Hundreds of Conservative Online Activists from Coast-to-Coast, Oct. 10-11

Bloggers and online activists from around the country will be gathering at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA tomorrow for RightOnline, a training conference where they will learn how to use online resources more effectively to change the political landscape on free-market issues such as taxes, spending, and pro-growth economic policies. RightOnline kicks off Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s 2nd national Defending the American Dream Summit – the 1,800-plus crowd of citizens from 38 states around the country make the event the largest gathering in the nation of free-market activists and leaders.

Any bloggers or new media activists interested in attending should e-mail newmedia@afphq.org for free blogger credentials.

Friday Schedule
RightOnline – Internet Training Seminars - 9:00am – 1:45pm

Samsphere (Presented by the Sam Adams Alliance)
9:00-11:30am – Salon K
EM Zanotti & Eric Odom
Samsphere is a new media forum for existing bloggers and e-activists. This provides the opportunity for online advocates from across the country to gather, network, and share ideas.

Online Identity Management Bootcamp (Presented by the Lucy Burns Institute)
9:00-11:30am - Lee
Leslie Graves
A seminar for bloggers, e-activists, and representatives from conservative organizations, with a focus on improving your online presence.

Online Activism Workshops (Presented by the Leadership Institute)
9:00-10:00am - Blogging 101: If You Blog It, They Will Come – Robert Bluey, The Heritage Foundation

10:00-11:00pm - Online Video – “YouTubing” Compelling Videos – Mary Katharine Ham, The Weekly Standard / HamNation

11:00-12:00am - New Media – Social Networking: Getting Tapped In – Christopher Malagisi, Leadership Institute

12:00-12:45pm - Lunch

12:45-1:45pm - Wikipedia – Total Reputation Management – William Beutler, New Media Strategies

This past weekend at RightOnline in Austin, Texas I spoke to a class of about 50 grassroots activists about using SocNets to communicate their message and reach out to their supporters online.

I wanted to convey three key points with my presentation:

1. What are these SocNets anyway?
2. Why they matter.
3. Tips and tricks to using specific SocNets.

I got asked about putting my powerpoint up online, so without further ado, here it is.

SocNets Training Class

Of course, most of this will only make sense if you hear me give the presentation - but then to do that, all you have to do is ask.

The last panel I sat in on at RightOnline today was “Shaping the Future: Youth Politics and New Media.” Getting teens and twenty-somethings involved in politics is a challenge. But getting teens and twenty-somethings interested (and involved) in Republican politics and activism often seems to be a nearly impossible task. So, in other words, good luck to the panelists.

My kudos for best points go to Ethan Eilon, College Republicans executive director, and Soren Dayton, modern media and political consultant. Ethan explained how 18- to 25-year-olds have largely been untapped by campaigns because they’re tough to reach. Few in that age group (if any) have landlines and most don’t have the same address for more than six months. Without a phone number or address, these people are “invisible” to a campaign. But with the advent of the internet—and young people moving their lives online—there is finally an “efficient and consistent” way to reach them.

Soren continued on a message that I heard in several Friday panels: modern media (i.e. the web) has not changed the fundamentals of politics, just the medium. The internet is not the “silver bullet” to end problems with voter outreach—especially youth voter outreach. The rules of politics are still the same. You go out, you meet people, you talk to people, and hopefully you convince people to agree with you.

So what does that mean for the Republican battle to win back the youth vote?

The trick is not coding a killer Facebook app or producing a phenomenal YouTube video. Those things are necessary, but not sufficient to create a real youth movement. The real challenge is instead (1) to identify the issues most important to youth voters; (2) to craft a Republican message to respond to those issues and concerns; (3) to deliver that message in such a way it feels authentic and real--the trick to being successful online as David Almacy explained yesterday; and (4) to pass the finished product along to youth voters through the right online portals (social networks, blogs, etc.).

And if that doesn't help the Right "win online" then I don't know what else will.

Cross-posted to Real World Republicans.

One of the better speeches at the RightOnline Summit in Austin, Texas was given by Erick Erickson, the editor of the freshly designed and re-launched Redstate.com. (Looks good Erick.)

The thrust of Erick's speech (download as PDF) was simple: Stop being pundits and start being (online) activists. Let's dig in.

Erickson opened his remarks with the classic red meat which has helped brand Redstate as one of the top conservative outposts in the blogosphere:

There are people in this world who are morally and ideologically opposed to us. We call them the left. They are a group of people who want you to surrender your hard earned money so they can give it to someone else who did not earn it and probably would not need it, but for the their insistence on government dependence.

Their rhetoric is “hope and change.” You know, hope and change are always buzzwords in the revolution against freedom. The only change theyʼll offer is more government. The only choice theyʼll offer you is whether or not to abort your kids. The policies of the last eight years will be replaced by the failed policies of the last 100 years.

And like a modern general addressing his modern army in what Erick terms the "Freedom Revolution," he was precise and direct in how the activists in the room could make an immediate diference:

So you have a choice: get involved or not.

Go to RedState or one of the other sites out there. Start reading. Develop a feel for the community. Then start writing. Give us your thoughts on your local sheriff. Whatʼs he doing. Give us your thoughts on your state representative. Become the person others rely on for information.

Find what interests you. Start blogging about it. Cover the issue. Learn to do an open records act request or learn to read campaign disclosures or learn to do both. Know who you are up against. Be the person who raises the red flags. At least join the conversation. You cannot sit on the sidelines and expect victory.

You donʼt have to be the commander. You donʼt have to do it full time. Just be willing to lend a hand. Just be willing to stay informed. Just be willing to help others stay informed.

Simple, sound, easy, and helpful advice.

In a conclusion to his speech which caused an eruption of enthusiasm and clapping from the grand ballroom, Erick said: "Weʼve beaten [the left] before. We can do it again. And this time, we can do it online, where they think they are strongest."

The troops are ready to go and the generals are willing to lead. We will beat the left online. It is just a matter of time.

Revolution.

I'm on my way to Austin, TX for American for Prosperity's Defending the American Dream Summit.

I'm not alone.

Countless others are making the trek to train local Texas activists and bloggers to be effective:

David All, Joe Mansour, Matt Sheffield, Sendhil Panchadsaram, David Almacy, Vincent Harris, Steve Stapleton, William Beutler, Danny Glover and Robert Bluey are all traveling to make a difference for the conservative movement.

All of these people (and many more) are engaged in Leadership Institute New Media training tomorrow.

Look forward to live updates from the event and please feel free to offer comments & to suggest prime locations to hang out in Austin.