According to my calculations, it’s only a matter of time before tea partiers are called reptilian aliens from outer space. I would say zombies, but sadly that was already done by some charming people and their little video game, “Tea Party Zombies Must Die”. Just in the past few weeks, tea partiers have been labeled “terrorists,” “S.O.B.s,” “hobbits,” and “barbarians” who can go “straight to hell,” of course after they’re done, according to Representative Andre Carson, hanging African-Americans from the nearest tree.

I’m actually starting to lose track of the name-calling, but suffice it to say, the Left and its elected allies like Joe Biden and Maxine Waters, are upping the vitriol of their rhetoric. That’s what people do when they’re losing an argument: they either change the terms of the debate or resort to ad hominem attacks. Of course, name-calling means nothing.  Already bereft of ideas, it seems the Left has also forgotten the little schoolyard chant about sticks and stones.

But beyond the name-calling, it is becoming deadly serious - our economy is tanking. Unemployment has barely budged from between 9-10%, and absolutely zero jobs were added in the month of August. Our President is wandering about between his and Michelle’s vacations, with clearly no idea of what to do. It should be pointed out that we are probably expecting too much from a former community organizer who never understood how jobs and capital are created in the first place. After getting beaten handily in 2009 in Virginia and New Jersey, 2010 nationally, hamstrung in Wisconsin in 2011 (I would say humiliated as well: after dumping tens of millions of dollars into the fight against Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Bill, the Supreme Court race and attempts to flip the majority in the State Senate thru re-call elections, the unions failed on all three counts), the Left, particularly the public sector unions, know they’re up against it in 2012.

The incredible, shrinking President’s numbers are, well, shrinking and the Democrats were already going to have a tough time holding the Senate in 2012: with the economy still dragging and unemployment high, it’s hard to believe holding the Senate will get any easier between now and November of 2012.

Seeing the trends in the poll numbers, and realizing the tide is against them, the Left is desperate. When people start flailing about, using harsh rhetoric, it’s an indication that there is mounting frustration. And one gets the sense that the public sector unions, while maybe not on their last gasp, are certainly feeling cornered and very threatened.  The questions I have for the tea party, and those that identify with it, is what do you plan on doing to seize the moment in 2012? If people thought the successes of 2010, and even 2011, was going to fix things, they were mistaken. Our victories in 2010 were just the beginning of a long road back to true American exceptionalism.

American Majority has been planning its Training Bomb (www.trainingbomb.com) for a while now (yes, we swiped the term from the Ron Paul “Money Bombs”), with it having grown to trainings in 14 different states being held on Constitution Day, September 17^th. The point of the trainings is to do the things that move the political dial and lead to political success. We of course believe in free enterprise and limited government, but what will make these ideas become reality? Political victories. Politics is policy.  Those who win politically that make policy.

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The first GOP debate in South Carolina of the presidential election cycle taking place in South Carolina won’t be a game-changer for who will be the next President of the United States. Even though the “big names” are boycotting too busy to attend the debate (which is a likely mistake, given the opportunity to opine on the current fracas over the union-controlled NLRB’s attacks on Boeing and the state of South Carolina), the person who wins the White House in 2012 can almost assuredly be predicted within a short period of time.

While 2010 was just a warm up, the election of 2012 will be the election that, ultimately, determines the future direction of the United States and, perhaps, its very existence (see debt). While President Obama re-lubricates his 2008 OFA machine, determined to win re-election on the back of Osama Bin-Laden’s quickly-disposed of corpse, GOP contenders are beginning to posture for a shot at the White House.

Winning the White House won’t merely be a matter of money (though that will be necessary), since Obama is hoping to raise $1 billion (undisclosed)—nor, is it a matter of name recognition (though that helps too). It will be, however, all about strategy.

And the strategy begins here…

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On Saturday, standing on the state capitol steps in Madison, Wisconsin I saw history. I saw the first public, physical manifestation of the great struggle between the tea party movement and the public sector unions. At stake: the future freedom and prosperity of this country.

On one side of the debate, you have freedom loving Americans who are the taxpayers, the ones who fund our government and are the heart and soul of this great nation. On the other, those who would seek to ride on the backs of the taxpayers as they take this country down a path of statism.

This is the great fight right now: freedom vs. statism, and the ones of the front lines for freedom are the tea partiers. They have been, and are continuing to, answer the bell time and time again in this crucial time in American history. They’ve been mocked and reviled, questioned, but they are America’s best hope to turn this magnificent nation back to a path of freedom and prosperity and away from destructive statism.

What I saw in Madison on Saturday was amazing. Thursday morning, the American Majority staff in Wisconsin and some local tea party leaders, Meg Ellefson and Tim Dake, along with Dave Westlake, decided there should be a rally in support of Scott Walker and his Budget Repair Bill. In roughly 48 hours, it went from idea to reality, from a few people talking to 10,000 rallying on the steps of the capitol.

Within hours of announcing there would be a rally, I got a call that Andrew Breitbart was in.

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If conservatives intend to translate Tea Party enthusiasm into actual power they are certainly going to have begin to put like-minded folks into office and not just at the federal level. Every office from dogcatcher, to city offices, to county and state offices needs to be filled with Tea Party advocates. Conservatives cannot expect an enduring governing capability by focusing solely on federal elections.

To that end, this week American Majority (AmericanMajority.org/) unveiled a new initiative to help train Tea Party groups to groom local candidates in order to build a more enduring conservative governing majority across the country. The project is called the New Leaders Project.

AM hopes to help local Tea Party groups to identify 10 new leaders in their local community to run for state or local office. “The program will help community leaders identify quality candidates while fostering a new era of accountability between voters and elected officials,” said representatives for the group.

“This was an historic election, but the systemic change our nation needs to thrive and prosper will require much more time and effort. The next election starts now,” stated Ned Ryun, President of American Majority. “There is a real need for new leadership at all levels of government that believes in, and will advocate for, fiscal responsibility, free enterprise and limited government. We believe this project will not only impact state and local levels, but also create a significant ‘farm team’ for higher office for years to come.”

As important as it is, there is no doubt that the Tea Party movement is still somewhat amateurish when it comes to governing. Its wonderful excitement and enthusiasm is incredibly important, to be sure, but a coherent message, a slate of candidates, and a membership pulling together and on the same page is imperative for the continued influence of the thousands of disparate Tea Party groups out there.

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As President Obama vacationed in North Carolina this past weekend, concerned Americans decided to dedicate their time to freedom. The Post-Party Summits, hosted by American Majority, Smart Girl Politics and RedState, kicked off the first Summit in Pittsburgh, PA on April 23^rd. American Majority President Ned Ryun explained the idea behind the Post-Party Summits in a recent interview:

“The Post-Parties are about moving from protesting to implementing, and that’s what was so exciting about Pittsburgh: these people came to learn, realizing that the next iteration of the tea party movement is organizing into a potent political force. And I believe that is the answer to bringing about the change needed in this country: the tea party and 9.12 movements organizing into privatized political infrastructure to advance the great principles of free enterprise, individual freedom, and limited government.”

On Friday evening during the opening dinner, Erick Erickson of RedState gave a rousing speech regarding the next step for concerned Americans. The audience went wild when Erickson stated “The silent majority can no longer be silent.”

The Summit training courses were designed to equip citizens with the tools to effectively participate in the electoral process. Classes include, Creative Leadership,Micro-targeting Precincts, Building Effective Coalitions, Running for Office, Media Coaching: TV and Radio, and a host of other classes designed to train Americans to become more involved in the community. Ryun described it as being:

“A community organizer for Freedom”

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A previous post, Turning Tea Party Patriots into Political Petitioners, examined opportunities for new activists to affect change in their home states.  A natural next step is to discuss other options for getting involved.

It remains to be seen if the political activity that this summer generated hundreds of Tea Party protests and capacity crowd town hall meetings turns into a lasting political force.  Many will participate in one event and go back to the daily grind.  A few will remain active, and some may even use their outrage to invest their time and treasure into political campaigns.

For those who seek to become active, there are plenty of resources.  Citizens In Charge and Ballotpedia.org are both aimed at informing citizens of ballot initiatives and expanding the rights of citizens to petition government directly.

There are also organizations that will train candidates and campaign staff.  Since 1979, Morton Blackwell’s Leadership Institute has worked to train candidates and activists to run effective campaigns for office, mostly on the statewide and federal level.   But traveling across a state or a large congressional district for weeks and months at a time can be too great a sacrifice for most.

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