things do happen like that when you are in the public trying to do things regarding poltiics.

[murielm99]

8. I agree.

I have seen this at the county level.

This summer, I was cultivating two people, one to be a precinct committeeman, and one to be an election judge. One of our own people walked up and interrupted me, giving them the wrong information! Damn, I had worked hard with those people, too. I nearly bit her head off. I went and found our chairman, to get him to intervene. He was able to calm me down, and get the right information out in a more civil manner.

I am not always right, either. And working with volunteers is not easy.

[TechBear_Seattle]

11. You are correct

Not all of the bad stuff done by volunteers can be blamed on the campaign. And it seems like Clinton's campaign team has acted promptly and appropriately.

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. Thank You. K&R n/t

[LoZoccolo]

14. This was a huge problem with the Dean campaign.

I was actually a part of it, and saw people injecting a little too much of their own personalities and inclinations into what was supposed to be the candidate's message. I think Dean's biggest mistake was phrasing his invitation as "you have the power"; too many people took it as an opportunity to co-opt his campaign with whatever they wanted. Everyone going in their own direction makes strategy next to impossible, and he had a difficult time defining himself as a result.

[zulchzulu]

16. That was what was great and not so great about the Dean campaign

People were so passionate about him, but without keeping on message and training people on how to do different things to make it happen, it can be disastrous.

It's hard trying to stop the levels of enthusiasm people have for their candidate, but someone has to make sure people can swim before they jump in the pool...

There has to be some level of control within each small group of grassroots efforts...otherwise, it's chaos.

[Cameron27]

15. Thank you

[Vickers]

17. You see that same exact dynamic here.

The corrosive personalities of some are driving potential voters away from the very candidates they are pushing.

:crazy:

[zulchzulu]

19. Sometimes we all need to take a breather...

Primary seasons are always contentious as all the candidates get scrutinized, The bigger the crowd, the louder the noise.

Listening to the NPR debate yesterday without the huge audience and the hype and lights that the previous debates have brought upon us, it was actually enjoyable to hear the candidates talk fairly much in a civil manner.

This morning, I took a bus to work and started talking to someone I hadn't seen since 2003 or so. I remember him screaming at me when I was doing a Kerry table in Madison and we sort of had it out. But today, we were talking about Thanksgiving travel and other subjects that generally proved to me that most of us would actually like each other in real life and have a lot of common opinions politically.

It's easy to get carried away about the Story Du Jour that turns into a flamebaited battle. Maybe that Inner Screamer needs to be told to leave the head.

[BeyondGeography]

20. Great perspective

[Rowdyboy]

21. Thoufgtful and gracious post....Thanks