So this is our first attempt to interview the Conservative Grassroots here on Wave then to post the archive on our blog and out to Twitter! Can you start with telling us a little bit about who you are and what has drawn you away from family, friends and the pursuit of Happiness to become a Conservative Grassroots Activist?

LOL I first heard about Twitter from a writer-friend of mine named Phil. I guess you could say we worked together. I was a pr (hack) & he was an editor for a mag. His story was my first cover back in the olden days of the early ’90’s. Anyway, he told me about Twitter in August of ‘08. I checked it out and was immediately smitten. The idea of microblogging in real time – sort like chatting, but not exactly, was intriguing. The election was in full swing & was apoplectic at the sorry state of affairs of the GOP, it paltry messaging, and the frankly, silly slate of candidates (sorry to be so harsh, but there you go). Here we have these ridiculous candidates Hillary? Biden? “U-bam-uh?” Edwards??? Really??? The GOP was, in a lot of ways, even weaker. Hmmmm…. this is turning into a screed…. The point is that I very quickly found some of the smartest, kindest people through this cool, online Twitter-thing.

Is Twitter your main effort online?

I have been blogging since – goodness! – 2004! (oof – I’m old) It was very cathartic, but I doubt very much many people read my essays. twitter was a wonderful way to talk with more people about the the things we all cared about very much, indeed. And what true American could possibly resist the instant gratification of it all!?? I still blog, but not as much. Much of my espousing is threw Twitter (for better or worse) I do have a Facebook page, but it is reserved for family only. I’ve thought about creating a more open version, but in many ways, FB is frustrating.

2004, that is excellent!  In our effort we always point out that our blogs are our core effort but Twitter, online radio and our online Magazines really give us that reach we lacked with just a blog. You assertion of that instant gratification is well founded and in our case it has increased our traffic to our blog effort three fold. What other efforts online do you enjoy?

“Online efforts?” I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question…. are you asking what blogs,etc I read or what else I do?

Oh, let me clarify, I understand you are involved with the Tea Party movement and you were the one that suggested this GoogleWave as a perfect way to do these interviews! It seems to be working very well.  What other organizations or sites do you utilize online?

Ya! No crashing yet

Okay … So, waaay back I helped out Smart Girl Politics. I was there in an “unofficial” capacity as someone who could help with some of the big-picture stuff. Like their first TwitterBall, etc. Then, on — go ahead.

So your PR experience really assisted some of the newer efforts with Strategy and early stages of development! I have often found our Conservative Grassroots the most interesting and talented individuals I have ever met. Is is rewarding to bring your talents to a young upstart movement and watch your effort come together in such a vibrant and immediate way?

It is enormously rewarding. Rightly or not, every time I see a Tea Party story or hear about a group, I feel like a proud parent. To be clear, there are hundreds – thousands! – of good people who feel the same way, and for good reason.

I know exactly what you are saying. The Grizzly Groundswell came about on July 27, 2007 and has moved mountains ever since. We have watched so many talented and promising efforts come and go even in our short existence.

What are some of the core things that you see working online today too, as we say, “Get Grizzly in their Backyards!”

Okay, so flashback to Feb20, 2009. On CNBC, Rick Santelli had his rant. It electrified the Twitteraties – in my corner of the sandbox, anyway. I was deeply involved with the Smart Girls and I was trying to help out and strengthen the tcot movement (that’s what it was, then). We were already doing the Conf-call thing trying to organize melt-the-phone campaigns to stop the auto bailouts, & etc. We remember then, main leader of the organizing effort was Mike Leahey (I need the chk that spelling – I ALWAYS get it wrong!). You know what? Santelli’s rant was, like the 18th. It was the 20th when Mike called for a conf call to start planning a nationwide Teaparty to be held on the 27th.

There are a couple of things that happened in those early days that I think were right and good. Decisions that are in place today.

I completely agree! The Tea Party to me is a great petri dish for patriots in our Conservative Grassroots and look at all the divergent good that came out of it! We now have countless efforts all trying to run the marathon, not the sprint. The best will rise to the top, and others will fade away. This is not a badminton game, it is for keeps and noses do get bloodied.

Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!

I think it was the 2nd conf call re: the Feb27th march. I became very alarmed that there was no message, no single, identifyable reason for what were trying to say or do.

And so many safety and basic necessities that were being willing fully overlooked at the time.

Chalk it up to the hubris of a young movement

Maybe it was the youth but I insist it was political operatives setting it up for its demise. The movement was quickly infiltrated.

I kept waiting for the Obama Administration to utilize the effort for political gain. But I think there were too many good Americans that kept it above reproach and what the socialist squirrels meant for it, they could not find a way to bring it down, they had ignited a powder keg and lost control of it early and often through its tadpole stages.

Yes. There were (I think) key decisions made in those early, early days leading to the 27th. The first came about after I had a private talk w/Mike. “What are we doing, exactly? Why are we marching?” I asked him. He started giving me this long-winded answer about the Constitution, and the blah,blah… Frankly, i don’t remember his answer. It was boring & that was the problem. When he finished he asked me what I thought. I said it wasn’t good enough. It’s too complicated, too esoteric. He said,”Well, what to YOU want ?” I said that we should demand that Congress take it back. Repeal it. Repeal it all. The next day (or was it the next conf call) Mike offered the “Repeal it or Retire” line. I think that it was vital to reduce the impetuous behind that Feb27th march to one short sentence.

Exactly! That was key!

The second decision was made on the call in real time. That was the decision to NOT have a national leader. We realized that without a name, the Left & their allies in the media would have nothing to attack but the idea, which would guarantee their failure.

The last major piece of advice I was able to offer – I think it was the night before the march – was this: Take your camera, both video & still. Take pictures, take video. Tape it all, because if you don’t film it, it didn’t happen. The media will ignore us, & try to vilify & demean us. Take picture so that we can show them, and us , the truth of what happened.

That piece of advice served the movement very well, because the media did just that! And the American People for probably the first time seen the American Main Stream Media for what it was. That was a huge victory!

yay us

Now I never really jumped on the Tea Party movement bandwagon for two reasons, 1 I had my hands full with my own effort and long range goals of my effort and 2 I really was worried that the Tea Party Movement because it had no long range goals would leave the Conservative Grassroots more embittered than motivated to stay the course for the long haul. I have been pleasantly surprised that the Tea Party did ignite American Conservative Grassroots and now today there are so many of us active and providing vehicles for other activists to join in on the fight online and offline right in their backyards.

You mentioned three real key decisions that early on were made that probably kept the Tea Party from just being a Shooting Star, real bright but then burning up and never to be heard from again. Who are those efforts you see today online that we should all be supporting that came out of this really historic Tea party movement?

Well, I think the 3rd key decision was – when was it? just before? it had to have been… – It was the realization that if we limit ourselves to conservative Republicans, we will fail. I pushed hard for a pan-partisan message that called for including Libertarian (after all, they are just immature Republicans — joking!), conservative Democrats, and all those independents that were disgusted with the entire political process. We need to reach out to them. To ask them to join us. As Republicans – the GOP, that is – we(they) had let us down. We were rebelling against the ridiculous Democrat philosophies that were ruining THAT party, but we were really, REALLY rebelling against that Republican establishment that has, for SOOOOO long abused us by triangulating away from those core, Constitutional ideas that define America & should certainly define the Republicans. We needed to humbly acknowledge that as Republicans, we had failed, and that we needed their help (esp the Libertarians) to re-align the unique conservative American values so that we could go back to the GOP, take it back, & get it right… does that make sense?

Perfect sense and history does repeat itself. I am the 4th generation lifelong Republican. My great grandfather successfully defeated Socialism in 1921 by uniting the Conservative Republican, Democrat and Independent voter in North Dakota to take out A. C. Townley & the IWW from becoming a national threat by recalling the first Governor in USA History. But you will never of had the opportunity to read about E. W. Everson in your history books because shortly after his death the Non Partisan League came back in power, burned down the North Dakota State House with all the documentation and erased his name forever…they thought. But through one written life story and combing through the opposition archives we now have an example, a blueprint of how to defeat our opposition, this Acorn and Clinton and Obama political machines that are patterned after the Non Partisan League Socialist Squirrel Stinking Thinking! So I have seen it historically done, lucky to be related to the man who did it with the help of great American Patriots and have his blueprint in the Grizzly Groundswell or Theodore Media online effort today.

It is so interesting to me that so many are reacting and acting in tune with what I have found to be my calling, an extension of my great grandfathers calling.

Where do you see the Tea Party Movement and all the movements coming out of it in 2010?

Well, you asked me a little bit ago, who’re the ppl to watch. I think there are a LOT of no-joke brilliant leaders we don;t know about yet. I think the Smart Girls have an extraordinary group of effective people. I think they will be a ’star factory.’

I could not of put it better myself, I look at our membership and always say I am that kid at the grown up table, just tickled like punch that I can sit in on their conversation!

Yes!

On the media front, I think we will see big things from Stephen Kruiser, Tabitha Hale, Melissa Clouthier (sp?!) — these are a few of the folks that I think have the best chance of breaking through to mainstream tv-type stuff.

As for activists, organizers & politicians, I think there are a ton of people that I’d be too embarrassed if I left them out!!

I am sorry to put you on the spot like that, it is hard to list all the super stars because you are right there are so many!

I think Mark Mecklar has done great things. Eric Odom is great.

I know Eric Odom and I am really impressed how he was able to swim with sharks and keep the momentum going with this Tea Party effort. He was really that consistent presence that seemed to keep the movement going through all the drama. I have to take my hat off to his effort.

Agreed!!!!!!!

Jenny-Beth Martin, Amy Kremer in ATL, SallyZ in SF, Dawn Wildman, (oh noes! I’m blanking on my friend’s name in NE?! ACK!!!!)

Dawn Wildman is a human dynamo! She is great at whatever she jumps into. We need to replicate her enthusiasm.

See? Like I said, these people are no-joke. They are our beacons, our heroes — AND THERE ARE SO MANY MORE

What is it that sepperates those Beacons from the rest? So many get involved only to quickly disappear, sometimes it is just life happening but there takes a certain drive or what I say a calling to rise to the occasion. How can we equip the talent we bring in to this effort for the marathon?

You wouldn’t know it to look at me today, but I was once a world-class athlete. Sounds braggy, but there you go. What I discovered was that there are TONS and TONS of world-class athletes in the world. Really. I’m not kidding. What makes the diff is one thing — it’s the first thing: Showing Up. If you don’t show up to the race, you will never win.

A close second is surrounding yourself with people that are good and honest and that are filled with that …. that love in their heart. Finding those types of people is one of the hardest thing a person will do in their life.

But – for real – the people I have met on Twitter and by extension through TCOT, pjtv, & most significantly the Smart Girls, are those jewels. They are precious, sparkling, and rare.

Sorry for getting all poetic like a 14yo – but it’s true!!!!

I know it! We do have a vast depth of those assets and stars in our Conservative movement. Uplifting and encouraging each other to move mountains.

What do you see for yourself in in 2010 as a Conservative Grassroots Activist?

Well, I don’t know, but it’s going to be interesting. There are many, MANY things I’d like to do, Ideas I’d like to see implemented.

For instance, one idea I had was to organize a single day where everyone would go find their ACORN office & volunteer for them. Bust ‘em from the inside-out.(this was before the Giles/OKeefe expose)

Speaking of them, I would like to set up an award canned the Giles/Okeefe Award that recognizes excellence in journalism – you know, like what the Pulitzer pretends to be (if you look at the Pul. Award winners, you’ll throw up in your mouth a little – yuk!)

Awards are really needed, the Sam Adams Alliance does a great job with their Sammies but honestly I do not know of any others besides Americans for Prosperity that Award a blogger award each year. Our E. W. Everson Awards are genuinely given to membership and with no advertising or backing are just acknowledgments rather then the much needed monetary support our activists really need.

Another implementation that I’d like to see is something I called click-thru activism. I have railed on this a LOT, and I’ve seen it come to fruition in a limited way, but there is not yet the depth (or width!) of that idea anywhere, yet. This will be key in helping more ppl become effective with their Teaparty efforts — help the replicate the success.

Can you elaborate more on this click-thru Activism? I have seen some really successful letters to the editor and contact your elected official, but I have also seen our elected officials just turn the phones off and shut down the faxes

Click-thru activism! That’s right….

So, it was crystal-clear leading up to, and after, the marches on the 27th that people were excited and energized; but they were also inexperienced. Like a little kid who gets so frustrated they can’t talk – & when they do, they don’t make sense, I wanted to avoid/prevent our little band of excited activists from being discouraged, un-confident, or ill-prepared when April 15th came.

The April 15th Tea Party was also a time when activists started feeling the pinch and need for monetization. A few individuals had burdened the entire cost and liability of the previous events and began to break under the expectations. In future how can our movement prevent over burdening the backbone of the movement?

Yes – yet another reason we as a movement need to address this issue of money in a productive way. I think the answer may lie in the ‘click-thru activism’

That is an exciting and interesting observation!

Only if it works – HA!

The core of the click-thru activism idea is made up of several parts.

First is to create a super-resource for people. Have all kinds of written content for people to use. Letters(to pols, to editors, etc), blogposts, talking points, speeches, poems, press release templates, postcards, surveys, etc. etc. etc.

Next is to offer graphic content. Artworks for banners, signs, websites, flyers, etc. etc. etc.

To be clear, the idea is NOT to have everything look alike – the art should be wide, varied, and modular like a clip art collection (more on the importance of modularity later)

Also songs, event ideas, and a collection, by state, of Da Rulez – all the stuff organizers need to know to keep themselves out of trouble.

Also cute little web and smartphone apps that organizers can offer on their own sites, (customizable countdown clocks, polling place look-ups, etc…..)

Then, there needs to be an (insert technology here) where people can go, and with three clicks, send just about anyone in govt a message about an issue. Users can choose to use what has already been created or they can use their own words — or they can edit what’s been written to how they want it.

See, conservatives are demonstrably busier than your typical liberal. They don;t have time to sit & write that letter to the editor, that important blog post, come up with that winning argument. They’re busy raising their families, running their businesses, working hard at their jobs and paying their bills.

With something like this, a guy could go in, look up what he’s interested in, and click! Now he’s really done something! He’s communicated to his assemblyman, school board, governor, etc…

The next item is tricky. It’s where we create a way for people to donate money to pols, causes, writers, artists, etc. (all with hyper-links, btw). Other ppl have diff ideas that are very compelling in this regard, but I’m not at liberty to discuss it here.

Once just half of the content is available, it’s time to get the word out. The best tool in the world doesn;t matter if ppl don’t know it exists!!!! That’s a very important aspect of the whole click-thru project! Telling ppl it exists & making it very, VERY easy to use.

Now without this being all user generated, and even with a majority being user generated, this effort would need to find capital to bring it together, host it and maintain it daily with relevant content. Is this why we don’t see this happening on a larger scale today? Or are efforts like my Grizzly Groundswell missing a vital weapon in our arsenal?

So, to back up a little, I think a key to the Teaparty movement’s success in the future will be to develop and make available basic resources that will take a lot of the “blank page” feeling away from the everyday TeaParty’er.

That is very important, empowering the Conservative Grassroots to take Action without asking more then we already do!

Exactly. Furthermore, when you give people a start-off point, they feel better (more confident?) about making it better, making it their own. They don’t feel that overwhelming feeling of starting from scratch. (so often I think that discourages people from doing anything at all – it’s too hard to start from scratch.)

Well, I’d like to say that the Tea Party movement is in it’s infancy. We’re coming up on the one-year anni on the 27th, the first nationwide teaparty march. We have some amazing victories to look forward to and frustrating unexpected losses to prepare for.

The biggest, most important thing right now is to stay focused on being ‘joyful warriors.’ The main the reason so many people are joining the TeaParty’ers is because of our happy, uplifting message.

If we remember that, our movement will grow exponentially, and with that, we can accomplish anything!

ChristinaKB, thank you for sitting down with me in this new experiment of how to interview our Conservative Grassroots Across this Blessed Nation!