All it took was a video camera, 10,000 pennies and a little creativity. The result was a viral video that earned 28-year-old Matthias Shapiro of Utah the first-ever “Grassroots Logic Award” from the Republican National Committee.
Shapiro’s videos, which use pennies to put into context President Obama’s spending, earned him a trip to Washington, D.C., today. His most popular video, which is nearing 1 million views on YouTube, was released April 24 and mocked Obama’s measly $100 million budget cuts in comparison to the $3.5 trillion budget. A link from National Review’s Jonah Goldberg helped propel the self-described “math geek” to stardom — at least in the eyes of conservatives and libertarians frustrated by Obama’s appetite for government spending.
Last month Republican National Chairman Michael Steele released a video praising Shapiro’s work. He invited him to Washington so he could honor him.
Steele made good on his promise at a ceremony this morning at RNC headquarters on Capitol Hill. Shapiro traveled to Washington to collect the award and brief Senate Republicans about his work. (Not bad for someone who was completely unknown to the political world a few months ago.) There’s more coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Today’s event might very well be a turning point for the notoriously stodgy RNC. I’ve been a tough critic of Steele, but I give him credit for opening his arms and embracing Shapiro.
“When I first saw his 10,000 Pennies video, I thought to myself, ‘Damn, that’s good. That’s really good,’” Steele said today. “I thought it was important to bring him and his wife to Washington so they could teach some of our friends on the Hill exactly what it’s like in the real world and exactly how the real world is understanding and appreciating what all of the spending means, what the deficits mean, and what a penny as a representation of that really adds up to.”
By embracing Shapiro, the RNC is clearly hoping to inspire others to engage in the same kind of entrepreneurial grassroots activism that will revitalize the GOP. Steele deserves credit for recognizing the potential and rewarding good work.
Now comes the hard part: Who’s next?
Check out all of Matthias Shapiro’s videos on his 10,000 Pennies channel on YouTube. A video of today’s ceremony is below.
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Caleb Howe
For additional economic education
DerKrieger (Diary) Tuesday, July 7th at 10:46PM EST (link)…visit the Foundation for Economic Education http://fee.org/
They have a great video about the Austrian school of economic thought. If you have 90 minutes to spare.
“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience.” — John Locke, 1690
You should really visit his blog too.
Brian Simpson (Diary) Tuesday, July 7th at 11:06PM EST (link)He posts the videos along with an explanation.
Political Math
He is also the source of the great LEGO video that Erick posted earlier explaining health care wait times.
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Important principles may and must be inflexible. ~ Abraham Lincoln
More examples
RJD (Diary) Tuesday, July 7th at 11:09PM EST (link)from Hot Air
Dueling ObamaNations.
Personally, I like Ash Soular’s version (but it’s not for everybody).