I have a great many things I would say to Republicans everywhere if I had a stage and a microphone. Since I don't have that, but I do have a blog, I'll just say one very important thing.
It's a question for all the Republicans out there. Specifically, the "old guard" of the party.
How do you expect to beat the Democrats if you don't even have email addresses?
The future isn't coming. The future is here. I know too many Republicans who like to say we need to work on this, we need to work on that. Four years ago, State Rep. Mark Strama spoke to a Democracy for American conference in 2005 and laid out a plan to use new media in the Democrats' march toward victory. Our side has been marveling at Ron Paul's ability to motivate and mobilize the grassroots; what we're forgetting is that Howard Dean had already done it, and it was so successful that no sane Democrat strategist has made a move to deviate from the example laid out. Burnt Orange Report, Off the Kuff, Pink Dome, and so many other left-liberal blogs have dominated the Texas politics blogosphere to a sickening degree (so much so that they actually succeeded in prolonging the debate over Tom Craddick's viability as speaker, much longer than it was actually in question) - conservatives are only now getting a tiny foothold on the massive new media mountain.
We don't need to "work on it." We need to get with the program - NOW.
It's time for fresh perspectives in our party and our movement. It's time to take ownership in this culture of new media.
You either meet young voters on their turf, or you can forget about them - and that's fine with them, they have other options, and they'll go where someone is speaking their language. It's as much about the method of communication as it is the message. Conservatism is as viable and important ideology and we can succeed, if we do not let ourselves fall further behind in promoting our message.
If you're a Republican and you don't have an email address, it's likely you're not even reading this blog post (and it's certain you don't know what a blog is, much less how to use one). But that's exactly the problem.
As I hit "publish post," I'm aware that this is an echo chamber. But I'm also convinced that if I don't keep it up, online and off, conservatism will soon collapse into the echo chamber for good.
Get an email address, and learn how to use it. First steps are the most important ones.
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