You may never hear me say this again, but I am proud to proclaim that I am more progressive than my peers here at UVA.

When a group of twenty of us were asked whether it was worth making the effort to retain objectivity in the reporting of news, nineteen said yes: reporters and news organizations should strive for objectivity, and we should highly value reportage that we determine to be without bias.

The one dissenter was, as you may have guessed, yours truly.

And really, why should we continue the pursuit of this sham we call objectivity? By objectivity, I mean reporting news in such a way as to remove any preconceived notions or opinions from the selection or documentation of facts, conveying to the reader only the relevant information and allowing him or her to form an opinion.

I’ll say it as frankly as I can: objectivity in the media is a fruitless and unfulfillable pursuit that only the naive choose to perpetuate. The more realistic and – dare I say it – forward thinking among us have exchanged objectivity for transparency, and I submit to you that transparency is what we should begin looking for in our news. Call me a cynic if you will, but this is where the world is headed.

Why not value objectivity? The idea seems logical. We would love to have the facts packaged and delivered to us, allowing us to judge for ourselves what the best course of action would be in any given situation. For example, if any of us read a news story composed simply of the current federal budget, we would love to think for ourselves and conclude that cutting spending is the best way to go. Or, if you read a short news story telling you that millions of illegal immigrants come over our southern border every year, you would probably conclude that securing the border is the best first step toward solving the problem. Objective reporting sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

The problem is that no news outlet reports just the facts. If they did, we would be bored out of our minds. Take the budget example. Do you really want to read “just the facts” about the federal budget? Of course not. It is much more interesting to hear the two sides of the debate and cheer for whichever side has the best ideas. There is nothing wrong with that. But make no mistake: fair and balanced reporting is not objective. If we were given the option of “just the facts” objectivity, most of us would find it very unappealing.

In addition to being boring, objective reporting is a figment of news editors’ imaginations. If you watch any of the major network news outlets or read any of the major newspapers, all of which claim to be “objective,” “unbiased,” or even “no spin,” you know that unbiased reporting is not practiced anywhere and is, in fact, impossible. We have all heard about the New York Times‘ decline and slow, painful, impending death. I’ve got news for the Times: readers have realized that their claims of objectivity are hollow, and their subscriptions have been steadily cut off as a result.

What I encourage you all to do instead is to embrace and perpetuate a trend of transparency in the media rather than objectivity. Accept bias and subjectivity as par for the course. Watch Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, or Neil Cavuto. Listen to Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or Mark Levin. And, in addition, watch Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and Rachel Maddow. If you have some obscure cable package that enables you, find Keith Olbermann’s show and become one of his ten viewers. Read RedState.com, the Drudge Report, the Huffington Post, the Daily Kos, or this very blog.

All of these news sources come with bias, preconceived notions, and opinions. What’s more, they wear their subjectivity on their sleeve. They are by no means objective in the way they report, but they are transparent. If you want conservative news aimed at grassroots activists, read the American Majority blog or RedState.com. If you want a conservative take on your national news, watch FoxNews. If you want to find out what the people on the other side of the debate are thinking, turn on MSNBC and grab some antacids. Regardless of what a reporter’s perspective is, we should value his or her transparency rather than objectivity in reporting.

If we know a news source’s bias before reading, we know how much credence to give it while consuming it. For decades before our current one, Americans bought into heinous stories and philosophies because they received them from what they thought were “objective” news networks reporting the “facts.” We know better now. In this world of new media, social media, blogs, and do-it-yourself reporting, we know that objectivity is impossible and fruitless. What we need is transparency and honesty. May we pursue it, and may we become better armed as a result.

With our president AWOL on most every domestic and worldwide issue (with the exception being Michelle Obama’s war against really tasty food), we’ve come up with some potential jobs for the president to consider.   If nothing else, he can file these jobs under the “created” category as he talks about the debacle that is the stimulus.

Furthermore, we will gladly give him all of these ideas because it really is starting to appear as if he does not even want to be president anymore.  It is sort of our way of saying, “Here is the door, Mr. President.  Do not let it hit you on the way out, sir.”

So in the spirit of wanting to help Mr. Obama reach his fullest potential, here is the list of  jobs for the president to do instead of, well, being the president:

10. “Mom Jeans” Model: Yep, this is our mighty president. Be proud, America, be proud.

9. IRS Special Agent in Charge of Healthcare Enforcement: American Citizen! Where are your healthcare papers!?!?

8. Stranded Car Pusher: I’d bet a Slurpee that the car stuck in the ditch is of the Government Motors variety.

7. Boyfriend to United Nations/Foreign Leaders: The term “Escort” or “Gigolo” could easily apply as well.

6. Advocate for All Outdated, Inefficient, and Vastly Too Expensive Technologies: But Green Technology will win the future! Promise!

5. Professional Sports Watcher: What does the American Public need in these troubled times?  A strong and firm leader?  Nope. Distractions, that’s what!

4. Natural Disaster/International Incident Photography Coordinator: International crises in Japan and Libya? I’m so oblivious that I’ll go to Brazil and play soccer with a bunch of kids instead!

3. A Danseur (Which is a male ballet dancer – I had to Google it): Because he is such a dainty and delicate man, beloved the world over.

2. Kenyan Ambassador to the United States: Did you really think we could put a list like this together without a Birther joke?

1. Co-President of China: No words…No words at all.

What did you think of the list?  Any other ideas for us to pass along to him?

By far the coolest facet of my job is daily interaction with grassroots patriots. Like our Founding Fathers and patriots of every era since then, these people work hard all day, take care of their families, fulfill their obligations, etc. What truly makes them stand with those former generations of patriots is that whether it’s big or small, they refuse to let a day go by where they don’t do something to promote liberty. The future of their country and her freedom is simply too important for them to not take up that banner every day.

As I’ve been working for American Majority in our Texas office for the last two years, one of the people and groups who I’ve spent the most time working with and come closest to is Toby Marie Walker (@TobyMarie) and the Waco Tea Party (@WacoTEAParty)

With the advent of the TEA Party movement, things went from zero to sixty pretty fast in Waco. It’s not an area friendly to political newcomers but the Waco TEA Party wasn’t about to ask somebody’s permission to promote liberty. When asked to define the TEA Party in an interview on NPR, Toby said:

Well, we focus around three main issues…constitutionally limited government, free markets and fiscal responsibility. A litmus test that we use is about taxes or spending, and we focus on those issues because that’s what we were founded under.

When it came time for the 2010 election cycle, Waco TEA Party activists were ready to make things happen. Even though their Congressman, Chet Edwards, had voted against the Health Care Reform bill, they knew that his record was far from fiscally responsible. When asked by the BBC why they would work to fire somebody who had voted against the HCR, Toby responded: “If they don’t have a really good record of being fiscally responsible, and following the constitution, nobody’s safe.”

For anybody who thought the Waco TEA Party was just a GOP front group, they’ve been proven wrong on more than one occasion. Not only have they gone after fiscally irresponsible Republicans but their members worked in force to elect 9/11 survivor and American Majority alumni Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell to the Texas Senate over the establishment favorite, David Sibley. Toby also served as campaign manager for Marva Beck in her successful campaign against longtime liberal incumbent, Jim Dunam in the Texas State House.

This upcoming municipal election cycle, the Waco TEA Party is cheering on one of their members and AM Alumni, Tony Abad, in his bid for the Waco School Board!

Since helping start the Waco TEA Party, Toby has worked to make it a force for liberty (as well as a force to be reckoned with) in the region. They haven’t just waved signs and protested. It was clear to Toby and the rest of the TEA Party that if they wanted to make a real political impact that solid political training was very important. Through that realization came the genesis of their relationship with American Majority. Since then we’ve worked with the Waco TEA Party and trained nearly 200 of their members! They have also signed the New Leaders Pledge, promising to identify and help train a new wave of conservative elected officials.

The Sam Adams Alliance has recently named Toby as one of the finalists for their “Rookie of The Year” award. SAA describes the award: “In 2010, newcomers to the political scene accomplished what professional politicians couldn’t. The Rookie is someone who engaged in politics for the first time.” When I called to congratulate Toby on the award her response was, “I’m honored to have been chosen as a finalist for the “Rookie” Sammie this year, but while the nomination has only my name on it, I believe that it is an honor for the whole Waco TEA Party team.”

Toby went on to describe some of the contributions made by her fellow Waco TEA partiers and their relationship with American Majority:

Our whole team are American Majority Alumni and we credit many of our accomplishments to the training we have received. We have implemented many of the techniques and tools provided by AM. Our social media presence has double this year, we have many modern day pamphleteers in the group who blog, tweet and post all over the internet spreading the conservative message. Michael Simon, our co-founder, Carol Waddell, Becky Kodrin and Greg Jones have worked tirelessly with me to make the Waco Tea Party one of the best grassroots activist/watchdog groups in the country. Other volunteers, such as Lisa Dickison, who has put together our voter guide, creates great graphics, and is also our City Watchdog. Bobby Keith has done an awesome job as our WTP Watchdog Radio host, due to his efforts and his weekly appearance on 94.5 he was offered a live one hour show each week for the Waco Tea Party. David Saucedo has toured the country singing his political rap and energizing people to be more involved in the political process. I can’t think of one person on our volunteer team who didn’t get involved in the elections in 2010, either through a candidate, group, club or individually helped out at the polls.

We also are proud of other AM Alumni like Tony Abad, who was one of the first people to support the WTP and now works very hard with GOPisforme in Stepping Stone project. Janet Jackson, who was at the first AM training in Waco is now our SREC rep for SD 22 and sings praises about AM far and wide. Duke Machado, I believe another AM Alumni has started GOPisforme and the Hispanic Club. Tom Bratcher was at the first Waco AM training and is now the GOP county chair for Bosque County. And the Baylor YCT students have also been to the AM training.

The Waco TEA Party has established a record of doing it right. They protest, they GOTV, they train, they identify conservative candidates. They stand up and get things done for liberty! It’s been a real honor to get to work so closely with them and I’m excited about their growth moving forward.

This time he’s taking on Google, and this is sure to be a battle of epic proportions.

In this clip found on NBC Bay Area’s website (more on this less-than-professional news outlet in a moment), Beck questions the ties of the internet giant and says that he will most likely not be using Google anymore.

Now, briefly, I’d like to point out that, contrary to the article’s title, Beck does not “urge a Google boycott.” In fact, he emphatically says the opposite. He states that he personally will not be using it, but that he is not trying to lead a boycott. Second, look at the picture of Beck posted at the top of the article. I’m not sure if it’s the NBC affiliated status, the San Francisco location, or both, but something tells me these guys don’t like Glenn Beck very much.

Now, about Google.

Beck explains that, for several reasons, he is “uncomfortable” with Google because of its involvement in the recent Egyptian revolution, its coziness with the U.S. government, and its donations to some left-wing organizations. His discomfort is warranted.

Last year, Google donated $145 million to charity, some of these donations to left-wing non profit groups. However, as found here, Google has a policy of matching the charitable gifts of its employees up to $12,000, meaning that plenty of non-left-wing groups received Google money as well. As Beck mentions, Google has partnered with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, an agency that exists to provide satellite images to government intelligence services. This could be good for national security given the sophistication of Google Earth, but it is also a bit disconcerting.

But all things considered, the bigger question is: what should we do about it? Even Beck says,

I’m not sure if I want my search engine involved in government overthrows, good or bad. What I want from a search engine is good search results.

Like Beck, I would prefer that my search engine not be involved in revolutions. But the sticky part of this situation is that Google is the undisputed king of good search results. It is the single most visited site on the internet with over three billion hits per day. Statistically, over 95 percent of you found the American Majority website for the first time through Google.

Moreover, American Majority recognizes the importance of using Google to your advantage as a conservative activist, even though Google and its executives have shown themselves to be liberal more often than not. When we speak of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), we are really talking about what we call “Google Juice,” your ability to appear high on a list of Google Search results. SEO is crucial in creating your online presence as a candidate or activist, and Google is virtually the only search engine worth focusing on.

So, being that Glenn Beck influences so many people, what do we do now? Is Google worth worrying about, or will we go on using it because it is the biggest and best? I don’t know about you, but I have to think for a few seconds to even come up with the name of an alternative search engine to Google. Can we even make a dent? Should we even try?

Every once in a while, I receive emails from well- meaning friends that tell of all sorts of treacherous and nefarious things going on right under our noses.  “Events” that are mind numbing to imagine yet happen and no one will pay attention because the media are part of the “global conspiracy”.

You have probably received a few of these yourself.  Do you recall the email describing President George W. Bush’s lamentable IQ score, labeling him as the most obtuse president in American history?  Or, how every US Presidential election since 1936 can be accurately pre-determined based upon the outcome of the Washington Redskins home games.  Or how about the one that says: If we all ban getting our gas from a certain distributor on Wednesdays, then our prices will lower.

Without double checking and even triple checking our facts, we risk the possibility of being perceived as people that are just not living in reality.  When someone is branded as wearing a tin foil hat, they often are never taken seriously again.

This goes beyond just forwarded emails.  With all of the social technology that is available at our fingertips, verbal miscues can be made at break-neck speed and they last on the internet for virtually ever.  False information can be forwarded by accident with incredible ease.  Status updates that border on the crazy can follow you all the way to your next job interview.  Opposition research will have a field day searching Facebook statuses for years to come.  Immature college antics coming back to haunt you could become the “better than Christmas” gift your political opponent will use for 10,000 get out the vote mailers.

Here are a few tips to consider before you hit the reply, forward and update buttons:

1. Do your due diligence
2. If something sounds particularly dramatic, it deserves extra special attention and research.
3. Perception is reality.  If readers perceive you to react irrationally to everything, you will quickly lose all credibility.

Your Mom always told you to think before you speak.  Now you must google before you tweet.  The vernacular may have changed, but the concept has not.  For more information on American Majority’s trainings, check out our resources page at http://americanmajority.org/resources/ and learn additional tricks of the trade when it comes to effective activism and campaigning.

This morning, my husband and I were perusing the newspaper over our usual cup of coffee – I was reading the Arkansas section and he was glancing through the National portion.  I tend to scan the obituaries first (I know, I have become my grandmother) and Clay typically hits the sideline with all the short articles of the goings on around the world.  It didn’t take long for him to sigh in frustration over what he was reading, so of course, I had to take a look over his shoulder.

The article told the unfortunate tale of a short-sighted 20 year old hunter who couldn’t restrain himself from bragging about his latest “kills” which included 1 too many deer and 3 too many geese.  Not only did he boast about his hunting skills, but he posted pictures of his trophies, that were noticed by law abiding Facebook “friends”, who then notified the authorities.

Immediately, I think what an idiot!  Kind of reminds me of the stupid criminal videos you see every once in a while on TV.  You know what I am talking about, the goof ball who decides to rob a convenient store of their lottery tickets while wearing his name tag from work proudly displayed on his uniform.  Not that I am heralding criminal behavior, but it just goes to show you how stupid people can be….not just for breaking the law, but for doing it so poorly!  (tongue in cheek of course)

The point of this is to remind people that while we all enjoy Facebook for a variety of reasons, it isn’t necessary to reveal to the World Wide Web every single thing you are doing!  Just like it wasn’t terribly brilliant to boast about illegal hunting practices with picture evidence, it wouldn’t make sense to post on Facebook your holiday plans and where all you will be travelling.  For obvious reasons, that would only let your “friends” know exactly how much time they have to ransack your house and play reverse-Santa.  Besides, do you REALLY think that everyone cares about how you spend every single moment of every day?  Let’s try and keep our postings to informative tidbits, interesting historical facts or even uplifting quotes from Gandhi or Mother Teresa.

Oh, and by the way….my husband was most frustrated about the hunter getting in trouble for his over the limit Geese picture.  Why? Well, do the math.  There were 3 friends in the photo and 12 Canada geese pictures with them, and the limit was 3 geese per person.  Immediately, one might think each hunter shot one extra than they were supposed to.  But wait, who took the picture?  Looks like the braggadocios Facebook hunter might get out of that one.

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.

As analysis continues to pour in from Tuesday’s primaries, there’s one statistic that we as the grassroots need to note. According to a CNN blog post, candidates with more fans on their Facebook page were more successful in their primary. Whether or not this is a chicken or egg scenario isn’t the argument, but instead it highlights that social media will continue to play a role in elections. Users continue to flock to these places for relevant and up to the minute information.

With Election Day right around the corner, here are 10 tips to maximize your social media presence.

1. Create! If your campaign or organization doesn’t have one yet, building a Facebook page and creating a Twitter account is where you need to start. Check out our video tutorial on creating a Facebook Page here.

2. Update! Posting relevant content at least once a day will keep fans interested in your page. Ideas include posting event information, relevant news stories and polling place information (as it gets closer to Election Day). Your page should be a hub for activists and voters to learn and share information. But avoid repetition! “Updating” and “Reposting the same link every morning” are not one in the same.

3. Engage! Social media is designed to be just that, social. Thank friends and followers for their feedback, answer questions and use social media as a platform to share your message one on one. (Or one on 1,000, depending on your page.)

4. Share! Sharing content from other like-minded campaigns and organizations can save time without losing your message. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with every post. If someone else has said it already or said it better, share it! ReTweeting content with your comments can gain you credibility in the long run as an information source.

5. Filter! Quality is superior to quantity. Rather than posting 10 articles on the same topic, choose one or two with the best coverage. Your fans and followers are counting on you to find gold in all of the muck.

6. Friend! Again, it’s called social media for a reason. Be friendly! Like other pages on Facebook, follow other accounts on Twitter, and they are likely to return the favor.

7. Proofread! This might seem silly, but taking an extra beat to ensure accurate spelling or the correct form of there can be the difference between dozens of RTs or a post sitting dormant.

8. Tag! Not #every #word needs a #hash tag. Use Twitter tags appropriately to categorize posts. Words without # will still appear in search results, so no need to # every word in your post. Instead, use tags to join a lager conversation. For example, using #majority and #tcot for a post related to your beliefs. Tags for specific races are also relevant, for example, #desen to track posts related to the Senate race in Delaware.

9. Be Real! No one enjoys following robots. Making your account personal humanizes the content and makes you and your candidate more relatable. But be cautious of over emotional posting. If you think you’ll want to remove it later, don’t post it.

10. Adapt! Social media is constantly changing, with new trends, products, and uses emerging every day. They key is to stay on top of these trends and be open to shifting strategies. We certainly don’t hear much about MySpace anymore, but what is the next medium we’ll find our voice on?

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!

On Wednesday, a particular CNN article caught my attention.  The article was about Gowalla (a social networking site based on location) releasing what they are calling a “campaign tool kit.” Gowalla has now made it easier for campaigns to engage their supporters, let them know what the campaign is doing, and allow supporters to reach out to their friends and other prospective supporters.

What is it?

Gowalla is a mobile application that allows users to check-in to their current location and then post it to their Facebook, Twitter, or both (much like Foursquare). I know what you are thinking, we are already live in a world where everyone has a Facebook, people “tweet” what they are doing in 140 characters or less, and now people feel it necessary to update their friends on their current location every time they go someplace new? If you are new to social networking, you can check out American Majority’s guides to Facebook and Twitter here.

Personally, I do not have a Gowalla or Foursquare (its competitor) account, but that is mostly because I do not think I go anywhere interesting enough to let other people know about. However, I think the opportunities that these social networking accounts give campaigns and candidates are definitely something that need to be taken advantage of on every level.

How can your campaign implement Gowalla?

With the new Gowalla campaign tool kit, campaigns can now create events on Gowalla, so that supporters can check in and receive a campaign stamp (with the candidate’s logo) to show their support. This is a new, specialized feature, because usually when you check into Gowalla, you are given some generic stamp for your virtual passport. This new feature is a great way to engage your supporters and get them excited about your campaign rally, fundraiser, or other event. It is also a way to identity supporters (kind of like Facebook advertising and Google ads) and to further develop/mainstream your brand and logo. If your campaign is wondering how to set up a successful event to post on Gowalla, check out this article about creating successful events.

Another feature of the new Gowalla campaign tool kit is the ability for constituents, volunteers, or supporters to check-in on Gowalla, then tweet or post their locationto Facebook or Twitter, encouraging their followers and friends to join them in participating in the event. This is important, because, even if someone isn’t supporting you on Facebook or following you on Twitter, maybe they are friends or are following someone who is. They will be able to see this update and then go get plugged in with you or your candidate’s campaign.

What if your candidate can’t make it to a campaign event, but your supporters still want to have one and get the word out? Gowalla allows for your supporters to register their own campaign events, without the candidate’s participation, and spread the word through Facebook and Twitter. Depending on the size of your campaign, you, or the candidate, aren’t going to be able to physically be at every event. You are going to have to rely on your volunteers to host events and get the word out. When your supporters check in, they will receive a stamp showing whether they are at a rally, town hall, or fundraiser – depending on the event. There is even a ballot box stamp ready for Election Day, when your supporters go to the ballot box and vote for you!

Don’t think that Gowalla’s campaign tool kit is for you? That’s fine, but be sure not to write-off Gowalla, Foursquare, or any other social networking website and the usefulness it will have for your campaign. We live in a world where just about everyone is getting a Facebook, more and more people are on Twitter, and having a smartphone is becoming a social norm.  The time for campaigns to adapt the ways they reach voters is now.

After spending four years in college in the Public Relations department I have come to understand the ins and outs of sending press releases, PR planning, and the importance of networking.  Now that I am out of school and working for American Majority, I have tried many of the techniques I spent four years learning.

I now see that the most effective form of PR is networking.  This is great news!  We are now surrounded by free networking sites (facebook, twitter, youtube, ect.), and if we use these tools in the correct manner we will be able to gain free press and create a larger base of followers

In this blog I will describe, point by point, how to effectively network in this day and age.  I admit I am not a professional facebooker, but I do spend a LARGE amount of time on it.  For this reason, I would consider myself seriously educated in the school of social media.

• PLAY ON THEIR COURT

When reaching out to certain people via social networks, find their preferred networking tool.  Look at a person’s online habits and how they spend their time.  Do they spend time on facebook or twitter?  Meet them where they are comfortable.

• SHARE THE LOVE

If you want your blogs, posts, and events to reach the masses then make sure to help others do the same.  Social networking works as a spider web, where everyone is linked through each other.  The goal of reaching large amounts of people is more easily reached by having other networks aiding you.  This can be accomplished by sharing other’s links, “liking” posts, re-tweeting, and inviting your friends to their events.  Remember, if you scratch their back, they will scratch yours.

• COMMUNICATE LIKE A HUMAN BEING, NOT A SALESMAN

There is a very fine line between networking and spamming.  When networking with others, make sure your message is genuine and person-specific.  Even if that means copying and pasting a person’s name into the title of your message; it’s better than a mass generic message.  I like to feel like the messenger took time to think of me, typed the message for me, and is waiting anxiously by their computer for my response.

• BE TRUSTWORTHY

Naturally, people talk, and if you do not stay true to your word – the news spreads.  In social networking, word spreads as fast as you can click the “post” button.  These days, it is important to build trust within your networking group.  You can gain trust by sharing valid content, refraining from spam, and by putting time into each relationship (i.e. replying to facebook messages in a timely manner). 

• DON’T OVERLOAD ON NONSENSE

We all have those friends on facebook and twitter who clog our newsfeeds.  If you are one of these people, odds are I have defriended you.   No, I don’t care that your bologna sandwich was yummy, I don’t care to see your daily pictures of yourself standing in front of the mirror, and I especially don’t care about your new acre of land that you acquired on Farmville.  I care about events you have attended, your professional interests, and your recommendations.  Therefore, when posting on social networking sites make sure your posts are significant and meaningful, or you might notice your friend list decreasing more and more with every “this sandwich is yummy” post.

• KEEP THE DOOR OPEN, EVEN IF NO ONE IS WALKING THROUGH

Always keep up to date on your social networking sites.  If no one is taking interest in your posts, give it time.  If your content, posts, and comments are up-to-date, others will soon catch on and become followers.  The popularity of social media is growing and maybe a newcomer will take interest in what you’re saying.

It is essential to have a functioning online network has become essential for success and we should treat our online friends with the same respect we treat our physical friends.  If you are still confused on how to effectively use online media you should 1) attend an American Majority training near you or 2) check out our online media guides. Jump on that social media bandwagon and start networking!

In Oklahoma, we are a little less than three weeks away from our Primary Election.  The candidates are furiously traveling their districts in an effort to convince the citizens to cast a vote in their favor on the 27^th.  As an American Majority field representative, my job responsibilities require me to go into my territory and meet as many candidates as possible in order to inform them about the wonderful training opportunities we provide. 

As you can probably imagine, in the course of carrying out my duties, I have been handed numerous push cards and position pieces.  I have been directed to countless candidate websites.  I have read hundreds of blog entries, Tweets, and Facebook posts authored by interested observers, issue advocates, and the candidates themselves.  One thing has struck me during the course of this campaign season: we need to become better writers. 

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Peggy Noonan quoted historian David McCullough as saying, “To write is to think, and to write well is to think well.”  The truth be told, people judge the intellectual capacity of the writer based on how well he or she is able to get a point across.  If the piece is confusing, not structured properly, rife with spelling and grammatical errors, or even if it takes the wrong tone, the audience will assume the writer is not worthy of the opinion presented.  Candidates for office should particularly heed this warning.  It is exceedingly difficult to claim you will be thorough in the pursuit of your duties if you have not been that way in the small task of proofreading your marketing materials. 

So, what are some other benefits of good writing?  The most obvious benefit is the ability to express a clear and coherent thought.  If you can effectively take the reader through a logical thought process, they will be more inclined to see things from your perspective.  Consequently, another benefit to good writing is the ability to persuade others.  Words have immense power, but you have to use them correctly to convince others your ideas have merit.  If used incorrectly, the audience will assume your idea is as disheveled as your writing.  Finally, good writing builds trust.  People may not always agree with your thoughts, but they will be forced to give credence to them if presented properly.  Furthermore, readers will be more inclined to seek out your opinion on a regular basis because they know it is good fodder for intellectual stimulation. 

Writing, like any other worthy pursuit, is a skill that must be continually practiced for improvement to occur.  Here are a few tips to help you hone your writing skills:

• Start a blog or a journal.  The more you write, the better at it you will become.  Give yourself an excuse to write often.  Practice good technique.  If you have a question about something you are doing, look it up or ask a friend.
• Try to use correct grammar and spelling even when using social media.
• Make an outline.  If you are writing anything longer than a blurb, outline the structure of the piece to assure your points are in the correct place. 
• When writing an argument or opinion piece, structure the supporting points from the weakest to strongest.  You want to leave your audience with the best point when they finish reading.
• Proofread your work.  Look for spelling, grammatical, and structural errors in particular.
• Know your audience.  If you are writing for friends or acquaintances, a casual tone is acceptable.  If you are writing for the public-at-large or a specific organization, it is best to strike a more formal tone. 

The success of a political party, organization, or candidate is greatly influenced by how they appeal to a young audience.  Unfortunately, it is something that followers and leaders in the liberty movement seem to be struggling with in comparison to those of the left.  Though you’ll never hear me say this in any other context but this – it’s time we take a small lesson from the left.  After suffering from the results of the 2008 elections, it’s time we, as conservative and liberty-minded individuals, make a serious effort to get online and make a change in the way we are perceived by the digital generation.

After analyzing some successful, yet liberal sites, it is easy to see that there are a few things the left is doing right, in terms of appealing to both the younger generation and those who frequent the internet:

Overall layout and visual appeal – When you ask anybody what first attracted them to their spouse, the smart ones will always say, “It was their personality.”  However, the cold hard truth is that most are first attracted to physical appearance.  Just as one doesn’t fall in love with someone’s personality at first site, individuals don’t fall in love with the content on a website at first site either. As much as we hate to admit it, looks do matter. Having an aesthetically pleasing color scheme and user-friendly layout can go a long way.

Social networking – Social networking sites are not solely being used for people to keep in touch with friends and family.  More and more they are being used as a search engine when trying to find out about candidates or organizations, especially by young audiences that want to be engaged in the political process.  They are becoming an essential part of the political process, and the left is using this to their advantage.  Not only do left leaning sites excel in making their content very easy to share on facebook, twitter, flickr, youtube, etc. via links on their site, but they seem to have a bigger active presence on facebook as well.  After searching through prominent left leaning organizations’ fan pages and groups, and comparing them to those of the liberty movement, it was easy to see that we have some work to do.  While some prominent conservative groups have fan pages with a few hundred members, many left leaning groups can boast numbers in the tens of thousands.  Don’t get me wrong – the liberty movement is making some fantastic strides; however, there is still much work to be done.

Extras – If you want to be able to influence the younger generation, you first have to understand them.  The left appears to fully understand this concept based on certain content that is offered on their websites.  Having been a college student during the 2008 presidential election, I saw first-hand the left’s success in influencing my peers.  It became trendy and fashionable for college students to walk around campus wearing t-shirts with a presidential candidate’s face on it and campaign buttons on their backpacks.  They did this by marketing it to an online audience. They understood the appeal of pop culture icons, for example the characters in the Twilight series.  (Which I believe to be a ridiculous craze) They used the commonly touted terminology “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” to formulate “Team Obama” t-shirts and bumper stickers.  They even used college mascots to reach students.  At a nearby university, t-shirts with the words “Rock Chalk Barack” sold like hotcakes and were worn to class constantly, which I assure you, influenced many more than just the students that bought them.  Anyone who has ever walked into a college dorm room knows posters are practically essential to a young person’s room decor.  The left, having marketed “Hope” posters during the election, was able to reach a plethora of young individuals with their message simply by making these products available on left-leaning websites.  It’s much easier to appeal to a group of individuals when you understand them, and the left understands.

I’m not saying that we need to copy the left or change our message to something that could be summed up on a trendy t-shirt.  Our message needs to stay consistent; however, we need to make it easier for a younger generation to get involved and feel engaged.  Though not all of the digital generation is able to make an immediate difference in terms of voting now, recruiting them to the movement as early as possible will help shape them into the kind of active citizens that will make a positive impact on their country.  Changing our online appeal will not only help the movement in appealing to the younger and politically active generation, but will also be an investment in our future.

Last week, Clint Didier, former NFL player and current candidate for senate from the state of Washington, caught the eye of a notable political pundit. Keeping his supporters up to date, Didier posted on Twitter, “Just arrived in D.C. I’m in to win!” to which Politico’s Kenneth Vogel commented dismissingly, “Another Tea Party outsider comes to D.C. to kiss insider rings.” I have no idea who Didier was meeting with, and it doesn’t really matter. Vogel’s judgment is understandable, and I will even concede its accuracy, at least based on the appearance of such a rendezvous.

But what should grassroots activists be saying in reaction to Didier’s meeting with the old guard in order to kiss the proper rings, especially when he boasts substantial Tea Party support and a crucial endorsement from Sarah “The Kingmaker” Palin? How should a movement dedicated to replacing jaded fat cats with fresh outsiders react when one of their own schmoozes with the targets, the very Washington elites who have been marked for ejection come November?

The answer: cautious assent. Let the leash out a little bit.

As much as the recently revitalized grassroots would love to see a “pure” campaign, the simple fact of the matter is that American politics is won and lost by whose coattails you are riding, whose hand you’re shaking in that photograph, and whose barbecue you went to last weekend. We all know the cynics who constantly decry the system. “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know,” they say, with a wave of the hand, a roll of the eyes, and a sigh of defeat. “The issues don’t matter. It’s all identity politics. America elects politicians based on who they would rather get a beer with.” The list of complaints goes on and on, and I’m nodding my head with each one, the same as you. Politics is disgusting; it has evolved into an impenetrable system of give-and-take, an arena for men to trade other people’s things for their own gain, a veritable “old boys club” in which your liberty and mine is the currency of deals that should never be made.

But the real question is, when has politics not been exactly that? More than 300 years before Christ, Aristotle penned a treatise called The Politics, in which he wrote that “man is, by nature, a political animal.” A cynical interpreter (which I happen to be) would apply this passage to say that man is, by nature, destined to manipulate political systems to maximize his own power and secure the most possible property and comfort for himself at the expense of someone else. This is, and always has been, the nature of politics.

At its founding, the American political system was unprecedented in its allowance of liberty, its protection of the people from the potential tyranny of their own government, and its basis on a solid moral foundation. Unfortunately, it was built by humans who were imperfect, reprobate, and prone to greed. I think we can all agree that our political history, especially recently, has clearly exemplified the effects of such pervasive fallibility.

So am I saying there is no hope for American politics? Are we doomed to a never-ending cycle of back-door deals, favors for endorsements, coattail riding, and old boy schmoozing? Not necessarily. I am of the opinion, as are many pragmatic Americans including Clint Didier, that the American political system has been tainted beyond recognition, and it will operate at an ethically reprehensible level until humans become perfect (which is to say, until pigs fly).

However, Didier’s move to meet and greet with Washington insiders should be tolerated and appreciated by grassroots supporters, not shunned. Didier, a novice politician, is a pragmatist. He has chosen, as wise competitors do, to operate within the established political game to the best of his ability in order to win. The “rules” of Washington were established long ago, and though we hate the rules, those who follow them get elected.

Our hope is found in politicians of good character – outsiders, real people, Mr. Smiths, if you will. These men, of whom Didier has been judged to be one, do not soil their potential for bringing about true reform simply by associating with the old guard. Too many Americans are apt to throw the baby out with the bath water. Many would read Ken Vogel’s “ring kissing” comment and their blood would boil, as if political corruption was contagious and Didier just recklessly exposed himself to it.

Thankfully, it is not contagious, at least not after a few meetings. Didier, along with other grassroots politicians like him, can and should seek endorsements from insiders because pragmatic politics wins elections. I recently received a comment on a blog post telling me that voting for third parties and independent candidates was the “American way.” This is a nice thought, and it may be so in the true spirit of the non-partisan founders. However, history shows us that two-party, back room, favor trading, dirty politics is the true American way, and has been since the day after George Washington left office. The key is working the system to our advantage, using connections, endorsements, and favors (all ethically) to bring candidates of character and integrity to power: candidates who will bring some degree of relative decency back to a capital that so desperately needs it.

This is exactly why American Majority trains activists and candidates based on the way the political system currently works. We realize that to make a difference in government, candidates must get elected, primarily to state and local office. In order to be elected, candidates must exercise some degree of pragmatic judgment and check their uncompromising anti-establishment animosity at the door. Andrew Kerr wrote about exactly this a few weeks ago. Activists should be outsiders who work inside the system, strangers in a strange arena seeking to change it from within. Importantly, in order to get into the arena, outsiders need to work the current system. Laurie Masterson put it best in the words of her father when she wrote that you, the candidate, should “play their game by your rules.” The game has already begun, and it is up to us to change the rules. But we have no chance of doing so if we don’t go into the belly of the beast with a pragmatic mindset, bent on winning at all ethical costs in order to see true reform.