American Majority will be coming to Winchester, Virginia on May 19th, for a training event that is geared toward helping the people in the Northern Shenandoah Valley take their defense of liberty and fight for limited government to the next level. Community groups across the nation are realizing the need for accountability at the local level, and American Majority welcomes the opportunity to work with the Apple Valley Tea Party and surrounding groups to provide the tools and information that will help them be most effective in their communities.

The training will be held at 1080 Coverstone Drive, in Winchester from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Registration is $5.00 per person, and is available online or at the door. The topics* include:

• The System (A look at the Progressive movement and our current political system)
• Community Organizer for Freedom (Practical ways to increase government transparency and hold local officials accountable)
• Grassroots Action (How to connect with like-minded groups and people, find new leadership, and get the word out into your community)
 

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Jaoni Wood at 540-338-1251 or e-mail at Jaoni@americanmajority.org.

American Majority is a non-profit and non-partisan political training organization whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market.

* Topics are subject to change.

1.) They Don’t Like Being Watched: They say a watched pot never boils, but boy is that not the case here. Just ask former Senator George Allen. Or former Congressman Bob Etheridge. Or even Congressman Chris Lee (what a hunk, huh?) I can go on. A hundred dollars and a trip to the Wal-Mart camera aisle could be the best investment in changing the status quo an activist ever makes.

2.) Watching Them Matters: And those are just the most public cases, the ones on YouTube. How about blogging to monitor the two things every elected official has? I call these “votes and quotes”. Whether filing FOIA requests, sifting through hours of legislative session coverage, or just showing up at public meetings and hearings for your three minutes of open mike time, you will eventually strike gold.

3.) Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: This is probably the hardest one for newcomers to politics to grasp. After all, endless handlers, gatekeepers and “body” people strive to maintain a certain mystique about actually meeting your representative. I hate to tell you this, but there is no Great And Powerful Oz. Just the man (or woman) behind the curtain. And they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you.

4.) Effectively Challenging Them is Not Rocket Science: There are two words in Webster’s dictionary you should never confuse: simple and easy. Winning a political race is a pretty non-complex idea. He with the most votes WINS. Yet every year great, talented people stay out of elections or misapply their energies over the long haul.

5.) The Path to Victory is a Straight Line: I say this because you can draw it on that most basic of all campaign tools: a calendar. Most banks give them out for free. Get yourself one. Then circle the election date (primary or general) and work backwards from it, filling in all the various, labor-intensive, time-consuming things you’ll have to do to get from Point A to Point B. Time flies when you’re walking doors!

6.) Politics is a Game of Musical Chairs: Which is why it’s so vital to have solid, competent conservatives ready to run at all levels—from local to state to federal. There is rarely a year that goes by without an elected official being caught in a scandal, resigning, being appointed to a different office, or just plain keeling over. Somebody’s going to sit in that empty seat—it might as well be you!

7.) Good Old Boys and Gentlemen’s Agreements: Challengers or new blood threaten business-as-usual. Cronyism–crossing the political aisles–secret agreements not to back same-party candidates because one representative has “good working relationships” with bi-partisan colleagues, I’ve seen it all. It’s part of the problem. And us rooting it out is one of the things most terrifying to anyone up for re-election.

8.) Some of Them Hate Their Jobs: Really, you’ll be doing some of them a favor by retiring them. So many elected officials have been “phoning it in” for years. Many don’t even have it in them to campaign with any heart even one last time. Help these poor souls out by letting them know early (and loudly) that they won’t be getting a pass when the next convention or primary takes place.

9.) Entourage Is Not Just a Show on HBO: This is one of the most insidious parts of elected office. How many of us (besides Kramer on Seinfeld) have personal assistants? Schedulers? A muted chorus around us at all times, giving what I call the “golf clap” (a hushed applause at the politician’s brilliance)? Probably one of the most important services you can render a representative is to proclaim that the emperor has no clothes!

10.) Carrots AND Sticks: With all due respect, politicians can be mule-headed much of the time. And all too often, we don’t mind taking them to the woodshed only. But what was it Dale Carnegie wrote? “How to Win Friends and Influence People”? Praising an official when they do something right (preferably publicly) can stick in a politico’s mind just as much as a beating with a switch.

Today is the first day Nomination Papers can be circulated in Wisconsin.  The filing deadline for submitting these Nomination Papers is Tuesday, January 4, 2011 by 5 pm.  It is imperative conservatives across this great state step up and run for local office.

In order to get on the ballot, you first need to register, then collect signatures, and submit your Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Papers before the January 4^th deadline.   Visit the Government Accountability Board’s website for more information. A winning campaign begins with taking these steps to get your name on the ballot.

My colleagues have posted recently about the importance of the upcoming city council and school board elections; here in Kansas, we’ll be voting on those local individuals representing us in April and now is the time to start thinking about solid, conservative candidates who can carry the people’s voices.

Changing the world starts in our own backyard, and I firmly believe that one of the most important things that you can do tackle your own backyard.  To understand the issues that you’re facing, what your city council, school board, or county commission is doing can take a lot of time to research though.  Often the news media fails to cover their actions in any real depth, and that can leave a true information void that damages our ability to hold our elected representatives accountable, whether for a job well done, or for a vote cast poorly.

Here in Kansas, though, we have a new, unique tool to help us.  We always say at American Majority that we give away so much because we believe that knowledge is power, and we want to take the power out of the hands of the elite, the bureaucracy, and place it in the hands of the people.   A great partner in this effort is the Kansas Policy Institute, which is daily conducting research and monitoring issues within our state.  And this week, they’re giving all of us an entirely new, free tool to help us hold government accountable.

It’s called KansasOpenGov.org and on the site, you can easily find such information as the state checkbook, school districts revenue and spending per pupil (including a comparison tool, where you can see how your district ranks against others in the state), state pay and benefits for employees, state union and non-union employee contracts, even detailed property tax information listed by county, so you can see exactly what your area looks like against other like areas in the state.

What’s the value of all this?  If knowledge is power, then easily-obtained knowledge is worth gold.  In my time at American Majority, I have spent countless hours searching for information which was previously very difficult to find, compile and understand- now, I can easily and quickly access it online, see it broken down and analyzed for me as well as have access to the raw data.

Check it out.  Know what’s happening in your backyard.  And let’s get actively involved in changing the game in our own communities- whether it’s holding your school board accountable for their spending, standing up to a county commission that wants to increase your taxes, or stepping up to put your name on the ballot for city council or school board.  Ronald Reagan once said that all great change in America begins at the dinner table.  He was right.  And today, all great change begins in our own backyard.

With the end of mid-term election season quickly approaching, nearly every poll, blog post, and even MSM news story has come to a similar conclusion: at least one house in Congress (and possibly both) is almost guaranteed to flip from one party to another.  And on a larger scale conservative and center/right candidates should also make rather significant gains in statehouses and governorships from sea to shining sea.

Frankly, much good will hopefully come out of this election cycle.

But is our work done on November 2^nd?  Have we truly changed our country after the election results are all tallied?  Are we to sit back and simply revel in what we have done before focusing on 2012?

The answer to each of these questions is clearly NO.  The unavoidable truth is that there is MUCH more work to be done.

However, I don’t mean just on a national scale – I mean in our own backyards.

The state I live in, Oklahoma, does something very interesting each fall when people are thinking about holiday plans, the end of the school semester, and anything other than politics: they have school board candidates in every district across the state file to run for office…during the first Monday through Wednesday in December.

Yep, if you want to run for school board in Oklahoma, you have to file at the most random time possible.

What this also means is that a month after the election season finally “ends” for 2010, a new one starts right back up.  And most people don’t even know it.

In fact, a majority of people probably have no clue that people are filing for an office that directly impacts their kids and their communities in some very dramatic ways.  And it is only natural that if they don’t know about school board filings, they surely do not know about the school board elections.

And we wonder why school board elections on the second Tuesday in February across Oklahoma typically see voter turnout anywhere between 3%-5% in each community.

Thus, for many school board candidates ignorance is bliss at the ballot box.

But so what?  Who cares about school boards anyway?  You should.  Why?

Because think about this:

The President of the United States chooses and thus advises the Secretary of Education, who heads the Education Department.  The Education Department is pressured by the National Education Association (a powerful and liberal teachers union) in a variety of ways to impact education legislation in Congress.  Then the same issues being pushed by the NEA at the national level are then also pushed by local chapters – the Oklahoma Education Association in my home state – who also lobby and look to persuade state legislators, the state Department of Education, school administrators, and school board members about issues they deem important.  In turn, the state Department of Education and state legislature then set guidelines and mandates for school district administrators and school board members across the state who in turn pass them on directly to the teachers who spend 8 hours a day inside the classroom with our children.

Thus, our last line of defense in this chain of national impact at the local level in education are school board members who are willing to stand up and fight for fiscal responsibility, authentic educational accountability, school choice, unbiased teaching materials, and unheeded transparency within the education system.

So, sure, it is great that the House is going to change hands in a few weeks, and I am excited as anyone to see folks from across the country stand up in defense of our freedom and liberty over the coming years.

But if you really want to impact your community and the future of your kids, don’t stop after November.  Don’t allow your natural inclination to rest and relax after your victory so that you lose sight of your local community.  Don’t let the strides we have made on the national level get overlooked at the local level – especially with school boards.  Don’t cease working to save and change the country you love so much.

The time is coming to transition from a national mindset to a local one.  The time is coming for conservatives to run for these local and vitally important offices or energetically support those who do run.  The time is coming to get off the sidelines in local elections just like we have in the national ones.

Simply put, the time is coming when we will continue to work for freedom and liberty in our local educational systems.

My colleague told me about this interesting turn of events in Benton County regarding one of the election commissioners chartering a flight to pick up an election machine part.  Sure, it was necessary, but couldn’t folks in charge planned a little better?  You be the judge. 

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2010/oct/15/charter-flight-raises-questions/

In the middle of October, 2008, when I still had my own personal blog (never again) I predicted that Barack Obama would win the Presidential election.  Though the poll numbers were still pretty tight at that point, the writing was on the wall as far as I was concerned.  Thus I conceded a month early and wrote a post about what conservatives should do next after the November elections.

The purpose of the post (entitled “The Conservative Reaction: A Call to Action”) was to ask the question:

“What should we as Conservatives do after the election we face of an overwhelming Democratic House and Senate and a newly elected Democratic President?”

Now, two years later, I wanted to go back and see how conservatives have done.  Thus, here is what I wrote as the “Five Things I am Going to Try to do During LUPO – Life Under President Obama”.  Check them out along with my new comments underneath.

Number 1: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must stand firm in my convictions and be ready to defend my positions…

First off, I know of many folks who immediately started reading up on the free market system, the constitution, and the history of the founding fathers in order to begin educating themselves.  Additionally, conservatives have been challenged by prominent conservatives to know where they stand and why.  And overall, conservatives have started going on the offensive more and more as the country has been taken down the road to even more massive government and less individual freedom.

Because people have embraced this responsibility, it has truly been incredible to see how many folks are now openly touting their conservative beliefs and their love for liberty.  Well done, American public.

Number 2: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must be creative in how I get my message to the masses…

When I wrote this post two years ago I was really curious how this was going to play out.  But two years later, I see how conservatives are using tools like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and conservative websites to truly spread the message of conservatism effectively and strategically.  Heck, even conservative candidates are (finally) eschewing traditional media sources and taking their message straight to the people.

It is truly amazing to know that our better ideas and principled positions are finally starting to reach the average citizen – and it is humbling to know that American Majority has been at the forefront of this movement through our trainings, outreach, and education of a new generation of concerned Americans.

Score another one for the good guys.

Number 3: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must unite with those around me who believe as I do…

The implications of this advice are obvious two years later – The Tea Party Movement.  Not only has the movement grown exponentially since the spring of 2009, but it has also become a political force in all parts of the country.  And while the MSM mocked it, misunderstood it, and tried its best to kill it, the Tea Party folks have continually gotten more and more excited about cleaning house in Washington.  Thanks for that, President Obama; in reality, we owe you big time.

Oh, and just to channel my inner Al Gore, since I wrote about the need to unite and come together about 6 months before the Tea Parties started, I will take full and complete credit for them.  Yea for me.

Number 4: As a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must not give into the lie that conservatism is dying…

Well, obviously this is not the case.  Even though the pundits declared a new era in politics and the death of the conservative movement, we’ll see just how dead we are on November 2.

However, as a side note, if the (hopefully) decisive election results don’t clearly state the case for the country’s desire for smaller government, less spending, more accountability, and decidedly more transparency, then maybe Chris Christie can get in someone’s face and explain it to them nice and plain-like.

Number 5: Lastly, as a conservative, Barack Obama’s election means I must embrace the hope that even though things look dark now, there is a light upon the dawn…

Ah, yes, hope.  Not a false hope or a government-built hope, but a genuine and authentic “clean-out-the-halls-of-Congress-kind-of-hope” is what I feel when I look around the country and see people working hard to change our country for the better.  It truly is a blessing to see that apathy is slowly being replaced once again by the American desire for freedom, liberty, and prosperity.

Thus, before we battle for the next 20+ days for the future of this country, take a second to enjoy the fact that the horizon is breaking forth through the morning dark.  Relish the thought that soon our anger, our disgust, and our weariness will soon be replaced by a steadfast resolve to hold a new batch of elected representatives responsible for their actions and their votes.

For it is nearing the time to go from educated and informed voter to become educated and informed constituents once again – this time with a new focus and a renewed strength to see the American Dream make its comeback.

And be sure that while our days have been dark for the past two years, the light of freedom will show itself very bright very soon.  For this reason, I am thankful and encouraged by what has transpired within this movement during the past two years and what will happen many years into the future.

Fight on, fellow Americans, fight on!

The vast majority of Arkansans (around 61 percent) are strongly dissatisfied with the direction of our nation and over 51 percent of Arkansans say their economic situation is fair or poor compared to 5 years ago.

Arkansas is ranked 10th worst place to retire . We have amazing people, a good climate and our cost of living is excellent but (and it is one big but) our tax loads are among the most burdensome in the nation. Arkansas’ State/Local Tax Burden is above national average estimated now at 10.0% of income; Arkansas’ state/local tax burden percentage stands at 14th nationally, above the national average of 9.7%. Arkansas taxpayers pay $3,351 per capita in state and local taxes.

Under our current Arkansas leadership- Congressman Mike Ross (D), who receives a 36% from  the Conservative American Union and 26% from Club for Growth and Senator Blanche Lincoln (D), a 19% and 20% (respectively) along with Governor Mike Beebe (D), who consequently receives a “D” on his report card from the Cato Institute in their“Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors: 2010” ,  here are some facts:

• The State of Arkansas has 2,000 of more than 8,000 state vehicles that are being used for personal use. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has 658 cars for 613 employees to which the commissioner responded “It’s something awfully hard to get rid of. People get used to it.”

• Arkansas has lost 17,300 jobs since the $814 Billion Stimulus was passed , raising unemployment more from 6.8 to 7.5 percent. .  It should be noted that 5 of the 6 Arkansas delegates voted for this bill. (Congressman John Boozman was the exception).

• Arkansas children rank third in the nation with 26.9 percent living in poverty in 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The percentage of Arkansas children living in poverty has risen steadily since 2006, when it was 23.8 percent.

• From 1998 to 2007 the state government grew by 17%, representing 28,800 new government positions over the past ten years, while population only grew by 8.9%.

• Although Arkansas has a balanced budget amendment our state is billions in debt. According to Sunshine Review~ Arkansas has a total state debt of $7,899,579,400 when calculated by adding the total of outstanding debt, pension, OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefit) UAAL’s (Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability), unemployment trust funds and the 2010 budget gap. As of June 30, 2008 Arkansas Public School Districts and Education Service Cooperatives had outstanding loans and bonded indebtedness totaling $2,842,716,298 — an increase of $230,838,355 over the previous year.

• Arkansas’ individual income tax has a top rate of 7% that kicks in at $32,600 income.  The Tax Foundation lowered the state’s Business Tax Climate to 40th in the nation. The corporate tax rate has a top tier of 6.5% that applies when income levels reach $100,000 which placed Arkansas in 39th place among the 50 states. But Arkansas hits near the top of the charts as number 12 of states going into debt.

• While Arkansas families & businesses teeter on the precipice of uncertainty not knowing if our taxes will increase dramatically in January, Congressman Mike Ross (D) tours our state proclaiming his dedication to Arkansas citizens yet voted to keep us on the edge of economic strife & come home with no answer. As a result, the average middle class family in Arkansas will see a tax hike of $1,418. (“Affect of Expiration of Bush-Era Tax Cuts on Average Middle-Income Family, By State and Congressional District,” Tax Foundation, 8/1/10).

• Arkansas is the home of the Hogs but we don’t like PORK in our government. Mike Ross opposed the president’s pathetic half percent cut from $3.4 trillion in planned spending siding with the likes of Diane Feinstein, (D) from Ca. (a state that is beyond BANKRUPT). He also voted AGAINST 68 amendments in 2009 to strip outrageous pork projects from the 12 annual spending bills and voted against 49 of 50 in 2007.  While Sen. Lincoln helped defeat an amendment, offered by U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), to the annual transportation appropriations bill that would end taxpayer subsidies for the John Murtha Airport, a little used 650-acre facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that has received at least $200 million in taxpayer funding.

• While Governor Beebe is in Arkansas working on a state his $86 million “comprehensive health-care program”,  Congressman Ross  cast a vital vote in committee to move Obama care forward and Senator Blanche Lincoln voted against the people of Arkansas when she  cast the deciding vote to pass the government takeover of healthcare.  Now Sixty-four percent (64%) of Arkansas voters favor repeal of the health care bill, including 51% who strongly favor it. Only 30% oppose repeal, with 20% who are Strongly Opposed.

• The Arkansas Legislature adjourned March 12, 2009 without passing HB 1053, titled the Open Checkbooks in Government Act, sponsored by Dan Greenberg (R-Little Rock). This bill calls for the creation of a searchable website cataloguing all state expenditures and bond proceeds. The website also will include electronic copies of all state grants, contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a listing of all public meetings.

Time, energy and sheer exhaustion are what prohibit me from going on and on and on… ARKANSAS WE CAN DO BETTER!

GET THE FACTS OUT AND VOTE! NOVEMBER 2^ND YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR OUR STATE, OUR NATION AND OUR FUTURES~

As we were pleased to do last year, American Majority is providing in-depth training at the Smart Girl Politics 2010 Summit in DC this weekend, and I wanted to share some notes from it with you.

Yesterday, we held five training sessions, with Anita MonCrief and Faulkner Strategies joining us at the Summit- we started off teaching attendees about the system, how the progressive movement has systematically implemented reforms that have created the flawed system we currently face- and perhaps most importantly, how to break it.  Do you want to the learn the same things?  You can view that presentation on our website.

Then we explained how precincts work, why they are important, and how to work your precinct for a candidate you believe in for this upcoming election- or how to target precincts within your district to lead to victory if you’re the candidate yourself.  This is one of the most important presentations for conservative activists to know and understand, as the key to governing is first winning politically.  You can also view this presentation online to better understand precincts yourself.

Anita MonCrief taught attendees how to identify voter fraud- and what to do once they find it.  I broke out some notes from Anita’s stellar presentation in my blog post a few weeks ago.  Understanding legal voter registration, voter fraud and what to do about these issues is going to be of supreme importance to liberty-minded citizens in every election from the very local level, all the way up.

Our good friends at Faulkner Strategies joined us for a session on running for office, titled “Deciding to Run.”  A strong presentation focusing on the different dynamics and decisions that women candidates will be faced with, I saw lots of ink pens flying across note pages during this training session.  I don’t have a copy of Faulkner Strategies’ specific presentation, but we do have one of our “running for office” training presentations online that you can check out.  I am loving the field of strong conservative women who are taking back their communities and running for office this year- let’s keep this momentum growing and keep turning out solid candidates next year as well.

Finally, we spent some time training on the importance of engaging hearts and minds online through Facebook, Twitter, blogging, wiki projects and more.  You can view one of our new media presentations online, where you’ll learn about the history of communication and persuasion that we inherited from our founding fathers, why engaging online is so important, and then step-by-step instruction on how to do so.  New to the process?  Want detailed instruction on how to take your online engagement to the next level?  Download our Twitter or Facebook guides on our website and we’ll walk you through it.

Whether you were able to join us for the Smart Girl Summit 2010 or whether you were at home working hard for a candidate you believe in, or maybe just welcoming in the start of the fall season, we believe that knowledge is power.  So arm yourself, equip yourself, and let’s keep pushing on.

An excellent article describing how one ideology wants to target and change something properly sound, morally just, and historically unique; and another is working feverishly to protect it.

Why the Left Seeks to Transform America

My three year old daughter is awesome.  She’s got more energy than Lance Armstrong, she has an active and never ending imagination, and she is finally (God bless her) figuring out the difference between right and wrong.

More amazing than that, however, is that my daughter has taught me much in regards to advancing the Conservative cause.

(Quick editorial note from my daughter: “Daddy, I am almost four!”)

Thus, here are three lessons I have learned from my daughter that I want to share with fellow Conservatives:

1. Conservatives need to learn to share and play well with other Conservatives…

This is a constant battle at our home.   For some reason when my daughter has friends over she becomes territorial, greedy, and stubborn with her bounty of toys.  She goes from being a princess to being a total monster.

But if you think about it the conservative movement is much the same way.  Within our tent I have seen Tea Parties, 9/12 Groups, and especially our main political party ally be absolutely unwilling at times to share best practices, imaginative ideas, contact lists, and chances to work together.

Granted, in many cases there are certain laws we must be careful to abide by. 

However, if we fail to share key information and ideas with each other (in the proper time and place), we continue to lose the opportunity to unite under common ideas and banners for a common good.  The unfortunate consequence are missed strategic instances to advance our cause – all because of turf wars, information hoarding, and, (to put it bluntly) an unwillingness to share credit.

It is almost as frustrating as my daughter screaming about another kid playing with her Dora backpack.

2. Conservatives need to learn to make “Good Choices”…

The phrase “Good Choices” is the battle hymn of our household.  By this constant drumbeat we are doing our best to make our daughter realize that her choices (good or bad) have consequences.

Indeed, this too is something that all Conservatives need to learn.  Why?  Because as our movement grows and continues to prosper, all of us will increasingly be under the scrutiny of the Left.  At this very moment they are patiently waiting for us to say something “racist”, do something “extreme”, or make a choice that they can use to advance their narrative of us being “hate-mongers”. 

Folks, it is not enough to simply talk about integrity – we must also live lives of integrity.  We must focus on why our ideas and philosophies work better for more people.  On the flip side, we must avoid only talking about how horrible someone is or how much we don’t like them just because they believe and live differently than we do. 

Simply, we must stay above the fray of the nasty, dirty, and personal attacks from those who don’t agree with us.  Let them hate all they want.  This is who they are. 

As individuals and as groups we must make wise choices about how we go about changing our country and taking it back to what our Founders envisioned.  We must not become that which we despise.  Like my daughter, we must learn to make “good choices”.

3. Conservatives need to learn to “use our words”…

As crazy as it sounds, my daughter throws the occasional fit (yes, it’s true).  She starts screaming and crying and very quickly gets completely incoherent.  Thus, she fails to communicate to us what the problem is.

It is in these situations that my wife and I say to her, “It’s okay – use your words.”  What we are doing is trying to calm her down enough to effectively tell us what she is thinking and feeling and why she is so upset.

Why is this important for conservatives?  As people who truly believe in this movement, we must learn how to effectively communicate our views, our plans, the truth, and why our ideas are better for this country.  We must understand how to communicate as candidates for public office, as those who will hold our elected officials accountable, and to those who will increasingly want to fight this battle alongside us.

At the same time, we must use our words carefully and effectively in the midst of our righteous anger, an opponent that will do anything to win, and an electorate at large that is oftentimes apathetic and uneducated about the issues.

I truly believe in my heart that the ideas of the Conservative Movement are better, wiser, and add nothing but prosperity and freedom to our nation.  Thus, I am choosing to use my words to encourage, teach, and change this country through those ideas.

If we as the Conservative Movement can learn to do all of these things, we will be well on our way to winning the battle that lies ahead for our liberty and freedom.

And those are not bad lessons to learn from a three year old.

In the first part of this series, I provided several tips for preparing to go out door knocking.  A successful door-to-door operation depends upon the right people and transportation, quality lists, literature and maps, and a tactfully-branded volunteer.

In this part of this series, I will begin the discussion on maximizing efficiency while on the ground.  In this post, I will highlight the key players involved.  This discussion will assume a team of seven, enough to fill a minivan.

KEY PLAYERS

Let’s take a look at the profile of the key players involved on the ground:

Campaign Staffer – The importance of leadership and direction cannot be understated.  While some volunteers may have some experience going door-to-door, a campaign should never assume.  In addition, some methods or approaches may have changed since the last time a volunteer worked on a campaign.  The campaign staffer’s job is to:

• Explain in detail what the campaign wishes to accomplish.
• Provide instructions for how to go about achieving that goal.
• Overview best practices for door knocking.
• Review the map with the team driver and communicate any important local information that would be useful to the team.
• Provide all literature, maps, lists, gas cards, yard signs, water and food (as applicable).
• Encourage the team to do their best and thank them for their support.
• Be available by phone in case the team gets lost.
• Greet and thank the team when they return, ensure all data is appropriately recorded, and all leftover materials are returned.

Driver – The driver plays an integral role in door-to-door operations.  Minimum suggested qualifications are as follows:

• Be at least 21 years of age (25, preferred) and have a valid Driver’s License and proper insurance documentation. (Note: Most rental car companies require that drivers be at least 21 years of age and at least 25 to drive without an additional fee.  There are no age requirements for personal vehicles).
• Possess a level of maturity to ensure the safety of all team members and who is willing to help the campaign meet its stated goals.
• Be in good enough physical health to drive.  (Note: The role of the driver can be given to someone who is not able to walk long distances, but all drivers should be physically able to endure several hours of residential driving with frequent stops and movement in and out of the vehicle.)

The driver has many key responsibilities.  Specifically, the driver should:

• Continually monitor the progress of the team including whether they are achieving goals and the overall attitude and health of the team.
• Encourage the team to keep their energy up and praise them for their progress.
• Plan out the route of the operation in the most efficient means possible.
• Monitor gas consumption and refill during scheduled breaks.
• Shuttle the door knockers from their last location to the start of the next, helping them cover ground when possible.
• Promote the safety of all team members.

Door Knockers (List Keepers) – Each group of two door knockers should designate a list keeper, three in total.  This individual is responsible for recording the necessary response information for the campaign.  The campaign may wish, for example, to record information such as which addresses received literature, houses that contained supporters of their candidate, supporters of their opponent, or undecided voters, houses with yard signs, etc.  Responsibilities include:

• Recording accurate and legible data from their own knocking efforts and that of their partner’s.
• Directing their partner what doors to knock on if the partner does not have a copy of the list.
• Staying in communication with the driver as to the progress of the team.
• Ensuring that the team has enough literature each time exiting the van.
• Keeping themselves and their team member hydrated.
• Practicing safe door knocking techniques.
• Encouraging the entire team in their efforts.

Door Knockers (Team Members) – Last, but certainly not least, there will be three individuals leftover to help carry out the operation.  Responsibilities include:

• Communicating accurate response data to the list keeper.
• Ensuring the team has enough literature each time exiting the van.
• Keeping themselves and their team member hydrated.
• Practicing safe door knocking techniques.
• Encouraging the entire team in their efforts.

Part III of this series will provide tips and tricks for hitting the door-to-door ground running to ensure maximum result.

Among the seven candidates in the recent Republican primary for Oklahoma’s Fifth District Congressional seat were a current state House member (“Candidate A”), a former state House member who previously ran for this seat 4 years ago (“Candidate B”), and the former director of the largest Baptist church camp in the country (“Candidate C”).

Here is what happened on Election Day: “Candidate A” received 18% of the vote while “Candidate B” received 32% of the vote.

And in a stunning and surprising win, “Candidate C” (the former church camp director) received 34% of the vote.

But those results only tell half the story…

Who Are These Guys?

As my buddies Trait and Brett have previously and masterfully documented here and here, Oklahoma’s primary season was quite entertaining and many lessons should be learned from many of the races.

But this Fifth District race was especially interesting because of the unlikely result.

In reality, this primary was supposed to be a two-horse race between “Candidate A” (who had the backing of much of the business community) and “Candidate B” (who had been actively campaigning for the office for the past 2 years).

But something funny happened on the way to the voting booth.

As the campaign really began heating up, it became apparent that there were three candidates who were going to battle for the nomination and not two as previously believed.

“Candidate A” had raised A LOT of cash and had some decent TV ads.  He had also gotten some good press over the last couple of years in the state House and had viable name ID.

Unfortunately, apart from that he was a very bland candidate with no real narrative to set him apart from “Candidate B” and “Candidate C”.  It was almost as if he was a “zombie candidate” in that he ran a decent, well funded campaign but did not do nearly enough to set himself apart and motivate enough voters to cast their ballots for him.

On the flip side, “Candidate B” had been campaigning for two years, had also raised a ton of money, was very active among the grassroots, and had spent big money on TV ads that highlighted (over and over) his military service.  He constantly communicated how he had helped “prosecute” the War in Iraq and how he had won a bronze star for his service.

That was his narrative, and he pushed it and pushed it and pushed it.

That leaves “Candidate C”.  A political newcomer, “Candidate C” quietly built a massive volunteer army, went to every political and civic event on the calendar, and used his church connections to build name ID and raise a substantial amount of money little by little around the district.

Moreover, the narrative he pushed could be encapsulated in his campaign slogan: “We’ll never change the status quo in Washington BY SENDING THE STATUS QUO TO WASHINGTON” (emphasis mine).

Armed with this message and narrative as the ultimate political outsider, not only did “Candidate C” force his way into a runoff, but his win in the primary caught many people off guard and even had “Washington Republicans scratching their heads”.

In the end, “Candidate C” came out of nowhere and “Candidate B” finished strong partly because of the narratives they pushed and how they stood apart from their fellow competitors.

Unfortunately “Candidate A” somehow forgot the age old phrase that “People don’t buy the steak, they buy the sizzle” and lost out on reaching the runoff with a disappointing result.

What Can Potential Candidates Learn?

There is a great lesson to be learned from this race and others from around Oklahoma in regards to how candidates can differentiate themselves from their opponents.  These lessons are especially important before primaries when candidates actually agree on many issues.

So how do candidates stand apart from the crowd when running for public office and avoid becoming “zombie candidates” with no real flair or sizzle?

1. Push a Distinct Narrative/Identity: The example from the Fifth District race captures perfectly the role a narrative/identity plays in picking up votes.

2. Push a Different and Distinct Message: While this may be easy during a general election, the Democratic primary for governor in Oklahoma is a great example of how one candidate stood apart from her competitor before the primary by pushing an entirely different message.

In what ended as a surprise win, the message of the current Lieutenant Governor during her gubernatorial campaign has been one of social issues such as equal pay for women, children’s issues, and education reform.  She has pushed these issues in a very calm, cool, and personal way and in a consistent manner.

However, her competitor, the current Attorney General, focused his message mainly on jobs and the economy.  While his message was definitely timely and adequate, it did not convey the same type of emotional response or passion of his opponent’s message.  While some say the Attorney General was also outworked and out campaigned, the difference in message was also very obvious.

Subsequently, though he was heavily favored to win, the Attorney General narrowly lost to the Lieutenant Governor in the gubernatorial primary by 1,493 votes.

3. Campaign Differently than Your Competition: Lastly, a great lesson can be learned from taking the high road and avoiding the type of negative campaign tactics the electorate at large does not appreciate.

An example of this occurred during the Republican primary for Attorney General in Oklahoma.  With both candidates working hard with much the same message, one candidate decided to go negative in a TV spot.  The strategy apparently backfired as this local blog points to the fact that the candidate who was attacked saw his poll numbers and fundraising efforts increase mightily in the weeks after the ad aired.

It must be pointed out that the candidate who was attacked never fired back at his opponent but rather stayed on message and stayed above the fray.  In the end he won the primary handily by 12 points even though he did not raise nearly as much money as his opponent.

In summary, these few examples show how candidates must run their campaigns in such a way that allows them to stand out in the crowd.  If you are a candidate, whether through your narrative, your message, or by the way you campaign, differentiating yourself in any way from your fellow candidates is vitally important if you truly want to win your election.

And if you do these things, you can and will avoid becoming the dreaded “zombie candidate” in your race.

Working in politics sometimes overwhelms me.  Seriously, at times it absolutely drains me.

Granted, I love constantly being aware of what is happening both in Washington and in my local community, and yes, it is very exciting to work in the political world.

But to be honest, I go home every night and purposely avoid the major news networks.  I may talk to my wife about what is going on and check Twitter to get news updates, but for the most part, I turn politics off at my house.

I do my best to keep this same attitude on the weekends as well.  I work in my yard and watch sports and Sundays are for church and naps with my kids.

In fact, at my church (which I would characterize as “center-left”) I purposely avoid talking about politics if at all possible.  Fellow church members know what I do for a living, but for the most part politics is thankfully not a normal topic of conversation.

So you can imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when a guest speaker at our church said these things during his sermon*:

“The Pharisees in Jesus’ day, they were the first century Tea Party people.  On the issue of taxes they were the radical religious right and the Christian libertarians of their day.  The only system of government they cared to support was a biblical theocracy.  They were adamantly opposed to paying taxes to the Romans and their puppet government.”

And this:

“The men who wrote and approved the Declaration of Independence took it for granted that there was a god….Few of them were what fundamentalists and evangelicals and most Baptists would call ‘born again Christians’.

 The truth is Thomas Jefferson was a deist.  Most of the founding fathers were deists.  They lived in a world with a long history of Christians starting wars and killing each other trying to find a way to force everyone to believe the same things about God…

So despite all of the rhetoric from the religious right for the last 50 years, the founding fathers were not standing up against secular, atheistic humanism to announce their belief in the biblical God.  The God of the Bible is a God that intervenes in time and history.  The God of the bible is one who sent His son to die for the sins of the world and redeem us.  That is not the god of the Founding Fathers.  And it’s dishonest to pretend that it is.” (Emphasis mine)

Wait.  Did that guy just equate the Pharisees (the Jewish religious leaders that had Jesus killed) to Tea Party folks?  Did he just use the phrase “radical religious right”?  Twice?  Did he just say they founding fathers were all deists?

I always thought preachers were supposed to leave their politics at the door and not bring them behind the pulpit?  Isn’t that what liberals say about conservatives?

Well, first off, the man who delivered this sermon is neither our pastor nor a regular speaker at our church.  He is not on staff, but he is among those who started our church nearly 10 years ago. 

He is also very well known in the community and within our church as a liberal activist.  In fact, through his blog, a radio show, and as a public speaker, he is a leading advocate across the state on the issue of separation of church and state and religious liberty.

On top of that, our church also is very much in favor of the separation of church and state issue to the point that our pastor is adamant about politics and political causes not being preached from the pulpit under any circumstance.  He avoids it because he hates it when “fundamentalists” and “conservatives” do it, and thus it has no place at our church.

So it is that I cannot even begin to fathom is what the response would have been in our church if someone would have gone behind the pulpit and then proceeded to rip on war protestors or unions or pro-choice advocates or other “left wing” groups while equating them with the folks in Jesus’ day that hated him and were ultimately responsible for having him killed. 

What would have been the response if someone had labeled liberals…well, liberals?  Can you begin to imagine the outcry?

Unfortunately, then, what this story clearly illustrates once again is the prevailing liberal thought: Do as I say and not as I do.  It seems to me that this is a common attitude among those on the left. 

In fact, countless times I have seen this type of hypocritical attitude from liberal political leaders and activists.  By now that is my default expectation for those on the other side of the political spectrum. 

But to be honest, it is truly sad to me to see that this type of “do as I say and not as I do” behavior can even be seen from those on the left who make their living behind a pulpit or as an expert on separation of church and state. 

There is just no place for that as far as I am concerned.

*To listen to the entire sermon, go here.

The answer to our dilemma really seems fairly simple, at least it does to me on its face. If we are going to make a real difference as conservative voices in this nation, a lot of us are going to have to change our approach and significantly elevate the level of conversations we have to include facts and reason.

More and more on facebook and other social media outlets, I see people who engage in heated emotional arguments sometimes degrading dialogue filled with name- calling, swearing and outright hostility.

Why all the animosity and smearing toward others? Why does anyone believe harsh language and deep resentments aimed at anyone else can change anything about the way they believe? Hasn’t anyone ever heard of the children’s story of the wind and the sun arguing about getting who could get the trench coat off the man first? The cold wind blows hard and the man only tightens his coat. The sun heats up just a bit and the man takes the coat off willingly. Lotsa truth in that folks.

I’ve observed that most people have loosely formed ideas of why they believe as they do. Yet what is it that causes anyone to believe – or disbelieve – anything in their life? Seems to me it all boils down to the way we’ve been taught by others since birth, blended with our personal experiences. In short, most of us are simply products of our surroundings, what we’ve been told, and the environments that continually envelope our lives. If we are told falsehoods, then chances are we will come to believe falsehoods, right?

The ole adage; birds of a feather flocking together, has proven itself true time and time again. As a parent this Truth has some very real personal meaning and potential consequences. If my teenage daughters were allowed to hang out with drug-addicted gang members what do you think the chances would be they would soon become drug users? And worse.

Many groups have realized this piece of reality and taken advantage of it. For instance, Moveon.org. since 1998 has been “reaching out” to people who like-mindedly consider themselves “disenfranchised,” offering to “help” and get them involved in the system so they can take advantage of all their rights.
Statistics show that liberal messaging beats conservative message by a whopping 85 to 15. Although I do believe we are gaining ground, I can’t help but wonder what is our message?

Our message should be focused solely on: Limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets related to our communities as opposed to national stories inflated to draw our attention away from where our true power and influence lie.

So how do we change the all-critical message? For once, GET THE FACTS on any issue or debate. If we are going to unite to keep our country free and filled with opportunity for all, there naturally will be work involved. We can’t only send continuous e-mails and post rantings and unformed opinions about the BP Oil spill on facebook, call President Obama a Marxist, and believe with any intellectual honesty that we are doing any real good and our work is done. I wish that preserving our precious Republic were that easy. Unfortunately, it’s not anywhere near what is needed.

Those of us, who truly believe our nation finds itself at a tipping point, will have to do pretty much the same things our Founders did. What say we agree to educate ourselves on historical FACTS. How, you might ask? We can begin by reading and understanding theConstitution (yep the whole thing), and the Declaration of Independence written a decade beforehand. Next, let’s all read and understand The 5000 Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen;  Why America is Great. Now we need to visit David Barton’s site at Wall Buildersfor a plethora of resources.

Then learn the names and biographies of our local representatives. Discover the pattern of their votes and how they relate to the issues facing our communities. Then let’s encourage others to come along side us, not by making our present situation about Barack Obama or Democrats or Republicans or those dratted incumbents, but rather about making our own community a more prosperous, community-minded place to live.

If you’d like to learn more about how to do this and how to utilize the social media to your best advantage contact us at American Majority. We will gladly come to your community and work alongside you toward our common goals of preserving American freedoms on every level.