We hate the question. It’s self-centered, self-serving, and quintessentially transactional. We’ve been taught not to ask what others can do for us, but times have changed. “What have you done for me lately?” needs to become our mantra in the culture war. It’s time to get transactional for the sake of America.
You should ask me what I have done for you lately. What battles I’ve waged for you? How have I pushed back against the tide of Marxism that engulfs our nation? Have I done anything to change the direction of our cultural rot that terrifies us all? Have I donated money to school board elections, attended a school board meeting, did I door-knock for candidates, helped with mail campaigns, or held a bake sale fundraiser? Anything? Ask me, “Have you done anything for me lately?” Ask away because I’m going to ask the same questions to you. What have you done for me lately? What have we done for each other? What have we done to save America?
Nothing… That’s the cold, hard truth.
Apathy and indifference are the words conservative grassroots leaders use to describe people’s response when they’re given opportunities to get involved. They’re angry, but they’re also disengaged which should come as no surprise.
When it comes to political action, conservatives are the laziest, sit at home in front of Fox News and Newsmax crew in the nation. We’re conditioned to believe a loyal core of overworked, exhausted, volunteers sacrifice to win elections, so that the vast majority of us can vote and go home to enjoy our lives. As a consequence, we’re being outworked and outspent by the Left, who win elections at a frightening rate; the results and common sense tell us that our current strategy is failing us.
Conservative anger and apathy aren’t solutions. We need a new strategy that taps the power of a large group of people when each makes a small manageable investment of time and money.
Consider this.
Centre County, Pennsylvania, has approximately forty thousand registered Republican voters who have more potential than they can imagine if each would get involved. Last year I proposed a simple strategy that everyone, and I mean everyone, could contribute that would change the political landscape of a once red county that’s turned blue and Left. I called it the 3-hour Red Solo Cup challenge. Here’s how it worked.
I challenged people to find one day out of the year they could volunteer three hours for the candidate of their choice or at the local Republican County office. That’s 120,000 hours of human capital that will transform a county if everyone responds. We had a small group turnout during the fall election cycle, but the vast majority of Republicans were too busy to find one day out of the year to give three hours to make a difference.
Red solo cup challenge. It doesn’t get any easier than this.
I got tired of finding loose change in my washing machine, nightstand, pockets, and all over the house, so I put a red solo cup on my kitchen counter and all of my spare change in it. It took a couple of months to fill, but I was surprised when I dumped it into the change counting machine at the local supermarket. Guess how much – about thirty dollars if you don’t pick the quarters out. It doesn’t sound like much, but when forty thousand registered Republicans donate ONE red solo cup full of change, that’s nearly 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS to fund candidates and campaigns annually within the county. Did people respond? You guessed it, the local party and candidates are still starved of cash and resources.
Do you know what 1.2 million dollars and 120,000 hours can do to transform a single county? It would be revolutionary. But the people who are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore are too busy to collect spare coins to change their world.
Shame on every one of us.
People can donate three hours and spare change each year. It’s not that hard. But we’ve been conditioned over decades to believe someone else always shows up to preserve the nation. That’s been the political reality for the vast majority of conservatives in America since the glorious Reagan era. Those days are gone, and the results speak for themselves. Here’s how we effect change.
Conservatives need a complete paradigm shift. They need to recognize making a small investment into the nation and their minimal contribution becomes an unstoppable movement when EVERYONE gets involved. The numbers add up. Spare change and three hours become 1.2 million dollars and 120,000 of conservative messaging in one county that provides the best answers for the Left’s attack on America. Elections aren’t won because a small group sacrifices by giving vast amounts of time and money. They’re won when everyone shows up with their spare change for a Saturday afternoon of door knocking or placing yard signs. 1.2 million dollars and 120, 000 hours of human capital can transform Centre County, and the nation, in a heartbeat
Every conservative has an obligation to God, Country and each other to fill a cup with spare change and get up off the couch for one short afternoon each year to save the America they claim to love. But nothing changes until we do, which means we have to get up and into the game.
Which reminds me…
What have you done for me lately? Where did you spend your three hours? How much is in your red solo cup? Have you done anything for me, my family, and our community? Now, look me in the eye and ask me the same. What have I done for you? What have we done for each other? What have we contributed? Anything?
Sitting on the sideline isn’t an option. Get off the couch, get your spare change, and get in the game.
You’ve got three hours and a red solo cup. Your country needs you.
