By Phyllis Schlafly
In this vital election year, hundreds of worthy candidates are running for office. Running for office is much like caring for children: it’s based on a lot of tedious, time-consuming, repetitious chores, but in the end you can produce an important and worthwhile result. I urge all my friends to find a candidate you admire and volunteer your services for office work, making phone calls, or even going door-to-door. You can choose a candidate for Congress, or your state legislature, or some county or local office.
It’s important to understand that the United States functions with a two-party system, and probably every one elected to Congress in November will be either a Republican or a Democrat. To be effective in politics you need to choose one party or the other and vote in the primaries. That’s where the decisions are made as to whether candidates are real conservatives or not.
To elect public officials you like, your candidates must be on the ballot so you can vote for them. To get on the ballot in the general election, you must be nominated for an office by a political party. In some states, candidates are nominated in what is called a Primary, and in other states nominations are made at a political Party convention. Usually, only a small percentage of voters participate in the Primary or convention, so the candidates endorsed by each Party’s county or township committee are usually the ones who win a place on the November ballot. If your candidate is not on the ballot, he will not be elected. Party platforms are important, too, in spreading the conservative message and holding public officials accountable.
In Ronald Reagan’s words, now is “A Time for Choosing.” It’s up to us to spell out authentic conservative policies, reject fake conservatives, and build a new conservative pro-family majority. Don’t wait for leaders to come along and tell us what to do — grassroots conservatives must build their own movement.
Contributing Editor, Phyllis Schlafly, is the Founder and President of Eagle Forum. Used with permission.
