Adam Shaffer for Senate Campaign News

I have noticed that we are falling a little behind on signature collecting goals. The goals were a little high to begin with, we were trying to get to the 5000 signatures just ourselves. I will have to rely more on volunteers if we are to reach the 5000 mark. I have been asking friends and family as I see them. But I am going to put it out to there for anyone visiting the website to see.

We need people to help circulate the petition to put my name on the ballot in November 2010. I haven't asked anyone signing to make sure they vote for me. Instead I ask that they do their own research and investigate all candidates and issues before they go and vote. Having more involvement should lead to more discussion which should lead to more potential solutions to our common problems. Getting my name on the ballot is more about additional choices, independent ideas, and more individual involvement in decisions and policies that shape the path our country takes.

The reason I am trying to get on the ballot, beyond the obvious getting elected to the Senate, is to increase people's involvement in the system. Having a non-politician without the backing of a major party branding or name recognition will hopefully in the future motivate others to get more active. That could mean running for office themselves, helping another candidate or issue get on the ballot, or just educating themselves and others about politics.

If my experience with collecting signatures from the public had not been positive, I would not be asking for more volunteers. We are living through a very polarizing time politically. Everything seems to be a hot-button item. I have noticed when talking about the campaign it allows for a discussion without people getting defensive. It has allowed me to discuss policies and problems without the extra baggage of having to argue for one side or another. This happens because the discussion starts at my candidacy and from there we move to a discussion to find the solutions.

The new goal I am trying to achieve now is to have as many volunteers as possible circulating the petition gathering 5-24 signatures each. What I have been asking of our first volunteers is to collect signatures from their friends and family. This helps the lead to more involvement, if not more discussion. I would expect that the experience I had with friends, family, and the public would be very similar to what a volunteer collecting for signatures would experience.

If you would like to volunteer please fill out the contact form on:
http://adamshaffer.org/index.php/contact/

Some former co-worker friends of mine told me about a Tea Party being held in Cuyahoga Falls, last Wednesday evening.  A large turnout was expected, so for sheer numbers of people alone it sounded like something we would not want to miss. 

This was the first time that I personally carried a petition to get signatures, and I must admit that once you are out there trying to approach people, it can seem daunting.   There was only a two-hour window for the event, and a lot speakers where scheduled.  There was never a lull in the speaking time to be able to really talk to people without feeling like you were interrupting them.  Also, the event started at 6pm, and we could only arrive after work, so while we arrived exactly at 6pm, it would have been better to arrive earlier to catch people on their way in.

I would say that ninety percent of the people we gathered signatures from, once we answered their concerns, were positive about Adam's efforts.   It was a nice feeling.  Now that we have some real "outsider" experience, I think it helped us learn what answers we need to have at the ready when talking with the public. 

Hi, and welcome to the Adam Shaffer for Senate campaign Web site! I want to know what you think about anything and everything you see, from the text to the images to the layout, so please leave a comment in the guestbook on the contact page. You won't hurt my feelings, I promise.