A really good comment from my good friend Brian Duffy of the
MVCA and
Repeal the 17th:
When we started with Dayton Townhall in November 2003, at the time through the Heritage Foundation, the aim was to start small groups that could connect and discuss local issues and then act. I guess it was part of the Heritage Foundation’s effort to develop a grass roots movement prior to the 2004 elections. I believe there has not been a true nation wide effort in history. The American Conservative Union had something but it has not taken off very well.
At the Dayton Townhall, now officially called TownSquare since Townhall has broken off from the Heritage Foundation, we jumped right into the 2004 National Election and really put out a strong effort. At the same time we started the Miami Valley Conservative Alliance with the hope that we could draw other like groups to a central electronic site to pass information and alert one another to local issues that affect the greater Miami Valley Conservatives. But as soon as the election was over things began to fissile. The groups in Ohio lost attendance and in some cases fell apart. Luckily for the Dayton TownSquare group was able to maintain a small committed group, but I believe it was the forum of the MVCA that has kept it alive. This is due in part because we still communicate on a daily or weekly basis and we are able to link to the entire Miami Valley.
But why did it crumble after the 2004 election? Well Townhall and the Republican Party broke the tenet you described. They have failed to nurture the grassroots. They have failed to teach activism to conservatives in order to affect change at a community level.
Now this is no easy feat. We have had our ups and downs because like any small group you have an even smaller committed core that does most of the work and the very few that are willing to be leaders. Leadership takes its toll and time. As we have also found most conservatives have demanding careers. But the key that I saw missing and would at least keep the ember from burning out would be a national effort to assist local small groups. This is where I again fault Townhall and the Republican Party. They get folks together but then as soon as the election is over and they get what they want they abandon you.
One last point I have noticed in my travails to get conservatives together in the Miami Valley is that conservative don’t like to work with others very well. Most want to stay in their little world working for their own agenda. Also they are a suspicious lot. If Conservatives could get together and put aside their, sometimes, petty prejudgments, we might be able to make so serious in roads.
If you really want a good looking lawn; you have to start with good seed, water regularly, and occassionaly apply fertilizer of some sort... Grassroots politics is called that for a reason. Brian is right, TownHall and the Republican Party pretty much abandoned the grassroots organizations after the election. Now, my friends who are paid to be Republicans (read "party officials") are screaming at their monitors right about now...and that is because they do significant outreach efforts, but I do think there is still plenty more work to be done on this front and they would be the first to admit that.
