Grassroots Activism

Okay, I have found a website that, if adopted by the Republican party, will give all party members a voice. Allow all to speak and all to be accurately heard.

 Please go to DeepDebate and check it out.

What I envision is to have the Republican party create a web-presence at the precinct level. Within every precinct website will be this type of deliberative groupware that will allow all of its members to speak. Granted, there will work required to create a connective link with the whole (the whole being the local county party). But this is great stuff and I hope I can count on all of you here to give me your thoughts on this process.

Let me know what you think.

ex animo

davidfarrar

It's the Money, the Media, the Groundswell/Grassroots Effort, and the Leadership

I have been listening and reading to a vast array of political experts/pundits and their ideas regarding what has gone wrong with the Republican Party.  Many are spot on and a few are way off base in my opinion.  I am of the opinion that things do need to change, but not our core conservative ideology.

As I have mentioned in replies to other bloggers on this site, this country is 232 years old.  Over this span of time, just about every concept or political ideology has been tried.  Some have been dismal failures and others have been resounding successes.  At the end of the day, there are not many NEW ideas rather, there are new ways to package, present, and communicate these ideas to the American electorate.  It also helps to have a leader that inspires the electorate and can communicate these ideas to the masses with charisma and vision.

I challenge anyone to educate me as to what Obama has campaigned or promised that is new.  Tell me what new ideas that Obama has presented that hasn't already been tried from Clinton to Carter to FDR.  Obama has simply sold a bag of goods that has already been done before or has tried to be done in one fashion or another (HilaryCare for example).  At best, one could only cite tidbits of change or newness with respect to a broader idea. 

First and foremost we need to acknowledge the failures of the RINO leadership we have had in Washington for the past 8 years and we need a comprehensive national strategy with a concerted focus on fund raising, the media, and a major grassroots effort unlike any ever accomplished in the Republican Party.  Record fund raising is a must to counter the Obama Machine and to counter the liberal media establishment.  The need for the grassroots effort should be obvious.

This will not be easy.  There has been a lot of trust lost in the Republican Party and for good reason.  I personally have friends and relatives who are ready to give money and help organize, but everyone is sitting back to see how the dust settles and who they feel they can trust with the future of the party.  It also makes it difficult when we have created a system where nearly 50% of the electorate pay zero federal income taxes and have no stake in the federal system whatsoever.  Further, with the Dems likely to push hard for amnesty for the illegals, we will likely lose the Hispanic vote for the foreseeable future. Where do you suppose these votes will go?? Consequently, we have to face the fact that we will constantly be working for the 5-7 percenters out there who always seem to be on the fence (at least for the short to mid term). 

The Republican Party must rebuild the party with its core conservative values but with new methodologies for communicating our ideas and creating a groundswell of grass roots activity that we can all believe.  We need to communicate our ideas and ideology to the American people and stop acting like Democrats (McCain, Powel, Bloomberg, and Schwarzenegger are prime examples).  We need to defines ourselves and not allow the liberal establishment to define the Republican Party.  We must have leaders with the charisma to communicate to the masses a singular voice of the party and a unique ability to raise much needed campaign funds.  Over time, with success, we can regain the Reagan American Spirit we so fondly remember.

Doug Peterson

www.twitter.com/dpeterson329

For millions of Americans, the results on November 4th were sad but not surprising. They signaled the failure of an ideology which held power for years, promised much and delivered little.

To some, the failure was due to problems inherent in Free Markets, Capitalism, Limited Government, Social Conservatism and the rest of the foundations of Conservative thought. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Barack Obama's message was electing John McCain meant "4 more years" of George Bush. He was right. Unsaid was that electing him would be worse! Apart from the War on Terror and SCOTUS picks, what Bush accomplishments would Obama have problems with?

Bush has grown Government with a GOP controlled Congress for 6 of his 8 years. Obama is unhappy about that? Congress passed the Medicaid spending increase. Obama is unhappy about that? Congress passed Kennedy's Education Bill. Obama is unhappy about that? Social Security Privatization failed. Obama is unhappy about that? Immigration? The Bailout? Obama is even talking about Welfare disguised as Tax Cuts for heaven's sake! One could go on and on.

On too many issues and at too many levels, Conservative principles did not fail, Conservative principles failed to be upheld!

There were bright spots. The defeats of Harriet Meiers' nomination, the Immigration Reform bill and the Dubai Port Deal come to mind. Common to these successes was the grassroots involvement of everyday Americans refusing to allow Government to take the nation in the wrong direction. We did it then, we can do it again.

This morning, the #dontgo Movement gives us that opportunity! #dontgo was founded by Eric Odom and Allen Fuller on a Friday in August when Nancy Pelosi and Democrats turned off the lights in the People's House and went home. Big Government and Democrats didn't have time for you. But many GOP House members believed different! They stayed and told Democrats, "Don't Go! Come back and finish the People's business!" With no cameras or microphones, those voices went basically unheard.

Until Odom and Fuller put up a Twitter hashtag - #dontgo. The word started trickling out. Until Odom and Fuller put up a website #dontgomovement.com so cellphone video, pictures and blog posts could get out. Until the MSM picked up what grassroots, New Media activists were doing and for the next month, the message "Don't Go!" followed Nancy Pelosi from book signing to book signing! Better, tens of thousands of people rallied to one of the most successful grassroots efforts on the Right in years.

That was 2 months ago. While the issue birthing #dontgo is no longer a rally point, people are still looking for a voice to speak to Big Government to foster change! Good news. Odom and #dontgo didn't stop working and growing when the microphones moved on to the next issue. This morning brings us this:

“Center Right Movement Heats up the Internet”
Conservative Bloggers See Netroots As Key To Advancing Policy

On Monday, November 10th www.dontgomovement.com will host an e-launch party to celebrate its fully-functional website and new online radio show devoted to advancing conservative netroots activism.

#dontgo originally began as a simple internet tag that the founders would put on their blog posts while tracking the energy debate by the US Congress on August 1st, quickly it became used by hundreds of activists including members of Congress not just to track the energy bill, but to energize and push conservative values. Soon thereafter the site was created and to date has 30,000 opt-in email subscribers.

The #dontgo Revolution takes web-based strategies and tactics that Democrats used in the last election cycle to advance conservative views and values. The mission is to develop a fifty state strategy of blogs and internet social networks that would get more conservatives active in their communities leading into the 2010 elections.

Communications Director Juliana Johnson states, “As we witnessed in the 2008 elections web-based strategies are imperative. Conservatives have time and time again failed to use the internet to attract voters and get more people active. We hope that with the launch of this website we will be able to effectively wage the battle of ideas with the left in cyberspace.”

Monday’s radio show (online) will air at 5pm CST. In order to listen please go to www.dontgomovement.com and on the right there is a button “listen to #dontgo radio”.

CONTACT: Juliana Johnson, Director of Communications
(312) 575-9500 (office)
(847) 691-9278 (cell)
julianatjohnson@gmail.com

If you're a an eActivist - a blogger, vlogger, podcaster, internet radio host or wiki editor - head to dontgomovement.com and sign up. If you're a traditional activist - a door knocker, phone caller, envelope stuffer, poll watcher or election day driver - head to dontgomovement.com and get involved. You'll be building the state-by-state, city-by-city, block-by-block structure needed to rein in Liberals regardless of Party. And you'll enable the election of politicians who won't just campaign to the Right, they'll govern that way, too!

This is not just a hope! We've seen people work together, they can bring real change. Your passion has moved you in the past. #dontgo gives that passion an effective outlet. Come join us!

Blue Collar Muse