The recent Tea Parties have successfully mobilized millions of people to voice strong opposition to Obama Care. Collectively my wife and I have attended rallies across the state of Michigan in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Battle Creek, Brighton, and Troy. We also proudly attended the 912 March in Washington, D.C. During these events we chatted with numerous people who, like us, have serious concerns regarding the trajectory of our country. Everywhere we have traveled citizens are concerned with the growth in government and the inherent loss of individual freedom that accompanies it. They are fearful of what kind of nation will be left for their children given the socialist tendencies of the Obama administration.
More than just expressing their great dissatisfaction with the current political leaders, everyone I spoke with expressed a desire to do more to fight off the left-wing attacks on our nation’s heritage. They vowed to keep up the fight well past the conclusion of the Tea Party rallies. While nearly all expressed a yearning to increase their contributions beyond what they have done to date, many were not 100% sure exactly what they might do next. What is the best course of action? What can be done to maximize the likelihood of success, not just now but well into the future?
Tea Party attendees I spoke with were hesitant to necessarily embrace the GOP as the answer to our problems. Yes it is virtually certain that the Republican Party wouldn’t adopt Obama’s far left policies but it is not a slam dunk that government growth would be reversed. Many recalled their disgust with the growth in spending during the Bush administration, even when Team R controlled all the levers of power. So what is the answer? How do advocates of limited government best proceed?
I will lay out my answers to these questions over the next few blog posts. My answers will not be presented as a series of detailed tactics, rather I will present an overall strategy that addresses key points covered during a seminar presented by The Leadership Institute on the evening before the 912 March in Washington, D.C. The instructor, Mr. Mike Rothfeld, President of Saber Communications, shared his insights regarding the ins and outs of political campaigns. A campaign veteran, Mr. Rothfeld, provided an insider’s view of the numerous facets one must consider as part of a political campaign. Of the many concepts Mr. Rothfeld spoke about, I’d like to elaborate upon those that are key to my strategy. Note that this proposed strategy doesn’t require us, the Tea Party movement, to necessarily field candidates immediately. It provides us with time to further build our grass roots power and political influence.
To leverage the great success we have had thus far it is my belief that we need to coalesce around a strategy that brings together the following concepts:
1. In order to be politically respected we must be politically feared. We have done a good job thus far as politicians do fear angry voters. That Congress has delayed voting on Obama Care is a sure sign that Washington politicians, fearing for their jobs, view us with respect, at least for now. However, more must be done and it must be sustained. We must not only sustain, we must increase our recently acquired level of political respect. The entrenched politicians are betting against our staying power.
2. We need large numbers of people and they must be organized and coordinated. The Tea Party movement certainly has the numbers. Rallies across this great country of ours frequently drew crowds numbering in the thousands, sometimes in the tens of thousands. Our successful 912 March on Washington proved to the politicians that there are millions of motivated voters ready to take back our country. Looking forward, can we build upon our organization, increasing both our power and size?
3. We need funding, in a large enough amount, to use as leverage to hold our politicians feet to the fire. A superior level of funding enhances our political respect. Are we willing to part with more of our treasure to fight for our beliefs?
4. We must have credible alternative candidates waiting in the wings just in case our representatives fall off the wagon. Our political leaders must know we are serious about reining in the growth of government. Having serious alternatives in key districts will help keep our legislators on the right path. However, if their voting record doesn’t match their rhetoric then we need to have the ability, with our alternate candidates, to vote them out of office during the primary season.
To summarize, the foundation of my proposal relies upon four concepts:
• Sustained political respect.
• Large and well coordinated ranks.
• Adequate funding.
• Viable alternative candidates.
I will fill in the blanks with more details in upcoming posts. Share your comments in public by commenting on this post or in private by emailing wes@limitgovnow.com.
My wife and I arrived early, about 6:30, to get a good vantage point and talk with other likeminded individuals before the event formally started. Arriving early also gave me an opportunity to use my Sony boom box to serenade the crowd with sound bytes of Obama elaborating on his plans for America. Among other topics, these bytes included Obama lecturing a woman about how it might be better to give her elderly mother pain killers rather than surgery to correct her ailment, and how his Cap and Trade plan would necessarily cause electricity rates to skyrocket.
