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Are You Doing Your Bit?


Granny Danger

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It's no coincidence that two of the most beeling labour drones on this part of the forum are both Celtic fans.

And George Galloway, John Reid...the club of choice for the Union Jack waving British nationalist.

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Whether it was intended as such I'm going to be arsey and take this as a dig at me.

Firstly, the growth in the pro-independence movement in the last few years has been, to a large extent, down to social media. Folk are debating the issues here and there may be others reading them who are not as clued up as others. For what its worth I think leafleting is a pretty archaic form of political engagement (I'm interested in this stuff and even I dump most leaflets straight in the bin - its propaganda after all) but I would certainly agree that face to face discussions on the doorstep are very important.

Secondly, I've got two kids (the eldest of which has not long turned two) and as a result my life is well and truly fucked right now. I'm on holiday at the moment so getting a bit more time to relax and bum about on Pie & Bovril.

So no, the door-chapping element of this historic journey will have to be carried out by others. I'll hang about here and engage in mindless and petty arguments with flyingrodent.

Mind and wear your cagoule - its a bit drizzly out there.

I'm in the same boat as you on the kids front. I've got three young uns.

I also dump all leaflets in the bin, mainly unread. The only positive thing I can see about leaflets is that they show the presence of a political party, in that is his activists in the area. However, Labour pay for the postie to drop them through my letterbox with the mail.

Who are leaflets intended for? Are they for older people who haven't discovered the Internet?

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No dig at anybody. You fire away. I think it needs all angles covered. Seem to recall the key demographic that lost us the Referendum was the very one that doesn't do social media. Cagoule's tucked up for the night - I'm away for Horlicks :)

Do you just stick the leaflet through the door or do you chap the doors and have conversations?

Some of the most depressing conversations I have are with two of my closest friends who are both pro-union. It revolves around hating the figureheads (Sturgeon, Salmond) and fear (stories in the papers). One of them doesn't do the Internet.

They are both reasonably intelligent, one has a good job in banking, one had been unemployed since 2009, short of a few weeks cash-in-hand work. Both hate the SNP with a passion. I find it quite irrational but a I can't see them ever changing. Having a conversation on the doorstep with people like this must be pretty challenging and possibly a bit depressing.

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Do you just stick the leaflet through the door or do you chap the doors and have conversations?

Some of the most depressing conversations I have are with two of my closest friends who are both pro-union. It revolves around hating the figureheads (Sturgeon, Salmond) and fear (stories in the papers). One of them doesn't do the Internet.

They are both reasonably intelligent, one has a good job in banking, one had been unemployed since 2009, short of a few weeks cash-in-hand work. Both hate the SNP with a passion. I find it quite irrational but a I can't see them ever changing. Having a conversation on the doorstep with people like this must be pretty challenging and possibly a bit depressing.

Leaflets may or may not be useful. It really depends on whose door you put them through. Some will go into the bin, some will get peoples blood boiling, some may read them, some may ignore the message, some may do some further reading, and some may have their decision swayed. You are right in saying it shows a presence and it keeps folks minds fresh on what is happening.

It can be pretty depressing when you are out, but it really depends on the returns you are getting that day. When you get folk like that it's simply a case moving on as quick as possible, thanks for your time, can't win em all. You get every reaction possible, although I haven't had any raging nutters yet (But I am sure I will one day!) If you get a door slammed in your face then the tendency is to laugh.

What I have found surprisingly is the vast majority of people are reasonably happy for you to come to the door and ask them, and they are willing to converse with you. It's particularly good fun when you get a split household, and the banter can be pretty good. What I do find the most demoralising is when you get very, very few returns because people are out or don't answer.

All in all it isn't a bad experience

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In all honesty most door-to-door stuff at this stage is voter identification; you are unlikely to convince someone with a 5 minute doorstep conversation.

The idea is to identify your vote, get them out a card which you ask them to hand in on polling day (positive reinforcement) and use this to chap people up on the day. Whatever folk who have no experience of this may think I can assure you it does work.

Equally leafletting is also about positive reinforcement.

This stuff isn't rocket science but it is tried and tested.

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Leafleting is fine, but a leaflet lasts about 25 seconds in someone's head. Canvassing wins elections....

But yeah, most folk have made their minds up or are leaning one way just now. Granny is correct, it's just finding where your vote is and getting them out.

I live for canvassing btw. Absolutely love it and people mainly respond well to it. It's a reaffirment that political folk still care about what they think. We certainly haven't taken folk for granted our way and have bust a gut to reach out especially in the schemes where labour haven't gone in years. They feel let down, disenfranchised and forgotten about. They are angry and I don't blame them.

Goes to show that there's a place for old fashioned politics yet!

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And George Galloway, John Reid...the club of choice for the Union Jack waving British nationalist.

To be fair Radical Independence were represented around the immediate area around Parkhead and there was a fairly substantial Yes presence among Celtic fans at the games in the build up to the referendum even if it was limited to planting stickers and posters around the inside of the ground. Also isn't the east end one of the likeliest seats to fall to the SNP?

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Do you just stick the leaflet through the door or do you chap the doors and have conversations?

Some of the most depressing conversations I have are with two of my closest friends who are both pro-union. It revolves around hating the figureheads (Sturgeon, Salmond) and fear (stories in the papers). One of them doesn't do the Internet.

They are both reasonably intelligent, one has a good job in banking, one had been unemployed since 2009, short of a few weeks cash-in-hand work. Both hate the SNP with a passion. I find it quite irrational but a I can't see them ever changing. Having a conversation on the doorstep with people like this must be pretty challenging and possibly a bit depressing.

All the points the rest of the guys have made above. To survive canvassing you just have to believe that every convert can be the one that makes a difference. You can also gather feedback on opponents that can help adjust local tactics, or not. You'd be surprised at how many people don't make their mind up until they get to the booth.And a great many more don't get some of the arguments so it's a chance to cut through the PC language used on the telly.

There's also the psychology for some of being part of a winning team. If their house has had four of five different leaflets and maybe a postal ballot letter plus a wee visit from one party, and hee-haw from the others, then that's a good sign that that candidate will be around in the constituency when needed.

It's all about the sum of many parts. And of course badges for the weans :)

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All the points the rest of the guys have made above. To survive canvassing you just have to believe that every convert can be the one that makes a difference. You can also gather feedback on opponents that can help adjust local tactics, or not. You'd be surprised at how many people don't make their mind up until they get to the booth.And a great many more don't get some of the arguments so it's a chance to cut through the PC language used on the telly.

There's also the psychology for some of being part of a winning team. If their house has had four of five different leaflets and maybe a postal ballot letter plus a wee visit from one party, and hee-haw from the others, then that's a good sign that that candidate will be around in the constituency when needed.

It's all about the sum of many parts. And of course badges for the weans :)

Would you not be better with sweets for the kids? Surely that would go down better than a badge

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Would you not be better with sweets for the kids? Surely that would go down better than a badge

You're mixing up strategy with tactics there fella. You must have grown up in the eighties?

You see, a sweetie to a child would be eaten almost instantly and once the tasty flavour has gone, the sweetie's power is lost.The badge has a timeless quality and whilst it might linger in a drawer or a box for a few years, one day the child will be an adult and will find the badge again and cherish it for it's resilience.

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You're mixing up strategy with tactics there fella. You must have grown up in the eighties?

You see, a sweetie to a child would be eaten almost instantly and once the tasty flavour has gone, the sweetie's power is lost.The badge has a timeless quality and whilst it might linger in a drawer or a box for a few years, one day the child will be an adult and will find the badge again and cherish it for it's resilience.

Or they may just chuck the badge in the bin. :P

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Change of title name and a bump.

Lots of SNP supporters on here. Are you doing anything to help?

Even a few hours handing out leaflets over the next two and a half weeks could help.

Better still if you live close to a marginal go help out there. The enormous sense of well being you will feel when the incumbent donkey is sent packing will be well worth it.

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