how to support a candidate

February 3, 2012 2:58 PM

What are some good ways I can support a candidate?

I've never been political at all, so this is new territory for me and not sure how I can make a difference. I am just really excited about tis candidate. He is the only one who is even talking about making any real change in DC. He's also the only one who seems to actually understand how an economy works. I am worried about getting duped again like in the last election but given this guys track record and everthing seems sincere because it's doesn't appear to be written for him; his responses come from his heart. He is still the underdog, so i'm really worried he won't make it past the primaries.

1. If I registered as democratic last time around, is it to late to register as republican for my states primary in march?
2. Besides sending money to his comittee, what else can I do to support him?

posted by udon to law & government (10 answers total)

Which state are you in?

Volunteer. The local campaign headquarters for whomever your candidate is needs people to get out the vote, make fundraising calls, perhaps go door to door, stuff envelopes, etc.
posted by Gucky at 3:02 PM on February 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

is it to late to register as republican for my states primary in march?

Depends. Google "voter registration [your state]."

Call his campaign and offer to volunteer. You may be asked to hang tags on doorknobs, or knock on doors to encourage people to vote for him, or stuff envelopes, or organize house parties. Call the campaign and ask what you can do.
posted by rtha at 3:02 PM on February 3, 2012

If your profile location is correct, it looks like the deadline to register for the primary is 22 days before the primary.
posted by rtha at 3:04 PM on February 3, 2012

If you have time, call the campaign and offer your time. If you have money, give it to the campaign and they'll use it to buy other people's time. "People spending time" is pretty much what the campaign needs.

If the candidate really isn't well-known, tell your friends about him. Lots of people don't vote in primaries, and what a less-known candidate most needs is name recognition.

And, as always when giving of yourself to a political campaign, prepare to be disappointed!
posted by escabeche at 3:06 PM on February 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you're looking to vote in the Republican primary in Virginia, you should be aware that the state Republicans are requiring everybody who votes to sign a loyalty oath stating that "I, the undersigned, pledge that I intend to support the nominee of the Republican Party for president."

Obviously it's completely non-binding in any legal sense, but if your word is important to you, it's something to take into consideration, particularly going in supporting an underdog.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 4:07 PM on February 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

Volunteer work for, speaking out in favor of (word of mouth, letters-to-the-editor, etc.), and fund$ are far more valuable than any (your) single vote. (Doubt you got duped like you say, and skeptical of your political evaluation -- but that's because I have have been very political for very long. YMMV.) Gyrations to re-register are barely worth it.
posted by lathrop at 7:01 PM on February 3, 2012

Volunteer--canvassing, phonebanking, are often the easiest ways to make the most impact.

Yard sign--especially if you live somewhere with a fair amount of traffic.

Money--he will need a lot!

Email--email your friends about him, talk to everyone you know about him.
posted by manicure12 at 11:42 PM on February 3, 2012

Don't register as a Republican (bad idea for lots of reasons - strangely stunted trees's point above, also should you ever want to run for office yourself it'll come back to haunt you, etc.), but yeah, it's all about giving money and/or time. Canvassers and phone-bankers are usually what campaigns need most, but call the campaign and find out. Also, make sure similarly-minded family and friends show up for the primary - since turnout for these things is comparatively low, a few votes really can make a difference.

If you are in Virginia, I am incredibly curious about who this candidate is - I used to be deep into Virginia politics but am sort of out of the loop now, and have no idea who this exciting underdog candidate might be.

Good luck!
posted by naoko at 12:16 AM on February 4, 2012

Aaand, I just saw your tags. Well...I guess you could switch parties then if that's how you feel? I originally thought you were just trying to game the system, rather than actually being committed to a Republican candidate despite having voted Democratic in the past. Have at it, then.
posted by naoko at 12:20 AM on February 4, 2012

That Virginia loyalty pledge sounds awful; really perpetuates the "my team vs. your team" thing rather than supporting individual ideas and candidates. That said, it looks like the plan has been scrapped?
posted by losvedir at 8:45 AM on February 4, 2012