Why should we as conservatives focus on the grassroots when it comes to politics? Because that’s where the opportunities are.
Remember Willie Sutton’s response to why he robbed banks? “Because that’s where the money is”. It’s that same in politics.
The grassroots is where the votes are.
Ask almost anyone what they think of politics and the usual response is: “It’s a dirty business. I don’t want anything to do with it.”
Yes, politics can be a dirty business, but it’s only as dirty as the people that are involved in it.
It gets dirty when far too many good people don’t roll up their sleeves and spend the time and effort necessary to clean it up. Whether you’re washing your car, changing a diaper, or doing the dishes, you’re doing a job that must be done to keep things from getting too far gone.
It’s maintenance. And it’s the same way with politics.
Working a little bit at a time, maintaining a democratic political system is easy, but when we ignore it for long periods of time the dirty work of politics piles up. Then, when we can’t stand to look at the mess any longer, it takes a massive effort to clean it up.
Voting, educating yourself and others about the legislative and political process, and getting personally involved in the affairs of your city, state, and nation is maintenance. And the best way to go about that “maintenance” is with good grassroots organization.
Three reasons to focus on grassroots politics:
1) It Gets Better Results
Given that so few people participate in the political process, those who do have a disproportionate influence on the country as a whole. Liberals have taken advantage of this fact for years.
Politicians tend to pay attention to those who participate – especially those who are organized and can have an impact on future political campaigns. There’s an old saying, “politicians may be stupid, but they can count”.
2) It Leads to More Informed Conservative Voters
Better organization keeps individuals informed on important issues and can better involve them in the political process.
Given that people have so much competing for their time and attention in today’s world, an effective grassroots organization is better able to cut through the clutter and reach individuals with actionable political information.
An effective grassroots organization provides an efficient and reliable vehicle to disseminate critical information to voters. And the more politically informed that people become, the more likely they are to go to the polls on Election Day.
3) It Builds More Conservative Political Experience
For conservatives to continue to grow in influence and effectiveness, it is important that new people are continually educated, activated and brought into the system. (Think “farm team”)
Just as major league baseball has its minor leagues and farm teams, local political organizations tend to be the proving grounds where those who rise up the ladder first got involved, gained experience and were noticed by those at higher levels.
By getting conservatives involved in the political process, grassroots organizing serves as a training ground for higher levels of political involvement.
So get out there and get involved!
(More on how to be effective at grassroots politics in my Grassroots Training Series!)
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