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Recession and failure reshaping the conservative movement

Submitted by Soren Dayton on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 14:54
in

Financial services, car companies, and media outlets aren't the only people facing layoffs this winter. Conservative groups are too. National Journal reported on NAM:

The National Association of Manufacturers, which employs one of the highest paid DC trade association executives, John Engler, who received total compensation of $1.2 million in 2006, has laid off staff just weeks before Christmas, a spokesman for the organization confirmed. He said someone would call me back to say how many employees were let go. One source said as many as eight or ten people received pink slips.

I know of three other high profile conservative groups that are cutting, one 20% of staff and anothers are cutting quite deep. I am not even counting Freedom's Watch. This is in addition to all the professional Republicans left unemployed by election day, and the resulting shift at lobbying firms.

Some of this is due to the economic cycle, like Sheldon Adelson's bankruptcy. I imagine that the small-dollar direct-mail and telemarketing that sustains so many smaller groups is falling, but those numbers are harder to get. Some, like the lobbying firms, are a direct result of the political cycle. But when you talk to the donors you hear something more. They are tired of being taken for a ride. They understand that a lot of the older institutions are not providing value. You do see a fetishizing of new media and technology right now because it's the only really new thing that people are coming to donors with, but they understand that there is some snake-oil out there and are getting confused.

Ultimately, they want value, and they want leadership. And they are cutting off an establishment that isn't providing either.

This is happening at the same time as many of these groups are considering succession plans. Suddenly, a lack of leadership, a lack of funds, and a dismal political and economic climate are making some of these people think twice about the future of their organizations.

This should be an opportunity. For a while, people in the conservative movement are going to have to live lean and demonstrate value. When people get excited again, whether around new candidates, a new batch of ideas, or responding to Barack Obama and Democratic proposals, they will be opportunities for people that have been putting points on the scoreboard. In the meantime though, it's going to be very scary.

When we get onm the other side of this, the movement is going to look very different.

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Comments

Changing circumstances will strengthen us

Submitted by Tiger4Truth on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 16:35.

Value for money rules any day not just during an economic down turn or when the party is out of power. The latter would produce a shake-out regardless. Fewer entities will create focus and strengthen the party in the long run.

America was not built by

Submitted by Cristiano on Thu, 05/14/2009 - 10:56.

America was not built by phone calls,  It was built by people who did not İkinci el oto own neckties and had calloused hands, and we need those people right now a lot more than we need CEOs and stockbrokers.  It wasn't working men and women who caused the financial crisis, but they will suffer the most from the incompetence and corruption at the top of the food chain eglen

I'm glad we're changing.

Submitted by americanmale on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 17:51.

I'm glad that Delay, Abramoff, Reed, and the likes are heading off into the sunset.  I really believe that they really took advantage of the foundation that Gingrich laid.  They're bad eggs and they took advantage of a lot of trusting conservatives.

I think the PR wing of K street was a failure too.  George Bush had a really good thing going for him.  And that was that he was a guy everybody wanted to have a "beer" with (i know he' s on the wagon).  K Street really could have done something with that.  Mrs Bush for god sakes is the epitome of a southern belle.  Why couldn't K street have done something with that.

The Iraq War.  K-Street missed the boat on this one.  They let the sentiment pervade that George Bush started the war in Iraq.  That is totally wrong.  The kingdoms of Arabia asked us to be there in 1991 and to return Kuwait back to a sovereign state.  After we accomplished this, a CEASE FIRE was implemented at Safwan and a terms of the cease fire were given for compliance. (Northern, Southern No Fly Zones, Oil For Food, etc.)

Saddam broke many of the terms during the years while Boinkin Bill's feet were doing the happy dance under his desk.  Saddham's Sunnis gassed the Kurds, decimated the Shia, and embezzled from the oil for food program. 

George Bush simply ended the CEASE FIRE and resumed active engagement; albeit the reasons he officially gave for resumption were unnecessarily "over the top"...yellow cake, WMD, etc.  The honest truth would have sufficed just fine.

No matter, K-Street could have reframed this a heck of a lot better than they did.  I'm glad that K is gone.  It was a failure.

In all honesty, I think we have a unique opportunity to re-frame our message.  We'll certainly have the time to do it.  After all, we're all going to be sitting in traffic a lot longer each day due to Obama's economic fix it plan...."ReBuild the Roads!"

 

the professional class got out of touch

Submitted by Ironman on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 19:32.

with what ordinary people in the hinterland were motivated by.  Therefore, they framed weak messages and no amount of weight behind them was going to work.

This also is why I am leery of  "idea czars" or professional bloggers. The day we stop relying on working people who bring real world perspective to the table is when the Rightroots become another arm of the Beltway establishment.  

We need a "flatter" organizational chart where local activists and experts are given more credence and where results are rewarded more than longevity.

 

There will be plenty of work in the future

Submitted by Repack Rider on Sun, 12/14/2008 - 00:00.

But it won't be making phone calls and taking meetings.  It will be doing real work, getting your hands dirty, and being physically exhausted at the end of the day.  It will be the rebuilding of America that has been put off so bankers could get rich with Ponzi schemes and CEOs could take home multi-million dollar bonuses for decisions that cost thousands of jobs.

America was not built by phone calls,  It was built by people who did not own neckties and had calloused hands, and we need those people right now a lot more than we need CEOs and stockbrokers.  It wasn't working men and women who caused the financial crisis, but they will suffer the most from the incompetence and corruption at the top of the food chain.

Maybe you guessed that I'm a working man.  I also own the company, but I spend my days in the trenches with my employees. I work six days a week and never miss a day, and I have no respect for the schemers with soft hands and manicured nails who got rich burning down our country and sending our jobs overseas .  Prison is too good for them.

Well said. I completely agree

Submitted by Hueyloo on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 10:58.

Well said. I completely agree with you. I'm a working man as well and I like it being that way. I want to actually earn the money I work for, and have no respect for those decision makers that have ultimately cost our country.

Tim - closet organizers, gas fireplaces.

Change is a good thing and it

Submitted by tiredtonto on Sat, 04/04/2009 - 03:22.

Change is a good thing and it is apparent that change is happening now.  I hope for growth from the learnings of this.

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