John McCain announced his Presidential candidacy yesterday. Apparently not many folks showed up. One attendee holding a McCain for President sign told an NPR reporter that she wasn't really a McCain supporter, but the people passing out signs "looked desperate, so I took one."It reminds me of a community development admonishment I once heard: Social Capital should never be judged by how many people show up to the meeting.
The tendency is for passionate people who call a community meeting on a critical issue to be deflated and stunned when turnout at the meeting is low. The knee-jerk reaction is, 'they just don't care.'
In actuality, everybody cares about things related to their lives in varying degrees and within a hierarchy of priorities. The people who show up are just those who care about your agenda, were motivated by how you framed it AND could make it without having to honor commitment to a higher priority. Worst case, the people you are counting are those with a passion for coming to meetings.
If people aren't coalescing around your meetings, it is time to rethink what you are doing.
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