Archives for Drew McKissick

Build a Communications Resources List

March 13, 2021 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | Leave a comment

communications resourcesWhether you’re running for office, helping someone else run, or lobbying an issue with your local government, it’s not enough to have the best ideas, or even good ideas. You have to be able to communicate them in a way that reaches and educates people so that they can potentially take action.

Without that, you’re nowhere.

In order to communicate, you need to have access to the “means” of communication. Whether it’s a direct mail list, an email list or a million dollars to run TV and radio ads, it comes down to what your resources are and how many people they can reach. (Remember, politics is spelled P-E-O-P-L-E).

So, what are they?

Build a Communications Resources List

This is where you need to take a moment and do a “resources inventory” check.

What do you currently have access to? What are you likely to get access to? How many people can those resources reach? Who do you know who sympathizes with you and what resources do THEY have access to? How can you get them to help you promote your effort?

resources listDon’t forget about asking elected officials you may be close to, or who may also be working on your issue to share a link to your content on their Facebook or Twitter pages.

Whether it’s email lists, mailing lists, Facebook, Twitter, etc., it all counts. So identify it all – then add it all up.

A good campaign plan will try to get the greatest benefit out of all available resources. Making a specific inventory increases the odds that you won’t overlook resources you could have used to get your message out and reach people who otherwise aren’t connected to you, your campaign or your issue.

The point is that you’ve probably got access to more resources that you think. So take some time and take inventory.

Why Conservatives Should Get Involved in the Republican Party

January 22, 2021 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | 3 Comments

political influenceHow would you like to have more political influence than 99.99% of the population?

Would you like to become so influential for the things that you care about that candidates and public officials come to you for support, seek out your opinions or come to know you on a first name basis.  Or maybe so important that your opinions help shape the political debate.

How is this possible?  Simply by getting involved in a political party.  And for conservatives, that means get involved in the Republican Party.

Parties are where the power is

Most of the political influence in our country is channeled through the two major political parties.  Everything from public policy, to candidates for public office and the laws that are proposed and/or passed in our country are influenced by political parties.

It is fair to say that the degree to which you can participate and be effective in the political process depends, to some extent, on the degree to which you get involved in a political party.

The apathy of others increases your impact

Most people in our country don’t get involved in political parties.  They don’t even bother to vote in party primaries, much less volunteer or serve in any elected capacity within a party.

Consider some numbers: Only a little more than half of all Americans bother to register to vote; a little more than half of them will vote in the average election; less than half of that number will vote in the average party primary – then split that number in half between the average turnout in Republican and Democrat party primaries.

At that point you’re already having more influence than 80% or more of the population.

Party involvement magnifies your political influence

It will vary slightly from state to state, but on average only about 1/10 of 1% of Americans are actually part of a political party structure – meaning they have joined a local party precinct organization.  A still smaller percentage of that group either gets elected to a local leadership position or as a delegate to the county, district, state or national levels.

These are the people who are usually sought out by candidates and elected officials for their feedback, their help on campaigns and to fill staff positions in government.

Political parties are just vehicles

Political parties in some form or another have existed since the foundation of our country.  Their “philosophies” have changed over time however, as members come and go. In other words, they’re no better than the people that comprise them at any given time.

For example, think of a political party as a bus that a group of people use to get from one place to another.  Every few years the bus pulls over to the side of the road, people get on and off, they fight over the steering wheel, and then it goes down the road for a few more years.

But if you’re not “on” the bus, you don’t have any influence over “where” it goes.

So, again, do you want to have a greater impact for the conservative agenda and things you care about?  Then get involved in the Republican Party at the local level.

Don’t let people you may disagree with (or who are just disagreeable) keep you from getting involved.  You can’t control what other people do or don’t do.  Only yourself.

Don’t be part of the 99.99%

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You can get more tips about about party activism in my “Intermediate Guide to Grassroots Politics“!

What are you going to do about it?

January 5, 2021 by Drew McKissick in Buzzworthy | Leave a comment

political activismDo you spend more time than you would like complaining about things going on in government?  That’s not unusual.  In fact, it’s pretty much a prerequisite (or at least a direct symptom) of democracy.

Government is run by imperfect people who represent a lot of other imperfect people with a lot of different philosophies and points of view…and some of them seem to just represent themselves.

Anyone who’s paying attention (which ideally should be everyone) can find something to complain about.  But is that as far as you go?  Or do you ever think about taking action?

Don’t Just Complain

Is “Common Core” being pushed on your (up until now) good school district? Grading standards being dumbed down?  What are you going to do about it?  Have you attended a school board meeting and spoken out?  Carried a crew of other angry parents with you to do the same?

Is your local public school board trying to pass a millage increase, all the while spending record amounts of money on extra layers of educrats?  What are you going to do about it?  Just cuss when you get the tax bill?  How about starting a petition campaign to oppose it?

Is your county about to vote on another wasteful bond referendum?  What are you going to do about it (other than pay for it later)?  Have you written a letter to the editor?  Print it as a flyer and leave it on doors in your neighborhood, or cars in the parking lot at the next council meeting.

Are you tired of so few people who seem to know much of anything about what your local government is doing?  What are you going to do about it?  Start a Facebook page, online newsgroup or a simple website.  Maybe set up an email list and keep people up to date with what’s going on.  Encourage everyone you know to share it with others.

Sick of elected officials who don’t listen, or who make promises but don’t deliver after they’re elected?  What are you going to do about it?  Have you tried to help someone else get elected?  Volunteered or made a contribution? How about talking with others who think like you do and trying to recruit someone to run for office?

Get Involved

The main reason to “do something” is because it’s your responsibility, since you live in a country where you have the right to political activism.  But another reason is because even if you just simply speak up, it lets other people like you know that they’re not alone.  When they see that, they’re more likely to speak up or take action too.

If you don’t “do something”, odds are you’ll have even more to complain about later.  But when you get involved, things change.

Take a moment right now and make a conscious decision to “do something”.  Then make a note so you don’t forget.

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Have any examples of how you were able to get involved that you think would encourage others?  Share it in the comments below.

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