Earlier this month I was honored to receive the Citizen Outreach Foundation's “Reagan
Legacy Award” and to address the wonderful group of conservative activists and donors assembled by Chuck Muth, president of Citizen Outreach and publisher of Nevada News & Views.
It was a fun evening full of camaraderie and good cheer, but with the serious purpose of recognizing this year’s Nevada “Conservative Champion” award recipients: Annie Black, Joey Gilbert, Sigal Chattah, Megan Barth, Courtney Holland, Brittany Sheehan and Drew Johnson and “Conservative of the Year” honoree April Becker.
So, while it was a pleasure to be honored by my old friend Chuck Muth, the real stars of the evening were and are the conservative champions who are on the frontlines fighting every day to govern Nevada according to conservative principles.
Of course, one of the benefits of being an honoree was the opportunity to make a few remarks to the group and to reflect on Ronald Reagan’s legacy, and I want to share my notes with CHQ readers in the hope that you will be motivated to act upon them:
Thanks, Chuck for the Reagan Legacy Award. It’s a great honor.
Chuck, I’ve been getting more than my share of lifetime awards lately—have you been talking to my doctor?
I was fortunate and privileged to know Reagan in the 1970s and we have a conservative movement today largely because of him.
Our marketing company American Target Advertising, Inc. pioneered political direct mail in the 1960s, and today we’re still the largest conservative direct marketing company with 85 team members.
I am 89 years old, work 12-13 hours a day, 5 ½ days a week. My role model is Moses, “Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was not dim nor his natural force abated.” [Deuteronomy 34:7]
We were in a cultural war with the Left starting in the 1960s. We didn’t realize we were in a war until we lost it. You are not likely to win a war you don’t know you’re in, so it’s important for conservatives to recognize we are currently in a spiritual civil war – we’ve not lost it, but the socialists/neo-Marxists are on our 20-yard line, and they have the ball.
Every major institution in America is arrayed against our views and values, including Big Media, Big Tech, Hollywood, entertainment, national radio and TV, the nonprofit community, the legal community, higher and lower education, Big Business, Wall Street, unions, organized religion, etc. The list even includes our own government – FBI, CIA, IRS, DOJ.
We had very poor results in the November 2022 election. The issues lined up in conservative/Republicans favor more than any time since the beginning of the Republican Party. So, why did Republicans do so poorly?
Lack of leaders
Wrong leaders
Weak leaders
Impotent leaders
Silent leaders
Also, we have leaders who don’t like us. Our leaders really don’t like grassroots activists. Do you think the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell likes conservatives?
Conservatives are like the Biblical Jews who had to wander through the desert for 40 years until that generation’s failed/flawed leaders had passed from the scene. Conservatives are not going to get to the political promised land until we get new leaders.
The Republican party made many mistakes, including the failure to nationalize the election around conservative issues. However, the Democrats nationalized the election by giving the voters two tunes to whistle: Democracy is on the ballot. A Woman’s Right to Choose is on the ballot.
What’s to be done:
1. Pray. 1940s-1960s every Catholic Church in America closed Mass with prayers for a conversion of Russia, and one day thanks to the leadership of Ronald Reagan and conservatives we woke up and there was no more Soviet Union. And armies didn’t march, and guns didn’t fire.
2. We need for each and every conservative to be a modern-day Paul Revere bypassing the leftwing Big Media and Big Tech to educate 15-25-50-100+ of your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members, etc. You can do this in a number of ways including forwarding emails, articles, videos, blogging, give gift subscriptions to children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. to good publications, buy bumper stickers and give them to people who will put them on their cars, etc., etc.
In addition, consider running for public office or Republican Party office, or volunteer to help a candidate, contribute to candidates, mentor young people, mentor campaign volunteers, contribute to good conservative organizations, or consider starting a new conservative organization.
If there’s not a good constitutional conservative running for school board, city council, state legislature, Congress – give serious consideration to becoming a candidate. Remember Barack Obama in 2004 identified himself as a community organizer, and five years later in 2009 he was President of the United States.
No one pushed or selected Donald Trump to run for President, he picked himself. Glenn Youngkin, governor of Virginia picked himself.
Don’t wait for orders from headquarters or from Chuck Muth, your governor, me, or anyone else.
Pick yourself to lead. Yes, it takes courage to step out and by the way courage is contagious. When you show courage and get out of your comfort zone, you will encourage others to do likewise.
Rush to the sound of the guns.
We can do this people. We can save America.
God Bless America. God Bless Us All. Thank you.
Citizen Outreach Foundation
2023 Conservative Champion Awards Dinner
Chuck Muth
Heidi Harris
Nevada Conservative Champion
Reagan Legacy Award
April Becker
Annie Black
Joey Gilbert
Sigal Chattah
Megan Barth
Courtney Holland
Brittany Sheehan
Drew Johnson
Grassroots activists