Building a Conservative Majority Starts at Home
by Warner Todd HustonIf 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.
They don’t need to be led from the top, but they do need the tools to turn their ideas into a governing reality.
American Majority will help these groups learn the nuts and bolts of running for office, how to articulate a message to voters, and how to manage a campaign. It’s one thing to want to get involved and push Tea Party candidates, but another thing entirely to actually roll up one’s sleeves and get involved.
Contrary to the biased reporting of this effort by Politico, this training program is not a response to the “problem candidates” of the 2010 election as defined by the Old Media. No particular 2010 candidate was targeted for discussion by American Majority at its press conference, for instance. Further, American Majority does not intend to involve itself in the coming 2012 presidential elections. The presidential election is not the goal that AM is trying to undertake. A working conservative governing majority is the goal, one that encompasses the whole country at every level of government, not just the White House.
Another miscue from coverage of this effort is that AM is “jockeying for influence.” This is no top down operation. American Majority is not the sort of organization that wants to take your mailing list, it does not run or endorse particular candidates, nor does it attempt to control the message or the makeup of local conservative or Tea Party groups. American Majority offers free training sessions meant to assist local conservative groups to make a difference at home. It is not interested in “influencing” those local groups or controlling their efforts. American Majority seeks to offer training to help groups control their own message, to control their own candidates, and their own members.
Lastly, these are the sorts of efforts that the left has been engaging in for decades. You may wonder why ACORN and unions are so successful in running slates of candidates and then getting their way in our city, county, and state governments? It is because they help train local groups to run campaigns and they groom young candidates for office. These local efforts create a sort of farm team of candidates that the left can choose from when seeking candidates to run for federal offices, even president.
The grassroots efforts of the left have yielded significant gains for left-wing ideology. It is about time conservatives undertook similar efforts of their own. American Majority’s efforts are a welcome change to the usual conservative habit of writing white papers, commenting in the media and on blogs, but otherwise doing nothing to actually get conservative-minded candidates elected to office.
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59 Comments
Yes, all politics are local. Work on getting conservatives on school boards, town, city, county and state governments. Get the progressives out at every level.
We have started up a local group to attend and monitor our city council. First up, why does everything the city wants to do end up on our water bill?
Drain The Swamp Again
http://vimeo.com/16888560
''A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." Martin Luther King, Jr
You may wonder why ACORN and unions are so successful?
Actually I don't. What's so hard about paying fools to do your dirty work. But that's the rub. They are using other peoples money to 'pay-the-fools' to do their 'dirty work.'
The wondering part? What I wonder is why we Americans allow ourselves to be duped by the Progressives who prey on the 'pay-the-fools.' This better be the beginning of the end.
Our local conservative action-groups have had successes in this area, but it needs to be everywhere. This sounds like a great project and I hope it bears a lot of fruit.
Here in Iowa conservativesare in control for the first time in the 17 years I've lived here.
And our Tea Party will be keeping an eye on everything they do.
" Get the progressives out at every level. "
Including the Country! : )
Until we clean up our own back yard within our hamlets, villages, towns, cities, districts, state, and state legislatures, Americans and America do not stand a chance of getting the country back to the Constitution and nation of law. Yes, " all politics" are local, but they are also nationwide specifically when it comes to electing federal representatives. What one senator or congress critter does at that level can effect the entire nation.Think pelosi, reid, waters, waxman, stark, feinstein, mclame, scary kerry, etc. These folks have definitely hurt our country and economy via their personal, selfish, self seeking, special agendas.
Start by cleaning up the voting laws within the state. Require proof of citizenship before one can vote. Force the various state secretaries to purge and clean up the voting rolls. Force the state legislatures to require proper ID for a voter rather than an electric bill or renters' receipt. This cleanup of the rolls and registration will be most important during the 2012 election cycle.
Bingo! The progressives have successfully infiltrated all levels of our society. Most notably the education system, politics and of course the entertainment industry. As a result they've had an inordinant amount of influence on shaping the perception of our country's history and the direction of our future.
With the inception of the Tea Party as a grass roots movement, as well as FNC, talk radio and the rise of Republicans in the House, there is a now convergence of events that can put us back on a much needed corrective course.
Conservatism finds its footing in families. Parents need to stop trusting the schools to provide civic education because most do not.
For the first time in a very long time, I’m beginning to feel good about the future of America…she is finally starting to wake up….
For my money it is not a moment too soon, thanks to GB people are starting to see there are some very bad people ready to crash this great country and reboot her in a New World Order Communist Utopia.
Not happening Holmes.
Obama will be doing quite a bit of work for us. If he keeps shoving Socialist ideology down our throats, the people will continue to resist the takeover. "We" must keep this movement stronger than it was before this last election, this is when the hard part starts.
We better get busy, 'cause time's quickly running out…
Spooky dude is going to his 'New World Order' even if it kills some of us…
A TOTAL Progressive purge at every level of government.
Spot on. While we're at it, let's reintroduce civics, the Pledge of Allegiance and truthful American history back into the school room. Back in the day, I studied civics in the seventh grade and throughout grade school recited the Pledge of Allegiance daily before class began.
This country has never been in more danger than it is right now…
Dex I could not agree more…
Warner, have you been reading my Avatar profile? Agreed!
This organization sounds interesting. Now who's behind it?
And why aren't we talking about what we want from our CONgressmen today, tomorrow.
Do we have a plan, a strategy to deal with the lame duck session?
Where is Boehner, I want to hear from him. I want to hear from all of them.
.
You already hit on it.
They have money, whether from dues forcibly taken from members or federal grants they have lots of money to buy air time and exploit people who envy the success of others or can be fooled into thinking that government can make life fair. As society continues to devolve there are legions of people to exploit.
I haven't actually read the article yet, but "Building a Conservative Majority…"?
BUILDING a Conservative majority?
We don't need to BUILD one; We HAVE one and always have had one. We need to ENERGIZE the Conservative majority….and KEEP it energized! We need to prevent the Conservative majority from losing hope and motivation by, first; purging the Republican Party of ALL RINOs and, secondly, by keeping up a relentless campaign of Big Government-style exposure of EVERY instance of liberal hypocrisy, lies and hatred and EVERY attempt by the federal government to increase it's power at the expense of WE the people.
Rangel pleads for mercy, says he isn't corrupt….Blah blah blah…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101118/ap_on_go_co/u...
He is as corrupt as they come !
i have been ruminating about something ever since the election and I think this might be the time to present it. I hope I do the subject justice.
The election is over. It is time we set aside the personality wars. I can think up hilarious asides and comparisons to Jon Stewart and Rachel Madow ad infinitum. Yet we know they are inconsequential and really not worth our time.
I would like to see (and I do see it some) a problem presented and solutions proposed. We need to move forward,just like our forefathers moved away from dumping tea in the bay to some effective solutions.
We have a lot of work ahead of us and most of it will be at the local and state levels. Lets share ideas and what works and drive the socialists out o' town by the best method still around–the market place of ideas.
"… there is no doubt that the Tea Party movement is still somewhat amateurish when it comes to governing." You mean, as opposed to the professionals we currently have in office. YGBSM. NO government is better than what we have now.
Very good point.
I say start by taping town meetings, school board meetings and anywhere else you can. If there is something smelly going on, try to find out who, what, where and when. Post on You-tube or where ever else you can.
Just a starting place?
Warner, I think you're all wet on this one. Singling out state and local races as being separate from federal only makes sense in terms of their authority and jurisdiction. In the context of elections, it makes no sense to separate the two: state and local candidates are on the same ballot as federal candidates. The Tea Party's gains at the federal level, it could be argued, were dwarfed by those at the state level:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/03/republ...
Keep working on spreading the ideas, and those ideas will translate to votes at federal, state, and local levels.
I'm listening.
Thats exactly the kind of ideas I was talking about. I hadn't thought about the need to keep our eyes on the existing local meetings. We can make the House Ethics Committee redundant if we took care of business at home.
You can use one of these: http://www.ecrater.com/p/9345980/pen-spy-camera-4... : so nobody knows you are taping them.
Disclaimer : I'm not endorsing any brand or store, it's just an example of what's available.
The problem is the Tea Party is not a true party. In reality they are just an fragment of the GOP. The fact that the GOP as reported here is not going to give any of the new elected congressmen key congressional committees shows what a waste of time the Tea Party is. When they become a third party then I will take them seriously and start to support them.
I agree with you but the problem is progressives can use bumper sticker slogans to hypnotize uninformed people. Conservatism isn't easily made into happy talk slogans. It actually requires thought!
It's quite simple: Because liberals and progressives are good at sending our money down the drain.
" Get the progressives out at every level. "
Particularly the schools.
According to this recent Clip the Democratic Socialist Communist Party is all about claiming that the Tea Party movement is made up of a bunch of racist. I guess that's all they've got, but now some are calling for a Head-Cracking Revolution. It hurt them badly to lose the House and now they're having hissy fits. Let's get ready to rumble! We don't have to take their crap. Get in their face and Alinsky the crap out of them.
http://www.youtube.com/v/DAEkrk8rxJs
How about having after-school history classes at somebody's home? Go through the "history" texts from the school and teach the children to look up the truth.
The Pledge of Allegiance has always smacked of propaganda to me. Why do you insist on indoctrinating children by repeating a pledge every day?
We have no equivalent in Canada.
WARNER please please please do it here on these pages. We here are a family of sorts. We will support each other and it will give you a reach nationwide of activists. If you and the NATIONAL MAJORITY can provide that primer and allow us here to interject our own experiences We wont be wasting time reinventing wheels and bouncing our head against the body politic. We need the roadmap to take over our local Republican and in time Democrat Parties. There was a time when choosing D or R was not choosing between principles only policy I want that back. We will do it, the Democratic Party will change or be marginalized by a new aggressive grassroots Republican Party.
Okay I got my pencil my book bag my notebook and new shoes I'm ready let’s go to school
Yes I can see Liberty from my porch.
Interesting that liberalism has always smacked of decrepit european-style socialism to me.
The Pledge of Allegiance is actually a prayer, of sorts. Of course, when you consider the state of the US and the people in it when the Pledge of Allegiance was recited daily and then consider the state of our Union now, it smacks of degeneration, doesn't it?
That's the direct result of liberal propaganda–note the difference?
But Canada 'needs no equivalent,' at the moment, considering that right next door Mama Bear with all her propaganda protects them whether they're exceptional-minded or socialists, isn't that correct?
Nope you just splinter conservative votes BIG MISTAKE. The correct path is to take over the republican party. It has already started. for instance do you think michael steele has a prayer as RNC chair again?? let the Democrates splinter with a either new socialist democratic party splintering off of them. (call me psychic if Im right) My guess is that is what is going to happen.Liberals after all can never get along for long they are to angry like hungry pitbulls if there is nothing else to eat they eat their own.
Maybe you should. It is not propaganda. It is a reminder of what our Constitution and history has provided to make us a free, independent people.
Great idea. With the Internet the history is readily available from a variety of sources. If one is not in possession of a computer, he/she can visit a local library to search the stacks like we had to do back in the day.
>Now who's behind it? >
Must be astroturf, just like Nancy says (LOL)
We had a GOP sweep of our local (NJ) town council (away from DEMs). I will be attending meetings to keep them honest. First order of business — freeze on municipal wages.
Maybe if we had gotten rid of head RINO John McCain I would agree with you. But Sarah Palin had to pay her political debts and support him. Didn't you notice how the Republican Party refused to support O'Donnell until she started to bring in lots of money.
I am not interested in the fear card. Oh the Democrats will win, how terrible. John McMcain, John Cornyn, Michael Steele do not represent what I believe in. Nor do they represent the beliefs of the people I work with.
Go back and look at the articles after the election. As many people voted in 2008 as in 2004. The difference was that in 2008 the conservatives stayed home because there was no one to vote for.
not necessarily – the facts are often poignant and powerful. A strong command of the facts would be more than adequate, but the key is to diseminate those facts far and wide.
For example: it is a fact that under Bush's "tax cuts for the rich," taxes increased an average of 15% for the top 10% of income earners."…but you won't hear or read that, which is why the leftards continue to regurgitate their nonsense.
Or, the "Clinton Surplus" myth…at no point in the man's tenure was there a surplus of any sort – it can easily be looked up by anyone…yet people pretend it is so. (link: http://www.craigsteiner.us/articles/16)
Lucky you … We have the non-partisans. Takes a few minutes to figure out who the socialists-Commies are, but makes elections tougher.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
You're right, Canuck, pretty evil stuff. 'Sorry you have been deluded into thinking that standing for nothing is a manifestation of intellectual excellence and a mark of one's "worldliness."
"Indoctrinated" Depending on what the indoctrination is, it is not evil. Why are you trying to demonize the pledge with yet another word the Left had demonized and successfully used to demonize.
"We have no equivalent in Canada" OMG! The agony of compete! Some of us are proud of our country. If you're a typical Canadian, I can see why you wouldn't be proud of yours. You're a moron, go away.
Seems to me there might be a bit of hypocrisy in your statement: http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Canada/canadian_...
Either that or you're not Canadian.
That's the same attitutde a bunch or soon to be out-of-work politicians took also.
A third party is a dumb idea (unless it is a liberal third party).
Right. It's true that the Dems have a good ground game! They have more community Organizations than any other group in America. At least 5 per Town!
We have to get our high school and college kids mobilized! We have to keep our Young Republican Clubs supported.
We also have to get our Internet Republican Clubs more targeted! There's a lot that can be done. Perhaps the children of the Tea Parties can form activist groups and help the city councils! 2012 is right around the corner.
WE NEED A RINO WATCH!
http://theantiliberalzone.blogspot.com/2010/11/mo...
http://theantiliberalzone.blogspot.com/2010/11/sc...
http://theantiliberalzone.blogspot.com/2010/11/li...
The Anti Liberal Zone
You definately cannot go by party affiliation — corruption is the norm in NJ (GOP no exception)
Personally i'm not for building a conservative majority – i'm for building a majority that's against big government (both socially and fiscally).
I do not think we have much to disagree about sir. I do however believe that real change is on the horizon. It will take one more election cycle to get conservative control of the party and two more to get conservative control of the Senate. I really do not care if they have an R or a D in front of their name.
The truth is the only efforts Democrats have made to move right were Rahm's disingenuous creation of the Blue Dogs. I am sure a few of those were noble men but they will never be taken seriously again. That leaves us only the Republicans a few core Conservatives in the party now with some seniority. A bunch of cowering Rinos that are walking softly now and a bunch of new blood that we have to police.
The Tea Parties' strength is that it is not homogenous it cannot be tied down. It is pure populism and it happens to have a conservative/libertarian bent. It is people spontaneously calling for a return to founding principles. It is a group that I can join no charismatic leaders, no specific agendas, no dues and a healthy intolerance for BS. In essence, it is American.
The schools are very important. I know we (conservatives) had a minor victory in the text book hearings out in Texas a few months back but I think we need to be patitioning our school boards to include constitutional studies on multiple grade levels. Education is a major area where control needs to be brought back to the state level as well.
I know what you're saying – but try comparing the Clinton surplus myth to "Hope & Change!" If it won't fit on a bumper sticker, intellectually lazy people won't get past the first sentence!
But, I agree with you wholeheartedly!
Lobbyist money is still the key factor in who wins. Those who won locally here are the ones who had big backing that allowed them to use radio and TV instead of just flyers, phone calls, and door knocking.
It takes money to win.
Thing about taking money is money wants something in return and a lot time what they want is not what those that voted for you want. When reelection time comes back around you got a lot of explaining to do to your voters.
As we just saw in this last midterm being an incumbent now makes you an easy target.
One of the big upset local victories here was won by a Repub Tea Bagger that ran on bigger government. See they deregulated here and the power companies pulled a Enron on us. So he campaigned on bringing back regulation.
He did say he was for deregulating the requirement that food handlers have to wash their hands at work though. He said requiring towel dispensers in rest rooms was bankrupting businesses. If he gets his way I will never be eating or drinking in any local establishments ever again in this town.
The Texas hearing was a minor bit of appeasement.
Anyone know why Breitbart is not covering this story?
Professional Idiot Glenn Beck Equates Veterans with Communists
Since he has NO advertisers I guess we do not need to worry about calling for a boycott.
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