Greetings and good living,
It’s too late / early for me to be blogging since I have a long day tomorrow beginning with a LONG bike ride to the Minnehaha falls area to discuss the city budget, but I am expressing myself.
Picking up the pace
With a little more than 8 weeks remaining before Election Day, I have been motivated by necessity to pick up the canvassing pace. We’ve canvassed half of the Ward, approximately 200 blocks, meaning 200 more need coverage. I’ve been urged by some to stop the EVERY door to door campaign and target the “persistent voters,” those few thousand residents who always vote in City Elections. I considered such a change in the original plan to knock nearly every door on every block, but I decided against it. I truly want to be a City Council Member who represents the entire ward, without bias. Moreover, half of those persistent voters are hardcore bj supporters, and if we knock on every, or most doors in the Ward then we’ll reach all of them anyway in addition to thousands of other potential voters who are discontent with the incumbent and / or open to my campaign and community visioning.
I’ve made a recent recruitment call for 20 volunteers to commit to canvassing 10 blocks each by mid-October. 10 people quickly committed. I can probably cover another 100 blocks in 6 weeks, but the more help I get the more other kinds of campaigning I can do. We need 10 more people. It’s easy, mostly fun, good exercise and a transformative learning experience if you do enough of it. Each block takes an average of an hour. Will you be one of the 10?
If you are afraid of door knocking then consider lit dropping, or leafletting doors without talking to residents.
Please contact me if you’re interested and available: (612) 600-0155 or marcus@marcusharcus.org.
Better photographc images
I’ve received many complaints during this campaign about not presenting a more professional looking photo on my website. Many people have talked to me about the importance of exhibiting a polished image, always in a suit and tie with a clean shaven, bald face. That’s not me. I’ll wear a goattee baby. To be honest, I only own one suit - it’s very nice - and although I do have some nice slacks and shirts, my wardrobe is lacking. Don’t worry though fashion police, because after I’m elected I’ll purchase 2 weeks worth of suits and wear them nearly everyday to work. Most importantly, I’ll remain humble no matter what I’m wearing because people and machines make my clothes, but clothes don’t make Marcus Harcus. I believe in treating everyone, all good people, with equal respect, regardless of how they are dressed. ”Destruction of your soul is vanity…” - Buju Banton. Uh, oh, I realize I’m preaching, so I’ll stop.
In the tri-fold brochure I’ve been delivering to thousands of doors I am wearing a pin striped, long sleeve shirt and have a 7 o’clock shadow. It was the only electronic photo I had because I don’t own a digital camera. In the next order of 5,000 brochures I’ll be wearing my only suit with a clean shaved goattee. Subsequent campaign lit pieces will look as polished as my advisors desire. We’ll all be happy! Blah, blah, blah…
Yard Signs
I am currently losing the sign war in dramatic fashion. I am confident that I will ultimately win this election because of the many direct connections I’m making at the homes of voters, but my weakness in raising funds has delayed the ordering of hundreds of campaign signs. All of my opponents have more money than me; it’s evident. If I could self-finance the campaign I would, but I can’t, so I ain’t. This is a grassroots campaign and I am depending on low-income and middle-income earning individuals and families to make small donations. Hundreds of campaign signs will arrive by next weekend and they will go fast, so I know I can compete. I’ve got more demand than I can supply unless my supporters make donations so I can replinish the stock. The psychological impact on some of my close supporters about losing the sign war hurts them and it consequently hurts me a little bit. An old, wise friend of mine with over 5 decades of political experience told me that the yard signs are played out, politics as usual business that doesn’t influence additional voters much = inconsequential. The candidate with the most campaign funds or signs is not gauranteed to win. History has proven this all over the country. If you count up all the tp and bj signs it would not equal a third of the number of people who will ultimately vote on election day. I’ve got several hundreds of committed voters already without the signs yet, and that doesn’t include their families, friends and neighbors. My supporters will be encouraged, with guidance, to mobilize their networks to get out the vote in record numbers and make some local history over North this November 3rd. I look forward to my signs proliferating in yards throughout the 4th Ward, but I’m not fazed much by seeing my opponents’ signs outnumbering me. When mine are up in strong force I will not allow it to get to my head.
Branding myself as a political commodity to get elected is kind of unreal. I don’t care for intense self-marketing, but I’m doing this for the cause behind it - to become a strong community advocate and political organizer - and because I believe in implementing real representative goverment and participatory democracy.
I will not make promises of specific results, but I will share my goals and promise confidently that I care deeply about the community and will try my best to succeed in representing and serving the Northside progressively, equitably, engagingly and effectively.
Please join this campaign for Northside CHANGE.
Thx!
mh
612 600-0155
(inner) peace