Posted on 08/19/2009 6:34:24 AM PDT by St. Louis Conservative
PITTSBURGH -- A group of Republicans, looking to recoup the party's clout, is borrowing a page from liberal Democrats by beefing up Internet efforts to energize the grass roots.
The conservative Americans for Prosperity has further embraced Internet activism to energize its 700,000 members and point them to dozens of town-hall meetings with lawmakers over the past weeks, leaving Democrats on the defensive on a signature issue: overhauling health care.
Americans for Prosperity held their conference Right Online here last weekend. It centered on ramping up the use of Facebook, Twitter and other online megaphones to rally conservative opposition to what they consider ultra-liberal policies -- strategies popularized by organizations such as MoveOn.org and President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign.
That's a shift, these activists say, from recent years of GOP strategy, where the shaping of the party's message has been largely top-down, with the message coming from party leaders. Now, the message is bubbling up more from groups of online activists.
"People are saying we're not hearing encouraging or inspiring messages from our leaders in Washington," said Erik Telford, Americans for Prosperity's director of online strategy. "We need to rebuild from the ground up."
Timothy Phillips, the 45-year-old GOP strategist from South Carolina who leads the six-year-old organization, said his group was only one of many that are urging members to speak out against liberal policies. He said they help channel discontent with Mr. Obama's agenda.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Twenty-Something Justin Tevis passionately expresses his love of the Free Market
LLS
If we were REALLY taking a page from their playbook, we would hire a bunch of losers then parade them around to look like we had “grassroots” support. That’s what ACORN does...
Dems are the liars and cheaters. But we're not doing that - we don't hire school buses to cart around the save 60 "rent a crowd" people. The people showing up at town hall meetings on our side are citizens - people who care. NOT paid hacks like the dems have.
Especially when you add the Internet to Alinsky tactics -— gosh, how long does it take to get an Internet web page up and going? Or to spam email? Or to post great political cartoons to social websites?
And, the ground is FAR more fertile, for the seeds of conservative ideas, than it ever has been for socialist ideas.
The problem is that RINOs in power are not inclined to listen to "the little people." Not only do they need to be thrown out, but a clear message needs to be sent that we're not going to listen to their "ideas" any more.
“NO” is a very good place to start.
Also, Republicans have supported Health Savings Accounts, for years, as well as supporting Medicare Advantage plans, for Seniors.
We want to give the power to the patients and to the taxpayers.
We are NOT required to come up with our own, government controlled programs.
There is nothing wrong with “NO” -—
When I say that word, to my kids, I am not required to come up with something else they can have, as a substitute.
This is a step in the right direction.
In the last election, a new Republican headquarters opened up in my rather large, affluent town. I was very excited and attended the opening. It was basically a potluck put on by sweet little blue haired ladies. They were playing soft classical music in the background and had lots of sign up sheets available. There was no one welcoming people or announcing the agenda for the evening. There were maps on the walls and mini posters; but no computers or visual media. My husband had a delicious brownie and then started pestering me to leave. He, a life-long Republican, felt uncomfortable.
It felt so old school and I knew McCain was doomed. There wasn’t one thing about it that would make anyone under the age of 50 want to be there (other than principles, of course).
Until we offer a fresh, new take on conservative values, the active young voters will not join us. They are very visual and connect with each other through new media.
If you build it, they will come.
Get some younger members to start a Facebook group.
“Conservatives Take a Page From Left’s Online Playbook (paybacks are hell)”
“A group of Republicans”
Two different animals.
I would encourage every Freeper to read Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. Read their friggin’ playbook!
Oh, brother. This from a Soros-funded organization? Puh-leeze.
Yeah. A conservative web presence. Somebody should put up a forum or something somewhere... Why didn't somebody on our side ever think of that?
The nature of the young is to rebel, now that the “establishment” has largely sold out to the idiocy of Marxism it may be time for the more intelligent and logical of the new generation coming to adulthood to rebel against the insanity of their elders. I certainly hope so.
We are so there. Justin Tevis is a 26 year old who works in the private sector and is running for the Santa Barbara City Council. Last night Justin earned the endorsement of the Santa Barbara County Republicans. It was really wonderful to see how many of those who voted to give Justin Tevis the endorsement understand the party needs fresh blood. Justin is using facebook and other technology to take advantage of the new way people communicate.
Cheers to Freedom is Justin's slogan.
Twenty-Something Justin Tevis passionately expresses his love of the Free Market
Those old guys with their bald heads and skinny gray ponytails are so 1970s. You are right. We have so many young people in our campaign who just want to be personally responsible. They want to make their own decisions and experience the reward or failure...let the chips fall where they may.
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