As we all know, there's a lot out there to complain about.  But if you plan to "do" something about it, rather than just complain, be sure to go about it in such a way as to have the greatest impact.

Here’s a handy list of the most basic tools you should have at your disposal if you’re going to try and build an organization at the precinct/local level that can truly have an impact on the things you care about.

A list of all registered voters in your precinct.

It’s hard to identify and organize if you don’t know who the registered voters are, (or aren’t). You can get this from your local election (or voter registration) board.

Blank voter registration forms.

For all those new people you’re going to register. Because if people aren’t registered, they can’t vote…and don’t count.

A map of the precinct.

Having a map makes it easier to get an idea of who is where and how to get to them. You should be able to get this from your local planning commission or voter registration office, (or they will know where). Try to get one with street lines and names overlaid on it.

A political events calendar.

Keep track of dates of party primaries, general elections, special elections, school board, local council and local political party meetings that you should keep people informed about.

Copies of church directories.

Having membership lists from conservative churches will allow you to cross-reference them with voter registration lists. That way, you know which registered voters go to conservative churches…and which members aren’t yet registered to vote, (so you can get them registered).  read more »

When it comes to elections, organizing for success and winning isn't complicated and it's not a secret.  In fact, the rules haven't changed since this country starting holding elections.

The "rules" were spelled out best by someone who (at the time) was a little known congressman from Illinois who went on to get himself elected President.

The four rules:

1.    Obtain a complete list of voters

2.    Determine how they will vote

3.    Contact the favorable voters

4.    Get your voters to the polls

OK, being from the South and all, I'm no big fan of Lincoln, (one of his leading generals did burn my hometown...), but when it comes to summarizing the basics of a get-out-the-vote strategy, you can't do much better than this.

No matter how much modern technology may change "how" things are done, the fundamentals still apply.

And they don't just apply to campaigns, they also apply to successful political organization in general.  You start with those who are registered to vote, identify those who agree with you, provide them with the information they need, and get them to take action when it's necessary.

Successful grassroots organizations adopt and apply these rules in effectively mobiliz­ing thousands of conservatives at the local level.

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Whether you're organizing for a campaign, a group or just an issue you care about, there are three areas that it pays for conservatives to focus their time. And each area has different benefits as well as challenges.

Organizing by precinct

Organizing by precinct is more geographically focused and as a result it can have a more direct and greater potential impact on a specific area. Plus, the American political system is built around the precinct. Meaning that elections are held in districts which are built on different combinations of precincts, and if you're organized in the precincts you can influence an election - or an elected official who wants to run for re-election.

Organizing in churches

Organizing in churches allows you to work with people you're probably more familiar with, and are likely to have more in common with. It also has the benefit of involving people across multiple neighborhoods (or precincts), which can "sow seeds" of activism in more than one area.

Online organization

Online organization can exist on its own or as a compliment to church and/or precinct organization, (ex. online "groups" via Yahoo, Google, Ning or Facebook; or online petitions and campaigns at AktNow - or a combination). And when you organize online, you make it easier to share informatoin with others and for others to find you.

Where to focus your time?

In order to determine where you should focus your time and efforts, ask yourself the following questions:  read more »

There is no great mystery about how to be effective politically. But there are some time tested basics to successfully impacting the system.

Generally speaking, there are three keys to grassroots political success:

1. Identify and organize your supporters
2. Inform them
3. Mobilize them

Without identified people that are willing to help, you have no organization.

Without information, people will not know how to proceed, let alone when, where or why.

And without mobilization towards a given objective, an organization lacks a reason to exist and will quickly fade away.

These three simple steps constitute the fundamentals of successful grassroots politics at every level and can help you build a successful local organization from the ground up. Embrace them and you’ll be on the path to achieving your goals.

So how do you get started?

Your first order of business is to identify a small core group of people who share your views and a vision for what you want to do.

Think of it as a sort of “steering committee”. When small groups come together and direct their energies in pursuit of a common goal, leverage and synergies are achieved. They begin to feed from one another and keep each other enthused.

Get together and discuss the different areas each of you would like to focus on and what you believe is important. Develop a consensus and then decide who will do what.

Then pool your resources.

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