As Conservative Movement Splinters, Progressives Must Organize

In a new Rasmussen poll released Monday, we see confirmation of a interesting trend -- when asked about candidate preference on a "generic ballot" test, 36% of respondents would choose Democrats, 18% Republicans, and 23% would pick the "Tea Party" candidate. Another 22% were undecided.

That's right - the not-even-a-real-party "Tea Party" has now surpassed the GOP as the conservative party of choice. As Buzzflash editor Mark Karlin discusses in yesterday's post, there is a conservative populist movement out there, but it is not owned by the Republican Party.

During the Bush years, conservatives like Ron Paul who stumped on a platform of limited government intervention in "individual freedoms" were marginalized, in favor of big money special interests and extreme social conservatives. Now they are in the role of opposition against President Obama and the Congress, and the folks who believe (to the point of paranoia) that majority-supported efforts like health care reform and climate change legislation are a socialist plot for government takeover are being main-lined.

So, what does this mean for progressives in 2010? As we saw in this summer's tea party rallies, we can't discount this vocal minority and their capacity to obstruct. And, as we've discussed here before, this movement is on the rise and is much better-funded compared to our own investments in progressive political infrastructure. Not only are they effective and well-resourced, but they hold extreme views - views that are antithetical to the values that most Americans hold dear. Progressives need to stay on the offensive, remembering to communicate our agenda through a values frame, connect directly with voters on the doors and phones on a mass scale, move people to action, build pressure on lawmakers, and elect good candidates to office.

And don't think we have a monopoly on grassroots campaign organization. As this post on a conservative Minnesota blog announced, a group billed as the "conservative alternative to Wellstone Action" is bringing grassroots organizing training to several cities around the country in the next few months.

Facing this new environment, we need to redouble our efforts to put trained organizers on the ground and pushing a progressive policy agenda -- taking into account the fact that our opposition is organized, well funded, and fueled by ideological fervor.

>> Check out the blog later this week for updates from our 2009 Advanced Campaign Management School, where 34 campaign managers and leaders from around the country are gathered for a 4.5 day intensive training boot camp on running campaigns "the Wellstone Way".

Invest in progressive political leadership now - support Wellstone Action's work in 2010 and beyond by clicking here. 

Photo by bvcphoto on flickr

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