Political Involvement
One does not need to become a politician to be involved in the political process. All you need is some idea about what you support and the ability to respectfully convey your message. Our Constitution protects our right to assemble and speak as long as we do it without harm or threat of harm. There are many presentations on some of the methods for getting your ideas out there. This is one of those resources.
I have found, in the short time I have been involved, that a combination of talking points and written literature is best. Some people are listeners, others are readers. There are people who will talk your ear off rather than taking a 1-page document. There are people who will read the document right in front of you, and ask their questions if they have any. The world takes all kinds, be prepared for We, the People, to come with points of view. It’s all good if it’s all Constitutional!!!
It helps to put together a set of literature in case you have to drop something off somewhere because no one is around to receive the word. It also helps to practice your courteous disengagements in case you run into someone who is more argumentative than respectful; it never hurts to agree to disagree, it can hurt to react poorly if pressed into a corner by a menace.
In Texas although you have to be certified by the County to register people to vote, the voter registration form is publicly available and can be distributed without such a certification. It never hurts to carry some of those forms on you, just remember you cannot collect the form once it is filled out unless you are certified. Let people know they have to fill out the document and mail it to their County registrar; be sure to print out the County registrar’s address to hand out alongside the form.
You do not need to be affiliated with a political party to block walk or canvass. It helps to be affiliated for some households; it helps to be unaffiliated for other households. The point is to make sure you understand what you believe in, understand what the candidates you support believe in, and make sure those beliefs are aligned where it counts. you will never have 100% the same beliefs as any other person, politicians included. Just because you disagree on some things does not mean you cannot block walk in support of someone.
For instance, I strongly believe in the 9th and 10th Amendments to the United States Constitution, and I believe these Amendments coupled with the holding in Brown v Board of Education preclude the Federal Government from funding and regulating schools; these schools are State entities whose power and influence are governed by the elected officials and people of the several States. This belief conflicts directly with several provisions within Agenda47. This does not mean I cannot support Donald Trump. I support him greatly.
Every American has a stake in the political game. It should be part of all our lives to utilise the 1st Amendment and express our opinions in supporting whomever we want to support at the polls.
Party Endorsements
Here in Texas we have (at least) two major problems at the polls.
There are “non-partisan” local elections.
Primaries are open.
Party endorsements, while a valuable tool, can also be misused. They offer a clear way to identify the most solid Constitutional Conservative candidate in a race, allowing us to unite our voting power in case of Democrats participating in the “wrong” primary. However, it's important to be aware of the potential for misuse.
The chief issue with Party Endorsements arises when there are only great choices in a race. It is my firm and unapologetic position that the Party abstains from making an endorsement where a race presents just this kind of dilemma. The party, as a whole, is far too disconnected from local politics in any area to make reasonable judgment calls about which conservative would be better for a particular local election; let the local Republicans tend to their own.
The party must refrain from interfering in local politics unless party members, precinct chairs, and delegates raise concerns about an elected official diverging from the Party's practices, policies, and principles. The Party's role is to bolster and amplify the people's voice, not to influence their selection. This selection, I believe strongly and wholeheartedly, that the people are better equipped to make than the Party.