Las Vegas in July. Not exactly the “coolest” place to be during the summer. But last weekend it was definitely the place to be for political Internet activists. The two biggest conferences for the Left and the Right were held on opposing sides of the Vegas Strip: the conservative RightOnline Conference at the Venetian and Netroots Nation at the Rio.
Founded five years ago, Netroots Nation heralded the Left’s investment in new and social media. Their investment paid off, with an unprecedented new/social media campaign that propelled Barack Obama’s 2008 candidacy towards victory. But conservatives weren’t too far behind and RightOnline was launched three years ago by Americans for Prosperity.
In the three years it has gone head-to-head with Netroots (literally—it always goes to the same city on the same dates) RightOnline has grown in size every year. This year, more than 1,100 bloggers, social media experts, policy wonks and activists joined together for training, networking and planning. With the election just three months away, the excitement was palpable. Accounts from across the street reported a lot of discontent amongst liberals disappointed in the President they helped elect.
A strong delegation of Californians attended the conference, all of whom are fired up about their chances of taking out Barbara Boxer and even taking back some Congressional seats. During a special breakfast for the California delegation Saturday morning, the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund mentioned at least three seats that could switch parties this November—including Loretta Sanchez in Orange County.
Attendees of RightOnline heard from some outstanding conservative leaders, including Fox News Channel’s Judge Andrew Napolitano, Congressman Mike Pence, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and radio talk show hosts Herman Cain and Roger Hedgecock. But aside from the inspiring speeches, the real benefit of the conference is the breakout sessions every day. The training ranges from Twitter 101 to more advanced classes on how to use video editing for effective political messaging.
I participated in a panel discussion of state fiscal policy and what the grassroots can do to restore prosperity. Joined by Vincent Vernuccio of the Competitive enterprise Institute and Patrick Gleason of Americans for Tax Reform, we discussed the trouble facing California. As bad as things are in California (it’s referred to as the new Greece), there are things grassroots can do to expose problems and hold government accountable.
One example is the scandal regarding the exorbitant pay for the city manager in Bell. Local grassroots activists can uncover such corruption and waste and then draw attention to it via social and new media. A two-minute YouTube video or a blog can go viral on Facebook or Twitter. Americans for Prosperity of California is already producing weekly vlogs (video blogs) to discuss state policy and inform our members.
RightOnline’s rapid growth is proof that conservatives recognize social and new media are powerful tools for reaching voters. The mid-term elections are just around the corner, and if the excitement and commitment on display at RightOnline are any indication, it’s going to be a very good year for conservatives.
July 27th, 2010 at 12:00 am
You guys did a great job! And many commented that we had a better turn out than Netroots Nation.
This was a great conference for people who’ve never tried online activism to people who are professionals in the industry. It was also a great way to put faces to some of the people I’ve networked with on Twitter! I would totally recommend it for others to attend next year.