How a ‘Glorified Sticker Club’ Made NY23 a Close Call
Posted by Nanette Kirsch on November 9, 2009 under Articles | 
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By: Jennifer Bernstone, Sil Johnson contributed to this report
Fresh from the March on Washington last Sept. 12, our loose band of 10 conservative allies and friends in central New York now had a name: We were the CNY-912ers, but we remained a “glorified sticker club” when it came to focus. Just a week later, that all changed when a friend asked me to host Doug Hoffman’s campaign manager at my home.
A couple of years ago my sense of civic duty stopped at the voting booth, if it made it that far. Now, post-9-12, we awoke to find ourselves in the middle of a historic campaign that would challenge us in ways we had never imagined, from setting up campaign offices to taking media calls from The New York Times and LA Times. I believe our grassroots support exemplifies a fundamental shift in the paradigm for election politics.
What we did and what we learned offer valuable lessons for others across the country – 9-12ers, tea party patriots or simply voters – who are no longer content to sit on the sidelines, but aren’t sure where to start.
“What Can I Do to Help?”
The one question we 9-12ers asked every day was, “What can we do to help?” We did not have direct contact with the campaign, due to McCain Feingold restrictions, but we never failed to come up with new answers among ourselves.
First, we focused on getting more people to meet Doug Hoffman. A week after meeting the campaign manager, we organized a small meet and greet at the corporate offices of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes in Canastota.
Just two weeks later, we organized five meet-and-greets. They weren’t huge, but they started to raise awareness and funds, collecting more than $1,000 with an impromptu collection bucket.
A lot of our activity was simpler. We sent daily e-mails to volunteers and supporters. We made phone calls with 9-12ers from across the country. We planted thousands of yard signs. We hosted sign-waving parties, where we’d make homemade signs, and then stand in small groups on busy street corners to promote awareness of Hoffman and pass out brochures.
Every Hour and Person Counts
It blows my mind how every single hour counted. In just six weeks, with fewer than 100 volunteers, CNY-912ers helped put Doug Hoffman on the map – in his district and nationally.
The main headquarters was staffed by a professional team, but two of the four satellite offices were manned by 912ers. Sil Johnson opened Oswego County Headquarters just 10 days before the election; and I opened Canastota on Oct. 15. In addition, we oversaw four additional distribution sites in three counties.
We had volunteers from Rochester, Albany, Westchester County, Connecticut and a guy from Pennsylvania who arrived the Friday before the election and stayed through Tuesday. He was a one-man, sign-waving, phone-calling machine. I can’t believe it, but we never got his contact information. He was one of our most dedicated and valuable volunteers. The energy and work ethic the out-of-town volunteers brought with them were an invaluable shot in the arm for our local volunteers.
No Clue? No Excuse.
On Oct 14, we committed to open a campaign office in Canastota. I gave myself until noon of the following day; remember, every hour counted. I had never set foot in a campaign headquarters before, but we realized early on that no clue was no excuse. We quickly brainstormed a list of what we thought we’d need and opened by 3:30 p.m. on Friday, missing our deadline by just a couple hours.
One great example of our excuse-free attitude was our approach to securing Internet access for the office. We secured space in a former savings and loan, and then went door-to-door looking for tenants with wireless Internet access. We found them, and in exchange for buying the most powerful router we could buy (under $100), they shared access to their network.
We Can Do It Again
The power of the 9-12 movement is that we can transcend district boundaries to lend our time, energy and money to candidates like Hoffman, who was the first in New York to sign the 9-12 contract, a morally binding commitment to uphold the 9-12 principles and values once in office and in his personal life. That and his answers to our questions during our first meeting with him were enough to garner our support.
Following the 9-12 march, we planned to create bylaws and form a non-profit organization. Since this campaign, however, we plan want to revisit that. We don’t know if it is beneficial now to outgrow our glorified sticker club status.
The fact that Hoffman lost doesn’t bother me at all. We haven’t educated ourselves and each other enough. Doug was a Hail Mary pass that grazed the tips of the receiver. We did it once and we didn’t die; that means we can do it again, and next time even better.
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Jennifer Bernstone is a personal trainer and fitness instructor in Canastota, NY. She was among 10 9-12ers in New York state who found themselves playing a central role in organizing a grassroots, volunteer effort in support of the Doug Hoffman campaign.
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Nanette Kirsch edited this story. She is a married mother of four and marketing communication professional in Tyler, Texas, who identifies herself as conservative. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. She currently serves as editor-in-chief for 912Candidates.org, creating and posting submissions from volunteers and guest authors about 9-12 candidates. She may be reached at editor@912candidates.org.
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