TimGoddard's blog

A consistent theme here on The Next Right in recent weeks has been that technology for the sake of technology isn't going to do anyone any good. Only when technology is put to the pursuit of specific goals and in support of excellent candidates can it be successful.

I'd like to offer up Flip4.org as an example of a way we can do this. I blogged here about Flip4.org a couple weeks ago. If your memory fails you for a moment, the goal of Flip4.org is to flip four seats in every state legislative chamber where doing so will give Republicans the majority. This is, I like to think, "a useful and serious political objective the realization of which just happens to be made easier by technology."

Today, it enters a new stage, as the site is launched as a blog, where contributors will keep us informed about these key state legislative races across the country--just the sort of thing Sean Oxendine called for back in November.

And this is only step one. As time goes on, the site will be enhanced to enable us to pool our voices and choose 60 excellent candidates in 14 different states, whose victory we will then work to assure.

So go, visit the site, keep yourself informed, and pitch in where you're able--2010 could be a great year for us, but only if we begin putting in effort in 2009.

In November, Sean Oxendine wrote a post urging those who want to “make a difference” to focus on state legislative races. Inspired by Sean's clarion call, I’d like to present Flip4.org, a website devoted to two fairly straightforward goals:

• First, identifying four legislative candidates for seats currently held by Democrats in each state house where taking those seats would give Republicans the majority.

• Second, making sure those candidates have the resources they need to win those races.

While straightforward, these goals are not simple—and they’re definitely ambitious. To achieve them, Flip4.org will need… well, many things, but mainly it will need you.

It will need you to blog about the key candidates, opponents and issues in your state. It will need you to offer your resources and abilities to legislative candidates across the country. It will need you to learn about these candidates, in order to help determine which should be targeted.

Sure, statewide and national races are the ones that get the headlines—but these state legislatures are the front lines of American politics. They are where good ideas—and bad ones—can be introduced and tested. They are where rising stars can energize the party, or scandals can ruin it. With our joint efforts at Flip4.org, we can improve these legislatures by helping to elect talented, principled, forward-thinking Republicans who will work to improve our states and nation.

Our primary need is local bloggers who will follow these legislative races from start to finish, and keep the rest of us informed about them, but all manner of skill sets will be useful.

Want to help? Join me at www.flip4.org.