- Nov 11, 2009
- 31,018
Despite the risks attending the flogging of dead horses, I'd like to mention two items of information gathered from our MD senators this past evening.
First, it has been discussed ad nauseam whether the Patriot Picket is a positive or negative force on the MD GA. You all are aware of the arguments, no doubt. I took it upon myself to ask a half-dozen senators this evening whether they felt our somewhat abrasive presence was beneficial, or its opposite, or perhaps whether it made no difference.
Every one I questioned (and yes, they were all Republicans) said that they appreciated our presence, and in fact that they found it very encouraging in their struggle to support their - and our - defense of our rights. I got the distinct impression that their extreme minority status was wearing on them, and that they got an uplift from seeing folks who supported them in their seemingly hopeless struggle.
Second, it was asked whether they actually read and paid attention to the letters and email they received. The response was candid: form letters and form emails were not generally taken too seriously. What they indicated was that hand-written letters which expressed the particular views of the writers made very strong impressions, and were taken seriously. It seems that the personal touch, and contact with a real live voter from their districts, sends a signal which they find hard to ignore.
I didn't ask about visits to their offices by constituents, but in light of their feelings about written communication, there's little doubt that the personal touch, carried to the extreme of face-to-face discussion of issues, makes a noticeable impression on their decision-making.
Take it for what it's worth, but consider dropping a nice hand-written note to your reps, or even stopping by for a chat.
There's a couple more Mondays left in the session. All are invited, and, like life itself, 90% of it is just showing up. If you're embarrassed, just pretend you don't know us.
First, it has been discussed ad nauseam whether the Patriot Picket is a positive or negative force on the MD GA. You all are aware of the arguments, no doubt. I took it upon myself to ask a half-dozen senators this evening whether they felt our somewhat abrasive presence was beneficial, or its opposite, or perhaps whether it made no difference.
Every one I questioned (and yes, they were all Republicans) said that they appreciated our presence, and in fact that they found it very encouraging in their struggle to support their - and our - defense of our rights. I got the distinct impression that their extreme minority status was wearing on them, and that they got an uplift from seeing folks who supported them in their seemingly hopeless struggle.
Second, it was asked whether they actually read and paid attention to the letters and email they received. The response was candid: form letters and form emails were not generally taken too seriously. What they indicated was that hand-written letters which expressed the particular views of the writers made very strong impressions, and were taken seriously. It seems that the personal touch, and contact with a real live voter from their districts, sends a signal which they find hard to ignore.
I didn't ask about visits to their offices by constituents, but in light of their feelings about written communication, there's little doubt that the personal touch, carried to the extreme of face-to-face discussion of issues, makes a noticeable impression on their decision-making.
Take it for what it's worth, but consider dropping a nice hand-written note to your reps, or even stopping by for a chat.
There's a couple more Mondays left in the session. All are invited, and, like life itself, 90% of it is just showing up. If you're embarrassed, just pretend you don't know us.