Modern Whig Party update
March 14, 2009From my inbox:
To the members of the Modern Whig Party,
We have received countless messages from people across the nation saying that they have heard the Modern Whig Party name bantered around in bars, restaurants, stores, newspapers, radio shows,blogs , forums, in the workplace and virtually everywhere else. In addition, many of these word-of-mouth comments were positive after some of the more reluctant or skeptical people took a closer look at what this movement is all about.
Our first phase in development has always been to develop a brand that is mainstream, rational, pragmatic and full of common sense solutions. So far, we remain on track and moving. In fact, we have transitioned from being a “mom & pop” organization to a fully recognized political organization that continues to be viewed as the “fastest growing mainstream political movement in the nation.” And based on the meetings taking place throughout the country, we now cannot be considered a solely online phenomenon either.
Notes of interest:
* Bylaws/Charter: A national committee has been established to develop the official rules of this organization. The vision of this movement includes complete transparency and open participation of those members wishing to be active. Once this process is complete, all members will have an opportunity to weigh in and ultimately vote on the future course of this movement’s leadership, process and policy. To assist in this process, please feel free to contact the committee chair at info@texaswhig.org.
* Fundraising: We deliberately refrained from soliciting donations until we had established a viable base of membership and infrastructure. We are about there. However, when ourfundraising activities begin, rest assured that we will be taking a different tact. This means we will never be in your face about it and will never hound or guilt our members into contributing. We understand the economic realities and the fact that many of our members are continuing to hold a wait-and-see attitude toward this movement. In addition, a Web site will be established to list all incoming and outgoing expenditures. From this easy-to-read site, anyone will be able to match this transparent aspect with the corresponding federal filings. There will be more information on thefundraising aspect coming soon.
* Lecture: The current chairman of the Modern Whig Party is giving a lecture on March 27, 2009 at Yale University entitled “Military Expression in the Modern Armed Forces.”
* Modern Whig NYC Happy Hour?: In addition to the lecture, we are considering an informal meeting in New York City on either the 27th or 28th of March. There already has been some interest in such an event. If we can get enough RSVPs together (newyork@modernwhig.org), we will put this together.
* Letter writing campaign: Our Missouri Chapter has been very successful in organizing a letter-to-the-editor campaign. Because of their efforts, our membership and name recognition in that state has grown dramatically. This is because these letters have attracted reporters which in turn has attracted numerous instances of mainstream media coverage. We will be working with our list of active volunteers and state leaders to incorporate this campaign elsewhere. To participate, please contact our national public relations director at elaine@modernwhig.org.
* Membership spike: The recent controversy between GOP social conservatives and GOP moderates contributed to a one-week membership spike of about 800 members. This was the largest short-term increase in membership since the party was prominently featured in the Military Times newspapers last fall. It seems more and more people are choosing to avoid strict socially conservative ideology in order to seek a pragmatic, common-sense alternative that is both realistic and viable. Welcome to all our new members.
We expect to announce many more items of note in the coming months. Thanks to all who have expressed an interest in this movement.
Best regards,
Executive Committee
The Modern Whig Party
