The Right Needs Better Grassroots Infrastructure
Democrats dominate online politics, to enormous effect. But there's hope on the Right.
by Heyward Smith and Monty Warner
The Daily Caller
February 2, 2011
With the 2010 electoral successes of the GOP cemented in a sworn-in House majority, the outlook for conservative and pro-market causes seems bright. However one doesn’t have to look too far back in political history to temper that enthusiasm. Two short years ago, the media was writing conservatism’s obituary and celebrating the forty-year liberal reign that was supposedly on the horizon. In the first half of the last decade, while Republicans were enjoying electoral success, the Left was busy creating a sustainable shadow infrastructure to lead and, above all, stay out of the wilderness.
Beginning with the founding of MoveOn.org at the height of the Clinton impeachment, the Left began using the Internet to not only raise money but to organize; both areas where the Right had long held considerable advantages. MoveOn now has five million members and has raised $200 million over the last three election cycles, money it has u…