The July 28 Los Angeles Times put this story on Americans Elect on the front page. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
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Los Angeles Times Front-Page Story on Americans Elect — No Comments
A rather fair and balanced article from the LA Slimes. Haven’t seen one of those for a while in a newspaper. Kudos to Jim Cook for tracking AE, and congrats on being put in the article.
These plants are so ovbvious , they need water. I still can’t help wondering who hese are written for, the genreal public, or reluctant pledges?
From the LA Times article…
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Kellen Arno, an associate at Carlsbad-based Arno Political Consultants who is running the national field operation, said that in California alone it had employed 1,500 signature gatherers.
Still, out of the hundreds of campaigns his firm has worked on, “I would put it in the top 20 of the easiest to get signatures for,” Arno said.
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Baloney… 4 out of 5 signature gatherers I spoke with were dying out there. Most were just trying to get about 20 per day, so they could get “food money”.
I think I saw only one guy who was making regular money.
Most weren’t making minimum wage.
If it wasn’t for the disastrous economy, they would have had to have offered double or triple the pay per signature.
Bottom line was that anyone who was fully representing what the petition really meant wasn’t getting more than 6 signatures per hour. Only by giving a “one line” sale, that bore little resemblance to the actual facts, were 80% of the numbers achieved.
Mind you, I approve of the petition, its just that if it was explained to people, you’d never get them to sign quickly enough to make any money.
Very few of the signature gatherers understood what the petition meant or what Americans Elect was doing.
Perhaps one in five at most.
Still, I’m very pleased it appears to have gotten the required signatures, and I absolutely oppose the newly passed “no paid signature” legislation passed by the California legislature.
It seems the current political environment is feeding into Americans Elect’s 2012 plans.
If they can’t find a suitable candidate in this atmosphere and discontent, then they’d better shelve it for another decade.
@5 Your field reports are identical to the feedback I have heard. Many petitioners in Northern Cal were circulationg a fake petition to lower gas prices. A difficult petiton, at best.
Non existent in southern Sandy Ego County ……..
#5
“Very few of the signature gatherers understood what the petition meant or what Americans Elect was doing.”
Sounds like most voters in general…not understanding.
A rather fair and balanced article from the LA Slimes. Haven’t seen one of those for a while in a newspaper. Kudos to Jim Cook for tracking AE, and congrats on being put in the article.
Here comes the buzz for AE.
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These plants are so ovbvious , they need water. I still can’t help wondering who hese are written for, the genreal public, or reluctant pledges?
From the LA Times article…
————————————
Kellen Arno, an associate at Carlsbad-based Arno Political Consultants who is running the national field operation, said that in California alone it had employed 1,500 signature gatherers.
Still, out of the hundreds of campaigns his firm has worked on, “I would put it in the top 20 of the easiest to get signatures for,” Arno said.
———————————————-
Baloney… 4 out of 5 signature gatherers I spoke with were dying out there. Most were just trying to get about 20 per day, so they could get “food money”.
I think I saw only one guy who was making regular money.
Most weren’t making minimum wage.
If it wasn’t for the disastrous economy, they would have had to have offered double or triple the pay per signature.
Bottom line was that anyone who was fully representing what the petition really meant wasn’t getting more than 6 signatures per hour. Only by giving a “one line” sale, that bore little resemblance to the actual facts, were 80% of the numbers achieved.
Mind you, I approve of the petition, its just that if it was explained to people, you’d never get them to sign quickly enough to make any money.
Very few of the signature gatherers understood what the petition meant or what Americans Elect was doing.
Perhaps one in five at most.
Still, I’m very pleased it appears to have gotten the required signatures, and I absolutely oppose the newly passed “no paid signature” legislation passed by the California legislature.
It seems the current political environment is feeding into Americans Elect’s 2012 plans.
If they can’t find a suitable candidate in this atmosphere and discontent, then they’d better shelve it for another decade.
@5 Your field reports are identical to the feedback I have heard. Many petitioners in Northern Cal were circulationg a fake petition to lower gas prices. A difficult petiton, at best.
Non existent in southern Sandy Ego County ……..
#5
“Very few of the signature gatherers understood what the petition meant or what Americans Elect was doing.”
Sounds like most voters in general…not understanding.
la times followed up with the names of AE’s advisory board
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-names-americans-elect-20110728,0,871611.story?obref=obnetwork
the list is here:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/228336-americans-elect-board-of-advisors.html