[sionnsar]

There might be something to the complaint that conservatives "just want someone else to do the gruntwork."

There's a lot to the complaint.

I've been a volunteer on campaigns ever since 1988, and while candidates come and go I tend to see the same old faces campaign after campaign. And there are never enough of us -- for example, when we do literature drops many precincts never get the drops because there simply aren't enough of us to reach them all.

Several years ago I tallied up the self-identified FReepers in my county, and found that if just 10% of them volunteered on local & state campaigns, the number of volunteers would double.

So far I have met only one FReeper (excluding my family) volunteering on any campaigns.

[sionnsar]

"same old faces volunteering campaign after campaign"

[1rudeboy]

I've never understood it myself . . . and it's ironic that Palin moved from PTA to mayor to governor while we expect political figures (like Palin herself) be delivered to us on a platter.

[AmericanMade1776]

There has been a considerable contribution by Freepers and Free Republic to the political landscape, but when it comes to getting to grassroots of politics.. you have to start with the “gruntwork” at your local level. I too only see older folks involved..myself included, I have met a few younger ones, and they need to be encouraged now, to carry the mantle for the next election.

Politics is not pretty, that is why no one wants to bother with it. Who would want to run for a political office, and put up with what you have to put up with. That is why good decent , honest people stay away from it.