5 Things Local Tea Parties Must Be Doing Between Now and Election Day

November 2nd is not just a referendum on the direction of our nation, states, and local communities; it is also a referendum on the political might of the Tea Party, the average citizen activist and the organic privatization of political engagement that has occurred these past two years.  The level and kind of involvement by the Tea Party in the next six weeks will determine both the credibility and sustainability of this grassroots-led movement.

Toward that end, local Tea Party groups must be strategic about their involvement this month and next.  Here are five things local Tea Party groups must be doing between now and November 2nd:

1)  Be Active

This should seem like a no-brainer, but while some local Tea Party groups have been firing on all cylinders for some time now, others have let their involvement wane.  It’s time to enter overdrive mode and to let everyone know that the Tea Party is open for business in this final election push.  All the rallies, all of the speakers, all of the events will have been in vain if Tea Party groups fade at the most important time.  Speaking of…

2)  Ditch the Rallies

The time for protesting, the time for talking, the time for being inspired is over.  The time for doing is now.  While some local Tea Party groups have elected not to endorse candidates, local Tea Party groups should, at very minimum, be encouraging all of their membership to connect with their preferred candidates and to volunteer as  much as possible to do the essential grassroots work – knock on doors, make phone calls, sign wave, etc.

Any event organized by the Tea Party between now and November 2nd should focus on practical grassroots action.  Peoples’ time is severely limited and every minute spent at a rally is a minute that they could be spening getting out the vote.

3)  Educate

Local Tea Party groups should be the source for information regarding Election 2010.  Groups should assemble and publish (or link to) such materials as:

• Voting information: voting locations, early voting information (if applicable), voting times.
• Candidate information: candidates on the ballot, their websites, local Tea Party endorsements (if applicable), Tea Party voting guide (if applicable).
• Volunteering information: list of contacts for local campaigns, calendar of scheduled door-knockings, phone banks and sign waving.

4)  Mobilize

Local Tea Party groups should use their e-mail lists, social networks and other contacts to disseminate voting, candidate and volunteering information.  If groups have chosen to support any candidates, they should organize door-knocking, phone banking, and other campaign-related dates.  If the local Tea Party group has chosen to remain non-partisan, they should funnel their membership into campaigns of the participant’s choice.  Regardless, every Tea Party member should be asked to:

• Volunteer at least 24 hours (about four hours a week) between now and Election Day.
• Make a serious financial contribution to a campaign or multiple campaigns.
• Utilize their social networks to point their contacts to the local Tea Party efforts, their preferred campaign, and voting information as well as encouraging their friends and family to vote.

5)  Lead by Example and Work Together

It’s one thing to instruct others what to do, it’s another thing entirely to lead by example.  Local Tea Party leadership should strive to do more than what they ask their members.  They should be out in the trenches working alongside their fellow-citizens and setting an example for others to follow.

It’s also time to shelve philosophical and personality-driven differences that have crept up over the last couple years.  The conservative movement is working toward one goal, and that is setting America back on the solid rock that she was founded.  In order to achieve this goal, we must all work together – fiscal conservative, libertarian, social conservative, moderate, independent.  In order to work together, we must consciously choose to put aside our differences and as they like to say around these parts… Git-R-Done!