What to do with the grassroots now?

Politics has a reputation for being transactional. Candidates, political parties, and campaigns will do aggressive outreach leading up to an election. But when the election is over, win or lose, as soon as the clock ticks past the deadline, it’s a whomping silence. 

Where did everyone go? 

No matter if candidates (or causes) win or lose, there is a psychological threshold that immediately goes into position. To the leaders driving the outreach and momentum, the customer, also known as a voter or constituent, goes back on the shelf. They unconsciously set everyone they have collected, touched, or built relationships with over the past few months aside and will pull them off the shelf again “when we need them next.”

I’ve been in the arena for 20 years so I can speak from experience: this is a trend among the political universe and for a profession that is all about people, it stinks. So, I propose we change it but first we need to better understand it.

Overview

First of all when you are running for office or pushing a campaign, it makes sense you are working to reach as many people as possible in as creative of ways as possible. What I struggle with is - when it’s all said and done, why don’t we find a way to build on the “relationship foundations” we have initiated?

When candidates and campaign directors allow awkward transitions to employ after a completion of a campaign, they have to realize how it looks to the consumer and the public at large. Especially as Republicans (because I am biased) it looks really bad for our brand and it hurts our long term gains.

Whether they win or lose, when candidates or campaigns withdraw from the process following the results, they suggest to those watching, a lack of integrity, genuine concern in the first place, and shallow commitment to the long term change. This is not truth for everyone. The majority of political operatives (or candidates) are so busy with their lives and tasks at hand that they simply move onto the next thing. I realize their actions do not always reflect their hearts.

But if we are going to be successful as a movement, we have to acknowledge perception is reality in communication. So it’s worth taking notice, and being prepared for future efforts so we can improve the strategy and outcome. Over the past 2-3 years we have made immense gains in rallying new people to engage as conservatives but my care is: how are we continuing to rally and build on progress for future development?
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Questions Asked - but not asked

When elections are over, and people disengage, the questions that surface (whether acknowledged or not) include the following:

• Do the issues not matter anymore? 
• Does the candidate that won in the November election still care about the constituents?
• Does the candidate who lost still care about the community, or was that only if he/she won?
• What about the citizen initiative causes? Or the specialized campaigns? 
• What do we do now as citizens still concerned with  the nature of our government and party or this particular cause? How do we move forward? What can we do now in light of this loss (or win!)? 
• Will things improve or get worse and is there anything we can do to keep making progress? 

Michigan citizens, you are not missing anything other than we have a whole lot of work to build a culture of grassroots engagement, not just temporary campaigns that treat people like commodities and franchise and less like people.
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Relationships matter 24/7

The results of Michigan’s November election is still a sucker-punch to so many of us. We have all been grieving, recalibrating, and let’s be honest some licking their wounds. More people than we realize have given up and moved out of the state. Others are busy going back to work and have moved on from “campaigning.” The question becomes - should it stop? Should we really abandon the traction we have gained?  

Civic engagement is an ongoing effort. It was never meant to be temporary or once every 2 years for the next election effort. With so many new citizens in the process we need to help them understand: we must pace ourselves for a long term effort, not just momentary elections. But they will not always know that unless people lead. And as things continue to struggle, more people will be eager to engage, but if our campaign and cause leaders have vanquished, where do they go next? 

America thrives when citizens engage year round. Political campaigns and staff come and go. Priorities shift. New jobs take old candidates or campaign staff. But as a conservative movement we must be about relationships both in practice and in perception before, during, and after the campaigns. 
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IDEAS FOR WHAT'S NEXT

Whether you are a term limited legislator, who has recently vacated office, or a candidate who lost, or a regional leader for a ballot proposal that did not succeed, please be intentional with your next steps. Do not walk away from your base and the grassroots who have grown to know and trust you. Do not leave them stranded. Continue to find ways to lead them in the journey of civic engagement. 

As you are contemplating “what do we do with the grassroots movement we started over the last 2-3 years in Michigan '' here are some ideas. 

1. Communicate with them. It could be a simple email to them or a phone call or a text message. If you are a former Legislator that has left office, invite your former volunteers to coffee and just take a moment to encourage them and thank them. Ask them to pour themselves into the next Legislator filling your shoes. And encourage them to stay engaged. 
2. Do a survey. Reach out to some of the activists to ask them: what is it that grassroots are wanting right now. One topic drove passion and energy a few months ago. But what is of the greatest concern to people now? What is it that they are ready to do but don’t know where to start? What questions are they asking? Find out how you can serve them with information and resources. 
3. Invite them to a cause. Host an educational forum, a zoom briefing, something that allows those who had been active to gather once again. Invite them to join you … let them know you are willing to help them. 
4. Find a way to continue to build relationships with them. Be a source of information, encouragement, and a person who welcomes questions. Let them know the journey continues, no matter how things shifted, our jobs are not done. ​

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Future Goals

As conservatives we have to do a better job of these three things, in our future efforts: 

• Building on the foundations we lay 
• Building on the relationships formed
• Casting a vision as to what we are moving towards 

Whether you are a newly elected Senator, a longtime political operative, or just a rising leader in the grassroots movement, reach out to your people now. We cannot lose momentum or ground with what we have already accomplished so far. 

Over the past 3 years we have seen new people come out of the woodwork who have felt the powerful impact of Michigan Governor Whitmer’s lack of leadership. Business owners, mothers, grandpas are eagerly stepping up for the first time in their lives. 

If we continue to build on relationships, m​eeting grassroots where they are at, and being part of their development journey, when it comes time for the next big cause or campaign battle to fight: we won’t have to go back to the drawing board to try and stir up momentum. We will already have a team of people ready to move to action. 

Does this help? Send me your ideas to [email protected] 

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