The Politico has an article out today on tea party activists getting involved in their local political parties. I’ve been preaching on this for a while.
The reporter, Alex Isenstadt, interviewed me for his article and gave me the last word. I’m partial to my quote:
For some, supporting insurgent campaigns or waging primary bids just isn’t a strong enough signal to send to a Republican Party that has abandoned core conservative policies.
Erick Erickson, founder and editor of the influential conservative blog RedState, has urged Tea Party activists to “put down the protest signs” and stage takeovers of local Republican parties.
“Grassroots activists need to start infiltrating the party,” said Erickson. “The only way to start getting [the establishment] back is to start pounding them with every fist we have.”
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
The Proverbial Hammer Striking the Nail On The Head
fireplug52 Sunday, October 11th at 9:47AM EST (link)Mr. Erickson is totally correct. If those of us do not take a more active role at the local and state level, we will continue to see the Republicans presenting and sending people to represent us who are no different than the Democrats. Dare I say if you have a Democrat who is more conservative than the Republican that they should vote for them? On the local level yes, the state level maybe, the national level, no.
I respectfully disagree...
sccrenny (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 7:20AM EST (link)which is why I sometimes wonder if I belong here. As an American I vote for the person who is best for the country. Part of the problem with the GOP is that they expect support from conservatives for whoever they allow to hang an “R” behind their name.
What better message to send than for a conservative Dem to take the place of a RINO. Not to mention the net effect is to populate the Dems with another conservative… rare indeed!
When I look at Barack Obama I don’t see black. I don’t see white. I do, however see RED! It’s the same color I see when I look at Pelosi, Reid, ACORN, SEIU…
Precinct Delegate since 2010
And then those 'conservative' Dems get rolled by Pelosi. No thanks.
Finrod (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 11:20AM EST (link)Thinking like yours is exactly what got us into the mess we’re in now.
Let’s get down to brass tacks here. How much for the ape?
Red is "RIGHT!"
frog83 Monday, October 12th at 7:30PM EST (link)Re above, I’m sick and tired of watching the “sick-&-tired” same old GOP (as in Gone Ole Party) appeasers and cowards caving in and trying to please everyone from illegal immigrants to Harvey Milk (now we have to honor this guy on Columbus Day, or what used to be Columbus Day) worshippers thanks to “Gov Arnold.” Enough already (as if it hasn’t been this way for way too long. I say out with the wimps and in with those that will fight for conservative ideals.
V/R-wf
Red is RED
martyinaz Tuesday, October 13th at 1:21PM EST (link)Do you remember when we called Democrats “Pinkos”in referance to someone who was nearly a “RED” Communist? Well, they ain’t Pinkos any more. They are Marxist Socialists trying to turn this nation to Communism. I’ll take a wimpy Republican any day over what we have going on now in Pelosi’s house. We need to take on this problem one step at a time. First and foremost get rid of the Democrats in Congress in 2010. Then clean up the GOP. It’s best we keep our eyes on the prize boys and girls. 2010 is the year of revolt. OUT with all the Democrats.
It's not about party
RedLeader (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 9:51AM EST (link)While the GOP is the most natural fit for the tea party crowd, I think that one of the things that is being missed is that this movement is not about political party. It’s about people that are angry at the size and scope of government. These are people that traditionally have not gotten involved in politics, and they’re looking for ways to affect the process.
Again, the GOP is the natural fit for those that are disenchanted with the direction of our country. Particularly with the Democrats in charge of Congress and the White House, the majority of the tea party crowd will likely flock to the Republican Party. I find it encouraging that this is happening at the local level, and hope that it continues.
For real change to come about, politicians in both parties need to be replaced. This going to take a long, sustained effort that will likely flow up from the local level to the national one. Joe the Farmer doesn’t just run for Congress tomorrow (as much as he is probably infinitely more qualified than the incumbent). We need to support movements (such as the American Majority that seeks to start fielding good conservative candidates at the local and state level so that we have men and women of principle coming up through the ranks and in position to take on national positions.
This is going to be a long fight, people. However, if we can continue to fuel the anger at government that exists today, it is a fight that we can win.
Tea Partiers
Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 10:15AM EST (link)Tea partiers and Republicans are not synonymous. There were lot of Ron Paul conservatives, libertarians, paleo-conservatives and anti-wall street/ anti-corporate populists in that mix. We are all united against Obama’s brave new socialism, but many GOP party activists seem to have a strident view of “real” conservativism. I’m not sure if they are going to welcome in the local party.
I’ve been doing a little work with the grass roots tea partiers in NH and they are loaded with free staters, who want nothing to with the GOP and are using the tea parties to push the libertarian party.
Exactly
SteveLA (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 11:10AM EST (link)S_Y
At least out in my area I saw more Turn Turn Turn Spit Ron Paul Ron Paul Ron Paul supporters than SWMNBN supporters standing out on street corners and attending Tea Parties.
While the energy and anger that those heavily involved with the Tea Parties is great, I see something new that is neither old country club Republicanism or Values Republicanism rising out of this movement. No way of knowing if this is a good or bad thing, but for sure it is happening right now. Maybe this is the beginning of another Ross Perot style Reform Party, the anger levels are very similar as are the targets of that anger.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I think that's Erick's point...but I'll let him make it himself...
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 3:39PM EST (link)We need to become the local party…we’ve left the country clubbers and the statists to their own designs for to long…we come out every two years at best…many only every 4 years…and the rest of the time the party is left to a bunch of Democrat Lite pimps and whores who spend the time in the shadows working to undercut us in the off years…
if we take over the local parties…we need to stay with it and not let them wear us down like they did after the 94 elections
The lesser taskmaster
martyinaz Tuesday, October 13th at 1:54PM EST (link)God, how I wish I could vote Libertarian, and know it would mean something. Since I was 20, I was an advocate of Austrian Economics and limited government. So, I am by all counts a true Libertarian. The problem has always been, having to pick the lesser taskmaster. The one who would deliver only ten lashes instead of 20. I would rather be free of our government, and receive NO lashes. But alas, we have a TWO party system. And voting my true conscience would only water down the chances of getting the lesser taskmaster.
My fear
creditman Sunday, October 11th at 10:25AM EST (link)We have a couple of local groups that are conservatives. They too are gaining power in the local Republican party. (We are a very conservative region) I only hope that the Republican establishment will wake up and welcome these conservative groups. If the Republican establishment doesn’t welcome the groups, then I feel that we are really lost.
There is no "natural" fit for the tea partiers.
Steph C (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 10:36AM EST (link)And the establishment Republicans have made a mockery of the Big Tent doctrine of Reagan.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
Then we need to get a better establishment
Republican_Michigander (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 4:50PM EST (link)I don’t know how it works in your state, but if it is like mine, it takes a little organization, elbow grease, knowledge of the rules of the game, and a lot of hard work to get a better establishment.
Here it starts with precinct delegates. They are elected in the August Primary election at the end of the ticket. I’ve ran four times and won every time.
Precinct Delegates go to county conventions. They pick the members of the County Party Executive Committee and pick the delegates to state convention. State Convention delegates pick the District Committees (where I serve), state party committee, state chair, RNC committeeman and even the nominations of some offices at least in Michigan.
Less Government, More Freedom
http://republicanmichigander.blogspot.com
5 (nt)
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That's an expansion of what Erick's saying
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 4:53PM EST (link)The Tea Party people ought to put down their signs and get involved to protect their interests.
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Hold on to the signs!!
martyinaz Tuesday, October 13th at 2:26PM EST (link)Please don’t ask the Tea Partiers to put down their signs. The more they stir the pot the more people will get involved over their anger with our government. With 2010 being a big election year for the House, (all are up for re-election), we have a good chance to get the attention of the politico. They will LISTEN, when they are up for re-election, (Ask not what you can do for yourselves, ask what you can do for your constituents). Then, vote out all the Democrats and take a hard look at the Republicans, who may need educational measures to get them back to their conservative values.
I agree with you to an extent.
Steph C (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:37AM EST (link)However, in the ‘now’ it’s not going to help much. Over time it can and, hopefully will, turn things around.
Conservative, conservatism is tantamount to a four letter word in this time. It will take time to change people’s perceptions and right now there are so many attempting to reduce the entire citizenry to less freedom and choices.
The tea partiers have played a large role in at least slowing those attempts and they reach out across party lines and ideology in a way that neither party has been able to do in a long, long time.
We need them to keep doing that even as we work on Erick’s idea of more activism within the party and taking it back from those who are happy with the status quo.
We are in a war, gentlemen. It is not a war fought with weapons and the battlefields are somewhat ethereal, but a war nonetheless.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
This is something I'v been gnawing on for a while...The Tea Parties are so huge because people feel they have no voice...
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 3:05PM EST (link)NOBODY is speaking for them. We’ve watched the Dems push and push for ever bigger government and we currently have a Republican Party whose whole stated reason for existing is’nt to limit the size and scope of government…it isn’t to stop the Democratic assault on our Liberty…it’s to make the growth of government and the takeover of our most basic liberties by the Federal Government as efficient as possible!
The Republican Party needs to get it through their heads that providing an alternative vision for these people doesn’t mean making the tyrannical usurpation of our system of government more efficient…it’s presenting a plan for not only stopping it…but rolling it back!
It's the desparation of weatching things spin out of control with both parties doing it...
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 3:13PM EST (link)that has given the energy and fire to the Tea Parties. The Republican Party has an opportunity to capitalize on this energy…or be consumed by it!
yup
gekster (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 6:35PM EST (link)They say Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor.
If they need more voters,
then they have to make more of who they are for.
We are there in the various Tea Party groups, leaderless, but not rudderless.
We steer always toward the Constitutional principles this nation was founded upon.
Erick Brockway
Ok folks, 2012 is here. Get involved
We're doing this in MA
GOPMOM Monday, October 12th at 8:01AM EST (link)The GOP in MA (I’ve been here 5 years) is so watered down, I sometimes cannot tell the difference between a moderate Dem (the Left is MA is, of course, way out there) and a Republican.
As a Tea Party organizer, I myself have taken the reins in my local town by reorganizing the GOP town committee. We will hold another healthcare Reform Tea Party on the Boston Common on Saturday 10/17 (12:00 – 2:00 at the Bandstand) and our volunteers will be handing out fliers informing people of how to get involved locally.
Tea Party orgs, 9/12 groups and local GOP town committees is the way to turn this sharp leftist slide around. Form a committee and get to your convention next spring. have a say in who runs to represent you. 2010 has great potential to reinstate the conservative philosophy in national leadership. (2008 had the same potential, at one point.)
I mostly agree..
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 10:19AM EST (link)However, the real impediment to getting “Joe the Farmer to run for Congress is money. And that’s where the current leadership locks out Joe and anyone else with fresh new ideas.. any ideas that challenge the status quo… and anyone that isn’t part of the good ole boy network.
We need to reform campaign financing before any substantive change will take place. I am in favor of public financing, personally. I am tired of seeing only the rich and well-connected as the only choices on my ballot here in Illinois, at least.
that was supposed to reply to "RedLeader"
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 10:21AM EST (link)above.. why it came out as a stand alone comment, I do not know.
Thank you John McCain and McCain Fiengold...
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 3:44PM EST (link)that’s what CFR was all about…McCain can now back his favored candidates by giving them access to his money base…and control them…and there isn’t a thing we can do to stop it without running head on into CFR rules, laws and regulations!
Public Financing?
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 3:59PM EST (link)There you go again.
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So you think current financing
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 6:10PM EST (link)arrangements have worked out so well?
Where foreigners can finance the Obama campaign?
Where the interests of local residents get drowned out by monied interests in other states?
Where the daily kooks can “target” a district and raise a half million in one afternoon?
Yeah.. It’s working out just fabulous. Residents of a District barely have a say in who gets elected anymore. But, I guess that’s ok with you?
I personally feel you shouldn’t be able to donate to a candidate you cannot vote for. And I’ve never understood how Conservatives could think otherwise. Liberals I can understand.. they feel they know best for all people everywhere.. so bring in outside money to do the “right” thing.. the ends justify the means. But, as a conservative, I have always felt our founders set us up so that we were in control of who represented us. Well, not so much anymore.
Most conservatives support the first amendment (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 6:55PM EST (link)RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
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Who said anything about infringing on free speech?
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:18PM EST (link)I surely did not.
I believe any and all can put on TV ads, newspaper ads, etc. in support of a candidate anywhere. That is your Constitutional right.. I believe all such ads should be identified as to who bought it.
What I said was I don’t think anyone who cannot vote for a candidate should not be able to contribute to that candidate.
I don’t think free speech covers contributions.. although I believe the Supreme Court may rule otherwise soon in the case against McCain-Feingold. I’m not sure the proper case has been brought to the SCOTUS to decide this..
Free speech doesn't cover contributions ...?
Martin Knight (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:44PM EST (link)So if you write something (a manifesto, a book, a leaflet, etc.) and I agree with what you write, whether or not I can contribute money to help you print and disseminate it should be by the leave of the state?
Really?
That's a stretch..
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:55PM EST (link)You are donating to a candidate.. you are quite free to publish whatever you like.
And you are also quite free to pay for copies of a manifesto and distribute them.
Can I donate to help the author make copies and distribute the manifesto?
Martin Knight (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 4:22AM EST (link)What happened to freedom of association in your world?
Not within 60 days of the election day. nt
mbecker908 (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:56PM EST (link)By the way you just pulled an Obama
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:02PM EST (link)Obama: “I want massive new state involvement in medicine!”
Conservative: “I don’t.”
Obama: “Why, do you like the way things are now?!!!?!?!”
Congratulations; you’re defending your plans for a state takeover in the same way Obama is defending his plans for a state takeover.
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Oh please.. I think not...
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:12PM EST (link)And I am open to any and all other suggestions as to how we can clean up campaign financing.
Public financing would be problematic, yes. But we need to look at how we finance elections.
I noticed you didn’t have any suggestions so I suppose you agree current arrangements are just ducky?
I'm intruding on this scuffle just to say...
kowalski (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:35PM EST (link)I’m intruding on this scuffle to say that I think it’s an important concern and both points of view have merit: people in a lot of local races both (R) and (D) are discouraged by the fact that “outsiders” with lots of money can “target” those races and raise money for their preferred candidate even though most of the people contributing don’t live anywhere near where the money is going.
I wonder if the law could be written in such a way as to protect local races from outside influence while allowing outsiders to really set the terms, for example:
“If the amount donated by outside parties exceed the amount donated by locals, which are subject to limits, than all the excess money must be returned.” In other words, if the locals donate X to one campaign, outside donators are allowed to contribute up to X as well, but not more.
Is that enforceable? Well it should be if there’s a good accounting system. How could you write the law to allow it?
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Sorry, locals, not outsiders
kowalski (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:39PM EST (link)In the second paragraph. Typing fast.
My goal with this idea would be to set a cap on the amount of money that can pour into a race from the outside while still allowing it to occur, proportional to the amount of local support each candidate can generate. That seems more honest to me.
Nothing would stop people from creating ads on their own time and with their own money, nothing would stop them from highlighting those races, but people who could not vote for the candidates would be proportionally capped by the amount of money the candidates were able to raise locally.
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And before you wrote that law
kowalski (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:51PM EST (link)Let’s not put the cart before the horse, here:
Before you tried to change the law that way, the first thing you’d have to do is ask a lot of people in enough places:
“Should we cap outside money donations to local candidates so that those donations are proportional to the amount of money those candidates can raise locally?”
_Agree _Disagree
“What should the proportional cap be for outside money?”
_Exactly as much as each candidate can raise locally
_Twice as much as each candidate can raise locally
_Half as much as each candidate can raise locally
If you really wanted to change the law in a Democratic way, you’d have to put that to a vote. If that were in on the ballot in my locality, I’d think carefully about it. I’d probably cap it at 0.5X, including the amount spent on local ad campaigns.
Now, NATIONAL ad campaigns or GOTV efforts to try and raise money in those districts are OK. But the fundamental total for the cap comes from within each district.
I don’t see why that’s impossible given real-time (or almost real-time) electronics.
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But the idea is appealing to me because
kowalski (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:56PM EST (link)The idea is appealing to me because if it was written correctly the law would effectively say:
“OK, you can support these candidates as much as you like from 10,000 or 2,000 or 500 miles away, but if you want to pour money into this district from outside, first you have to *go there* and get the *people* in that district to match whatever you think you can shovel in that direction. Otherwise that candidate cannot accept the money.”
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A thought worth contemplating.
gekster (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:10PM EST (link)They say Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor.
If they need more voters,
then they have to make more of who they are for.
We are there in the various Tea Party groups, leaderless, but not rudderless.
We steer always toward the Constitutional principles this nation was founded upon.
Erick Brockway
Ok folks, 2012 is here. Get involved
It seems to me
kowalski (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:19PM EST (link)It seems to me that some kind of balance has to be struck: people who live in a place where they’re politically active and have a lot at stake have to know and blelieve that some outside force (in the form of a ton of money being dropped) isn’t going to effectively disenfranchise their local interests.
On the other hand, people everywhere in the country need to be able to support their Party’s candidates — and donate money to them — particularly in key races.
Somehow there has to be a way to accomodate both of these imperatives better than we’re doing it now. I think that confidence in our Democracy at the local level is more important than just saying: “Hey, we can’t police this, so anything goes. If some rich Hungarian decides to dump a quarter of a million dollars into your local race, there’s nothing you can do about it, sucker. Even though you’ve lived there your entire life.”
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as for a good balance
gekster (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:57PM EST (link)I think a good balance would be that you can only take X amount of money from only people in your voting district. and only voters.
No unions, corps, et al.
and as far as outside money,
only 1/4 of what you raise locally should you get from your party.
They say Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor.
If they need more voters,
then they have to make more of who they are for.
We are there in the various Tea Party groups, leaderless, but not rudderless.
We steer always toward the Constitutional principles this nation was founded upon.
Erick Brockway
Ok folks, 2012 is here. Get involved
One other good thing about it
kowalski (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:41PM EST (link)One other good thing about it is that it would tend to give the advantage to candidates who really need to be removed from office — according to the people who most want them removed! In other words, Democracy in action.
I say this because if you have a really awful [local elected Representative] it’s usually not a secret and you will be able to raise money to get them out of office — unless your adversary has some kind of crazy-ass funding Ace up their sleeve.
Doing it this way would allow people who are satisfied with their candidates to set the tone and the terms, and it would give a particular advantage to people who want to *remove* a candidate from office locally because of their various and sundry malfeasances. It would put the responsibilty (and the power) back in the hands of locals — local newspapers, local business leaders, local citizen groups.
That’s where it belongs. And the stronger that local support is, the stronger the “far flung” support would be allowed to be, but in some kind of proportion that people actually still believed they were doing something important.
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Worth exploring.. yes..
illinoisconservative (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 8:24PM EST (link)Like I said.. I’m open to any suggestions that will bring elections back into the sphere of influence of the local electorate.
Thanks.
Hey, I've got an idea!
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 10:07PM EST (link)Close the FEC. Stop pretending that money buys votes, and let as much money flow in as needed to ensure the voters can get enough information to vote intelligently.
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Denial is more than a river
illinoisconservative (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 12:00AM EST (link)Denial
Denial is more than a river in
illinoisconservative (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 12:02AM EST (link)Egypt..
If you really think outside money plays absolutely no part in local elections, then we have nothing more to talk about.
That's about it
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 1:16AM EST (link)I think outside money is wonderful for creating competitive politics where they otherwise wouldn’t exist.
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If you truly believe
jdh770 Monday, October 12th at 2:11PM EST (link)that outside money, “creates competitive politics where it otherwise wouldn’t exist”, then I’m sure your belief brings tears of joy to George Soros’ eyes…
Huh?
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 2:16PM EST (link)So I guess you enjoy conceding the strongly D urban districts or something?
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This is the same paternalistic reasoning on the Left ...
Martin Knight (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 5:23AM EST (link)It is already illegal to offer people money in exchange for them pulling one lever or the other at the polls. In other words, money is not used to “buy” votes.
Most campaign money goes towards communications, convincing the electorate to give their votes to Candidate X or Candidate Y. The real issue is that too many people on both sides of the aisle, particularly in DC and academia believe that the typical voter needs to be “protected” from being influenced by all those slick ads, mailings and other stuff.
It’s very paternalistic; i.e. “what if they vote wrong?”
Another issue is that restricting donations to only the voters within a district presents the problem of one wealthy individual being able to dominate the district’s airwaves with no way for the other side to compete.
And finally, note that Henry Waxman represents a district in CA, but the legislation his Committee writes affects the lives of people living in WY. I believe, in that case, it’s only fair that some guy in WY should be able to donate to Waxman’s opponent … or Waxman himself.
Works the other way too; people in Waxman's district,
Achance (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 10:29AM EST (link)or groups, influence elections in WY and, especially, Alaska. Waxman hates the Alaska oil industry as do his SFO friends. All the Greenie groups are major players in elections at every level here even down to municipal assembly races and the like.
As much as I hate having to outbid the CA Trust Fund babies and Dot-Com millionaires, I’m not really a fan of restricting contributions to the district, though it is tempting and I threaten it sometimes.
I’m for instant, no more than 24 hours, of ALL contributions both monetary and in-kind. Also, all PACS and non-profits must disclose all contributions in the same fashion. The PACs and non-profits essentially function as a money laundry. I think you’d find that some very bad people poured huge amounts of money into Comrade Obama’s campaign and the Democrat Party using that laundry. ‘Course, since they won, nobody’s going to look.
In Vino Veritas
It must be
kowalski (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:51PM EST (link)It must be that I don’t have enough money to donate to anyone except in a few key races to really influence anything. That’s not meant in a sour-grapes way, it’s just true.
I guess the consensus here at RedState is: “Just leave everything alone and let anyone donate as much as they want to anything.” The problem, it seems to me, is that we’re getting creamed because of that simplistic credo.
Al Franken is now the U.S. Senator from Minnesota. Why? Because MoveOn.org and several other organizations targeted the Secretary of State race in Minnesota and they poured money into it, and they won — bigtime.
My suggestion wasn’t paternalistic — it just seemed to me to make a little bit of sense, at least: outside organizations shouldn’t be able to completely swamp local races with truckloads of money.
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Not close, refocus on the right problem.
The_Gadfly (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:12AM EST (link)The problem at the FEC at the moment is it focuses on the amount of money given rather than on who is giving the money. Frankly, PACs make that worse.
Change the campaign finance law to require the quick public disclosure of who gave money above a certain threshold to a campaign. I’d say over $500, but am very open to changing the amount. And frankly, I’d make the PACs and 527′s illegal rather than direct contributions. Donations to parties would be legal, but all monies including amounts given for party building must be disclosed. And of course, make it illegal for unions to include political contributions as party of dues, as in explicit check box or the union is decertified.
If people can see that a particular politician has been bought and paid for by either George Soros or Haliburton, they can decide whether or not it is a problem.
That's about where I'm at
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:16AM EST (link)I could live with and probably even support requirements for transparency. In fact I’d be inclined to require instant electronic disclosure of all donations of any amount.
That gives voters information.
But let’s not restrict donations. That reduces information available to voters and is a flagrant violation of the Constitution.
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“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
If that's the best we could do
illinoisconservative (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 7:18AM EST (link)without the Constitutional questions, I could live with that too. Today’s technology should make that do-able.
Practically speaking..
illinoisconservative (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 7:16AM EST (link)that’s probably the best scenario possible, considering the beneficiaries of these donations are the ones writing the laws.
As long as you could easily see who was donating, local newspapers and even concerned citizens could be the watchdogs.
Hopefully, Congress will need to revisit campaign finance law if the Supreme Court throws out parts of McCain-Feingold.
Thanks.
Using dues for politics IS illegal. Union direct contributions are illegal.
Achance (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 10:22AM EST (link)Adultery is illegal in lots of places too; must be why nobody ever does it. Democrats won’t enforce the law. Republicans are afraid to enforce the law. Objecting employees have to go it alone and only sometimes get the help of National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund or some private foundation, e.g., Evergreen Foundation took on the WA NEA. In a Blue state, an individual employee or even an unsupported group doesn’t have a prayer of prevailing because even the State AG often comes in against them, e.g., Washington.
In Vino Veritas
Technically, yes.
The_Gadfly (Diary) Wednesday, October 21st at 12:30PM EST (link)I was going with effective outcome. Your list pretty much details why it being technically true is worthless. My objective is to codify the SCOTUS decision in such a way that any citizen can actually successfully enforce it. I pretty much have your point about the spinelessness of most professional Republicans tattooed on my brain.
I like Neil's idea, except...
diakrioi (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 10:12AM EST (link)I am reading all of the ideas here on how to limit contributions by “outsiders” – every idea sounds a bit hokey to me. If there is one thing that can be learned by studying the history of campaign finance reform it is this: Politicians find a way around restrictions put upon them within a couple of election cycles.
So, I’m with Neil on this one, i.e., allow the greatest freedom possible in contributions and depend on the voters to make an informed decision. To make an informed decision possible, we need a few rules.
1. No campaign contributions can be spent unless the source has been a published fact for 7 days.
2. Bundled contributions (such as from political action committees) cannot be accepted unless the contributing organization follows rule #1 without exception.
3. Failure of a campaign or political action committee to follow rule #1 means they lose the right to accept money and contribute to campaigns.
Well there is a lot of "hokey"
kowalski (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:38PM EST (link)I’ll freely grant you that. Here I go and try to come up with a mastermind plan to solve everyone’s problems and you guys just tell me it ain’t gonna work.
Which it probably wouldn’t, after a couple of election cycles, for the reasons you mention. Then the law will have to be revised, and all kinds of outrage will have to be vented online in order to do that, etc., etc.
See, this is why I never discussed campaign finance reform before: it’s an *absolutely impossible* subject to get broad-based agreement on, it’s like public schools.
Defend Liberty — Join the NRA | Live in Massachusetts? Join GOAL.
Regarding point 3, I don't so much like the death penalty on this one.
The_Gadfly (Diary) Wednesday, October 21st at 12:40PM EST (link)I’d be more in the let them live but make it painful camp. As in, the campaign forfeits all money in the bundle to the federal government as a fine. If it is a PAC or NPO, all their income for the last fiscal year is forfeited to the feds. The PACs and NPOs could survive that with a lot of work, but it would hurt and they’d be sure to remember it. For the single donation, I think maybe they forfeit the donation to the government, then have to pay the government to have a high priced forensic accounting agency review all of their records for any other problems. If they don’t cooperate with the accounting agency quickly enough, then I’d go for the death sentence.
But I’m liking your point 1 for the definition of transparency.
Average American running for Congress
davidmeeks (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 4:27PM EST (link)My name is David Meeks and I am running for US Congress. I am just an average American working a regular job.
No one ran against Rep Snyder in 2008. I decided that would not be the case in 2010. I went to the American Majority training.
I am seeing a strong grassroots effort. I am hoping that average everyday Americans will support me.
To find out more about me please visit my site:
www.whoisdavidmeeks.com
Here to Serve,
David
Here to Serve,
David
Congrats, we need more people like you
Finrod (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 11:29AM EST (link)I would strongly encourage you to write a diary here and line out who you are and who you’re running against. We definitely need all the coverage of local races that we can get.
Let’s get down to brass tacks here. How much for the ape?
does Sarah Palin come to mind in your analogy
gekster (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:03PM EST (link)She’s a conservative outside of the GOBN.
Thats what makes her good, and why they hate her.
IMO
They say Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor.
If they need more voters,
then they have to make more of who they are for.
We are there in the various Tea Party groups, leaderless, but not rudderless.
We steer always toward the Constitutional principles this nation was founded upon.
Erick Brockway
Ok folks, 2012 is here. Get involved
Public financing is a violation of my free speech and association rights
The_Gadfly (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:15AM EST (link)For the same reason that my tax dollars shouldn’t be used to promote abortion, they shouldn’t be used to promote political beliefs that are antithetical to me.
Exactly.
GOPMOM Monday, October 12th at 8:03AM EST (link)If GOP supporters don’t realize that the Left’s money machine never stops writing checks, we will not be contenders.
Take heart, though. We are smarter and better at managing money. We get more bang for our bucks. But we must all donate. Every contribution helps, no matter how small.
You're just a trouble maker Erick...LOL
AceInTX (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 2:52PM EST (link)Keep up the good work…I couldn’t agree more!
Wouldn't you turn on the GOP leadership if
Scope (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:42PM EST (link)McCain is now claiming to be the top spokesperson for the GOP? The Poodle, Graham, claims he is the titular head of the Republican party. Until the party can get rid of the filth of the McCainiacs, Grahmesties, Snoweball’s and the like, more and more Tea Partiers will turn against the party. Saw a former McCain “advisor” today on the Chris Wallace show. He insisted that the Stimulus is working. He was probably the same advisor that advised McCain to run back to DC to vote for TARP. Did McCain have any advisor, campaign staff person, that was remotely competent, that remotely supported Conservative ideas?
Wouldn't you turn on the GOP leadership if
Scope (Diary) Sunday, October 11th at 7:42PM EST (link)McCain is now claiming to be the top spokesperson for the GOP? The Poodle, Graham, claims he is the titular head of the Republican party. Until the party can get rid of the filth of the McCainiacs, Grahmesties, Snoweball’s and the like, more and more Tea Partiers will turn against the party. Saw a former McCain “advisor” today on the Chris Wallace show. He insisted that the Stimulus is working. He was probably the same advisor that advised McCain to run back to DC to vote for TARP. Did McCain have any advisor, campaign staff person, that was remotely competent, that remotely supported Conservative ideas?
Where else can we go?
Chief1942 Sunday, October 11th at 8:53PM EST (link)As one of the millions of former GOP members who were literally thrown under the bus by the leadership in their effort to out Democrat the Democrats, I see little recourse other than trying to regain control of the GOP and restoring it to it’s former ideological position. Certainly we cannot make any inroads within the democratic Party as it has been effectively taken over by the Progressive/Socialists who are an anathema to all that traditionalist Americans stand for.
For some time now, millions of us disenfrachised citizens who have no political voice have simply waundered in the political wilderness trying to make our presence or the lack of it ,felt. Hasn’t worked as witness the failed stimulus that no one wanted, the government takeover of the auto industry against the wishes of the people, and the basic nationalization of the banks.
The leadership and members of both parties have basically turned a deaf ear to mainstreet America. I wonder if they would even recognize gunfire when they hear it. Once the frustration of being ignored, decieved, disrespected, and marginalized really starts to sink in, I suspect there will be a reaction the likes this nation has not seen since our first revolution. I simply wait and watch to see if there is any possibility that simple participatiion in the political process by mainstreet Americans has any chance of success. I am long past jousting at windmills.
NEVER YIELD
geraldstephens Monday, October 12th at 6:01AM EST (link)A lifelong Republican, 70 years and counting, not even the GOP is immune from the common sense of the PEOPLE.
It is all too painfully obvious that we can no longer rely on the Snowe(s) to protect our liberty.
He who hesitates withdrawing from the snakes surely risks being fatally bitten.
Gerald Stephens
Hartford, CT
Right on Erick
redpens (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 6:04AM EST (link)The GOP thinks that Charlie Crist is good enough for the country. Governor Suntan(Crist), John McCain, and Lindsey Graham are 3 of the reasons the GOP has lost its’ way. I wish Arlen Specter would have taken them to the Demo-communist party.
Republican needs more grownups
wilfranc Monday, October 12th at 8:20AM EST (link)In an attempt not to be branded as the party of no, Republicans have confused that sometimes grownups and responsible people say no all the time. It should be a badge of honor.
When my sister was remortgaging her house every time I turned around to buy all kinds of neat toys for her family, she knew she was getting in deeper and deeper without an idea how to repay the debt. She was going to put her foot down, but if she said no, she would be the bad guy. They ended up having to sell the house to clear up the debts, and had to start over basically. She has remembered that lesson pretty well.
The Republican party has supported too many candidates that cannot say no to larger government and all it takes is a couple of them like Snowe, and McCain, to throw the credibility of the party away. They are worse than Democratic opponents.
So I have decided no more money for the party, it is a waste of precious resources especially in Michigan. My Republican representative just pulled a bipartisan defense of passing too large a budget. It was “for the children.”
Lost their way
conritwng Monday, October 12th at 9:42AM EST (link)The Republicans have indeed lost their constitutional way and are getting a Bleeding Heart like the Dem’s. John McCain. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and the rest of the RINO,s should be have the courtesy to resign from the Republican Party and Michael should be one of them …He doesn’t want to hurt any feelings and has made a mush of the GOP I hope the Continental Congress 2009 will have an impact on our Government and I am behind them 100%
Go to …..Give Me Liberty.org
I’m either a birther or a moby, and the moderator doesn’t really feel it’s worth his time to determine which; both are insta-bans anyway.
By the way,,
wilfranc Monday, October 12th at 8:25AM EST (link)There are still great Republicans out there. Brooks Patterson, the Oakland Co. Executive has done a great job, considering it a few miles down the road from Detroit, the Midwest basketcase. Oakland just received another AAA bond rating, one of the few in the country.
Think of him kind of like Michigan’s Rudy. He was a prosecuter before county Exec. He declined to run for governor, which was disappointing to me.
Watch out, Erick...
profg (Diary) Monday, October 12th at 12:45PM EST (link)… Saying things like this will get you banned from RedState. All those Ron Paul supporters found that out the hard way!
“Grassroots activists need to start infiltrating the party,” said Erickson. “The only way to start getting [the establishment] back is to start pounding them with every fist we have.”
Be respectful, or be banned. No Profanity.
Great Republicans...
arc_ut (Diary) Tuesday, October 13th at 9:44AM EST (link)In Utah, our State GOP Leaders come to the Tea Parties. They want to know what is going on.
Last year, the 3rd district voted out a 6 term incumbent republican with a new republican US Rep. Jason Chaffetz. Rep. Chaffetz is doing great.
This year, US Senator Bob Bennett appears to be worried he will not be elected next year. We have 3 or 4 “Republican’s vying for his seat. They hope Senator Bennett will not even make it to the primary.
Our State GOP is staying neutral on this race, until we have selected our nominee. So is our Governor and Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
One of the challangers is the 3 term Attorney General from Utah. Prior to Rep. Chaffetz beating Chris Cannon last year, we may not have had someone like him run.
My personal feeling is we don’t need another attorney in the US Senate and replacing a 3 term incumbent with a 3 term incumbent isn’t the answer.
Luckily we have Cherilyn Eagar running. I am hoping she will be as effective as Jason Chaffetz is being.
—
Principles for a Change.
Fiscal Restraint
Limited Government
Free Market Solutions
Energy Independence
Strong National Defense
… not only abroad and along our borders, but within our communities and our families.
Principled. Passionate. Persuasive. Prepared.
“I am fighting for the heart and soul of our country and the Republican Party… It’s time for Republicans to start acting like Republicans again.
Will you stand with me? ”
-Cherilyn Eagar
For more information and to donate, go to
http://www.eagar4senate.com/
Bizarro World
Deadeye (Diary) Thursday, October 15th at 8:53AM EST (link)I find it strange to see Erick speaking on behalf of or in defense of the Tea Partiers given how strongly opposed he is to some of their views and how much he represents a part of the party which many of them revile.
Dave
http://www.nationalbroadside.com
Free the GOP – www.libertyrepublican.com
Dog Track Time
robertbelvedere Thursday, October 15th at 1:10PM EST (link)Awarded the THE SPOT-ON QUOTE OF THE DAY at: TCOTS
It is Dog Track Time for the leadership of the Republican Party at all levels. Too many have stayed too long, and it is time for them to do the honorable thing: take the figurative Luger and retire to their dens. The Boehner’s, Ginriches, O’Connell’s, Steele’s, McCain’s [not of The Other variety], Frist’s, Dole’s, Cantor’s, Lowry’s, Romney’s, Frum’s, Brooks’s, Noonan’s, Parker’s, et. al., must all go, if not willingly than through pushing and ignoring. The Right has rediscovered its purpose in life: to guard against ideology, to protect and defend the Founding, and to fight the forces of tyranny in all of its forms. Now is the time for the grassroots to seize the roots of the Stupid Party and bring it back to it’s roots in conservative principles. To quote MacArthur after he landed on the Philippines:
As the lines of battle roll forward to bring you within the zone of operations, rise and strike. Strike at every favorable opportunity. For your homes and hearths, strike! For future generations of your sons and daughters, strike! In the name of your sacred dead, strike! Let no heart be faint. Let every arm be steeled. The guidance of divine God points the way. Follow in His Name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory!
Nil Desperandum. Or in the vulgar: Never let the bastards get you down.