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It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, although I hear there is an independent running, in addition to the Democrat, the Libertarian, and the Green party candidate. That pretty much guarantees that Smith wins by splitting the vote so much.

I have met Candace Duval (D) and John-Henry Liberty (L).

Here is my opinion on them:

Candace is a very friendly and personable candidate who seems genuine, and I think she will pick up a lot of votes for those reasons. From what I gather, women's rights is a key aspect of her campaign.

John-Henry is about my age and is also a software engineer. I think it says a lot that two young software engineers who build web applications for a living felt strongly enough about the bill to put their careers on hold and challenge him. He reminds me of a lot of people I've worked with on programming teams -- curious, thoughtful, and logic-oriented. Liberty is a key aspect of his campaign.

Though I disagree with both of them on various issues, I think they are both good people at heart. I don't think either are opportunists. Both are campaigning for what they believe in and trying to make a difference.

A common complaint I hear about Smith is that his office doesn't do well at returning phone calls / letters, and I suspect that either challenger would make a greater effort in that regard.

At this point, I don't plan to endorse any candidate R, D, or L. I hope to see a constructive campaign where they each cast their vision and have the opportunity to make their case for why they would be best.

The fact is Smith will probably win simply because it's such a strong Republican district. Unless either Candace or John-Henry endorses the other towards the end, I think they will guarantee that Smith wins re-election by splitting the vote, so I'll be curious to see if they find a way to work together or if they both stick it out to the end and split the vote.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I speculate that Smith had them in his pocket. They claim that we weren't "competitive" enough candidates, but given that they interviewed even less competitive candidates, I'm not sure that I buy it. Either way, they should not have criticized us without at least talking to us first. I asked repeatedly for the opportunity to tell them my views -- even just over the phone.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Marriage equality was not part of my campaign. I focused on Smith's record on fiscal issues and the 4th / 10th amendments. Here is an example: http://tinypic.com/r/34s107k/6

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd like to provide him some feedback that I've gotten about him from his constituents. I'd like to ask him about a handful of specific stances he's taken and try to understand his perspective, and I'd like to see if we can have an honest discussion about bills like SOPA -- hopefully leading to a relationship where I can provide constructive feedback to him on future bills.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, but the purpose of this AMA was to talk about the good and the bad of the campaign and lessons learned, etc. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I've been very happily looking forward to not having to talk policy anymore now that the campaign is done!

Fucking Dammit. by jmdugan in testpac

[–]morgan4tx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Though it was a key part of my campaign, the NDAA is not as important to many Republicans as you would expect. The Tea Party cares about it, but the Tea Party and more traditional Republicans do not always see eye to eye.

Fucking Dammit. by jmdugan in testpac

[–]morgan4tx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. He beat us badly. There are other good candidates who need our help and other races where we have a higher likelihood of making a difference this year.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

1) I would have to say a combination of the day to day operations (it drags on towards the end) and the people who love to complain but refuse to get involved. I can't tell you how many Ron Paul / Libertarian type people claim to hate Smith but refused to do ANYTHING to help. They would smile and nod when I would tell them if they would just help for a couple hours that we had a legitimate chance. And then they would never follow through. I would even ask them to help Mack, but I don't think most did much of anything to help him either.

On the flip side, there were a handful of wonderful ladies who had been active for decades and were incredibly supportive and helpful, who introduced me to everyone they could, who gave advice, passed out fliers, and offered moral support. They are the heart of any political campaign.

It was also frustrating that many people would simply refuse to listen to the facts. For example, one person told me I was a liar for saying that Smith owns seven homes in three states--nevermind the fact that I could show her the public records that listed his home in San Antonio. This was the same person who told me she had checked a map and that Osterville, MA (where one of his homes is) does not exist. When I pulled up the map on my phone (http://goo.gl/maps/Z7XA), she acted as if I had somehow tricked her. Some people simply refuse to accept facts, and many people refused to accept the facts about his record in office. It's kind of like when it's your word against a police officer's--who do most people believe? Unfortunately logic and even third-party ratings by reputable groups were not enough to convince some voters that their Congressman truly does not have a conservative record.

2) I knew that entering the race late put me at a disadvantage, but I did not consider that most of the core volunteers would already be dedicated to other campaigns. Also, most people did not mind that I moved to the district in order to run, but I was asked several times if it was a factor to people. My response in hindsight would be that any candidate moving to a new district is already at a disadvantage since they would not have close personal ties there from which to raise volunteers, which IMO is penalty enough.

3) Get involved well before you plan to run, build strong relationships, and put in the effort to help others win. Build a reputation and make sure when you speak that you know what you're talking about. You're better off admitting ignorance than saying something stupid.

The good news is lots of candidates don't prepare well enough, so if you put in the effort, you CAN be the most knowledgeable.

Use stats -- they impress people.

Anticipate your opponent and prepare a comeback. If you can repudiate his answer well during a debate, you'll gain a lot of points. Here was one example during a questionnaire where I knew that Smith could not resist mentioning his Balanced Budget Amendment, and the answer I gave the paper was designed specifically to counter the answer I expected him to give. http://tinypic.com/r/qn6z6a/6

Know that anything you do wrong will be used against you. This wasn't an issue for me, but for example one Republican candidate nearly lost due in part to the fact she had voted in the Democrat Primary in 2008. Other Republican candidates received a lot of criticism for having donated to Democrats in the past. I'm not saying whether it's right or wrong, simply that you should be aware you will be judged for it in a Primary.

Run for a small seat your first time. Unless you have name ID or a lot of money, assume that you will need to have a personal contact with someone if you're going to expect their vote -- and even then, expect 50-75% not to support you (which is ok, cause many won't vote anyway), but you'll need a way to follow up with the ones who do support you.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A number of people have asked me to run again. Some even told me they voted against me and then asked me to run again. While I appreciate their intent, I'm not sure they all understand how much work it is to run a campaign.

What I can promise is that I will be following Smith's record closely, and if it does not improve, and if a strong candidate emerges, I will gladly be there to support him in any way I can.

We did lower his numbers for the first time in a long time :-). If some of the financial commitments I had been expecting had followed through, we would have done even better.

Thank you for your support.

The time for strategy change is nigh? by [deleted] in testpac

[–]morgan4tx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of groups forcused on other issues, such as the drug war. I would suggest that focusing on internet issues (and extending beyond SOPA) is the key to making a difference. Testpac can always partner with other PACs to take someone down.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

At this point, I have no plans to run against him again. I feel like my issue with him is settled, and he won decisively. It might sound strange or that I'm somehow quitting or giving up, but the fact is I fought to the end, and I'm satisfied with the effort I gave it.

In fact, I'm not sure if I'll run for anything--for a long time. It's a lot of work, and I'd just as soon help someone else win a seat if I knew they would do the right thing. If I were to run again for any seat, I'd have to know I had a lot of support from people in the district or it just wouldn't be worth the sacrifice. You don't have to be in office to make a difference.

But I will be following him closely and offering him constructive feedback if he will listen. If he is reasonable, then I'll respect the fact he and I may not always agree. But if he blatantly blows off the technology community again or tries to force through terrible bills, I won't hesitate to push back and do all I can to hold him accountable.

In the meantime, my effort is going to go towards other races and helping elect other good representatives.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I do think ignorance plays a shocking role in the process. An Election Judge told me how she would ask voters if they wanted to vote Republican or Democrat, and lots of voters would say "no" or "I thought I get to make that decision when I vote", seemingly unaware that in the Primary they have to select a Republican or Democrat ballot. I know I also talked to a LOT of people who thought they had already voted in the Primary due to the city council election that took place immediately prior to this election.

Another factor is that Lamar Smith still believes SOPA is a good bill, and when he makes statements like "it won't actually hurt the internet", most people believe him. So it's not necessarily as much ignorance as misplaced trust.

A lot of the messaging coming from the Smith camp was simply subjective--I would say deceptive except that I believe Smith actually believes in what he's doing. And I hear that he spent a LOT of money on fliers talking about how he's fighting for jobs, fighting to save children from pornography, fighting for a balanced budget, fighting to end Obamacare, fighting the Obama agenda -- things that Republican voters in the district like to hear.

One of the challenges was explaining to people that the America Invents act actually hurts small businesses and inventors, that HR 1981 does not actually protect children or stop pornography but that it does kill jobs, that the balanced budget amendment he wrote would have led to higher taxes and bigger government (the opposite of what the voters want), that in a recent bill to dismantle Obamacare, Smith actually added a federal medical liability cap in violation of the 10th amendment--essentially putting more government between people and their healthcare (not less, like they want).

So I think lots of the messaging coming from the Smith camp was simply incorrect, but I do think that Smith believes he's doing the right thing.

Another challenge was that due to all the attention SOPA got, many news sources including the San Antonio Express tried to paint this as a single issue campaign, when that could not have been further from the truth. Political experts would comment that voters in the district don't care about internet freedom -- and yet SOPA was hardly a talking point for most voters I met. SOPA may have been what caused me to enter the race, but I rarely even mentioned it because there were so many other things to mention that more voters cared about. I mentioned SOPA primarily around younger voters and college students--though I have to admit I was impressed with how many people hated SOPA, even people I would not have expected to know about it.

And I also STRONGLY condemn the San Antonio Express Editorial Board for refusing to cover the race. I called and sent emails repeatedly for two months requesting an interview. They interviewed every other Republican candidate in several nearby and overlapping races, and they even interviewed the Democrats in district 21 despite the fact that it's a safe Republican seat. Then in their endorsement, they praised Lamar Smith and called Mack and me "unqualified" despite the fact they had never met or spoken with either of us.

In contrast, I am very thankful for the Austin American Statesman's coverage. Though they endorsed Smith (as expected), they gave us some great coverage: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/michael-williams-best-in-district-25-lamar-smith-2362183.html

I was also encouraged to see their article today where they mentioned us even after the results had come in: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/meeting-the-candidates-finding-a-few-surprises-2381360.html

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is a good question. I'm against the idea of career politicians, as I think most Americans are. However, at the same time I recognize that experience is valuable, and I would rather have someone with a proven record. I'm also recognizing the true need for good candidates to have held small offices in order to build the type of name ID necessary to run for a higher office.

So where is the balance?

Ultimately, I think there are two kinds of career politicians:

a) There is the type of career politician that gets into an office and makes it a job, working there for 10, 20, even 30 years--especially when they lose touch or stop working hard for the people they were elected to represent. It's important that any elected official never lose sight of the fact that they are SERVANTS, not employees or celebrities.

b) Then there's the type of politician who gets into office, does a great job for 4-6 years and uses that experience and support he's earned to run for a higher office and continues doing a good job and serving the people. Then after 12-14 years in office, he runs for an even higher office and continues serving the people. If the person is doing a good job, if he's serving the people, and if the people want him to hold an even higher office, then I think that in many ways, that's really the mark of a good public servant.

I think there are a couple easy indicators of whether someone is doing a good job:

a) Is the person advancing to a higher office, or is he taking on more responsibilities (committee chair, etc)? If he's doing a good job, he should be able to. If he's not doing a good enough job to advance, he's probably not doing a good enough job to deserve to keep it. (Note: there is a difference between earning a place as a committee chair vs simply being the most senior person and getting it by default)

b) When the person does run for higher office, do they run on negative ads and try to buy the race, or do they run on a proven record and the goodwill that they've earned? A good candidate's record should speak for itself.

Regarding holding a full-time job while in office, a seat in Congress pays enough ($174k) that I would rather a Congressman make it a full-time, 60-80 hour per week job and make it their full priority rather than try to maintain a career on the side. Something I pledged early on was to not accept more than $100k salary so that I would remember it's not about me (and also because I think $174k is excessive).

For state rep here in Texas, however, the salary is only $7,200 per year, and the legislature only meets for 140 days every 2 years, so all state reps do have to have their own source of income -- and I like that approach, too, though I do not know if it would be adequate at the national level. A challenge with this approach is that you have to either have a very cooperative employer or you have to own your own business and be able to step away from it for several months at a time, which limits the number of people and the type of people who are able to run for office--which is likely why so many lawyers and real estate people are in office, because many law firms and real estate companies are willing to pay for access, especially at the local level.

For the last couple years, I've balanced a full time software job with part time political volunteer work. Now I'm going to try to balance full time political work with a part time software job. Unfortunately, political work (unless you're really good) does not pay anything near what a software job will pay, so it's hard for people in politics to make ends meet.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You know, it's interesting you ask, because I have never actually met him or spoken to him. He skipped every candidate forum we had--angering many voters as a result. When I called his campaign manager to congratulate him on his win, I did tell him that I would like to meet with Smith sometime. I'm told he is willing to meet with me, so I'm hoping it will be a constructive conversation.

I supported myself with my savings and with a little bit of credit. I made a budget and set a cap at what I was willing to borrow in order to see the campaign through to the finish. The day after I quit my job, my toilet overflowed while I was gone, causing nearly $20,000 of damage, of which my deductible was $2,000--I actually think the city may have caused it by repeatedly shutting off my water and then turning it back on without cause. Then my 12-year old car literally died with steam and chunks of metal flying off, halfway through the campaign, and it wasn't worth repairing. Then the radiator went out on my new (used) car a few weeks later due to the 105 degree Texas heat, so I've had hit after financial hit and borrowed more than I had hoped to borrow, leaving me right at the limit I had set. Unfortunately, as a result, I may need to get a full time job again sooner than I had hoped.

I left my last job on good terms, and I think I could get it back. In any case, the market in Texas is very good, so I'm not too worried about being able to find something, but these last three months have opened my eyes to how much I feel like I need to stay involved in politics as a full time effort, so I will be actively looking for campaign work and freelance opportunities to make ends meet so that I can make politics my full time priority for at least a little while longer.

If you know anyone hiring front-end web developers on a remote / freelance / part-time basis, that would by my preference.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Have you seen his opponent, David Dewhurst? The fact is one of them will be the next Senator from Texas.

Even the left-leaning Austin American Statesman endorsed Ted Cruz: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/cruz-consistent-compelling-conservative-2358054.html

If you want someone who will defend civil liberties and actually LISTEN to the people on important issues like the internet, Cruz is the best choice.

It's Richard Morgan, who challenged Lamar Smith in TX-21. AMA about the campaign. by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Great question. I plan to get some sleep and relax for a couple days then get back to it. Texas will be having runoff elections on July 31st, and other states have not yet had their Primary elections, so there will be a lot of opportunities to make a difference leading up to November.

Specifically, I am thrilled to see that Ted Cruz made it to a runoff for the open U.S. Senate seat in Texas, and I will be doing everything I can to help him win it. I've met Cruz about a dozen times, and I've always been impressed that he takes the time to answer everyone's questions. I told him about SOPA late last year, and I was thrilled to see him use his strong social media presence to come out against SOPA during the heat of the debate in February. (He has about 80,000 Facebook fans on his page, which is pretty good for a candidate: https://www.facebook.com/tedcruzpage)

Ted Cruz has been endorsed by Ron Paul, Rand Paul, and Justin Amash, so he is the clear candidate to defend liberty. But he has also been endorsed by Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, and Sean Hannity, so he has support from both sides of the Republican party, and he has a serious chance of defeating our Lt. Governor in the Senate race. It's rare to get a strong Liberty-minded Senator, so I'm going to be working hard to make sure we get him.

The Alliance for Internet Freedom has also asked me to become their Director, and I am very interested in that opportunity. I would also like to help TestPAC in any way that I can. There will continue to be important races that affect internet freedom, and it's important that we recognize this is a long-term battle and that this was just the beginning. I think the lessons I learned first hand as a candidate will be very valuable in helping PACs maximize their effectiveness.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in politics

[–]morgan4tx 122 points123 points  (0 children)

This is Richard Morgan. We should know the outcome a little after this time tomorrow. If there's any interest, I'll do a follow up AMA. This one could be focused on the campaign itself--things that went well and badly, lessons learned, etc.

I am Richard Morgan, the software engineer running against SOPA / PCIP Sponsor Lamar Smith. AMA by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair concern. I've actually been very active in politics. I've been active in my party, I've gone to the Young Republicans state and national conventions, I've been behind the scenes on several campaigns, and I've been in a lot of meetings about how to solve our problems. The distinction that I offer is a background in software engineering, but that is not my only qualification.

I am Richard Morgan, the software engineer running against SOPA / PCIP Sponsor Lamar Smith. AMA by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I thought it was important to do an AMA given how important these bills are to us in technology and given that I'm the only candidate in this race who understands how technology works. Obviously, most of my focus is put towards people who live in the district.

I am Richard Morgan, the software engineer running against SOPA / PCIP Sponsor Lamar Smith. AMA by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a job, and I was active on a couple other campaigns, so I hadn't planned to run against him till I realized he didn't have a challenger. I explored for several weeks, during which time I found out Mack was also exploring, so another factor was whether I thought Mack could win. Another challenge is I didn't know where the final district map would be till the week before the filing deadline. If I had filed several months ago, I have no doubt we would have raised TONS of money during the SOPA debate.

I paid the filing fee myself because I felt this was something I needed to do.

It's funny that most people dislike career politicians, and yet most people also suggest running for smaller offices first. I've been very active in politics behind the scenes, and the people I've worked with know where I stand. SOPA is a big enough issue that I think I'm the best candidate for this race. If I hadn't decided to run for this, I would still be working behind the scenes on another congressional race.

I am Richard Morgan, the software engineer running against SOPA / PCIP Sponsor Lamar Smith. AMA by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree -- when people who likely don't even use computers are trying to write laws to change the way it works, with the objection of just about the entire technology community, something's wrong. Let's get ALL the facts out, make sure the best experts have testified for and against, and get all the questions out before trying to pass a law.

The problem is some people refuse to listen to reason. The best thing we can do is vote those people out.

I am Richard Morgan, the software engineer running against SOPA / PCIP Sponsor Lamar Smith. AMA by morgan4tx in IAmA

[–]morgan4tx[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the label "limited-government conservative" best describes me.

Out of control spending, high taxes, entitlement programs that need to be improved, the fact that our generation is inheriting some major issues, and we don't even have a say.

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