There is a lot of angst in the land right now. Just a few days ago I asked a simple question: at what point do people revolt?
I was not calling for a revolution. Being an elected official, I don’t much want one. But it is a simple question given the times we live in. LIberals are mad at conservatives. Conservatives are mad at liberals. Conservatives feel betrayed by Bush. Some liberals feel betrayed by Obama. Everyone feels betrayed by government. Government is out of touch. But no one does anything.
Liberty dies by a thousand cuts and at some point some where someone is going to be too pissed off to get cut again. That person is going to start slashing and burning in retribution.
Anyway, I asked the question. Since then I’ve been under a leftist barage of criticism. Keep in mind that the people now attacking me for wanting a revolution (something I don’t want) are the same people who were convinced Dick Cheney was going to launch a coup and refuse to vacate the premises earlier this year.
In addition to not having a great reading comprehension, they are crazy.
But this all inspired me to put together a short podcast for your edification. Let me summarize the point for those not interested in listening:
1. The GOP needs to repudiate the spenders to get back credibility. But in so doing, we should rehabilitate the repentant.
2. We should put at the forefront of party leadership those who were willing to stand up to Bush on his domestic spending initiatives — they should now lead.
3. We should throw out the guys who have betrayed us and keep betraying us.
After all, it is no good for us to throw out the bums if we are going to replace them with bums.
In so doing, those people who are attending tea parties around the country should focus on rehabilitating the GOP. It remains a near impossible quest to launch a viable third party in this country. And given the choice of the GOP and the Democrats, only one has a base of people who still — the majority of them — put freedom first.
So the local activists who attend the protests need to get home from the protests and start attending their local GOP meetings. They need to get involved. They need to recruit people who have made their way in the world in spite of government. They need to fill the ranks with good men and women who are committed to first principles.
All the energy and angst that is out there right now can be harnessed for good or for ill. I say harness it for good and rehabilitate the right.
The fight for freedom needs faithful warriors. And a revolution can come, but should come at the ballot box.
If you are interested, you can hear my podcast on the subject here.
or listen here:
Isn't Michelle Malkin making noise about a third party?
smagar Thursday, April 2nd at 10:13PM EDT (link)Music to Rahm Emmanuel and Chuck Schumer’s ears.
“Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?” (Macaulay)
There are several parties
DerKrieger Thursday, April 2nd at 10:30PM EDT (link)…you could join that are Conservative.
The Constitution Party - http://www.constitutionparty.com/
The America First Party - http://www.americafirstparty.org/
“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” - Thomas Jefferson
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence (OBAMACARE – mine), the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
Neither of those parties are "conservative".
mbecker908 Thursday, April 2nd at 11:42PM EDT (link)They are the refuge of fruitcakes, much like the acolytes of RonPaul.
Forgive my lack of patience
DerKrieger Thursday, April 2nd at 10:29PM EDT (link)…but given the fact that it took generations for Reagan to emerge and undo decades of massive growth in the federal government I don’t want to wait for the party to rebuild, find new leadership, and convince an even more Liberal public that small government is the solution. I’m 42, in my prime earning years, have two young daughters and I don’t really want to spend the next 20-30 years fighting the good fight and living as an indentured servant in the interim. The Left has captured, through decades of planning and persistence all of the institutions of our nation; academia, government, media, and are in an almost unassailable position to continue to control the message to the mass of the uncaring, ignorant public.
“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” - Thomas Jefferson
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence (OBAMACARE – mine), the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
After the tea parties -- we'll see in AZ
ColdWarrior Thursday, April 2nd at 10:53PM EDT (link)Sitting in the Maricopa County, AZ GOP meeting at the moment. To see what they will discuss tonight about PC recruitment.
FYI, yesterday I had the following exchange (which I’ve sanitized) with a conservative Republican state senator who will be speaking at the Tea Party at the state capitol grounds here on April 15.
Here’s hoping we’ll have a few more people come forward to fill our party ranks here after the Tea Party.
The senator also called me.
Thank you.
>>>>>
_______________________________________
From: X@azleg.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 11:52 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Please say something along the lines of the following to the Tea Party attendees
Amen and thank you very much
________________________________________
From:
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 11:11 AM
To: unnamed Arizona legislator
Subject: Please say something along the lines of the following to the Tea Party attendees
Dear Sen. X,
Thanks for all you do. I’m a precinct committeeman in Tempe, LD 17.
I attended the first part of the Americans for Prosperity Tea Party but had to leave early, so I don’t know what you said. I handed Jack Harper a note and asked him to implore the attendees to become active members of the Party as PCs. I had to leave before he spoke, but I am told he did mention it.
Bottom line: the iron is hot! Thousands, if not millions, of people around the country want to DO SOMETHING. But they don’t know what to do that will be really effective in changing the country. They think going to a rally is going to change the minds of the socialists. It’s not. As you undoubtedly know, the ONLY effective way to change things is to CHANGE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. Get rid of the bad ones and replace them with good ones. Keep the good ones. Like you.
Obviously we have to also publicize what the socialists (and by “socialists” I mean the Dems and the RINOs) are doing and target them in the court of public opinion, but the most important thing we must do, I believe, is to strengthen the Republican Party and return it to its conservative Reagan, landslide win producing, roots.
Here’s an example of what I’ve been posting on the internet (and I’m also attaching a five faxes I sent to our so-called Republican “leaders” in Washington):
A short version:
>>>>>
If you really want to change the country, start by becoming a Republican Party Precinct Committeeman! The most powerful office in the world because Precinct Committeemen determine who gets the chance to be elected to office at every level of government.
1. To change things, we must change the laws.
2. To change the laws, we must change the people who make them.
3. To get elected, your candidate must be on the ballot.
4. To get on the November ballot you must win the Primary.
5. To win the Primary, you must get the support of people who make endorsements in the Primary, who reliably vote in the Primary, and who get out the vote of others in the Primary. Those people are the Precinct Committeemen.
Most importantly, Precinct Committeemen get to vote in the Party elections that determine the leadership of the Party. The more conservatives who become Precinct Committeemen, the more conservative the Party, and its candidates, will become. The Party again might appear to the voters to offer a clear choice from the Democrat Party, rather than an echo of it.
Go here to learn more:
The Most Powerful Office in the World is NOT the President of the United States. ( http://www.eagleforum.org/misc/brochures/precinct-committman.shtml )
By becoming a Precinct Committeeman, you get to ACTUALLY VOTE for the Party leadership. YOU GET TO CAST A VOTE FOR YOUR LOCAL REPUBLICAN LEADERS UP TO THE COUNTY LEVEL, AND THEN GET TO ELECT ELECTORS WHO ELECT THE STATE AND NATIONAL PARTY LEADERS. If those who accept, understand and advocate conservative principles become a majority IN THE PARTY RANKS, guess what? The Party leadership voted in will be those who accept, understand and advocate conservative principles. This just happened here in Arizona.
<<<<>>>>
If you really want to change the country, start by becoming a Republican Party Precinct Committeeman! The most powerful office in the world because Precinct Committeemen determine who gets the chance to be elected to office at every level of government.
1. To change things, we must change the laws.
2. To change the laws, we must change the people who make them.
3. To get elected, your candidate must be on the ballot.
4. To get on the November ballot you must win the Primary.
5. To win the Primary, you must get the support of people who make endorsements in the Primary, who reliably vote in the Primary, and who get out the vote of others in the Primary. Those people are the Precinct Committeemen.
Do you want to get involved in politics and advance the conservative agenda? I do. One thing I recently found out is that the Maricopa County GOP has over 4,000 openings for precinct committeeman and my Legislative District has only 32 per cent of its Precinct Committeeman positions filled. I also understand this situation exists all across the country. Imagine if we could fill those openings with conservatives!
Most importantly, Precinct Committeemen get to vote in the Party elections that determine the leadership of the Party. The more conservatives who become Precinct Committeemen, the more conservative the Party, and its candidates, will become. The Party again might appear to the voters to offer a clear choice from the Democrat Party, rather than an echo of it.
Some of the duties of the precinct committeeman are:
1. Registering new voters.
2. Helping local candiates build canvassing lists and canvassing the neighborhood.
3. Get Out The Vote efforts. Calling party members to make sure they can get to the polls or get an absentee ballot.
4. Finding election judges for your precinct.
5. Becoming a poll watcher.
On doing some internet searching, I also found several copies and variations of this fantastic article by The Eagle Forum:
The Most Powerful Office in the World is NOT the President of the United States. ( http://www.eagleforum.org/misc/brochures/precinct-committman.shtml )
While the claim in the title is a bit exaggerated, it does make some fairly good points. If you want to make a difference in politics, the precinct is the place to start.
Each of you want to get our country back on the right track. How BEST to do that? Through DEEDS, not just words. Calling talk radio stations doesn’t really DO much. Twittering and ranting in chat rooms about what’s happening doesn’t really DO much. Going to rallies and protests are great, but the media ignores them. Priority Number One should be changing the candidates that are on the ballot.
The only reason I’m posting this here is in hopes YOU, who are reading this, will consider DOING SOMETHING MEANINGFUL to change your government back to its Constitutional limits. To DO that, we need to strengthen and change the Republican Party back to its Reagan era strength.
How do WE do that? The BEST way to strengthen and change the Republican Party into one that once again clearly advocates conservative principles is to . . . drum roll . . . HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN ITS RANKS who accept, understand and advocate conservative principles. I’m not talking about just registering as a Republican, I’m talking about YOU, yes, YOU, who’s reading this, not “the other guy,” but YOU — becoming an A REAL, ACTIVE MEMBER of the Republican Party by becoming a real, live, functioning Precinct Committeeman. That’s the bottom rung on the leadership ladder in the Party.
By becoming a Precinct Committeeman, you get to ACTUALLY VOTE for the Party leadership. YOU GET TO CAST A VOTE FOR YOUR LOCAL REPUBLICAN LEADERS UP TO THE COUNTY LEVEL, AND THEN GET TO ELECT ELECTORS WHO ELECT THE STATE AND NATIONAL PARTY LEADERS. If those who accept, understand and advocate conservative principles become a majority IN THE PARTY RANKS, guess what? The Party leadership voted in will be those who accept, understand and advocate conservative principles. This just happened here in Arizona.
It’s not hard to find out how to become a Precinct Committeeman. Do some googling to find your county Republican Party web site.
Find out which Legislative District you live in. Find out when the next meeting of that Legislative District Committee takes place. Then go to the meeting and tell the chairman you want to volunteer to be a Precinct Committeeman. Or call the Chairman before then. You’ll have to gather a few signatures to get on the ballot. Once the election comes around, you’ll be elected. Meanwhile, volunteer to DO SOMETHING in support of your conservative values and principles WITHIN THE PARTY. You will be leading by example. Many of the moderates are moderates because they don’t know how to think and be conservative. You can show them by your DEEDS.
Now get to it!
P.S. “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”
Thomas Paine, Dec. 23, 1773, The Crisis.
<<<<<
Could you please use the opportunity of the Tea Party to implore, beg, etc. the attendees to take their time and energy one step further and explain to them the most important thing they should be doing is joining the Party as active voting members of it as precinct committeemen?
Thank you, and please let me hear from you.
Sincerely,
American first, conservative second and Republican precinct committeeman by necessity.
http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com, so you can say, “I became a precinct committeeman before it was cool.”
“Elections have consequences, my friends.” — John McCain
Ditto! NT
RedInABleuState Friday, April 3rd at 12:18AM EDT (link)The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. — Edmund Burke
It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds. — Samuel Adams
#showup
RedInABleuState Friday, April 3rd at 12:17AM EDT (link)Love, love, love this post and podcast. My comments got a bit carried away…so I wrote a diary on it:
http://www.redstate.com/redinableustate/2009/04/03/showup/
Thanks for using this site to inspire activism. It’s so badly needed.
The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. — Edmund Burke
It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds. — Samuel Adams
I'm willing to replace a RINO, even if it is with another RINO...
JLenardDetroit Friday, April 3rd at 1:50AM EDT (link)at least the new RINO has a clue we are holding folks responsible for a change and they might do better… if not, then that RINO goes… until one comes along that will get it right!
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (Reco) (Quotes) (removeRINOs.com) (Merry RSmas)
+ 0bama Lies & your Bank acct will Die! (4/15 Truthers)
+ Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
+ I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” - a Rush caller (other Quotes)
I, on the other hand...
harlan Friday, April 3rd at 11:24AM EDT (link)…believe that there has never been a more opportune time in the United States of America for a military coup.
As DerKreiger related in an earlier comment, the Left has usurped nearly every influential institution in this country. With each day that passes, their grip tightens.
Due to the ignorance, laziness and/or sheer subversion of a majority of American voters, we will be forever saddled with the likes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank, (a gnome in no small part responsible for the financial meltdown), still holding positions of ultimate authority.
At least, I feel as though our military is on the side of truth and justice.
Such a scenario could be no more an assault on the Constitution than what obama has planned. On the contrary, I see it as a defense of the Constitution.