Uniting grassroots organizations

Continuing efforts to unite grassroots organizations in support of constitutional candidates, Nevada Active Conservatives hosted a meeting of approximately 300 activists on February 24th at the East Flamingo Library, in Las Vegas.

Unlike the stereotype painted by the mainstream media of grassroots activists, the attendees at the meeting were diverse and spanned all walks of life. Also in attendance were many candidates running on a conservative platform: Sharron Angle and Bill Parson for United States Senate; Ed Bridges for Congressional District 3; Joe Tatner and Kenneth Wegner for Congressional District 1; Mike Montandon and Arthur Forest Lampitt, Jr for Governor; Michele Fiore for Senate District 9; Glenn Greener for Assembly District 16; and Patricia “Trish” Marsh for Senate District 7.

The meeting opened with a video history of some founding principles, and included quotes about liberty and freedom by the founding fathers, such as, “I know no way of judging the future but by the past.” Sage advice from Patrick Henry, a five-term governor of Virginia, who’s most noted for his famous quote, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

American radicalism

Highlighted during the meeting were some of the 12 rules for radicals, as written by Saul Alinsky, with a structured look at how they have been used by the Left to overwhelm the system with an attempt to bring it down. Alinsky , known as the ‘father of modern American radicalism,’ wrote Rules for Radicals in 1971 with tactics based on Neo-Marxist strategies.

Displaying a photo of the National Mall full of tea party and grassroots activists, Duane Smith of Nevada Active Conservatives stated, “This is what they’re afraid of. They’re afraid of you guys,” adding, “If we’re all active together we have some power.”

Included in a history of how the United States of America has come to this current point of increased government and federal spending was a look at the Cloward-Piven Strategy . Designed and written by two sociologists and professors at Columbia University in 1966, the political strategy was designed to increase welfare enrollment and create a political crisis. According to Smith, Cloward and Piven were successful in their endeavor increasing welfare recipients from 4.3 million in 1965 to 10.8 million in 1974.

Uniting and winning

Two guest speakers presented at the NAC meeting. The first was Jamie Costello, founder of Grassroots Nevada, an organization designed to unite grassroots activists toward the goal of finding and electing fiscally conservative candidates.

Costello explained that he wants to convince people that if they get off the sofa, they can make a difference.

“We have to elect a minimum of five conservatives to the state legislature this time,” Costello insisted.

The second guest speaker, J. “Jack” Marvin, a corporate speaker and cattle rancher, discussed the need to unify as a grassroots movement. He explored the tactics of the Left; divide, conquer, and use emotion, stating that the Democrats are endeavoring to drive a wage between the conservative grassroots organizations by creating their own grassroots groups to confuse, divide, and scatter.

Speaking candidly, Marvin declared, “We will find our strength when we realize what the enemy is up to.”

Presenting his marketing strategy for candidates, Marvin compared the traditional campaign style to the type used by candidate Obama, which created an emotional message and gave a sense of unity, rather than being nothing more than a candidate name with political endorsements.

“They’re (conservative candidates) going to lose if they don’t wake up,” said Marvin, “and start realizing what’s beating them.”