More than a million Americans attended Tea Party demonstrations around the country on April 15, and even more did so in the nation’s capitol and elsewhere on September 12. Together, these rallies marked the largest mass protests in American history.
Their protests were directed against an ever-growing government, its reckless spending, and elected officials, who as experts in self-preservation, pursue their own careers instead of working to solve the problems facing the American people. These protests were spontaneous. For many showing up those days, it was the first time they had ever done anything political.
What most major media outlets conveniently forget is that the protesting was not about promoting one political party over another, but expressed real anger towards, and distrust of, both major parties and the collusion of government and public corporations.
They increasingly see a system rigged to allow government and big business to perpetuate themselves on the backs of the American people. The question for many of these first time activists has now become, “How do we change these institutions so they serve us?”
In short, 2009 was a wake-up call to big government and big business: people are furious at you and they are not going to take it anymore. And 2010 is shaping up to be one of the greatest political turning points since the founding of this country. Call it post-party politics. Call it populism.
Call it whatever you want, but it is real, it is here, and it is growing. Those participating want nothing short of redefining the role and expectations of government and public corporations. They are the voters and they are the stockholders, they are intent on wresting back control of this government of “We the people.”
How will this movement manifest itself? The recent Rasmussen poll showing Tea Party support leading the GOP was wrongly construed by some to mean a third party is the right conduit. But history and highly restrictive state laws make it clear that there cannot be three major parties in America. Instead it will be these real world activists as a political force, operating within and outside of both major parties, demanding real change and real accountability from those who seek office.
If those citizens move from the role of protestors to implementers, from rallying for several hours to investing several years into organizing their communities, they can fundamentally change society for generations. American Majority is training these activists to become community organizers or to become elected leaders.
Some of those protesting in 2009 are already running for office in 2010, and others are becoming community leaders, and political volunteers in the 2010 elections. Robust grassroots organizations are also starting up that will keep elected officials accountable, hardwire precincts, and choose members of these organizations to run for school boards, city councils, even the state legislature or Congress. Much of this is happening outside the traditional political party structures.
As American Majority has crisscrossed the country this year, conducting over 150 trainings in 26 different states, one theme has become, “Move beyond protesting to implementing freedom.” This is a message that resonates with supporters of both parties, but very intensely with independents who will determine the next Congress, and in 2012, who lives in the White House.
They are demanding a system of government that is accountable to the people and that is performance based. If leadership of any party fails, then show it the door. If businesses make reckless decisions, let them fail.
While there is no denying Americans will face a myriad of tough choices in the immediate future, I believe in our ability to make the right decisions. I believe that the Americans want better from their government, and I believe that in 2010 and beyond they are ready to expend the energy and willpower to get it.
Ned Ryun is the president of American Majority, Inc., a non-partisan political training institute whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leadership committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market system.
