TEA Party - Next Steps

The TEA Parties were a viral event, not top-down organized, but true grassroots spontaneous action by thousands. If the TEA Party activism is to have legs, there will need to be followups on the successful April 15th rallies. These could go in several directions. Here are 5 ideas:

1. A Washington, DC rally - that is, a "Million Taxpayers March"
   
2. A call for active new candidates to run for office
3. Online-centric activism, i.e., become the next "MoveOn.org".
   
4. A platform of key principles and demands
5. A process to UNITE THE RIGHT and build a more coordinated "Campaign for Liberty"(*)
   

Because the success of the event was driven via online activism and independent groups, what would be most compelling in terms of method is to utilize the internet and distributed action. What would be most compelling in terms of content is to have a positive agenda.

That agenda is the TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS.

That agenda would serve multiple purposes. Activism requires a purpose, a goal. The left was asking: What is the purpose of these protests? What do they want? Well ... what if we demanded that the national debt could only be raised via a referendum? That we get a Spending Limitation Amendment, or at least PAYGO Spending limits in the Congressional rules.

The agenda would and should be a tight, focussed limited agenda. As such, it will become for the 2010 elections what the Contract with America was for the 1994 election. The agenda would in turn drive the other activities: Recruiting candidates and demanding candidates take the "PLEDGE TO SUPPORT TAXPAYERS". A national march to highlight the issues and platform. And ongoing pressure on Congress to be fiscally responsible.

(*) Yes I know the Ron Paul derived Campaign for Liberty name is taken. Good name, let them keep it. They are part of this umbrella and coalition too.