With tensions resembling the scrimmage line at Lambeau Field, conservatives pulled off an important victory – not just against collective bargaining, but for the values of life, liberty, and limited government that many of us hold dear. The Badger State showdown taught us two valuable lessons: the amazing power of uniting conservatives across the country and the critical need to continue working as a team.
Samuel Adams said it best when he said, “It does not take a majority to prevail … but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”
This past year, conservatives fought to protect traditional values from out of touch big union bosses and big government activists. The boots, and high heels, on the ground were overwhelmingly filled with energetic and active volunteers. In an unprecedented effort, enthusiastic conservative volunteers organized, utilized social media, and pooled their labor nationwide.
After witnessing the massive scale of enthusiasm and drive of conservatives, it’s no wonder Walker’s opposition, Democrat Tom Barrett, and his supporters found themselves in way over the heads.
Wisconsin Democrats, along with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and, of course, the labor unions, all talked a big game, but they failed to unify hardworking volunteers. A CWA leader, Beth Brown, in her private capacity, was among those who chose to walk countless Wisconsin neighborhoods to raise support for Gov. Walker. As she went tirelessly door to door, Beth came across only one helper for Barrett. You couldn’t even call him a volunteer, as he admitted to accepting a pay-off from the DNC. In the end, the opposition realized their talking points weren’t working and their payouts wouldn’t win them the election.
Even President Barak Obama purposefully distanced himself from the Barrett bandwagon. While the president campaigned in the Midwest, he refused to step foot in Wisconsin.
Barrett had old line liberal union bosses backing him, the DNC and other far left organizations. Walker on the other hand had an army of grass roots activists who shared the governor’s values.
How inspiring to witness women helping women in Wisconsin. Conservative female leaders like Sarah Palin along with working women, stay-at-home moms, and retired teachers and nurses from across the country took bold stands in support of Lt. Gov. Kleefisch. Even young teenage girls and college students came out and went to work to rally support for Kleefisch and Walker.
CWA doesn’t get involved in campaign politics, but that doesn’t stop our ladies from all over the country who stand behind representatives who represent their convictions. That’s exactly what happened in Wisconsin – putting in over 70 man-hours, making more than100,000 calls to constituents and knocking on more than 1,000 doors. Now that’s what I like to call an effective “labor union.”
In the face of the big union bosses’ malicious attempts to use intimidation and defamation against Gov. Walker, conservative men and women remained unnerved and constantly dedicated to their cause.
The ramifications of the Wisconsin recall election go well beyond the state level. The Badger State offers us a glimpse of the presidential campaign battles that will ignite in coming months, and if conservative enthusiasm keeps, could very well predict the winner of the general election.
Like Wisconsin, conservatives turning out in great numbers at the polls is the key to determining the fate of the presidency. Conservative women and men must harness the same energy and passion through November if we are to place our country back on a secure footing.
I know that when conservatives vote their values, they elect men and women committed to the application of America’s founding principles and seeing them enacted into law.
That’s why my organization, CWA, is launching “She Votes 2012,” a get-out-the-vote campaign aimed at changing the trajectory of our nation through grassroots education, training, and activism. Consider the facts. There are 60 million Catholic and evangelical women living in the United States. If every one of those women voted their conscience, they could change the culture of the entire country.
Join CWA as we work to never let the nation forget that America’s government was founded on the tenants of a republic – one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.