This week I started writing for NextGenGOP.com, a site started by Aaron Marks. I think of it as the politicking counterpart to this blog. We both focus on young voters, but Real World Republicans--at least as I've tried to make it--has been more opinion pieces on policy issues whereas NextGenGOP promises to be more focused on the nitty gritty of turning thoughts into actions. As I've told Aaron several times, I think the blog's premise is great--and that's why I was so flattered to be added as a contributor.

For your, um, hopeful reading pleasure, my first post at NextGenGOP is reproduced below. I promise it's relevant.

Apologies to Ms. Austen aside, I’d like to use my first post to answer Aaron’s original question: how can the Republican Party get back on track?

The first step is to figure out why we derailed. I know better and brighter minds have done this throughout the blogosphere, but I like to identify problems before I solve them. That’s one of the reasons I’ll never work in government. So stick with me through a broad overview.

• We did not have any coherent message. Obama ran as a candidate who would cut taxes; end inefficient government programs; and give Americans more “choice” with their health care. McCain ran as the guy who wasn’t Obama. Obama was a centrist; McCain was, uh, a maverick. Candidates down the ticket clung to Obama’s hope, change, and more things for more people. The Republicans just sort of squirmed and then, at least in North Carolina, accused opponents of being atheists (see: Dole, Elizabeth).
• We did not have a solid resume. Most assume Republicans have somehow been in charge of the past eight years. (It’s scary: most don’t realize it’s been a Democratic Congress since 2006.) So, in that time, Republicans have increased the size of federal government; ballooned the size of the federal deficit; curtailed civil liberties (Patriot Act and FISA) and checks on the executive branch; presided over a terrorist attack, two unpopular wars, and a financial meltdown. At every gut check (cough, financial bailout), Republicans ran left. So it was a rocky two terms in which Republicans deserted the principles on which they tried to campaign.
• As a result, we did not have any excitement. I put this last because I think it’s the least important, but it did have an effect. It’s human nature: we do things with more zeal, effort, and care when we are genuinely excited. Just think of how much time you spent figuring out your fantasy football team.

I think the way forward for the GOP is simple: cents and sensibility. And this might be the idealism and naivety of youth, but I think if we enact good policy in honest ways then electoral victory will follow.

• Articulate our principles. Stick to them. The best advice I’ve received was to create a political matrix. Determine my ultimate goal–the “why I get up in the morning” vision–and then base every political decision on whether my action will achieve it. So Republicans should be the party of limited government and, as a natural result, of free markets and free people (to borrow from the Wall Street Journal). If a bill advances freedom, champion it. If it doesn’t, squash it. Simple.
• Be honest. Whether you manipulate the truth 1 percent or 100 percent of the time, people will believe you 0 percent of the time–as well they should. The Republican “image problem” is that the party is out of touch at best, corrupt at worst. Before Americans trust us with oh, say, national security, they need to trust us to keep our own house in order. That’s why everyone from the national chairman on down to the local dogcatcher should run a seven-count felon like Ted Stevens out of the party.
• Be generous. Stop the uselessly inflammatory personal attacks. I’m sick of hearing about elitism, intellectualism, and other-bad-isms. The right and the left very broadly want the same things (e.g. better schools, safer streets, and affordable health care), we just disagree on how to reach them. Let’s keep the debate to policy. Let’s work with those on the other side of the aisle when we have common ground. But let’s stop descending into pointless partisan bickering–for my sanity if nothing else.

But how do these ideals translate into action? I’d like to offer three admittedly broad initiatives that have not been mentioned on this blog yet. (Which means I’m either a creative thinker. Or a moron. Or both.)

• Find connections in local and state policy. Some of the most grievous assaults on personal freedom and private property rights take place in your city hall. Support for centralized planning and government control begins in your local planning department (thanks to smart growth). Fight these problems where they start and, as a plus, get people plugged in to where they will feel the full strength of their political muscle (and feel encouraged and take more action and so on). It only takes one citizen sniffing around to end an ill-conceived attempt to increase local government control. If only that were so in DC.
• Connect online and on-the-ground activists. Generations of older GOP leaders–primarily at the local and state level–aren’t connected online. As a result, a generation of new GOP activists can’t tap into their wisdom and figure out the best way to communicate it with modern media. If you’re a web guru, seek out a “traditional” activist, and vice versa. My 78-year-old grandmother is my model for Republican activism and, more importantly, conservative intellectualism. She’s spent years teaching me and now, just last night, she asked me for information to help get one of her Republican committees online.
• Encourage government accountability and transparency. Public oversight of government keeps it honest and, in many cases, limited. But more importantly, acting as a watchdog of the government helps reaffirm to people that the government works for them–and uses up their resources. It is not a giant slot machine to keep playing until it spits out some money for you; it’s all too often a money pit into which you deposit a nice chunk of your paycheck.

The overarching path to a GOP “resurgence” or “victory” or simply “not-losing-so-much-in-the-polls” should be simple. Return to our roots, stay true to our principles, and offer the American people what they always like: cents and sensibility.

I cast my vote in my first presidential election yesterday. I won't lie and say I wasn't excited. It was a very cool, very powerful filling filling in the little bubble on my North Carolina ballot. I'm sure you can guess just which bubble that was.

But as Election Day looms closer, and as more and more people start realizing they have to make a choice, I just wanted to share three brief points I'd like to make to every young voter. No, I'm not telling you who to vote for; I'm just imploring you to think.

1. Sketch out some rough idea for the proper role of the government and the proper relationship between state and citizen. Seriously. My student paper endorsed four liberal Democrats and then, in a surprise move, a libertarian. What. The. Ever-loving. Hell. Picking among politicians without an overarching theory of government is like trying to write a paper without a thesis. It doesn't work, you make scattershot choices, and the outcome is always ugly.

I would argue that the best government is that which governs least, that individuals are the most qualified to make choices affecting their lives, and that most problems government regulation attempts to solve are problems created by past government regulation. Therefore, I vote Republican. Even though if my vote isn't going to the limited-government candidate of my dreams, comparatively he/she is better than the alternative.

2. The presidential election is neither the only nor--dare I say it--the most important election in which you will cast a ballot on November 4. This may be shocking, but there will be lots of other races on the ticket. If you can't make yourself care about (read: take the time to research all of them), do yourself a favor and prioritize: Senate, House, governor. Congress writes national laws; the governor controls the direction and priorities of your state. Spend some time researching them. Please.

3. Push yourself to imagine both costs and benefits of campaign promises. Yes, in an ideal world, everyone would have whatever homes, health care, retirement plans, ponies, puppies, and (hybrid) cars they pleased. But we live in an imperfect world with nearly infinite competing possibilities and no omniscient being directing the division of our (sadly) finite resources. So, yes, it's nice to promise the things that people want but it's nicer still to be honest and admit we'll never get it all right and we'll never get everything people want to them.

Voting Republican doesn't mean I want to kick people out of their homes, I want to deprive the poor of health care, or that I want to make college so expensive that it becomes a privilege for privileged classes. What it does mean is that I want many of the same things the Left does, but I just think that in the absence of an omniscient being, it's awfully presumptive to think the government's going to do any better.

I'm very pleased that the Republican National Committee rolled out RNCDonors.com today. The site concept is simple. It's a searchable database for donors of $200 or less. What makes this important? The law does not require those donors' names to be released. So the RNC is putting its money where its mouth is (if that makes sense in this situation?) and being honest, open, and transparent.

This is, of course, after the RNC asked the Federal Election Committee (FEC)--the agency that oversees all this mess--to look into the Obama campaign low-dollar (i.e. sub-$200) donors. Here's a profile of two such donors. I think their stories are a pretty compelling argument in themselves.

>> Doodad Pro (Nunda, NY) -- Donated $17,130 in $10 and $25 increments, well past the $2300 individual donation cap. He has no occupation and, unsurprisingly, no employer. His address is for Lloyd and Lynn's Liquor Store. 

>> Good Will (Austin, TX) --  Donated "more than" $11,00, also in $10 and $25 increments, also well past the $2300 individual donation cap. His employer is "Loving"; his occupation is "You." His address is for Goodwill Industries, an Austin-based nonprofit.

So, in short: thank you, RNC. Today I am very happy to be a registered Republican.

Today is National Grouch Day (do not ask me why I know this). It is also the day of the last presidential debate. Coincidence? Foreshadowing? I cannot wait to find out, and I bet I'll be the only one persuing the angle. What a bold trend-setter I am.

To be more serious, it's clear that domestic issues are king. It's equally clear that this is not John McCain's forte. Pity for the Republican Party.

Tonight McCain has one last chance to take a thumbtack and pop Barack Obama's balloon. Obama has been offering lots of nebulous good things--better healthcare, more jobs, higher wages, and puppies for everyone. But no one, including McCain, has made him explain just how this will be paid for.

Additionally, no one--and most especially McCain--has made Obama explain his
philosophy of government. In one town hall, Obama likened his plan to "spreading the wealth around." I'd like to think I still live in a country proud and aware and mindful of its anti-centralized-government roots for all the very compelling reasons there are to feel this way. I'd like to think McCain could channel those feelings to get Obama to explain just what he means and just what he envisions for the future of America. I have a feeling it'll be an interesting sight for many Americans to see.

And, as always, I'll be live-"tweeting." So follow me if you so wish. 

I'm lucky enough to be at American for Prosperity's Defending the American Dream Summit this weekend.

My wireless is patchy and slow, so forgive this inelegant post. But if you're interested in following along, check out the Twitter feed, or you can just read all my thoughts here.

N.B.: If for some reason you won't be busy yelling at family and friends (cough, or playing the debate drinking game) in just a few hours, have fun yelling at me in your head. I'll be writing my comments live on my Twitter feed. I'd be flattered if you followed along.

Dear John McCain,

I have written to you before and my fellow blogger Elizabeth dropped a note to your running mate. It seemed to work: you picked up in the polls and Sarah did well in her debate. So it's time to do my civic duty and pump you up for this debate tonight.

Tonight, dear John, you need to get angry. Not wild angry, but indignant angry. Not self-righteous and spewing angry, but quiet, steely, can-you-believe-the-nerve-
of-this-guy mad. If you need help perfecting the look, ask one of your daughters. Girls tend to perfect this tactic in their mid-teens after the histrionics of being 13 and 14. Or maybe that was just me. Hmm.

Regardless, John, the nation is angry. We're hoppin' mad that gas prices keep going up, the stocket market keeps going down, and we know somebody screwed us over somewhere but most of us are still putting together the pieces on the what, why, and who. We know we aren't the ones who broke it, but we barely trust the government in Washington to fix it. That's why we flooded Capitol Hill offices last week with calls protesting the bailout, that's why videos about the bailout crisis are still getting thousands of views online, and that's why Congressional approval rating is lower than ever and President Bush is the lamest duck to ever hobble across the American barnyard.

But our political culture is a strange mix of apathy and anger. Among the younger voters--especially those for whom 2008 is their first presidential election (me!)--it's a studied cynicism: a cold, calculating they're-all-corrupt-old-bastards feeling that douses the naieve passion normally associated with youth. So we wait--and this we is all of us, all Americans. We scowl. We hem and haw and complain at bus stops and water coolers and, yes, even kids' soccer games. We're mad but we don't know what to do. We want all the politicians out of Washington, but we don't know then who will take your place or, worse, clean up your mess.

So we hope. We hope, John, because there's not much else to do. We get inspired; we love to be inspired. Was it Peggy Noonan who said a few months ago that if the nation elected Obama, it would be electing a mood? I believe it was and I also believe that was one of the sager comments made in this election season (which makes me even more certain it was from the inestimable Ms. Noonan). The fervor of an Obama supporter is a rapturous thing to be behold--all emotion, all hot and wild, all passion threatening to spill over. They don't like to talk policy because, trust me, I've tried to with the ones I met. They want to talk about inspiration and the future and bright tomorrows and building a new American dream. Together. Soon. Under President Obama.

We hope, John, but we aren't stupid because we're a country that can't stand fakes and hypocrites. We are obsessed with human downfall; we watch with disturbingly rapt attention as our stars and heroes reveal their frailties. Given that, it's a surprising number that are able to weather their trials in the court of public opinion. Those who do have a common quality: they're genuine. Their problems are real, their contrition and their pain even more so. We forgive them; sometimes, we embrace them even closer for these problems. But our hearts are hardened instantly to those who are glib and unrepentant, those who remain proud. We save particular derision for those who are hypocritical: the conservative Christian politician caught looking for anonymous gay sex or the Southern man with the beautiful family and big heart caught with a no-account staffer on the campaign trail.

What am I saying? What does this mean?

I think, at their core, some people are growing tired of Senator Obama. From this tiredness is a deep-rooted suspicion. The talk of not identifying with his "values", not sharing his "vision of America"--this is not code for racism so much as an extension of a fear that he is not what he seems. We want him to be the American boy done good; we want him to be righteous and noble. But he has shown himself increasingly to be young and green, caught up in his own celebrity, unwilling to admit to his past deeds, and obsessed with tightly controlling and spinning his own story. He is not about solutions or about the American people. He is about Obama pure and simple.

That's your opening. That's where you get angry.

We're still not entirely convinced that you and Obama take our problems really seriously. That you remember the solutions you propose are going to affect our lives--not just your poll numbers. That you really and truly get it: life is tough and we're buckling down right now and the future seems more and more uncertain--and more and more frightening--and it just seems so damn unfair. Shouldn't this get you hot under the collar, John? Shouldn't this be enough to shake you from canned answers and "my friends" and a soft chuckle as Obama says something, well, silly?

You're down in the polls, John. I read somewhere that no one has ever come back from a deficit this big less than 30 days before the election. So tonight is it: your last chance to make a serious case to the American people. Anything after this will just be too late.

Hit hard. Hit harder. Hit often.

Above all else, take this seriously. Tell us the truth, don't pander or moderate your position. You won't please us all with your policies, but you can impress us all with your sincerity and your passion. I think somewhere you have those qualities; I think you've shown them before. So it's time to put them on display in the national political theater. We want something real, John, and unless you start acting like you want to be real--and to take our problems seriously--we're going to keep slipping away, one by one, to vote for Obama. Because, sadly enough, it's better to keep staring at a mirage than to admit we're in the middle of a desert.

Right now history would tell you fortuna audaci favet--fortune favors the brave. But I will simply tell you this: John, I think this is the night to be the maverick, the straight
talker, the "Mac" that has allowed your campaign to survive improbable
setbacks and odds. But you're going to have to want it. And you're
going to have to mean it.

Give him hell.

Abby

"I'm Voting Democrat"

A few days ago I mentioned this clever video from VerticalBlu film company. “I’m Voting Democrat” is the first well-produced web video that isn’t coming from the McCain campaign or the RNC. Since then, VerticalBlu has been kind enough to grant me an interview—posted below for your reading pleasure.

Short on time? Here are the highlights. First, they’re a young, nonpolitical, grassroots film company. Second, they’re on an educational mission: their site includes the facts behind the film and voter registration information. Third, thanks to the wonders of the internet, the film has been transcribed for the hearing-impaired, translated into Spanish, and listed as the top YouTube video for 21 different countries.

1) Who is VerticalBlu? When were you founded? What is your goal? And, dare I ask, what is the median age?

VerticalBlu is made up of Daniel Gourley (Director, Website and Design), Cori Orlowski (Screenwriter, Producer, Marketing), Stronz Vanderploeg (Cinematography), Joy Daniels (Assistant Director), Tiberius Catinas (Sound).

VerticalBlu is a movement based on the belief that great movies don't need to come from Hollywood. By joining together our skills, resources and efforts we can create movies that speak to our souls, our lives, and our communities. We would like to invite you to participate with us in grassroots filmmaking.

Our company started making films in fall of 2007. The average age of our cast and crew is between 20 and 30 years old, although we do have a few teens working on our projects with us.

2) When did you decide to make "I'm Voting Democrat"? Was there one event that precipitated pitching the project--aside from seeing "I'm Voting Republican", of course?

With Cori’s experience in Marketing she pitched the idea to Daniel after seeing the amount of views “I’m Voting Republican” was getting. We decided to capitalize on this opportunity since we knew it wouldn’t come around again.

The two things that get passed around on YouTube are either funny or controversial and this movie is both. So it was initially a marketing venture; however after noting that Republicans don’t have a voice, we decided that this was a way to give the Republicans a voice. We believe it’s everyone’s movie to be proud of, not just ours, which is why we see them passing this along to their friends. We’ve even gotten props from Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton.

3) What's the purpose of the piece? What is the one "take-away lesson" you hope viewers would learn?

The purpose of the piece was for marketing and building awareness for our films.

The lesson we would love for folks to take away is that you can’t believe what you hear on TV anymore and that it doesn’t matter necessarily who you vote for, but that you educate yourself on the issues. Yes, it means Googling for hours sometimes, but at least get your facts straight. Don’t just vote for someone because they are cool or because someone else tells you to. Research it yourself and vote off your beliefs.

We wanted to back up our movie with facts for this very reason. We’ve posted the facts online so that our audience can see that we didn’t just make this stuff up.

4) What has been the response to the film so far? What you expected? More feedback? Less?

We did expect the high amount of views. We didn’t expect the response from other communities and countries regarding the interest in this video.

We have equal amounts of people who hate it and love it. We have had the movie translated by a young man from the hearing-impaired community as he read the lips of our actors. He has posted it on a Republican blog for the hearing-impaired. He mentioned that there are 33 million people with hearing disability and they are never reached by the campaigns.

We’ve also had someone translate our description into Spanish for those folks who want to know what our video is about. It’s been posted on Spanish-speaking blogs as well.

We’ve been the number one video in 21 countries on YouTube, including Brazil, Russia and Israel, which is interesting considering what’s going on in those countries right now.

5) Do you think "I'm Voting Democrat" occupies a unique niche? That is, are there other right-leaning films you've found online like yours or do you think "I'm Voting Democrat" is totally individual in its approach?

We’ve seen spoofs of comedies and TV interviews from Fox News regarding the Republican approach, but besides the opposing viewpoint “I’m Voting Republican”, we have the only substantial video out there. People have tried to copy us by speaking lines into a camera but it’s more often than not boring and people see it as a copycat video. We’ve had people do movies where they are talking about the views in our movie but I believe ours was the first film company to do this approach from a Republican standpoint.

6) How would you assess conservative efforts broadly, and Republican efforts more specifically, to utilize web videos to spread their message? How do you think this affects Republican outreach to young voters in the 2008 election?

I think that Republican outreach to young voters should be much higher. I think Democrats and Independents make up a large demographic of younger people. Part of this is that younger folks don’t want to do their own research so they believe what they see on TV shows like Oprah, David Letterman and the basic liberal media like CNN, MSNBC and CBS. There is no major media reaching out to those viewers that challenge them to at least look into it. The Republican Party is the underground party. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t.

7) Having made this film, what advice would you share with other filmmakers hoping to make a similar political splash?

Stick to the facts. Don’t bother fighting with people over they way they feel: just direct them to the resources to find out for themselves. If they don’t do their own research, then it’s on them in the end. Don’t get too involved in the negative comments. Most people are bitter so they just try and hurt with words and accusations.

We’ve faced a ton of opposition: people leaving the casting calls, scripts being stolen, crew walking off the set after they found out the nature of the video, negative feedback on our website, and threats to get our video pulled from YouTube. In fact, four days and 115,000 views later it was reported and pulled for “copyright infringement.”

It was a setback but we’d been facing setbacks all along and that’s what drove us to make sure it was reposted with different music and the message continued to get out. We didn’t let it get us down because we would have let others down who had finally “found their conservative voice.” We just hit everyone up with the new link and asked for them to spread it now more than ever as its something people are trying to stop in its tracks.

We wouldn’t do a political video normally because of this opposition, not to mention our goal is making feel-good, real life movies, but we had to capitalize on the opportunity as well as spread the word for the underdogs. I guess if you ask anyone at VerticalBlu we’d say that all the setbacks make the accomplishments all the more exciting!

8) What can we expect to see from VerticalBlu in the future?

VerticalBlu's new offering for 2008 and 2009 is called "Life in Transit.” Here’s the story: Kyle plans to end his life, now all he has to do is manage the last few hours. Amy is hiding a secret with no desire to change the outcome. Jack is trying to make a quick buck and move on unnoticed. Lydia is escaping her overbearing boyfriend, while Beverly is dealing with the recent loss of her husband. Multiple lives, one bus and a chance to change the future of the person sitting next to them, but will one person pay the ultimate price while the others find freedom?

The trailer is on YouTube or and our website. We also have a few short films from 2007 and 2008 as well as the trailer for our first movie “Convenience.” If anyone likes what they see, we make our movies off donations right now, so they can donate a few bucks towards our future projects. We want to raise $10,000 for our next movie. Otherwise we just want folks to enjoy our movies and hope to get some nationwide attention for our next film.

"I'm Voting Democrat"

I have tried to shy from broad partisan attacks, but this one is too good. I couldn't resist. Finally the right demonstrated--thanks to the work of VerticalBlu film company--it has the creativity and technological smarts to create a wry, well-produced YouTube video. So check it out for some enteraining reasons that you should(n't) vote Democratic this fall.

If nothing else, it's a nice break in a week of midterms and financial crisis.

Things are getting curiouser and curiouser.

The financial bailout plan failed in the House as of 2:05pm EST today. (I'm still looking for a vote tally online.) The Senate will not consider the bill until Wednesday. The House is out of session for the rest of the week. The Dow fell ~700 points in response; you don't need an Economics degree to know that's bad.

It is your obligation to figure out what is going on and what Congress intends to do about it. Even if you don't own stock (I don't) or have a mortgage (I certainly don't), if you buy things or plan on getting loans to buy big things (e.g. car, graduate school) any time in the next decade, you should--and will--care. Trust me.

I called my representative's office after getting out of (a painfully boring) class at a bit after noon. My rep is David Price (D-NC); I hate him and I'm sure his office hates me. I was told Price had no official statement on which way he'd vote and that if I wanted to find out, I should check the vote tally this afternoon. Spectacular. Thank you, fellow underpaid college intern.I've only been calling Price about this since last week.

Seriously, y'all. First, look at the bill. Second, find out who represents you in the House (top left corner) and who represents you in the Senate (top right corner). Third, put the office numbers in your cell phone. Fourth, and finally, in the time it takes you to order a pizza, call your damn politicians and tell them what you think--or just ask what they are thinking to confirm any thought process is actually occuring.

It's all the satisfaction of finally telling that obnoxious girl behind you in line to shut up about her stupid boyfriend already, except you get to feel like a good American citizen saving democracy one phone call and a time...and stuff like that.

This morning Congressional leadership agreed to a draft text for the $700-billion bailout plan. If all goes as I've heard, the House will vote on it by noon and the Senate by evening.

Perhaps most importantly, the bailout plan got a better name. It is now the 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. I think this was a move intended to inspire confidence and exude a sense of calm and control. It's really not unlike telling your parents your latest calculus exam grade was "lower than anticipated" when you really mean it was an F.

The three-page bill has now become a 110-page monstrosity. (Is anyone really surprised?) The thrust of the plan is now to allow the Secretary of Treasury to spend $250 billion to purchase "troubled assets" immediately; to spend $100 billion more if the president writes a letter of notification to Congress; to spend $350 billion if the president submits a report to Congress and gives Congress 15 days to review it.

There is much, much more in those 110 pages, though, so check the text of the bill out. (Fascinating, I know.) It's available for public comments thanks to PublicMarkup.org, a project of the Sunlight Foundation.