What a third party needs to advance.
Many of you will Recognize Richard Viguerrie as the grand master of direct mail, someone who did much to shape American politics in decades past. He now has a newsletter “The Paul Revere Lantern” and new book Go Big (not on Amazon, on his gobigconservatives web site). Buried in much messaging about what fine ideas his side has are a series of recommendations as to what is needed for a conservative takeover in American politics. Those recommendations are equally good for any third party wanting to take over American politics. Here, edited slightly because what he says is equally true for each third party, I list what he thinks is needed. He emphasizes that the Democratic Party has these, and conservative Republicans do not.
20,000 new national, state, and local single-issue organizations.
20 million grassroots donors.
Dozens of mega donors investing billions of dollars
Thousands of high-level professional direct marketers.
Thousands of high-level professional development people to raise high-dollar donations.
Thousands of new high-energy, young under 40s with bold entrepreneurial spirits to become leaders of nonprofits.
Thousands of boat-rocking, principled candidates to run in primaries challenging silent, ineffective, establishment types for: Congress, state, and local offices.
Thousands of new, single-issue internet news sites that will communicate the truth to 100 million+ Americans.
Hundreds and hundreds of for-profit businesses that will help leaders, candidates, and organizations market themselves, raise small-dollar donations, raise major gifts, acquire legacy bequests, win elections, advise on media matters, consult on business issues, legal issues, etc.
Ben Franklin said, “There’s no accounting for the amount of good a person can accomplish if they make a business out of it.”