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Larry T. Spider

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Everything posted by Larry T. Spider

  1. Fair warning. I’m going to be telling a lot of trumpkins to get out of America if they bitch about our New Democrat president. It’s the new standard. Love it or leave it. Or as aggy would say...highway 6 runs both ways.
  2. At this point I’m just donating to my house rep for the Texas legislature. He’s a first term dem in a newly light blue district. My money is next to meaningless in a presidential campaign.
  3. Through our latest report, we’ve raised a staggering $13 million from 193,000 donors. From all people, no PACs. A brand new poll in New Hampshire means Beto is officially qualified for the debates in the fall. We’ve invested a ton in building out a stellar campaign team in our El Paso HQ. Our National Finance Director started this week. Our Digital Director started a month ago. We opened 11 offices in Iowa. The infrastructure is growing rapidly. There’s been a lot of talk about what our fundraising numbers last quarter meant. We’re here to tell you that the media narrative is wrong. There’s plenty of time before the first primaries and caucuses in February, and we’re growing in support and size every single day. Still, we have to grapple with the fact that some of our opponents raised two, three, or four times as much as we did last quarter. And it’s important to pick up the pace.
  4. Same reason you have the Bradley effect in polls, especially ones regarding trump. People know they should be ashamed but still have to go hit that R straight ticket button every time. With all the vile shit that trump has said and done, I will not be trusting the polls as much as usual this time around.
  5. But the Supreme Court....
  6. I don’t think an informed center exists. If you have been paying attention at all you are clearly going to come down on one side or the other. I think this is more true now than ever before. I do think there is a group of low information undecided voters out there. “Center” would imply they are liberal on some issues and conservative on others. I don’t think that label really fits this group because they haven’t given it enough thought. They don’t watch political shows, just kardashians and tmz. I find that they are easily swayed by personal interactions because they don’t have set beliefs that you have to overcome. They also don’t have a lot of competing sources of information. I want to be clear that I don’t think you change policy positions based on them or devote a lot of campaign resources to them. They aren’t paying attention and it would be a waste. However, I do feel they are worth a quick personal conversation.
  7. I think Hugo and Brisket are both correct here. Massive GOTV for Dems and left of center moderates is the only way.
  8. I don’t think we need them to win and I wouldn’t waste of lot of resources on them. My response is mainly to the people that think it’s a winning strategy to go after people that never vote. It’s a great way to end up disappointed on Election Day when they do what they always do....sit it out. Making sure that you have a clear message to democrat and independent voters with a solid ground game is the most sure fire strategy out there. Our only difference is that I still consider some of the trump voters (not supporters) in the independent category.
  9. For many, they haven’t developed a distaste because they are watching the Kardashians. They decided to push the trump button on a whim and have little emotional connection to the guy. If they can defend him at all, they have an emotional connection that you aren’t going to break. The reason they are worth engaging is because they are voters. Relying on non-voters is inherently risky as very few politicians have been able to pull it off. It’s easy to see that 40% on the sidelines and think that they are easy targets. They are anything but. It takes an intese ground game months in advance to get them registered. Then you have to follow up religiously to get them to the polls. In many cases you have to drive them yourself.
  10. Too many people are confusing everybody that pushed the trump button with trump supporters. Trump supporters are people that know what is going on, like it, and will vote trump no matter what he does. They are hopeless, not just for this election, but likely forever. They are a huge challenge that our country will have to overcome to be successful. There are also people that decided in the last few days before the election that are typically low information voters. They decide based on superficial information and likely couldn’t outline the policy positions of either candidate. These people decide to vote for trump because he’s “an outsider” or “he seems tough”. They probably can’t even name a single democrat in the primary right now. The second group is very winnable and is large enough that they should be written off completely. You definitely don’t change policy positions for them and they wouldn’t even know if you did. But, this is a large enough group that they are worth engaging with. It’s not like it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. When you talk to them, if they defend trump AT ALL, they are lost and you should move on. But, I have found that many of them won’t, simply because they are so uninformed that they can’t. They are open to new information.
  11. We have no attention span. After Bernie hits minute two of explaining his healthcare policy proposal everybody would be changing the channel. Gotcha questions and Kamala attacking Biden keeps people watching. We get the government we deserve.
  12. His approval rates will go up amongst republicans just like they did when he made racist comments on twitter.
  13. “Medicare 4 All covers basically everything medically necessary. You can buy concierge cash services for anything. You can get private insurance for things M4A doesn't cover.“ Sounds great, sign me up. Simple and to the point. Would get everybody covered, reduce overhead, and treat people in the most cost effective way possible....not the er for a cold. The bed wetters over death panels can still buy supplemental insurance. My biggest frustration with politics in America is that we can’t get this done and continue to bash our heads in with an incredibly shitty system, even if you do have insurance.
  14. Y’all are leaving one group of voters out. The low information voter that doesn’t know anything about 90% of the stuff we argue on here about. They probably won’t decide until a couple of weeks before the election. A lot of these people were the “hell, I’ll give trump a shot” types and they may do it again. They don’t have a mental list of all of trumps insanity since taking office. They probably know that he tweets a lot but could give you very few specifics. My theory is that they really don’t pay much attention to online or tv advertising but could be swayed by a person talking to them or the candidate coming to their area. The lack of ground game and HRC avoiding certain states probably hurt her with these people.
  15. I try to avoid call the cops at all costs but almost did yesterday. One of the squeegee guys near Caesar Chavez and 35 was messed up on something. Screaming and cussing out everybody in their cars. Started acting like he was going to break this lady’s driver window with his pole (not that one) when the light turned green and she gunned it. Drove past the arch on 7th today around 6:00 and it looked like a laundry truck exploded. Clothes everywhere.
  16. It’s actually quite reliable. I use it for all my health concerns.
  17. If nothing else comes of this entire mess (not likely) every dem candidate should at least be screaming about the difference in treatment for rich white guys and poor minorities. Hell, even bring it back to the border situation. Do terrible things as a white guy and you get to spend 12 days a month doing the same terrible things at your office. Try to bring your family here for a better life...good luck getting any toothpaste.
  18. It’s also a great way to make sure the PUF never gets shared with other schools. Probably wasn’t going to happen anyway but it’s locked up forever now. I applaud UT and hope that they are the trendsetter for others.
  19. That’s a lot of “southern pride” for a New Yorker.
  20. If I’m reading the numbers right, Dotard already has 56 mil in cash on hand and is fundraising at a brisk pace. Not sure how much it will matter. This election seems different and unpredictable to me.
  21. If you scroll up to my post near the top of this page (1005) I listed a lot of things he would need to run an operation like this. Being a spy would certainly give him access to a lot of it. It would also explain why he kept going when he had more than enough money for several lifetimes. He had to.
  22. I joined this campaign because I believe in Beto and I know he is the best person to lead our country forward. This country is facing existential challenges like climate change, economic inequality, gun violence and Trump's immigration policies that have caused chaos at the border and rejected our values as a country. Beto believes that we can't solve these problems with the same old approach. We need to bring about a new kind of politics, where millions of Americans are finally brought into our democracy. This campaign is your campaign. We aren't beholden to PACs, to corporations, or to lobbyists; we're beholden only to you. We believe in being transparent about our work and our plans — and we want to hear from you too. It's going to take all of us to take on Donald Trump and your voice in this campaign really matters to us. Because of that, I wanted to give my first campaign update directly to you. I am so proud of what we are building together, so let's get into it! Here's what we've got: Our candidate: Someone who inspires and motivates people with policies to back it up. Our team: No exaggeration, one of the best teams I've ever worked with. Our strategy: Building this grassroots movement in Iowa, early states and across this country. Texas: It's got the third most delegates of any state in the country, and we're in the best position to win it. Our plan for the fall: We've already met the hardest threshold for the fall debate. We're in on individual donors both nationally and in states. Our resources: We always need more, but we have enough to execute our strategy — for now. Our most critical asset: You. We've got amazing supporters who are engaged, energized, and putting in the work every single day. Not only is this campaign about you, it's run by you. We're building a truly grassroots-centric campaign operation, inspired by what many of you helped build last year in Texas. This couldn't be more apparent than by taking a look at what we are building in Iowa and the early states. In fact, our organizing program is currently one of the largest in the state. Some of you may have seen that we opened 11 field offices there — today. And sure, we've got incredibly experienced and diverse staff. We've also got amazingly dedicated volunteers and supporters who are serving as ambassadors for Beto in their own networks and communities. Together, we're making the difference. Here's where we are: Organizing by the numbers: Grassroots events held: 3,551 Event attendees: More than 47,486 (31,454 in Q2) Volunteers: 102,896 States we've canvassed in: 50 Fundraising: A lot of folks have asked about our fundraising numbers. Overall, here's where we are: We had something of an extended Q2. Our Q1 numbers came from the 18 days in March where you all stepped up big time. When you look at our fundraising in aggregate, we're in a great position. I won't sugar coat it: we have work to do, but we have the resources we need to execute our strategy. And we're proud of where that money is coming from. This is a campaign that is truly funded by people — not PACs, lobbyists, or special interests. Take a look: Some people in this race are already setting up super PACs. We haven't. Instead, we're relying on teachers, nurses, students, and people just like you. Beyond, we have tons of room to grow: 99.7% of our donors can give again, and most importantly a full 1/3rdof our donors gave to Beto for the first time — presidential or Senate — in Q2. The way we raised on day one took everyone — including us — by surprise. We always expected a slow down — mostly because we never expected to be moving that fast. The truth is when you're prioritizing face-to-face conversations like we are, fundraising growth can be a slow burn. Don't believe me? Here's the fundraising arc from Beto's Senate race. If you only judged Beto's Senate campaign by Q2 2017, you'd probably assume he was dead in the water. I've done a lot of these before. Campaigns aren't about how you're doing at any particular moment — they're about how you build over time. We're building our team in El Paso slowly but surely. Our National Finance Director started this week. Our Digital Director started a month ago. We're going to grow, and our ability to fundraise is going to grow with it. Our team was able to capture all of the energy around our launch, but we're working on getting a team in place to take it to the next level. We could have sent emails that said the sky was falling. We could have burned it all down asking for money. We could have had Beto on the phones with every lobbyist in town. That's not how we operate — and we don't feel like we need to. On the last day of the quarter, we raised money for an organization that helps asylum seekers. I'm so proud that this campaign raised tens of thousands of dollars for Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services of El Paso (and you can give to them here.) That's the campaign we're running. That's who Beto is, and that's why we all know he should be President. I've been here before. Hell, if I had a dollar for every time I was on a campaign that seemed left for dead, I'd probably exceed our average contribution. Polls come and go. Debates...happen, but at the end of the day, none of that BS matters. What matters is the people behind a campaign: supporters like you — the (literally) thousands of you who just showed up in Nashville on the Sunday of a holiday weekend. The folks who are out canvassing the state of Nebraska themselves. Even the dogs who show up in Beto shirts at a parade — and I don't even really like dogs. This is a campaign with a real energy, real growth, and a real shot at winning the primary. The only question is what we do with it — together. So here's what I'm asking of you: First, we need to raise more money. It should be clear by now that we can't take anything for granted. We have the resources we need to be in this for the long haul, but if we don't raise more this quarter, we'll have no choice but to make some adjustments. Please pitch in $25 right now to help us invest in this campaign. Second: Go and volunteer right now. We simply cannot get over the finish line without you. The grassroots energy we've seen on the ground has been overwhelming. We feel it at every event we have for this campaign — whether Beto is there or not. Find an event in your community or host your own. Third: Get online. Share with your friends why you support Beto and why you're a part of this team. We can spend all the money on ads we want, but no one is going to be better at bringing people into this campaign than you. I want to be very clear: We are growing the campaign on our terms. I am thrilled with what we're building together — and I mean that. It's easy to look at what's in the press and feel like your work isn't paying off. I'm here to tell you that it is. Every conversation you have, door you knock, post you share, and dollar you donate is helping us build an operation that will not only win this primary, but will defeat Donald Trump and make everyone in this country believe again that we can rise to this moment. Beto likes to say that this is a moment of truth for our country. Fundamentally reimagining our politics was never going to be easy, but I'm more resolved than ever to fight everyday to make it happen. This is just the beginning. Believe it. I'm so glad we're in this together. Jen O'Malley Dillon Campaign Manager, Beto for America
  23. Home looks likely
  24. If he’s going to come back and run for statewide election in Texas that could make it tough.
  25. I agree with this. I can see why it would be tempting from a political standpoint but it does damage in two respects. First this is how you get people like rick perry running the department of energy. The standard should be that you have a world of experts to pick from so you go for the absolute best, not political hacks. Secondly, it encourages people to run for president that have no chance. The field turns into a cluttered mess of cabinet hopefuls.
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