Can you confirm this? Ron Paul Des Moines HQ Voter Database Sabotaged

If true, then I have to simply comment that having a database become a “single point of failure” for a GOTV effort is supremely unwise. Ever heard of backups? Off site redundant data storage? So if the story is true, the failure was double: not only the specific SNAFU or sabotage, but also an unnecesarily compromisable approach towards the management of critical data.

I was a student volunteer in the Des Moines, Iowa Ron Paul campaign office.

Here is what happened:

The campaign hired an individual who promised to deliver the contact list which was admittedly confused. That individual did not come through with his project.

Additionally, there was a student volunteer named Edwardo from southern California who had been there for an extended period of time. He was somehow given the responsibility of organizing all of the 2008 caucus locations and their corresponding short codes.

He did finish that list just in time for the complete list to be assembled. However, he decided to make up his own codes instead of the ones that everyone else was using. He was relieved of his duties, and was send home.

That screwed things up.

The main thing that I saw in Iowa was a complete lack of organization. It has been explained to me that the Iowa strategy was rolled out to quickly and too last minute. Kinks were inevitable.

This is not a personal attack, but I believe that Edwardo could be a plant. I don’t believe that he is involved in a meetup group in southern California, and he claimed to be a real estate agent.

It is my personal opinion that the amount of private contractors running the campaign was astonishing.

The computer wiz/graphic artist admitted to me that he had stolen the source code to a fantastic database management tool specifically written to compile call/data lists for campaign use. He said that he had obtained it while working on a previous campaign. He offered this database management program to the Ron Paul campaign for $20,000. The campaign said no, thank you.

There are many more reasons why things did not go as well as we had hoped. The number of voters that we had expected to caucus for Ron Paul was 20,577. As all of you know, only half that amount actually turned out.

I hope this is not an indication of how the campaign will be run.

I have one suggestion for everyone. Submit conceptual artwork to replace the standard Ron Paul hope for America signs. Our signs are boring. The campaign cannot sell Americans on truth alone. Marketing is a weak point for the campaign. Submit your artwork!

Hearsay and bullshit, you idiots.

Here’s the bottom line — if you weren’t paid staff in that office, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Calling Edward a plant IS a personal attack, and calling this a last-minute compromise of data is completely ignorant of the situation. Not to mention… Humihaar dangerously only has half his facts intact. All of you - do the rumor-mongering internet a favor and shut the fuck up.

I also worked in Iowa HQ and agree this story is true.