Tabling For Dean

Mobile Booth from Lehigh Valley

2003-09-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

Helen from Lehigh Valley for Dean writes:

The pictures were taken this weekend in Bethlehem, PA at Festival on 4th an annual flea market event. The truck with the signs was originally to be used in a Labor Day parade but we got rained out. Yes it rained on our parade. So we could not let the Dean Mobile go to waste so we parked it next to the Hispanic voter registration booth. We pooled our personnel and resources and were able to hand out quite a few flyers, balloons and registered 20 new voters. Some of these folks have never voted.

Here are the pics:

We're Going to Kentucky, We're Going to the Fair

2003-09-04T18:34:00.000-04:00

Miriam from Kentucky For Dean sent me these pictures from the Kentucky State Fair. The KY4Dean blog entry from that day says:

KY State Fair Recap
Just thought I'd give everyone a quick recap of Anne Parsely's and my Friday outing with the Louisville Dean group and their wonderful booth at the KY State Fair.

First and foremost, the Louisville people have their stuff together. The booth at the fair was something to behold, with banners, photos, position papers (categorized!), voter registration and Dean sign-up sheets, put in a well-positioned place in the convention center. (read the rest here)

Thanks for the pics, Miriam.

Tabling in Madison, Wisconsin

2003-09-04T10:44:00.000-04:00

Madison for Dean has this Tabling Guide up on their site, and this pic:

Promoting Dean at Crazy Days

2003-09-03T16:44:00.000-04:00

From the Montanans for Dean site, here's Jennifer promoting Dean at the Bozeman Crazy Days event

NJ For Dean

2003-09-03T15:23:00.000-04:00

The NJ for Dean website has these pictures from tabling at African American Heritage Festival.

Check out the rest of their pics here.

Tabling in Allentown

2003-09-02T22:05:00.000-04:00

Ari from Allentown, PA sent in this picture from The Lehigh Valley Puerto Rican Day parade and festival. Check out the Lehigh Valley for Dean site.

Tabling at the Urbana-Champaign IL Farmer's Market

2003-09-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

Terry from Urbana-Champaign sent me this link which has some great pics of their group tabling. Here's the post from this weekend

30 Aug 2003: Natalie reported in that tabling was really successful this past Saturday. We had some wonderful new volunteers: thanks to Marilyn and Jason! The numbers look really great and interest in Dean is growing each time we're out there. Here are some pics of the busy Dean table:

Dean TV at a Table

2003-08-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Wayne, Joe and Ingrid from HartfordForDean set up a way to show Dean videos at their Table. Here is a description and some pictures:

Because I was there for a whole day, I got a car battery, a DC-AC inverter and a power strip so I could keep the power going to the laptop, power the speakers (needed if you want anybody to hear) and a flat panel display (lower power consumption than a CRT). I also put the monitor in a cardboard box so that it would be shielded from the sun and people could see it.

Here's Joe and Ingrid at the Table

and here's Wayne

Thanks for the ideas.

Brooklyn for Dean

2003-08-23T09:53:00.000-04:00

I used to live down the block from Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Brooklyn for Dean has made it Dean Country there.

The bottom of their homepage has a long list of upcoming events.

¡Adelante con Dean!

2003-08-22T19:58:00.000-04:00

Minnesota for Dean is reporting:

On Saturday, August 16 Minnesota for Dean volunteers staffed a table at the 9th Annual Latino Family Resource Fair in Minneapolis’ Powderhorn Park.

We talked to hundreds of fair-goers curious to hear about Dean, registered several first-time voters, and signed up about 25 Minnesotans eager to learn more about our candidate or already prepared to volunteer with Minnesota for Dean. Volunteers brought copies of the governor’s position papers in English and Spanish, and local organizers David Krewinghaus and Javier Morillo-Alicea put together our own bilingual half-page flyer. Check it out and use it for your own leafleting.

Maryland For Dean Outreach Page

2003-08-21T19:16:00.000-04:00

Check out this active outreach page on Maryland For Dean. There are so many flyering events coming up. Here's some pics from their site of volunteers flyering:

County Fair in Kalamazoo, MI

2003-08-13T14:44:00.000-04:00

Martha from Kalamazoo, MI writes:

Attached are some pictures of our booth for Howard Dean at the Kalamazoo County Fair, Aug. 4-9. Eighteen people helped me with this project, gathered together through the "Get Local" website. Over six days, we handed out flyers about Dean to over 300 individuals and couples who will likely vote Democratic (and a few Republicans and Greens who were interested!). The vast majority of them said they had never heard of Dean, or had only the vaguest idea about him (even though he was on the cover of Time and Newsweek!). Many showed a strong interest on hearing about this physician-governor, and dozens of people who do not have internet service took all or some of the 10 different informational pages we had assembled from the Dean website.

I had way too much Dean merchandise for this event, since so few people had even heard of Dean yet. It made me realize how much work we still have to do to get in people's faces about Howard Dean. And I'd like to thank your website for some very helpful ideas, too!

Thanks, Martha. Here are the pics she sent.

Tabling in Charlotte

2003-08-13T14:26:00.000-04:00

Jennifer from Charlotte, NC sent some pictures and offers these tips:

I wanted to add an approach that worked for us. I sat in a chair beside the table (because we had a tall display and couldn't sit behind it) and as people walked by, I would say in a pleasant voice something like, "Hello. Are you familiar with Howard Dean? He's running for President in 2004?"

If they say no, I say, "Would you like to take a flyer or learn a little about him?" Most people would at least take a flyer.

This was a neighborhood event, with lots of booths for children and many of these were couples with a stroller. So we didn't want to take up too much of their time, if the kids were clearly restless.

With some people, I would actually stand up and hold out my hand and say my own name, and then ask if they knew Dean. It depended on whether they seemed friendly or not.

I also asked a couple of elderly people if they had internet access, and they said no, so I made sure they got a couple of good flyers because obviously they could not just download things.

The fact that seems to resonate with most people is that he was re-elected governor five times. I would say something like, "If you're not a good governor, you get the boot from the people, but Dean has a solid record that kept the voters coming back."

And here are her pics (thanks Jennifer)

Tabling at Farmer's Markets

2003-08-12T09:22:00.000-04:00

Christina and Jennifer of Northampton are joined by Heather and Elizabeth of Holyoke at a table for Howard Dean at the Saturday morning Northampton Farmers' Market.

Christina of Northampton writes:

"It was another enthusiastic day of tabling in Northampton. On the street corners of Massachusetts, Howard Dean is as hot a topic as the steamy August weather."

Also, notice that like Valley for Dean, the Northampton group is printing out posters from the Dean For America site. Get a customized poster for your event today.

Valley For Dean

2003-08-09T23:23:00.000-04:00

Judy from the Valley writes

Well, it's not exactly a table but Valley for Dean (as in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles) had a Park it for Dean Day today where we asked all Dean supporters to visit their neighborhood parks and hand out flyers. Attached are pictures of Stephanie talking to two women about Dean's health care ideas. They had never heard of Howard Dean and were very impressed. There is also a picture of Bruce and Cathy kayaking at Balboa Park. They rigged their kayaks with signs that said "Kayakers for Dean" and "Teachers for Dean." Bruce kept a stash of flyers tucked in his vest to hand out to any interested passersby.

Table at Book Signings

2003-08-07T22:15:00.000-04:00

Joe from San Diego sends in this brilliant suggestion

Organize a large group to hold signs, smile and collect email addresses at Hillary's book signings. Imagine: HUNDREDS of captive Democrats waiting in line for hours with nothing to do but read your flyers and give you their email address. Yesterday in San Diego there were literally hundreds-with dozens camping out over night. The crowd starts building HOURS before.

Upcoming Schedule:
AUG 11: Left Bank Books, St. Louis
AUG 12: Rainy Day Books, Kansas City
AUG 13: Joseph Beth Books, Cleveland
AUG 16: Bunch of Grapes, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Also, check for other books that appeal to Democrats (Al Franken and Molly Ivins have books coming out this fall). Thanks Joe, excellent suggestion!

Plan Tabling at Meetup

2003-07-02T16:09:00.000-04:00

Meetup is the perfect place to make concrete plans to table on the Fourth of July and other July events.

I have a flyer below from DeanVolunteers and the official site has some up on their downloads page.

Take Back the Fourth of July

2003-06-28T12:13:00.000-04:00

Following the patriotic themes of Dean's declaration speech, a couple of volunteers have put together this flyer with quotes from various founding fathers and Howard Dean -- perfect for the Fourth of July.

Thanks to Renee for sending it (official site of the July 4th flyer). Jesse Gordon at DeanVolunteers.org is hosting the Dean specific version.

Tabling the Weekend

2003-06-27T14:32:00.000-04:00

This is the last weekend for before the June 30th FEC deadline. Get out this weekend and get contribution forms out. Bring flyers with Dean's statment on the Supreme Court decision (just below). And when you are done, share your tips and pictures with everyone else by sending them here (nohomissives@yahoo.com).

Tabling the Supreme Court Decision

2003-06-26T17:49:00.000-04:00

Here are New Flyers from the unofficial blog help you get the word out about Dean's positions regarding Gay Rights.

Flyer 1
Flyer 2

If you are reading this today (June 26th), go here to find an event near you to celebrate the decision and promote Howard Dean.

Tabling in Albany

2003-06-24T08:24:00.000-04:00

Peter from Albany sent this along

The Albany County Democratic Committee holds an annual picnic at the Altamont Fairgrounds. The Ward leaders and committee people try to get people there to meet candidates and such.

Along with all the Albany County notables, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was in attendance. She didn't come by the table, but while people were gathering for her arrival, we went around with flyers saying "While you're waiting, would you like to read about Howard Dean." Almost everyone said yes.

This was us setting up (oh, and check out the big signs hanging on the side of the tent - hand-painted with the help of a few minutes with a video projector - as my neighbor said, "How grass-roots!"):

We had a perfect location - right between the food and the entertainment!

We handed out flyers to pretty much everyone that passed, and tried to direct people to the table for signups, more information and to invite them to watch the June 23rd announcement.

Response was great. Congressman Mike McNulty even stopped by - he's not endorsing anyone officially yet, but we're his constituents, and I think he noticed that.

Thanks Peter, sounds like a great event -- and thanks for the pics (nice tent):

Tabling at the Van Nuys Air Show

2003-06-23T09:11:00.000-04:00

Judy from Valley For Dean writes

It was another busy weekend for Valley (as in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, CA) for Dean. This time we braved a largely Republican crowd and had a table at the Van Nuys Air Show which was attended by over 100,000 people each day. We were the only Democratic candidate represented and, if we hadn't been there, the Republicans would have had the market on voter registration. Here is a picture of Dominic, Brooke, and Brian working the table.

Thanks Judy, looks like you guys had a lot of fun.

Tabling in Amherst MA

2003-06-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

I just came back from Tabling in Amherst with Judith from South Hadley. Judith made a great sign -- I'll get a picture for a future post, and we met lots of new people.

I strongly urge Tablers this weekend to get the word out on MoveOn. There is a great flyer on Dean For America. One is for handing out and another is great for bulletin boards, get them out there.

Also, be prepared to talk about electability -- it is the single most frequent topic. It's worth repeating Dean's closing remarks in the SC debate:

We can't win this election if we worry so much about electability that the American people can't tell the difference between us and the Republicans. The great unspoken political lie, which comes from stages like this, is "elect me and I'll solve all of your problems."The great unspoken truth is that the future of this country rests in your hands, not mine.

You have the power to rise up and take this country back. You have the power to give this party the backbone to challenge this President, and all of the harm he has done to our country. You have the power to create jobs, balance the budget, and bring us our dream, which Harry Truman put in our platform in 1948 - health care for every American. The reason people don't vote in this country is that we don't give them a reason to vote. This campaign is about giving all of you a reason to vote.

Abraham Lincoln said, "A government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth." President Bush has forgotten the ordinary people of this country.

It's time to take our party back and it's time to take our country back.

I say: "Everyone comes to this table saying they like Howard Dean but they are worried about electability -- But, if we all like him -- then he's electable!". Sometimes I am asked about the Western States (Wyoming, Montana, etc.) I talk about Dean's position on Gun Rights and how it actually will help urban areas get the control they want. Also, talked about how there are single issue voters in the West who will not support a gun control advocate no matter what (I suggest that that is similar to many Dem voters who will never vote pro-life). We need to take the issue off the table -- and let them vote their conscience. Dean will ask them what the GOP has ever done for them -- and the answer will be "nothing".

Above all, practice your patter and be prepared to send people to official issue statements -- be confident, but speak for yourself, and let the campaign and Dean speak for themselves.

Tabling This Weekend

2003-06-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

Make sure to download the latest flyers from Dean For America promoting the MoveOn primary and the June 23rd Declaration Celebration.

Add information for your local parties -- do not rely on people to find out on the Internet.

Important Organizing Tools from Dean For America

2003-06-16T21:09:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago, the Dean campaign unveiled new organizing tools for volunteers. They are perfect for tablers, and I really suggest that volunteers put all of their events in the database, for two reasons. Mainly, because this is where visitors to DeanForAmerica.com will be sent to find your event. But, also, the statistics about the number of events and attendees are an indication of the grassroots support for Howard Dean. As I write this entry, there are "333 events planned nationwide with 3484 participants".

Check out these great new tools.

Also, remember that June 23rd is Declaration Day, when Howard Dean will lay out his vision for America and officially declare his candidacy. Find an event near you, or organize your own and add it to the list.

Update: I've added a permanent form to the top of this page to access the tool. It's so easy -- go ahead, sign up for a June 23rd rally right now.

Kess in the Valley

2003-06-15T12:19:00.000-04:00

I just got this note from Judy Weinstein, Chair of the Voter Outreach Committee in the Valley:

Attached is a photo of Kess, of Valley (as in San Fernando Valley, CA) for Dean. He is wearing a sandwich board of his own creation as he hands out flyers at the Calabasas Farmer's Market. [...] We have a regular attendance at five Farmer's Markets, handing out at least 500 flyers every weekend. The response has been amazing!

Thanks for the photo Judy and GO KESS! And by the way, if you are in the area and want to help Judy and Kess, join their Yahoo! Group.

Dean in Indiana

2003-06-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

I just got this note from Lisa from Hoosiers for Dean about their Dean Information Table at the Indiana Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner last month.

It was a wonderful evening, we had an energized crew of volunteers and got to schmooze with the 'big names' in Indiana Democratic politics (an oxymoron, perhaps...)

Dr. Dean was most gracious when he arrived - thanked each of us for our work personally, and gave a ROMPING speech to a crowd who - beforehand - wasn't really sure who he was. Garnered 4 standing ovations by the time he was finished !! Afterward, there was a run on the table of sorts, as we gathered over 70 new email contacts and passed out +200 pieces of Dean Literature thanks to Dr. Dean's positive message for taking back America.

It was a fabulous event !!!

And she also sent along these pics from the event

Thanks Lisa, sounds like a great event.

Seattle Tabling

2003-05-29T04:22:00.000-04:00

Nina from Seattle reports:

The Northwest Folklife festival is an annual Memorial Day event held in Seattle Center that attracts a nationwide audience (we gave meetup flyers to folks from as far away as Pennsylvania).

The Folklife turnout of volunteers was fantastic, with a couple extra volunteers who stopped by just in case we needed help, and I was stunned to watch as one guy from the Folklife crowd actually took some Dean flyers and handed them out for us. Maybe it's just me, but there seemed to be a big improvement between now and just a month ago in how many people had heard of Dean. Even some folks who were too far away for us to reach, I heard start talking about Dean when they saw our signs or the enormous DEAN on Ted's T-shirt. Also, we are definitely getting better at being prepared for these events, and benefiting from Bev's constantly increasing tabling expertise. :)

And fellow Seattle for Deaner, Bev, reports:

We snagged a choice spot for our Table, at the North Entrance to Seattle Center. Nine volunteers participated, fanning out across the Center grounds to spread the word. We handed out hundreds of flyers over the course of about four hours. The receptivity was good -- not everyone interested of course, but we definitely increased the universe of people who will now recognize Governor Dean's name. We also encountered a number of people already on board or leaning towards Dean and wanting more information. We registered two people to vote (Democrats!) and gave out (at cost) about 20 eye-catching buttons.

And they sent along this photo

Check out more at their site.

Plan Tabling at the June 4th Meetup

2003-05-22T09:07:00.000-04:00

One of the things you can do to make Meetup productive is bring a list of events that are appropriate for tabling in June. Then at the meetup, everyone can sign-up for the ones they can do. If you are going to give away bumper stickers or buttons, you should be ordering them now from the DeanMart, so you have them in time.

You can find more information about Campaign Materials here. Get some tips from the campaign here, or tips from a seasoned tabler here. Please write me at tablingfordean@yahoo.com if you need any more information or help.

Also, Meetup is a good place to pass around a hat to buy more buttons and bumper stickers.

Tip From Wisconsin

2003-05-16T10:06:00.000-04:00

I just got this message from Chris from LaCrosse, WI

I just ordered pencils that have www.DeanforAmerica.com printed on them. I ordered 500 at $135. I can get 1000 at $200. I will be taking them to the Wisconsin State Convention. The website is TheDiscountPrinter.com

Great idea, Chris. Thanks for the tip.

Minnesota Tabling

2003-05-14T13:10:00.000-04:00

Mandy from Minnesota sent along the MN Event calendar and a great pic from The 29th annual MayDay Parade and Festival (5/4/03)

Held on the first Sunday in May, MayDay is a testament to COMMUNITY. Immense joy is generated as thousands of people work towards a common, energetic purpose.

Dean Booth Design by: Susan Kassin

Wow -- very creative idea for a booth, Susan.

Upcoming MN Events:
Debate: June 19th-22nd; TC Pride-June 27th-29th.

Check back at the Minnesota Events page in the next few weeks

Iowans for Dean This Weekend

2003-05-13T16:13:00.000-04:00

Two Events this weekend:

Saturday, May 17th: AFSCME Presidential Forum (Howard Dean + 6 other candidates live, Kerry by satellite, C-Span coverage). In Des Moines at the Polk County Convention Center. Dean supporters meet at 8am at Iowa HQ in Des Moines, 1408 Locust St. -- contact Franny (frannymeg2@hotmail.com).

Sunday, May 18th: Senator Harkin's Hear It from the Heartland Forum at the River Center [136 E. 3rd St.] in Davenport, Iowa. Dean supporters meet at 12:45pm in front of the River Center to rally for the Governor. Then meet at 2pm at Mac's (up the street from the River Center) to watch the event on C-Span and later Howard Dean will be stopping by. -- contact Franny (frannymeg2@hotmail.com).

Directions and more info at http://www.deanforamerica.com/iowa.htm

A Leafletting Guide From Dean For America

2003-05-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

Zephyr Teachout, from Dean For America, sent me a Leafletting Guide that the campaign is working on. I have it available in PDF or MS Word format. Here are some excerpts

Be outgoing and friendly. At least one or two people in your group should take on the role of "announcer." He or she should tell everyone passing by what you're doing. "Learn about Howard Dean! Dean is running for President! Sign up to learn more about Dean! Support Howard Dean for better Health Care!" That kind of thing. In a confident, friendly, personable, tone, announce your message to the people passing by.

About half of the people passing by your fliering team do not vote, about half are registered democrats (probably more!), and many will never have heard about Howard Dean -- let them know who you are talking about, and why you are inspired to be doing what you are. Feel good about what you're doing: you're not pushing people to sign something or take something, you're simply giving them an opportunity to get the facts and make their voice heard.

Of course, you can always take a more shy approach and just hand out the leaflets quietly. That certainly works too!

And here are some ground rules from the guide

Educate, don't irritate. We won't gain anything by making people feel bad. We're simply offering information to people who have not yet made up their minds. Also, we're inviting people who don't know how to get involved in presidential politics, and who might like Howard Dean, a chance to learn more and make a difference.

Don't argue or harangue. There are plenty of people who don't like Dean, or don't even think about voting Democratic, but please be polite with them if they engage you in conversation. You'll be surprised at how exciting people find it to get involved in old-fashioned street corner political debate, and your openness reflects well on Dean's candidacy. Also, remember that most people aren't used to doing more than one political act a year. We'd like to change that, and your interactions make a difference. Take a friendly tone, and make sure you don't intimidate or scold people who aren't politically active.

Follow your coordinator's lead. The coordinator of the group is the person who first scheduled the meet-up. If there's a problem that needs to be resolved or a decision that needs to be made, everyone should feel free to step up and show some leadership. However, in the absence of any formal decision making structure, we think it only makes sense to defer to the coordinator when there is difficulty in reaching consensus.

BE CLEAR THAT YOU ARE WITH AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION. Unless you are actually an official campaign staff, or have developed a relationship with the campaign so that you are taking campaign direction, be clear that you are acting independently. People might not believe you at first, but once they do, they will realize the power of what you are doing-and it keeps everything above board and clear.

Excellent ideas. Also, remember to respect the event that you are attending. If it's a peace vigil, a quieter approach may be called for. At the conventions, scream your lungs out.

Milwaukee Tabling Event

2003-05-13T11:46:00.000-04:00

Chris from Wisconsin tells me that Wisconsin for Dean is planning a tabling event at the Wisconsin Dem. State Convention in Milwaukee on June 13-14. Check out their official site, wisconsinfordean.org (there is a list of events on the left side of the home page), and contact Steve Mellenthin (dean@badgerdems.com) to volunteer.

San Francisco Events

2003-05-13T09:22:00.000-04:00

I just added the SF Event Calendar to the list on the left of this page. There is going to be an Outreach Committee Meeting [on May 15 at 7:00pm Muddy’s Coffeehouse @ Valencia/24th Street] to plan for upcoming literature distribution events (see the SFForDean events page for details).

If you maintain a local events page, please send me a link. Then after the event, send in some pictures.

Tabling in St. Louis

2003-05-12T14:47:00.000-04:00

Beth from St. Louis writes that if you are in the St. Louis area and looking to do some tabling, send an e-mail to missourifordean@hotmail.com, and also check out the Missouri For Dean site.

TablingForDean Needs Your Event Calendars

2003-05-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

Please send me links to your event calendars. Send to TablingForDean@yahoo.com. Also, please include an email contact that a new person who wants to table in your area can contact. Five days until the weekend, start getting your volunteers ready!

Seattle Tabling and Tips From Nina

2003-05-11T18:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Nina from the Seattle Grassroots Dean Outreach Group for sending along some tips and a photo. She and fellow member, Bev, have many tips which I have have made available on this site in PDF or MS Word format. Here are some excerpts

Ensure that wherever you sit/stand is “legal” – public property not blocking access or on private property by permission only. As far as fairs, festivals, markets, etc. go, you need to contact each to determine rules.

Passing out material only versus selling items – may be different rules in some places. Need to check.

If tabling, don’t overcrowd with materials – ensure information visible and accessible.

Be polite & respectful; engage in conversation but not argument.

It’s good to be knowledgeable about your subject, but don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers. It would be helpful to bring a hardcopy of Dean’s “On the Issues” Website section for reference. But in general, referring people to the website to read the details themselves on specific issues should work well. If someone is seriously interested in getting an answer to something you don’t know, take down his/her name and follow-up (doubt this will happen very often).

Whether tabling or flyering, be sure to prepare for weather. May need rocks to hold down materials if windy, plastic covers for papers if raining, etc. Also, dress appropriately for a long haul outside.

Also, Nina reports that she made a great picket sign for $6.

I made a really nice-looking Dean picket sign for about $6 by printing out the 8.5"x11" Dean sign from the Dean Organizing Kit at DeanForAmerica.com, enlarging it so it's twice as wide and twice as high using a color copier at Kinko's, then mounting it on a piece of cardboard and laminating it with a roll of clear packing tape, then duct-taping it to a picket stick and two crosswise lathes.

And she sent along this picture of Ray and his little sister giving out leaflets at the peace rally on April 12

Campaign Materials

2003-05-11T15:57:00.000-04:00

Buttons, Bumper Stickers, Rally signs can be purchased at the DeanMart.

Flyers are available on the official Dean For America site.

Videos (to burn on CD's) can be found at California for Dean, and Carl with a K has a good one too (look for the 3/20/2003 post). It's a good idea to stick with the quicktime format if you can, because then people with Macintoshes can view them too. If you have time, go download the latest quicktime installer and stick that on the disk too (from www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone/).

Also for CD's, the Howard Dean Dance Mix.

Also, print out official Issue statements from Dean for America.

Using Meetup to Plan Tabling

2003-05-11T15:35:00.000-04:00

First of all, join the Dean2004 Meetup, if you are not already a member. This is the best way to plan local activities and meet other Dean Supporters. The meetup is also a great place to plan the month's tabling. Designate someone to put together a calendar and bring it to the meeting. Then, anyone who is interested should sign up. For each event, put one of the volunteers "in charge". That means that they coordinate getting everyone there and make sure someone brings a table and campaign materials. Take pictures and bring them to the next meetup (and while you're at it, send some to me).

How To Submit to Tabling For Dean

2003-05-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

Tabling For Dean needs your pictures, tips, descriptions, etc. The best way is if you just give me a link to your site, and I'll excerpt some text and point to you. If you don't have a site, send me a picture (please keep it around 50k) and the text. I may edit for size.

By the way, here's three members of the Northampton Meetup tabling at Earth Day in Amherst.

Voter Registration Information

2003-05-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

You can get a national voter registration form from the FEC. This is not good for all states, so please look up the rules for your state. Your best bet is to place a visit to your local town or city hall and find out how to get information. I got voter registration forms from a Voter Registration booth at an event I tabled at -- they were happy to share. Look around at any big event and you'll probably find some.

Also the DNC has this page for Voter Registration. It doesn't seem to have downloadable forms, but if you can use it to register people when you have access to the Internet (House parties, other indoor events).

Remember to ask people if they are registered.

Tips From Adam Smith

2003-05-11T13:19:00.000-04:00

The inspiration for TablingForDean comes from an e-mail sent out to Dean volunteers from Adam Smith.

Tabling is one of the most basic campaign tasks. You set up a card table at a local event with fliers, campaign literature, voter registration information (or the registration forms themselves if your state allows that), federal donation forms, some buttons and bumper stickers to give away or sell, a stack of legal pads or forms for people to sign up as volunteers, and a big freakin' poster/banner that screams "DEAN" to all those attending the event. The reasons for doing this are multiple. First of all, someone in the community never needs to approach your table to be impacted by it. Seeing that big freakin' banner is imprinted into the mind of an event goer. They begin to feel DEAN is in their community. It begins to build name recognition.

You should have at the table a full copy of all official campaign issue statements from the Dean website. People will ask you about what Gov. Dean's position is on various issues. You shouldn't guess what that stance is. You should tell that individual what the official statement is. You don't ad lib a response here. If someone asks you about something you don't know, say you don't know, but share the official e-mail address and postal address with that individual so that their question may be answered. "I don't know" is a phrase that isn't used enough in campaign work. If you're not sure on a subject, say that. People will understand that you are a volunteer, not the deputy national policy director. People will get upset if you ad-lib a response that turns out to be wrong.

Smile! Do not drape yourself over the table leaning on your elbows. If you don't look excited about the campaign, the person walking up to the table sure won't be either.

Where do you table? Any local event were people gather and tables are allowed. For the time being, let's think about locations other than malls or grocery stores. Most of those property owners get upset if you try to set up a table at those locations, and the people trafficking through are not prime candidates for this type of activity. People at special events are much warmer to having discussions with campaign volunteers. Any event will do. From your local Azalea festival to a big peace rally to a Farmer's Market to Cinco de Mayo festivities. Anyplace people have a tendency to roam about a fixed area. Contact the organizers of the particular local event you have chosen and find out their policies/rules for having a political candidate table at their event. Find out their rules and cooperate with them in any way possible to make the event organizers experience interacting with the Dean campaign rewarding. All contacts that are made by volunteers for a campaign reflect on Gov. Dean.

Great tips! Thanks Adam.

What You Need to Start Tabling

2003-05-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

The Northampton/Western Massachusetts Dean supporters have just started tabling in the past couple of weeks. We were at Earth Day in Amherst and I was at the Women's Congress March/Rally for Peace yesterday. I started this site so that I could share ideas with other volunteers and provide resources. I also want to hear your stories/tips and post your pictures. So send them along (TablingForDean@yahoo.com).

Here is what you need to start tabling:

A table: Preferably something that is easy to carry and transport (folding legs). Some events will let you rent a table, but this will save you money in the long run. The size of the table is up to you and somewhat depends on the event and the number of people who are going to show up. For big events a four foot wide table is nice.

Campaign Material: Flyers, brochures, position papers. Try to tailor what you bring to the event. You will find flyers for any big event (like Earth Day) on the official Dean sites. But bring generic information as well, because people will ask for it. If you can establish a group that will share tabling responsibility and can spend a little money, then you can buy buttons, bumper stickers, etc, which are a good draw to the table. You can buy these at the DeanMart. Be creative. At our last meetup, we burned some of the free videos available on DeanForAmerica on to CD's. You can put the Dean Techno mix on there as well (respect copyrights, do not burn c-span videos or non-free mp3s onto the CD). Send me your other ideas.

A sign: It should be as big as possible and say DEAN in big letters. There are none available on the Dean Mart yet (I am working on it). Right now, I'm using the rally signs (I use 2 or more to cover the front of the table).

Dean apparel: I wear a Dean cap and button. It makes you look more official.

What is Tabling for Dean

2003-05-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

TablingForDean is brought to you by the author of noho-missives. Its purpose is to provide information and resources and to establish a community for volunteers for Howard Dean for America who are interested in staffing tables at local events.

Send me descriptions and pictures at TablingForDean@yahoo.com of your experiences and I will post them here.