I cried. These are the people who make it worth while.

CarlSheeler4U

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Fri Mar-03-06 06:45 AM
Original message

I cried. These are the people who make it worth while.

Sometimes while campaigning you hit low points. I'd say yesterday evening qualifies. In an odd twist of fate, I have held four gatherings where the weather was so bad that attendance was in the double digits. One example is prior to my campaign announcement, we put on a support of a Latino event meet and greet where it had rained so heavily streets had flooded and the media had suggested people stay in doors. We had 125 people confirmed and fewer than 20 attended. The day of my US Senate candidacy announcement there were high winds warnings and (you guessed it), people were told to stay inside. We had 300+ people confirmed to attend and 40 - 50 adults showed by my count.

Last evening with the small snow storm, by far, takes the prize. We had 150 RSVPs for a small meet & greet fundraiser and had actually followed up at noon with those committing to attend because of the weather. Between announcements, fund raising expenses, rental and food, we ended up spending $500 per person. Even less experienced people than I can tell you this was a bust - a BIG one. A grassroots campaign can't afford these. The hardest part is the reneged commitments of financial support just to simply break even. This could have been funds used for additional Be Patriotic Impeach Bush billboards on I-95...

I'm not making excuses for Matt Brown's campaign finance woes, but I can tell you that there is a small group of base supporters who believe in you and would do most anything to help a campaign. They're often doing most of the heavy lifting financially and by their investment of their personal time. It is very, very difficult to go forward without these folks.

It is at our low points you find out who is using you as a meal ticket and who believes in you. Ingrid, Brian and Bill are examples of individuals with faith. Ingrid is easiest to explain. She has been contacted by much better funded state and federal campaigns than mine because of her outreach in poorer and minority communities. She just believes in me.

Brian reminds me of myself in my early twenties. A returned to college, struggling student who is strong in his desire and actions to see a better place for the disadvantaged and often more change than cash in his pocket. He has plastered some of my materials all over college campuses even when we never asked. He wrote out a check for $225 that I know he can't afford. I'm going to return it to him today because it's the right thing to do. Bill is an attorney and a veteran living in Rhode Island. I've never met him in person, but he often sends me words of encouragement and $20.06. I needed his kind email after last night where he shared he has committed to find 12 people like himself to support our campaign. It is his plan that he and they would contribute $20.06 each month until the primary.

I cried. These are the people who make it worth while. They're the ones I am doing this for and I don't intend on letting them down.

Carl
Sheeler for US Senate
www.carlsheeler.com
592 Hopkins Hill Road
West Greenwich, RI 02817
carl@carlsheeler.com