Ned Ryun, President of American Majority, has opened a new chapter in America’s conservative grassroots movement.
On Saturday, a crowd of several hundred 9-12 Project and Tea Party organizers heard Ryun explain why it’s time to move beyond the rallies at the American Majority Post-Party Summit in Kansas City. I have mentioned this before, and it seems to bother many people. I understand why.
The rally was the animating function of the Tea Party movement. We gathered. On February 27, 2009, we gather in about 40 cities. On March 13 of that year, we gathered in homes and taverns to watch Glenn Beck’s “We Surround Them” program, and the 9-12 Project was born. On April 15, over one millions people gathered in 200 places to tell Washington, “We made you; we can un-make you.”
Rallies taught all of us that we are not alone. But our rallies were recruitment and training. They were not “action” in the military sense. Rallies, like parades and passes-in-review, are internal functions to increase esprit de corps.
General McClellan believed in recruitment and training. And training and training and practicing and waiting. He hesitated. He waited for the perfect moment. He fought tiny battles of little or no strategic consequence.
Lincoln fired McClellan after the battle of Antietam, McClellan’s greatest victory. Antietam was a rally. Lincoln wanted victory.
It’s time to march. It’s time to elect the rightward-most, viable candidate for every office in every district in every state. The time for entertaining each other is long over.
When I worked at Anheiser-Busch, they told me, “Everything you do will either make more beer or sell more beer. If you can’t figure out how something you’re doing contributes to one of those two ends, stop and ask. Either we didn’t train you right, or you’re doing the wrong thing.”
In our present battle, everything we do must contribute to flipping Congress. If you can’t figure out how your activism contributes to that end, please stop and ask someone. Because if Obama keeps the Congress, it doesn’t matter what happens in the states—we are all screwed.
P.S. If you have not been to one of the Post-Party Summits, do yourself and America a favor and get to the last one: May 14-15 in Indianapolis, IN. This is the best conservative grassroots conference I’ve attended. It is a bargain.