Reddit: A Good Way For Candidates To Get Out Their Message

Hillary didn't win any districts in Oklahoma, so the dependably backward-looking DCCC announced they are ignoring the state again this cycle. That's fine; they're a detriment anyway. OK-05 (Oklahoma City and environs) is the most likely district to flip red to blue and the candidate, Tom Guild, is building a grassroots operation meant to do just that. He's usually busy canvassing. In fact, he plans to knock on every door in the district and talk too as many voters-- one on one-- as he can. This week he also talked to the over 200,000 fellow Berniecrats on the Sanders For President reddit page. They invited him to do his first ever AMA, something I hope all the Blue America candidates will do. I asked Tom to do a guest post about his experience. I suggest you might want to read the archived AMA itself first.

Guest Post
-by Tom Guild

Howie Klein asked if I would like to do an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit. He introduced me to David Fredrick and David walked me through the process.  David set up the post on Reddit for me and gave me patient advice on how to proceed. Since I was a newbie on Reddit, I was apprehensive and nervous about what I needed to do and how. Jacqueline Propps offered her help, too. Austin Miller from Tulsa, who was active in setting up the subreddit hosting my post, contacted me and patiently explained things to me, and was very helpful, too. It was time to jump off of the high tower at Sunset Lake, or the adult equivalent thereof.

That's about the easiest question/answer you'll find

My nerves pushed me to get on the Reddit site about 30 minutes early. There was already a backlog of questions waiting for me to answer.  I posted that I was in favor of a $15 minimum wage, phased in over a period of years, as mandated by the legislation recently filed by Bernie Sanders and Patty Murray. One person insisted that Oklahoma workers didn’t need or deserve a $15 minimum wage, and I held my ground. People asked about the youth employment bill now before the U.S. Senate, and I agreed legislation in this area is needed. A likely troll misled people reading his question and mistakenly suggested I favored right to work. I patiently explained that I not only opposed RTW (for less) when it was up for a statewide vote in Oklahoma, but was the principal speaker at two of the seven press conferences held by the committee opposing RTW in Oklahoma in 2001. He posted again and once again intentionally misrepresented my position and I gently reminded him of my response and position on the issue.

I was asked about protecting the environment, infrastructure spending, LGBT rights, the second amendment, and women’s reproductive freedom. On healthcare, I offered that for the time being we need to mend and not end the Affordable Care Act, and need to mend it by offering Americans a public option. That would cure one of the more serious urgencies needed to shore up the health care law. I continued that I support a gradual move to a Medicare for All single payer system, as promoted by Senator Bernie Sanders. That legislation has been introduced in Congress and has a fairly sizable number of co-sponsors in the U.S. House.

A number of people thanked me for fully and patiently answering their questions, and indicated that they intended to support me and vote for me. The quality of questions asked and answered was high. The vast majority of people weighing in (except two likely trolls) were well read, reasonable, passionate, and at least reasonably progressive. I answered questions for an extra fifteen minutes beyond the two hours scheduled, and went back later that evening and early the next morning to answer questions posted late. All in all it was a learning experience and gently prodded me to use a new medium and forum that initially was outside of my comfort zone.

Without the help of team Howie, David, Jacqueline, and Austin, I would have been a lost lamb. With their expertise, knowledge, encouragement, and help it was a relative piece of cake. As the old saying goes, if you want to go fast…go alone…if you want to go far…go together. Together it was and together it is.

Thanks to all who posted questions, respected me and others, and made it a positive experience. For the trolls who tried to poison the well, all I can say is **&^%$_)((*##@!!

That’s all the news fit to print!  Bernie Peace!!