With the presidential election only about 20 months away, the list of GOP nominees is slowly starting to come into focus as “exploratory committees” and PACs are forming almost on a daily basis.

The names are well known: Gingrich, Palin, Romney, Bachmann, Pawlenty, Daniels, etc.

And while some of these names might not excite all of us (or any of us for that matter), I do have some alternative suggestions for some dark horse GOP candidates that we may want to consider…

Or maybe not.

Regardless, here are the Top 10 Dark Horse Republican Presidential Candidates:

10. Arnold Schwarzenegger…Take our word for it that he was in fact “born in Hawaii”.  And no, you cannot see the birth certificate.

9. Unnamed Crazy Lady in Arizona…I just want her to run for president so that she will stop sending me all of her whacked out, conspiratorial mass e-mails even though I have begged and pleaded to be taken off her list for two years!

8. Rand Paul / Les Paul / Chris Paul / RuPaul…The assorted candidates with the last name of Paul break down like this:

The first is probably still a few years away from becoming a serious candidate though he is rightly beloved by the Tea Party. The second Paul on the list is an entrepreneur who created some of the most well known guitars on the planet…but he is also dead. Next comes a well known NBA basketball player who has no chance because he just so happens to be a massive Obama fan.  The last Paul on the list is best known for being  ABSOLUTELY FAB-U-LOUS…

7. Chuck Norris…His campaign will focus on threatening roundhouse kicks to the face to those who refuse to vote for him.

6. Seabiscuit…If we are making a Top Ten up of dark horses, we have to include Seabiscuit, right?  I mean that movie that came out about this horse a few years ago with the dude from Spiderman was awesome. I think I even cried at the end.

(And including him on this list just shows you how damn hard it was to come up with names for it.)

5. Colin Powell…No, really, just hear me out: He is still a Republican. And he is a brilliant military mind. He is also a former Secretary of State. Plus, he has great name ID.  And…

Okay, screw it.

He is nothing but a RINO liberal who still publically supports the man he would have to run against for the presidency. He knows it and we know it, too, Colin!

4. Steve King…He would have to take time off from writing his new novel which revolves a small town in Iowa where Muslim teenagers turn into bloodthirsty devil-clowns every night at sundown.

Wait, is that the wrong guy?

Oh yeah, that is Stephen King.  My bad.

3. Tom Selleck…Sure, he is a registered Independent, but he fancies himself a Libertarian. Plus, he is big on gun rights and plays a character with the last name of Reagan on his current CBS show Blue Bloods.

And I’ll be honest with you: I would work my butt off to see that mustache behind the desk in the Oval Office.

2. Ron Paul…Love him or hate him, let’s be honest in the fact that his chances are not very good. Sort of like the chances that I will not receive hate mail for the next one on this list…

1. Glenn Beck…If nothing else he would usher in a new era in politics by brining on Gold Line and Food Insurance as his official campaign sponsors, he could help finance the campaign by charging even more exorbitant fees for people to become “The Insiders of Insiders Extreme”, and he could eventually make piles upon piles of money by writing and selling a book about his campaign experiences!  Makes me wonder if Glenn is all about the money, money, money!?!?

What do you think about the list?  And do you have any other better ideas?

On a hot day in June 1815, standing atop a distant hill facing a red sea of British troops, Napoleon Bonaparte surveyed the military mass before him and realized Arthur Wellesley — the Duke of Wellington — was notably protecting his right flank with heavy amounts of cannon and artillery. Interpreting this to mean the Duke must be shielding a weak and vulnerable point, the Corsican determined he would launch an attack at exactly that spot, practicing his standard modus operandi of divide and conquer: hit your opponent where he is weak, force him to expend valuable reserves to protect the destabilized position therefore dividing his forces, and then aggressively press the middle to decimate a weakened center. Pointing to a farmhouse directly at the heart of this right periphery, Napoleon ordered his generals, “We’ll begin the attack there, at Hougoumont.”

As history would later dictate, this particular dwelling, Château d’Hougoumont, was held by a resolute British force that pushed back repeated advances from a superior-numbered French infantry. In a unique twist of events the strategy backfired on Napoleon: by sending waves of his men to take the Château, he stretched his troops thin and diluted the sum of his total force. This — combined with a late arrival of Blücher and his Prussian brigade — helped secure final defeat and eventual exile of the French Emperor. Despite its pivotal role in determining the battle’s outcome, Hougoumont stands as a subset of the larger conflict known as Waterloo.

As the 112th Congress convenes in Washington, the United States Senate stands as a modern-day Hougoumont, caught between a freshly minted conservative House of Representatives and a White House steadfastly holding to a Leftist ideology.

Legislation is meant to pass easier with much less parliamentary hassle in the People’s House, a simple majority is all that is needed for passage; conversely the Senate has a tradition of slow-going, debating the finer points of government policy and minutiae — one senator can hold up an entire bill single-handedly, and the filibuster serves as a counter-weight to the majority party, allowing the minority to force the party in power to garner 60 votes to end debate and bring a vote to the floor. At the top of the pyramid stands the White House, attempting to influence proposed law, hoping to have approved legislation it can sign into law and exterminate in congress ones the president wishes to avoid altogether.

Notwithstanding her devotion to all-things-bureaucratic, boundless energy to socialize anything that moves, and ubiquitous plastic smile, Nancy Pelosi has exited the stage far Left. In her absence, along with a presence of a solid Republican House majority, it is largely expected that a slew of conservative bills will emerge and pass the lower congressional chamber en masse. It is already viewed as a bold move that by weeks end Speaker Boehner will present a one-page bill to entirely repeal Obamacare — crown jewel of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid triumvirate, not to mention the recipient of the highest number of ‘Likes’ on Obamacare’s Facebook page from members of the New York City Sanitation Union and Humanities Department at New Hampshire State University. But I digress.

Once this revocation of socialized medicine — along with other bills to curtail spending, prevent tax increases, and keep Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his band of merry men out of a United States courtroom — emanates from the House it will most assuredly meet stiff resistance in the Senate, abetted by some string-pulling from White House liaisons to keep such bills away from the president’s desk.

It will be in the Senate where the heavy debating and strategic fighting will take place; where a frustrated public will have to listen to the ‘Gentlewoman from California’ explain why an exploding deficit and threats of hyperinflation are not really a big deal and there is no reason to curtail government spending. Newly elected Senators supported by the growing Tea Party movement will face off with antiquities who have held their seats for time immemorial: will a conservative Rand Paul emerge victorious in a debate with the Leftist relic John Kerry? More voting Americans identify themselves as conservative now than in recent memory, will Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell use this to his advantage, or cut a deal with Senate Democrats? At what lengths, or depths, will Senators go to invoke a filibuster? If the Senate passes a bill and sends it to the White House, under what conditions will Obama sign it into law or further the debate by using his veto pen? Many issues lay just under the surface and are sure to explode in the upcoming session: extending the national debt ceiling, closing Guantanamo, bailing out bankrupt states and cities, addressing illegal immigration, reducing spending levels to previous rates in 2008 or 2006 to mention a few. All of the above and more will have their fate determined in the Senate. And finally, keep in mind how all this will influence the 2012 election.

A lot is out there and much will be on the table, the Senate will serve as the dividing line between Congressional Republicans and President Obama, and that is where the real battle will take place.

Every elected official, from school board member to state legislator to the President of the United States plays a vital role in shaping the policies and direction of our communities, states, and nation. These offices deserve men and women who are grounded in the principles of liberty and individual freedom. American Majority’s political training is designed to enhance your campaign effort through targeted education and resources.

American Majority is hosting a Candidate/Campaign Manager Training on Saturday, February 5 at the Omni Hotel located at 1000 Omni Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606. The training will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Amphitheater located inside the hotel. The cost is $25 per person if registered online and $35 at the door. Cost includes lunch. If you wish to obtain a hotel room for either Friday or Saturday night, please contact Allison at 540-338-1251 or allison@americanmajority.org.

Regardless of campaign experience, American Majority’s Training Programs make running for office easier! The program is designed specifically to educate candidates on every level how to run effective and victorious campaigns and prepare them to become successful elected officials. The Campaign Manager lectures provide extensive knowledge on the role campaign managers and volunteers play during an election, as well as how campaign staff can best serve their candidate.

The Candidate/Campaign Manager Training Program includes the following topics:

• Creating your Campaign Plan and Campaign Structure
• Campaign Fundraising
• The System We Face
• Voter Registration/Voter Fraud
• Public Speaking and Messaging
• The Role of a Campaign Manage
• Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts
• Campaigning Online

Upon completion of this political training seminar, candidates will receive continuing education materials, access to podcasts and other presentations, communications curriculum, and suggestions to help them utilize think-tank resources.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions, please contact Allison James at Allison@AmericanMajority.org or call 540-338-1251.

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

*Lectures are subject to change.

That time of year has come where everyone is vowing to do this or that.  Probably the most popular is to lose weight and get in shape or maybe quit some unhealthy vice or habit.  Other old standard resolutions are to de-clutter the house, clean out the closets, and reorganize the kitchen pantry.  All are quite logical resolutions to have and a couple just might last through January for those daring to make the pledge.

As I read an interview with Queen Latifah yesterday morning, I came to agree with her 2011 resolution – NO RESOLUTIONS!  Her reasoning made sense to me.  Why set yourself up to fail by making a list of so many things you want to change about yourself?  Her outlook made me think of the way I address the Lenten season, not by taking something away, but trying to do something that you don’t normally do often enough.  Anyway, Queen (We are on a first name basis now) had a great solution to the resolution problem.  She suggests to start earlier in the year to gradually make improvements upon yourself by the time your birthday rolls around.  This makes the pressure of quitting something or starting something new cold turkey on one specific day (along with the rest of the folks in your world) a thing of the past.  I think we all are familiar with the success rate of trying anything cold turkey…the statistics are not in your favor.  So instead, take it one day at a time and make every effort to be a better person without putting additional pressure on yourself. 

So, I have a few ideas for self-improvement up my sleeve for 2011 – and yes, some of these are the stereotypical resolutions previously mentioned.   However, one thing I pledge to do is to help these elected officials that are new to the political scene.  You see, we have a legislative session starting next Monday.  Plus, there are countless new justices of the peace and city council members that are trying this whole new accountability thing out.  Therefore, I am going to do my part to help them out in a friendly, got your back sort of way.  Personal phone calls, hand written letters (like thank you notes when they do something really great) and invitations for a quick cup of coffee are just a few of the ways I can encourage my new elected officials to stay on track.

In the same weekly periodical I found Queen Latifah’s article, I read an interview with Joe Scarborough, host of the Morning Joe on MSNBC.  He was asked what advice he would give the incoming elected officials who professed to be members of the Tea Party.  He mentioned that to keep conservatives from overreaching like they did in 1996, they should “focus but make sure they don’t scare little kids and pets.”  Which got me thinking.  I know, scary.  I need to help our local leaders focus.  Concentrate on what they can improve and not set themselves up for failure.  Let’s make those resolutions and do our very best to improve those things that we care about – one item at a time.  Here’s a novel idea, let’s start with the spending and go from there.

Today at RedState, Erick Erickson has a great post about the battle to limit earmarks and pork spending from Washington.  Most recently? Roads, bridges and interchanges should be exempted from the earmark moratorium, high-ranking officials protest.  It’s a great reminder that advocating for limited government must continue to be top-of-mind for all of us as we go into the holiday season.  It can be hard to make time for much of anything during the busy days leading up to Christmas, but it’s important to keep reminding those inside the beltway of the opinions of the grassroots.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/12/09/an-earmark-solution-to-nowhere/

I visited a close friend last weekend and sat next to a Chicago native on my flight back into Kansas City.  A sweet older gentleman, he asked, “What’s it like living in Kansas?”  I answered that it’s great if you like small towns, and that while I know it lacks the mountains of Colorado and the beaches of California, I have never wanted to live anywhere else.  Because the best people in the world live here in “flyover country.”

The phrase, “flyover country” was of course coined by a “coaster” who can’t imagine why anyone would choose a life of wheatfields and combines.  But you know, every big movement got its start here, in flyover country.

The abolition movement.  Women’s right to vote.  Prohibition.  Populism.  And more recently, the New Leaders Project.

Over at the Washington Times, there’s a great editorial written about the movement by local, area grass roots tea party leaders to identify new candidates for local office- everything from city council and school board to county commission and state legislator.  At dinner with an admittedly liberal friend Monday night, I told her about this new initiative that we were partnering with local leaders on, and she looked at me with eyes wide and said, “You’re training an army.”

Yep.  That’s the plan.

An army of solid, strong conservative leaders who care about their communities, their state and their nation; who understand the constitution and value it still today.  These new candidates, identified by the local tea party leader and backed by the members of those groups, will not only work to return our government to its proper size and scope, but also will be held accountable, by those very tea party activists who worked to identify them in the first place.  As the editorial states, “Efforts like those of American Majority, local Tea Party campaigns and citizen-led ballot initiatives are what’s needed to limit government power, town by town and state by state.”

It’s a novel idea- and it’s one that could change the nation.  And where did it begin?  As the Washington Times points out, in the heartland.  That’s right- here in flyover country.

Amidst the analyses, opinions, and Monday-morning-quarterbacking post 2010 campaign, the one fact that stands out is that the grassroots conservative movement – i.e. Tea Party organizations – had a profound effect on this election. Helping to frame the debate on issues regarding the national debt and government expansion; increasing voter turnout in targeted races; and holding incumbents across party lines accountable to the point where many lost their primaries to new challengers are just a few examples. One of the most bizarre, and yet prophetic occurrences, was when establishment figure Nancy Pelosi openly said that she “shares some of the views of the Tea Partiers” in an attempt to identify with the upstart movement.

Now that the votes have been cast and newly elected members are making their way to our nation’s capital – and by the way, one of their first items addressed was banning earmarks, thank you Tea Party – many conservative groups across the country are trying to determine their next step. Two immediate items that would keep the momentum and further conservative objectives are to focus on accountability and get involved in local 2011 elections.

One message received loud-and-clear is that no one is above answering to voters back home; the distaste with business as usual caused incumbent politicians, including a few senators, to lose primary races and be removed from politics completely. Now that we have a new crop of elected officials, it is essential that they understand they will be monitored, closely observed, and held accountable to the people who put them in office. Tea Parties need to maintain their vigilance in keeping an eye on legislation, coordinating with members to reach out to politicians either in support or opposition to their votes, and tracking the issues relevant to constituents back home.

In addition to preserving oversight, upcoming local elections are a good vehicle for conservative groups to get involved with and make a difference. School boards, city councils, and county offices are slated for off-year elections; this is where a great deal of government and emanates from and often people in these positions move on to higher offices. Tea Parties need to have a say in these races and get behind conservative candidates that best represent their point of view: less government, lower taxes, and local control. An organized and disciplined organization that has an effect in 2011 races will be primed and ready to go as we roll into 2012 when much more is at stake.

Many underestimated the Tea Party movement, laughed it off as an Astroturf group that need not be taken seriously; what happened this past first Tuesday in November proves these people greatly in error and shows how this was truly a force to reckon with. Now that this election has passed, the momentum must be kept up and the fire-in-the-belly needs to be maintained. Holding elected officials accountable and being active in local elections is an effective way to accomplish this and keep the conservative movement strong and moving forward.

On the heels of an historic mid-term election, and amid speculation about the future of the Tea Party movement, American Majority along with local Tea Party leaders from across the nation, announced today the launch of The New Leaders Project and the drive to identify 10,000 new, credible candidates in advance of the 2011 and 2012 elections.

American Majority believes that this project, when combined with policy education and grassroots infrastructure development, is the surest way to sustain Tea Party momentum across the nation.

This first of its kind national effort will seek to have 1,000 local Tea Party leaders sign onto The New Leaders Project, committing themselves and their groups to identifying 10 new leaders in their local community to run primarily for state or local office in 2012.  Representatives from Texas, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Florida, Virginia, Arkansas, and Ohio on hand at a press conference this morning to be the first signers of The New Leaders Pledge.

The groups will have from January 2011 until the candidate-filing deadline in their respective states and communities to identify these candidates.  The program will help community leaders identify quality candidates while fostering a new era of accountability between voters and elected officials.

To support the Tea Party organizers, American Majority will offer its proven campaign and candidate training to the new leaders. The New Leaders Project can be found on www.newleadersproject.org.

Since 2008, American Majority has been identifying and training thousands of candidates and local activists in more than 40 states in an effort to build a farm team of conservative leaders for the 21^st Century.  With this new initiative, American Majority, along with local groups, will keep the emphasis of what has become one of the most potent grassroots political forces in American history where it belongs – at the local level.

This election cycle has definitely been quite unique. Candidates carefully omit any party affiliation on their yard signs and push cards, hoping to avoid “that” question when going door to door. Political ads paid for by DC insiders try to hit all of the candidates on one side of the political aisle, telling me that money is in short supply. Every candidate claims to be a conservative regardless of their philosophical views, banking that their constituents will remain as apathetic as they have in the past and just take them at their word without taking the time to research their record.

But there is one word that I keep hearing this cycle, not just from the candidates but also from our local and state media. That buzz word, if you will, is accountability. One of our most popular television stations has a new campaign playing over the airwaves touting their ability to keep individuals accountable. It goes something like, “We ask the tough questions, and keep those in power accountable to you….”.

For me, this was a pleasant surprise! Do you think that maybe, just maybe, the efforts made by the conservative movement to change the conversation and provide a spotlight on government affairs has actually had an effect on our local news reporters? At the very least, the media seems to have made an effort to listen to their viewers and to start speaking their language.

This points to something that we at American Majority encourage all of our trainees, and that is to know the facts and speak always with kindness. Over the last 20 something months, conservative tea partiers and 9-12 members and liberty groups have been battling the stereo-typical views of conservatives being uneducated hate-mongers. The conservative movement in Arkansas has been leading by example using positive and negative reinforcement when communicating with elected officials at city council, school board and town hall meetings. Now, after countless rallies, press releases, letters to the editor, and facebook postings, one of the state’s favorite television stations has embraced the conservative movements rallying cry! Coincidence? I think not…..now, let’s see if it resonates on November 2nd and most importantly, November 3rd.

Just recently, I was speaking with an activist regarding the Tea Party group that he leads.  When I asked how things were going, more specifically, how he was doing, he responded with this statement:

“I just can’t do this anymore. I was against the status quo when it wasn’t cool to be.  I’ve been working hard for two years and we’re worse off now than we’ve ever been. I’m exhausted.”

This comment really troubled me, especially when I heard similar responses from other activists that I spoke with soon after.  So this week, instead of offering up campaign tips as I routinely do in my blogs, I’d like to take a break and encourage anyone that may be feeling discouraged in their efforts.

So many of you have spent countless hours at meetings, rallies, doing door-to-door campaigning or phone calling for candidates, or even attending American Majority trainings.  And now you’re burnt out because you don’t see the fruits of your labor.  Trust me – you will see them.  You may not feel as though you are making a difference, but I assure you – people are noticing.

It is a critical time for liberty-minded activists in this nation.  There are 36 days left until Election Day.  Now is not the time to let your batteries run down.  Now is the time to recharge and work even harder than you have been.  It is the only way that you will be able to reap the benefits of your efforts.  Giving up now would only mean that all of your hard would have been in vain.

In the spirit of the upcoming elections occurring during football season, it’s only appropriate to take a lesson from football great Vince Lombardi who once stated,

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

Thank you to all of you who have worked so hard over the past two years.  I ask that you continue to do so because the fight is not over yet.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan training institute devoted to individual liberty, free markets and limited government , is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Tuesday, October 5th in Jackson, MS to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at the Mediterranean Fish and Grill restaurant at 6550 Old Canton Road in Ridgeland from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  Registration opens at 5:00 pm.  The cost is $25 if you pre-register online by October 4th, and $30 at the door.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• The System (The history of the progressive takeover of American that has occurred over the past century, how they accomplished it, and what we can do to break the system and restore accountability to our country)
• Micro-Targeting Precincts (highlights the great advances that can be made by groups focusing on precinct work. Learn how to identify precincts within a district, and voters within those precincts, to help candidates you believe in during this election cycle)
• Effectively Communicating Your Views (how to write use blogs, social networking tools and wiki projects to advance the conservative message)

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

Political Training Registration

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.

For more information, please contact Beka Romm (rebekah@americanmajority.org) or Kerry Baldwin (kerry@americanmajority.org).

* Topics are subject to change.

I was recently asked by a former American Majority training attendee how he could use twitter in order to grow his organization and make it more effective.  This is something that quite a few activists I’ve encountered have had questions about.  Many people know what twitter is and the basics of how to use it; but so many fail to realize what an effective FREE tool this social networking site can be for their organization.

Many times during my trainings when I present the idea of using twitter for political purposes I see eyes roll and hear mild scoffs.  However, when used in the right manner, twitter can do great things for your grassroots organization.  Below are a few simple ways that you can benefit your group, your candidate, and the liberty movement easily and at no cost:

• STEP 1: CREATE A TWITTER PAGE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

When creating this twitter page, be sure the username for the page is the same or similar to the name of the organization.  Twitter allows you to have a username of up to 15 characters.  If your group’s name is longer than that, you might have to get creative in coming up with a similar, but shorter name.  The name needs to be similar to the actual name of the group so that people searching on twitter for your organization can find it easily.

• STEP 2: BUILD THE INFO

Before you start finding followers, you need to build up the information portion of your page.  You want to make sure that those visiting your page will know what your organization is about so that they will know whether they want to receive your group’s tweets or not.  To do this, sign in to your twitter page and click “settings” in the upper right-hand corner.  This will bring up the account settings portion of your settings options.  On the settings option bar, click “profile.”  Here, you will have the option to upload an image or graphic that represents your organization.  You will also have the option to enter the full name of your organization, your organization’s location, your group’s website, and a short bio about your organization (no more than 145 characters).

• STEP 3: FIND FOLLOWERS

Be creative when trying to find followers and promote your group’s page.  If the organization has handouts, a website, or business cards, put the group’s twitter information on them.  Another good way to initially gain followers is by following people in the community that you think might be interested in your organization.  When you choose to follow somebody, they will receive a notification in their email informing them.  When they see that there is a like-minded organization following them, they will likely choose to follow that organization’s twitter updates.

• STEP 4: TWEET TO BOOST ATTENDANCE

Tweet all meetings with times and locations multiple times so that people following the group are reminded of when the next meetings are going to be.  Do the same with any events that the group may host or attend.  Also, tweet links and summaries of news articles and blogs that would be relevant to the movement and the group’s members and followers.

• STEP 5: TWEET USING #HASHTAGS

When tweeting, use hashtags as much as possible when it is relevant.  Hashtags are words that are used in tweets to describe the subject or topics at hand.   A few good hashtags to keep in mind while tweeting are #tcot, #tlot, , #teaparty, #tpp, #912, and #majority (used by people who believe that WE are the majority in America).  The benefit to using hashtags in your tweets is that the more a hashtag is used, the higher it appears on “trending topics” which is viewed by all twitter users.  It also provides a link on your tweets for your followers to click and view every tweet that has used that particular hashtag.  This allows your group’s followers access to a large group of like-minded twitter users.   You can also create your own hashtag for your group and encourage group members to use it in their tweets to further promote your organization.

• STEP 5: RT’ing & TWEETING @TWEEPLE

“RT” stands for “re-tweeting.”  Re-tweeting is best described as taking a twitter message someone else has posted, and rebroadcasting that same message to your followers. When tweeting this message, you typically give credit to the original poster.  Re-tweeting is a great way to promote an organization, person, or message to your followers.

When you tweet at “@somebody” you are tweeting a message towards a person.  This also helps to promote that particular individual to your organization’s followers.  This can be very effective if your group chooses to support a specific candidate during an election.  By tweeting a positive message at a candidate, your group can promote that candidate to all of its followers.  It also provides your followers a link to access that candidate’s twitter page so that they can check him/her out for themselves.  The organization should also tweet at other organizations that they want to promote.  To do this, simply type an “@” sign before the person or group’s twitter username (with no spaces) and then type the message before or after that.

• STEP 6: #FOLLOWFRIDAY

There is a twitter trend on Fridays that allows people to promote others on twitter that they think their followers should also follow. It is called follow Friday.  If there are members of the group that are particularly good about updating twitter with information that would be relevant to the organization or the movement, you can tag them in follow Friday.  The follow Friday hashtag is either #ff or #followfriday.  A sample follow Friday tweet would look something like this, “@twitteruser1 @twitteruser2 @twitteruser3 @twitteruser4 @twitteruser5  are all on fire for the liberty movement! Check them out! #followfriday.”

• LAST STEP: UPDATE FREQUENTLY

Make sure that you are updating your group’s twitter page on a regular basis, preferably multiple times a day.  Not everybody keeps twitter open on their computer or cell phone all day long (though some of us addicts might).  This is why updating frequently is so necessary.  The more frequently you update your group’s page, the more likely your tweets are to reach a broader group of your followers while they are checking twitter.

Please, don’t allow yourself to discount twitter as just another way to procrastinate online.  It can be an AMAZING tool for your liberty-minded organization if you simply take a little time out of your day to follow the steps I’ve outlined above.  And the best part is that it’s FREE!  We’ve all heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  That may be true; but I’m here to tell you that there is such a thing as free advertising, and it’s called twitter!

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Saturday, September 25th in Cincinnati to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at Lakota West Freshman Campus, 5050 Tylersville Rd, West Chester, OH from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm in the school’s main auditorium.  Registration opens at 9:00 am.  The event is free but space is limited so pre-registration is strongly encouraged!

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• The System: The history of the progressive takeover of American that has occurred over the past century
• Ten Tips to Full Speed: 10 tactics you can implement now to maximize your electoral impact
• Precinct Power: highlights the great advances that can be made by groups focusing on precinct work. Crunching numbers and understanding how the political system works on the local level are just a few of the areas you will be tested on in this presentation

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call American Majority at 512-771-2355 or e-mail Andrew Kerr at AKerr@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.

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens across our nation are tired of the status quo and ready to engage for the betterment of their communities. American Majority’s political training addresses these passions by providing education and resources to help you meet your goals.

American Majority is pleased to announce an Activist Training will be conducted on Thursday, September 23^rd in Columbus, Ohio to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

The political training will take place at Ohio State University in Lazenby Hall Room 021, located at 1827 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH  from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Registration opens at 5:30 pm. The event is free but space is limited so pre-registration is strongly encouraged!

Topics* to be covered during the Training include:

• The System: The history of the progressive takeover of American that has occurred over the past century
• Ten Tips to Full Speed: 10 tactics you can implement now to maximize your electoral impact
• Precinct Power: highlights the great advances that can be made by groups focusing on precinct work. Crunching numbers and understanding how the political system works on the local level are just a few of the areas you will be tested on in this presentation

Full training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

Political Training Registration

If you have any questions or would like additional information, call American Majority at 521-771-2355 or e-mail Andrew Kerr at AKerr@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.

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.