MidnightBlue

Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to report that Conservatism is alive and kicking! The Republican Party, however, is on life support. Attending CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) after a disastrous presidential election cycle, I was curious to gauge the mood of the grassroots conservative activists in the Age of Obama. What I discovered was a strong sense of renewed energy and purpose from the activists At random intervals during the conference, I asked attendees to gauge the mood of the activists and consistently received positive feedback. Conservatives understand the treacherous challenges facing our nation domestically and globally. They are ready to roll up their sleeves and work together towards the goal of turning the nation back from the brink of disaster. I would like to believe the RNC is trying to grasp the concept, yet the Party leadership stubbornly clings to habits that have not served them well over the past two election cycles. The inability to adapt is the quickest way to extinction.

A wise party leader would reach out to embrace the energy of the grassroots activists and work with them to present a unified message to the public. A party that simply votes “no” on an out of control spending scheme is not enough. Party leaders have to continually make the case of why this spending bill is akin to voodoo economics and offer an alternative solution to the public. The RNC working in concert with a solid grass root network could amplify and spread the message to every corner in the US.

To be fair, this is no easy task. Numerous lectures at CPAC carefully detailed the magnitude of the creeping social engineering programs being rolled out under the guise of the Democrat endorsed ‘economic recovery’. For the nation’s sake, I hope these programs fail, and that private industry is allowed to stand on its own two feet again. Despite what Rham Emanuel states, Rush Limbaugh is a great showman of the conservative movement but he is not the authority. The party is missing the Buckley/Reagan combination that brought conservatives of all flavors to the table.

CPAC brought together 8,000 grass root conservative organizers from across the nation who are optimistic, engaged in promoting solutions and not placing blame for the disastrous election cycle. CPAC invited speakers who presented solutions that do not require Jane and Joe America to surrender more of their freedom or tax dollars in order to save them from an ill defined threat. Through organizations such as the DontGo Movement, Rebuild the Party, Operation Tea Party and PACC (Pennsylvania Conservative Council), conservatives have demonstrated the ability to organize effective grassroots campaigns. We have the message and the networking capability to promote real change in Washington and the nation. The RNC can embrace conservative activists or get rolled in the upcoming 2010 and 2012 election cycles.