Looking Ahead

From Campaign For Liberty;

Looking Ahead


By Matt Hawes

Published 11/04/10


After Tuesday's historic elections, the U.S. House has returned to Republican hands, and the Senate has tightened to a point where, although Harry Reid lives to legislate another day as Majority Leader, the Democrats no longer have enough members to firmly dictate the agenda.





A movement once thought to be nothing more than "Astroturf" has spoken, and Washington has been forced to listen.





But many are asking the question, "what now?"





For anyone who participated in or simply observed the 2008 and 2010 election cycles, one thing has become incredibly clear: politics will never be the same again.





Previously, if those who advocated limited government wanted to make their views known, they could be expected to call Congress, attend a townhall or two, and write an occasional piece in the hopes of it being carried by the local paper. During a major legislative fight, phones would light up across Washington, faxes would jam, and inboxes would fill, but very rarely would any pressure be maintained after the final vote was taken. Dedicated activists would canvass, get out the vote, and hope on Election Day their candidate would prevail before returning to their lives.





That's all changed.





As indicated by voters, yesterday wasn't an affirmation of one party. It was a message that the American people are tired of business as usual, and that it's time for some dramatic renovations. Much like the Democrats in 2006 and 2008, the Republicans benefited from the reaction.





Washington has discovered there is a passionate resistance not only willing to challenge it every once in a while but capable of building a movement and showing up on Election Day to throw several of the establishment's favorites out.





In 2007-2008, the Ron Paul presidential campaign brought together a diverse group of activists — many of whom had previously left politics due to disgust but who saw a new chance to fight for legitimate change. These supporters banded together under a common cause of freedom, peace, and prosperity, and they challenged the status quo head on, defying the critics and the odds to raise record-setting amounts of money through unconventional means and to bring mainstream attention to issues once ignored. They even held the first of what have come to be known as the Tea Parties.





The close of the campaign brought the expectation that we would follow the usual course and fade away, accepting a pat on the head for our efforts.





Immediately after the campaign's end, however, C4L formed to continue the fight. Several months later, we introduced our first major legislative initiative at CPAC 2009 — Audit the Fed.





Here again, we were expected to get some, but not many, cosponsors, write a few articles, and be content with obscurity.





Something funny happened on the way there, though.





We rapidly gained cosponsors, garnered major media attention, and flexed our muscle by defeating Mel Watt's attempt in late 2009 to sink the Audit in committee.





With over two thirds of the House of Representatives and almost a third of the Senate on board, and having gotten a thorough audit through the House Financial Services Committee, we could have rested, and reasonably so. But we pressed on.





Although we lost the final battle to keep a full audit in the Financial Reform bill, we won so much more — as indicated by a Rasmussen poll showing 80% of the American people agreed with us that the Fed should be completely audited.





80% of the American people. Would you have ever believed that possible?





Two years after C4L's founding and almost four years since Ron Paul announced his exploratory committee, we're watching the Fed play defense more than ever before. Yes, it still mostly does what it wants, but not without greater scrutiny than it has previously attracted — even from the so-called "mainstream." Not without a Chairman who managed to get the least support of any other Chairman in his reconfirmation vote.





Not without a passionate, dedicated group of volunteers who take time every day to fight it and grow the opposition by spreading the word about sound money, a strong economy, and the steps necessary to achieve prosperity.





We're advancing, not retreating.





We haven't backed down and returned to everyday activities. In fact, more grassroots activists than it was thought possible have turned being involved into their everyday activities.





Along the way, we've been joined by Tea Partiers who, while we may not quite see eye to eye on all issues, know that action needs to be taken. Like others before us, we can use this opportunity to educate our fellow citizens on applying the freedom message to all aspects of government and life.





And so we look back at this election and at the years ahead.





We've got our work cut out for us, both in holding those elected accountable to their promises and in making sure we never back down from vigilantly defending our freedoms.





After all, no election will ever permanently protect our liberties. Even now, we're dealing with many of the same Republicans who had no problem exploding government when it was the popular thing to do. If we don't stay involved to strenuously oppose any attempts to infringe on our rights and remind them they will never again get a free pass, we'll soon be back to business as usual.





On the legislative front, there will be no shortage of battles. We're not done pursuing a thorough audit of the Fed, and we'd like a look at the nation's gold to find out what we've been committed to. We're going to fight to End the Mandate, completely repeal ObamaCare, and finally achieve free market health care reforms.





And this is in addition to the defensive battles we'll wage against plans like more bailouts, runaway spending, civil liberties violations, Card Check, First Amendment-shredding ideas like DISCLOSE, and all other efforts to reward Big Government's allies.





As libertarians, constitutionalists, and conservatives, we've been used to focusing on the negative — what's not being done, who's not doing it, and how many don't seem to care.





We've got a chance to change all that. The American people are paying attention, and many of them are giving greater consideration than ever before to limited government and the Constitution. If we don't act to take advantage of this by educating others about the freedom philosophy and mobilizing behind key efforts, then we have no one to blame but ourselves for whatever happens next.



The establishment may not respect our first phone call or appearance at a meeting, but they're learning to respect our thousandth phone call, our rallies, and our votes.



They're used to weathering storms. They're not used to weathering a revolution.



We want real change - not just a tinkering around with the system that makes us feel good and looks pretty on a t-shirt. That means changing hearts and converting minds from a way of thinking they've been thoroughly immersed in for decades.



But we've witnessed what the liberty message can do and the effect it can have on people once they see where we're coming from. And for those of you who have seen that precise moment the light clicks on in people, you know exactly how good it feels.



We can change things in this country and the world, but it's going to take time, and it's going to involve some setbacks. But if our determination to reclaim our Republic and the effort with which we choose to pursue that idea matches the intensity of our outrage at those who would lord their authority over our lives, we can overcome those losses and turn them into the exceptions on the road to taking our neighborhoods, our lives, and our nation back.









Copyright © 2010 Campaign for Liberty