Fellow conservatives, do you realize we are in a Spiritual Civil War?
It’s vitally important that you recognize this fact.
Why?
Because it’s not possible to win a war you don’t know you’re in.
Americans with traditional moral values did not realize they were in a cultural war during most of the 1960s–2000, and guess what—we lost it.
When we finally woke up, we found an America that is comfortable with abortion on demand for any reason at any time, same-sex “marriage,” biological males in women’s bathrooms and sports, couples living together outside of marriage, a hookup society, soft porn in mainstream media, the internet awash in hardcore pornography, schools teaching that America is a racist country, and K–3rd grade children being taught they can change their sex, and they might be a homosexual.
The people who led this cultural revolution are called Democrats, but they are actually elite socialists, and some are Marxists (communists).
Today these same Democrats are close to turning America into a one-party, socialist/Marxist, anti-God, fascist dictatorship.
As I previously observed, these people control every major institution in America (higher education, lower education, Big Media, Big Tech, Big Business, Wall Street, legal community, organized religion, nonprofit community, unions, military, FBI, CIA, IRS, Justice Department, State Department, etc.).
The only thing they don’t control is the electors—the voters. About half of the country regularly votes Republican, and in the upcoming November 2022 election, the vote for GOP candidates will probably exceed 55%.
I’ve given you a lot to digest—some is discouraging, some is positive, even encouraging.
Many people played an important role in the American revolution of 1776 and the war with Great Britain that followed. One was Thomas Paine, whose brilliant writing inspired the American Patriots. In the appendix to his letter, “Common Sense,” he wrote:
We have it in our power to begin the world over again.
I paraphrase Paine and say, we conservatives have it in our power to reclaim our great country and re-establish it as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
You may be thinking there’s so much to be done—so little time. Where should I spend my time, talents, energy, money, etc., etc.?
Did you read in school Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem Midnight Ride of Paul Revere?
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere
On the eighteenth of April in ’75:
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
. . .
And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
. . .
A cry of defiance and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
Well, today’s America needs millions of Paul Reveres. Because of the bias of most mainstream media and Big Tech (which silences conservatives voice, opinions, values, and information), millions of conservatives are needed to spread the word as Paul Revere and others did to support the revolution.
There are many opportunities to help spread the truth and educate Americans, which will grow the conservative movement, reclaim the culture, win elections that allow conservatives to govern America, and—to paraphrase Ronald Reagan—assign the Left to the ash heap of history.
Where do you see yourself? Some may feel that because they don’t run an organization, there’s nothing they can do—wrong. However, some will quickly think of something they want to focus on. Others may see two or three or more things they can do. Whether you decide to focus on one thing or many, you can do something.
Remember the great Mississippi River doesn’t start with the full force it has when it passes through Minnesota and Iowa, then later Memphis and St. Louis until it empties into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans. It starts with millions of drops of water that become thousands of little rivulets of water that fill hundreds of small streams, then larger streams. Then the streams begin to come together in a small river that grows until it becomes the mighty Mississippi.
The conservative movement began forming in the 1950s, then grew larger in the 1960s, becoming a powerhouse in the 1970s that nominated and elected Ronald Reagan president in 1980. And by the end of that decade America was booming, and the Soviet Union was a shambles.
My back-of-the-envelope list of things conservatives need to reclaim our institutions, our culture, and our country include:
TODAY CONSERVATIVES NEED . . .
At least 20,000 new local, state, and national single-issue organizations. The Left has 20,000, and conservatives have about 1,000–2,000.
New, mostly young (under 40), leaders with entrepreneurial, risk-taking spirits to launch and lead the 20,000 new organizations. Part of the definition of a leader includes being bold and a risk-taker and getting out of your comfort zone.
A minimum of 100,000 people to help lead the 20,000 new conservative organizations. Positions include chairman of the board of directors, board members, a president, vice presidents, and secretary/treasurer. Also, people will be needed to handle media, membership recruitment, fundraising, a website, maintaining mailing lists, etc., etc.
A pro-bono attorney for each of the 20,000 organizations.
Grassroots donors giving $10, $15, $25, $50, $100+. Don’t think your donations won’t make a difference. One of the reasons we’re losing America is because 20 million liberals are making modest donations that add up to tens of billions of dollars. Your gift regardless of the amount is important if we are to save America.
Major donors of $1,000+. By the way, in addition to donating to conservative organizations and candidates, consider contributing money to individuals who need financial help to be a part-time/full-time activist.
Mega donors of $100,000+. The Left has dozens and dozens of very wealthy people who yearly donate tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to leftwing causes and candidates. Where are the conservatives who give mega donations to support their views and values to grow the conservative movement like these liberals: Mark Zuckerberg, Mike Bloomberg, Jeff Bezos, Mackenzie Bezos, Bill Gates, George Soros, etc.?
Blogs. Is there a conservative issue you’re passionate and knowledgeable about? You can start a blog. You can start small, blogging once a week to your Christmas card list of family and friends. Then if there’s a demand, you should increase the frequency and enlarge your audience.
Podcasts. Some will have an expertise or interest in a public policy area. If so, you should consider sharing with others via a regular podcast.
Emails/texts. Everyone can regularly forward conservative articles to family, friends, and others. Grandparents should regularly email/forward good conservative material to their grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.
Tweets. Build an e-list of your family, friends, fellow church members, old school friends, etc., and when you read or see in the media that Democrats have done or said something outrageous, tweet and email to the list and urge them to pass the information onto others. You always, of course, should provide an opportunity for a person to opt-out.
To review FedUpPAC.org and ConservativeHQ.org will daily post articles for you to share. Also, at the FedUp Website will be videos, e-books, books, sample emails that will help educate non-conservatives.
Social Media. Post on Facebook, share Instagram stories, send Snapchats, Tweet regularly, post and/or forward YouTube videos to family and friends.
Books. When you read a good conservative book, don’t put it away and forget about it. Give it to someone who will read it and will also pass it on.
If it’s a particularly good book, buy more copies and give them away.
Take action after reading a conservative publication and don’t throw it away. Give it to someone.
Give gift subscriptions to conservative magazines, such as Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Epoch Times, Hillsdale’s monthly speech digest Imprimis (which is free) to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.
Encourage others to start conservative nonprofit organizations and/or support them.
Ask all of your family and friends, age 18 and older, if they are registered to vote. If they haven’t voted recently, they may have been removed from the voter rolls. Encourage them to check and confirm that they are registered.
Encourage/push family and friends to vote.
Sign up to be an election official so they will be in the room before people start voting, and they’ll also be there in the counting of ballots/votes.
Volunteer on Election Day to turn out the conservative Republican vote.
Put bumper stickers on your car(s). Get lots of extra bumper stickers and give them away.
Have I left something off my list? If so, let me hear from you. Email me at rav@gobigconservatives.com with your thoughts.
In the coming months I expect to update and reprint GO BIG. I welcome your ideas as to how it can be improved.
My list has something for everyone, but nothing happens until YOU take action—put energy into the battle for liberty, freedom, and America.
America needs YOU and YOUR VOICE.
If you found this book helpful, if you think it has value in the Spiritual Civil War raging all around us, order extra copies and give them to family and friends. I’ve priced it under cost to encourage you to purchase more copies.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that liberals constantly and loudly speak out, telling one and all their political thoughts and opinions. Not so much with conservatives. We’re busy with our families, church, work, community, and volunteering. We generally like to live and let others live their lives also.
Quite frankly, that needs to change if we’re to save America.
America needs you to speak out. Share your views, values, opinions with your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members, old school friends, etc., and urge, nudge, encourage, push them to also get involved.
When in the supermarket or some other public or private situation, comment how much more expensive things are now since Biden’s been president. Mention to people that gasoline is sky high because Democrats have a war against fossil fuels.
To paraphrase the renowned teacher Charles E. Weller, now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country and become modern-day Paul Reveres spreading the word that the anti-American elitist socialists/Marxists are coming.
Why?
Because we are in a Spiritual Civil War.
America is worth an hour a day of your time.
“When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required” —Luke 12:48 (NLT).
My Plan to GO BIG
I founded the world’s first ideological, political, direct mail/marketing agency in January of 1965, with one client (YAF) and 12,500 Barry Goldwater $50+ donors that I got from the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In the last 57 years, our A team at ATA has mailed over 4.7 billion letters, helped raise almost $8 billion dollars, and acquired 86 million donations for our clients. In 2022, our company is still the world’s largest conservative direct marketing agency with 20 clients, over 90 team members mailing over 120 million postal letters yearly, and the names of millions of conservative donors and activists.
In 1965, there were only a few conservative organizations. In those early months, I went to some of them, and they agreed to mail 5,000 test letters. The results were exceptionally good, bringing in 200–300%+ more than the cost of the mailing.
I told the clients that these were great results, and we should quickly mail 50,000 more letters, and if the results come back the same as the test, let’s mail 500,000 letters. All said, “No, let’s mail another 5,000.” My response was usually something like, “Hey, I can see the barbarians. They are just down the street; they will be here soon; we need to quickly build a large conservative movement.” But they all said, “No, we’ll just mail another 5,000 letters.”
By the summer of 1965, I realized that God, in his infinite wisdom, seldom saw fit to put an entrepreneur (i.e., a risk-taker) in a nonprofit body. So, to help build the conservative movement quickly, I began to sign contracts where ATA took on all of the risk. If the money came in, they would pay our bills. If the money did not come in, we took the loss. And based on that model, our company helped conservatives “own” grassroots marketing for the next 20 years.
Today, the ATA team is led by strong and experienced executives, which include our president and CEO, Kathleen Patten; president of Corporate Affairs, Mark Fitzgibbons; president of our List Company (American Mailing List Corporation), Dorothy Miller; vice president of Administration, Vi Shields; myself as chairman; and dozens of others.
Most of our top executives are women. Success in direct mail advertising has nothing to do with your age, gender, race, or ethnicity. The results of the mailings speak for themselves.
One of the many things I like about direct mail is you know to the penny the cost of your advertising mail and to the penny how much money was received.
When I started in direct mail in 1961, I selected someone to evaluate my effectiveness, and in the last 60 years, they’ve never been wrong. Who was this? The postman. If the postman brings a lot of return envelopes, it’s a good day. Not many envelopes, not a good day.
In this way, direct mail advertising is very different from general advertising. If Ford Motor Company spends $10 million on a big TV campaign, no one involved will ever know whether they made sales for Ford (and if so, how many) or lost sales.
By the way, I’m referring to direct mail as advertising, because it is the third largest form of advertising in America (first is digital; second is TV). It is advertising just like having an ad on radio or TV, in newspapers, magazines, billboards, bumper stickers, digital ads, etc.
ATA pioneered many ideas commonly used today in political direct mail, including leading with a technique at the beginning of a letter, such as a:
• Survey
• Poll
• Petition
• Coins
• Dollar bill
• Stand-alone photos
• Debt reduction
• Oversized inline self-mailers
• Live check for a small amount of money, e.g., $1 or $2
• Pseudo check for a large amount—check not negotiable
There’s a Spiritual Civil War raging in America, and our side is not doing well. The Left is on our 20-yard line, and the only thing standing between the socialists/Marxists and the goal line is conservatives.
Hopefully, national, state, and local conservative leaders will re-think what needs to be done. America is worth taking risks and sacrifices for. At ATA we’ve decided to move our company to the front lines of the Spiritual Civil War and to help grow the conservative movement.
As part of ATA’s plan to help conservatives win this war, we will greatly increase our effectiveness in 2022–2024, including:
ATA’s Plan to Have 10x Growth in Effectiveness by 2024
· Double the number of our clients from 20 to 40.
· Grow our team members from 90 to 135.
· Mail 500 million+ postal letters for our clients.
· Acquire 5 million new conservative donors for our clients.
· Raise $1 billion for our clients.
· Continue to conduct free seminars to train future world-class direct marketers.
· Continue to write monthly marketing memos to 10,000 conservative leaders, executives,
and major donors.
· Coach our clients and thousands of conservatives on how to have 10X growth, including
launching thousands of new nonprofits
· growing existing nonprofits into giant organizations.
· significantly growing the number of conservative donors
· raising billions of dollars
· winning elections.
This will expand liberty and freedom throughout the world and assign the slavery of liberalism to the ash heap of history.
I’m one of the last people still active at the national level who was there at the beginning of the conservative movement in the early 1960s. I and ATA have helped build the movement once before, and we’re going “once more unto the breech, dear friends, once more . . . .” —Henry V, Shakespeare.
I know WHAT to do and HOW to do it. But since I’m only one person, I’ll need to find lots more WHOs. Who will do this, this, and that?
The team members we’re mostly in need of (as is the conservative movement) are copywriters, especially prospect copywriters, who can write a direct mail letter that can successfully be mailed to millions of people.
Today there are no more than eight or nine conservatives who fit that description and most work for ATA.
“So, Richard, if there are only eight or nine, and you employee four or five—where will you find more?”
Good question. I’ll do what I’ve done previously—hire very good commercial or charitable copywriters and convert them from selling widgets or raising money for good charities to writing for organizations that will help save Western Civilization.
If you are a retired world-class marketer, sold enough widgets, or raised hundreds of millions of dollars for a good charity, and want to move to the front lines and enlist in the Spiritual Civil War—call my office.
The type of new clients ATA will acquire are ones that are focused on:
• an issue that if not dealt with can put conservatives out of business, e.g., the Democrats’ H.R. 1 in 2021–22, on so-called “ballot security,” etc.
• issues that can significantly grow the conservative movement by identifying millions of new people who are not currently supporting conservative candidates or causes to become donors. The issues include China, United Nations, border control, term-limits, reparations, D.C. and Puerto Rico becoming states, First Amendment (free speech and religious liberty), Second Amendment, law enforcement/defund the police, national security, cancel culture, indoctrination of school children, etc., etc.
Hopefully national, state, and local conservatives will rethink what they should be doing. America is worth taking risks and making sacrifices.
The Republican Party doesn’t have the leaders, energy, ideas, or the will to engage the Left in the Spiritual Civil War the Left has launched that will turn America into a one-party, socialist dictatorship. If America and Western Civilization are to be saved, it will be up to us conservatives to provide the leadership.
ATA is rushing to the front lines in this Spiritual Civil War. We look forward to being of help to our fellow conservative warriors in any way we can. If you need us, let us know, but regardless—we’ll see you on the battlefield.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” —Matthew 9:37 (KJV)
P.S. Yes, I’m adding a P.S. in a book chapter. In direct mail, you always want to have a P.S., because it’s one of the most widely read parts of a letter—and the message in my P.S. is vitally important.
Actually, constitutional, traditional value conservatives are engaged in not one but three wars. However, the purpose of this book is to focus your attention on the most important war—the Spiritual Civil War raging in America. Because if we don’t win this Spiritual Civil War, we will certainly lose the other two.
Remember, America fought in two areas in World War II, Europe and Asia. Now once again we have to fight in multiple wars.
The second war is with the one-worlders—the world’s elite establishment. Throughout the free world there is an elite (think—United Nations, World Health Organization, European Union, etc.) that wants to set up a new world order with a government they control.
And the third war, of course, is with the totalitarian governments (Chinese Communists, Russian Communists, Radical Islam) who want to destroy Western Civilization and Democracy. If that goal is achieved, the dictators will then fight among themselves for “final” control of the world.
Today, our time and talent need to be focused on winning America’s Spiritual Civil War. When we win the Spiritual Civil War, we will then have the leaders and resources we need to fight and win the other two world wars.
Free Speech
conservative leadership
conservative grassroots organization
political marketing
branding
political fundraising
issue advocacy
Young Americans For Freedom
Newt Gingrich 4 part plan
New Right
Strategy