Conservatives, Boards, Committees, Primaries and Elective Office

Grassroots democracy operates the same way whether you’re on the left or the right.  Barack Obama was a “community organizer.”  Enough said.  Organizational tactics themselves cut across party lines and are generic.

       Liberal activist Jeffrey Stout’s Blessed Are the Organized: Grassroots Democracy in America  offers advice about political activism that applies equally to the right.  Activism is activism, and lessons can be gleaned by those who want to have a real impact on local politics.

       After all, look inside the White House to see who got elected.  His resume was awfully thin, with the only qualification worth mentioning being “community organizer.”  What he stood for seems to have been secondary.  What he was able to accomplish in the campaign as a community organizer counted for everything.

      Many conservatives think that getting up-to-speed personally on issues is enough.  Reading books, applying skepticism while watching liberal media, and dropping in on an occasional right-oriented gathering will help turn things around.  Maybe, but maybe not.

     Organizing on the grassroots level should start with serving on city boards and county committees.  Use the Web to find the board or committee that suits you.  Find out more by getting on the telephone, dropping by the appropriate office, and submitting your interest in serving.

       Major Sam Kooiker of Rapid City, South Dakota, recently issued a call for citizens to serve on a newly created Building Code Board of Appeals, which consolidated seven other boards.  Little interest was shown by the public in serving, even though those selected could learn as they served.

      Service on this level is the first step toward the next stratum of political engagement: running for public office in the primaries.  Candidates who demonstrate a commitment to public service are always better than those who haven’t bothered to get their feet wet.