Politics is Personal.
Jim Geraghty at TKS recently visited the little thing about grassroots unhappiness with the GOP. As regular readers know there is a fair amount of that being expressed here.
A few things to think about. How does Speaker Pelosi sound? Yeah, Speaker Hastert is not quite what we want but we surely don't want Speaker Pelosi, do we? How about, on the local level, speaker Pocan?
Now, I know the RPW and the GOP have given conservatives a fair amount to get worked up over. But, will blogging about it change that? I think not. Even if you blog with your real name you are still an anonymous figure.
Politics is personal. This is a lesson I am learning first hand in one of my political (but unrelated to governance of our nation) projects. Sure you have great ideas, you write well, you have a great website, but unless you get out and meet people face-to-face you are some yahoo in pjs.
My "project" has substantial opposition (an opposed group with a membership of about 70 or so paid members, trying to bury mine, their effort is resisted but not reciprocated), my project has a great website and a great mission. However, we languished in relative obscurity and money losing events. Now that is starting to change.
Why? Because me and my co-conspirators are getting out and meeting our constituency face to face. We talk to them, we LISTEN to them, and we offer sunshine as opposed to "vinegar and piss". Guess what? We are peeling off members from the other group (there is no requirement on our part that our volunteers pledge exclusivity) and people are beginning to trust us and become enthusiastic about what we are doing.
Now, with the politics of governance things are the same. Politics is personal and leaders and movements that are personable are going to win the day. So sorry, the grumbling I often hear is not personable and turns people off.
So, what is the PO'ed conservative to do? They should not withdraw from party politics (hehehe, my reasons are different, my estimation is I have about 2,000 other priorities in my involvement with my "group' ;-) ) that is surrender and will only yield victory to the squishy middle and the left. Instead find those with whom you have common cause with. Note, the grassroots techniques we used in 2004 to propel W to victory have their use at the party level as well. Go to meetings and listen for those with similar frustrations and work with them, unite and start changing the situation.
A few things to think about. How does Speaker Pelosi sound? Yeah, Speaker Hastert is not quite what we want but we surely don't want Speaker Pelosi, do we? How about, on the local level, speaker Pocan?
Now, I know the RPW and the GOP have given conservatives a fair amount to get worked up over. But, will blogging about it change that? I think not. Even if you blog with your real name you are still an anonymous figure.
Politics is personal. This is a lesson I am learning first hand in one of my political (but unrelated to governance of our nation) projects. Sure you have great ideas, you write well, you have a great website, but unless you get out and meet people face-to-face you are some yahoo in pjs.
My "project" has substantial opposition (an opposed group with a membership of about 70 or so paid members, trying to bury mine, their effort is resisted but not reciprocated), my project has a great website and a great mission. However, we languished in relative obscurity and money losing events. Now that is starting to change.
Why? Because me and my co-conspirators are getting out and meeting our constituency face to face. We talk to them, we LISTEN to them, and we offer sunshine as opposed to "vinegar and piss". Guess what? We are peeling off members from the other group (there is no requirement on our part that our volunteers pledge exclusivity) and people are beginning to trust us and become enthusiastic about what we are doing.
Now, with the politics of governance things are the same. Politics is personal and leaders and movements that are personable are going to win the day. So sorry, the grumbling I often hear is not personable and turns people off.
So, what is the PO'ed conservative to do? They should not withdraw from party politics (hehehe, my reasons are different, my estimation is I have about 2,000 other priorities in my involvement with my "group' ;-) ) that is surrender and will only yield victory to the squishy middle and the left. Instead find those with whom you have common cause with. Note, the grassroots techniques we used in 2004 to propel W to victory have their use at the party level as well. Go to meetings and listen for those with similar frustrations and work with them, unite and start changing the situation.
posted by Marcus Aurelius @ 7:57 PM
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