Grassroots at Sea

6foot2 in High Heel Shoes ^ | February 7, 2013 | Melissa Dawdy

[6ft2inhighheelshoes]

It’s a bit of a financial stretch for me to go on a cruise, and especially difficult to afford the National Review version, which as a combination fundraiser and intellectual summit is deeply satisfying, but expensive. I saved my pennies though, and reserved a modest cabin aboard the 2012 post election “Victory Cruise”.

My excitement at meeting some of my favorite writers was tempered somewhat by the gloom and despair that was evident everywhere. There were lots of Tea Party type folks, like me, who sort of dragged themselves onto the ship with the notion that we might return home with some practical magic bullet to fight the war ahead.

Although the 2011 National Review event featured a “Citizen Watchdog” training, there were no workshops or training sessions offered in 2012. As a showcase for the intelligence and wit of great writers and thinkers, the cruise was never meant to be a tea party summit, conference or training event.

We were treated to a remarkably rich variety of opinion and insight on national and world affairs, and the social events offered unique opportunities to enjoy conversations with the writers, celebrities and fellow cruisers in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Indeed, conservative cruisers were among the most friendly and polite folks aboard, and we could easily identify each other by our name tags and distinctive lanyards. It was always easy to strike up conversation, and delightful to know that for once, politics was the polite thing to talk about.

And yet, halfway through, when Rich Lowry cheerfully opined that the program was lifting spirits, a friend sitting next to me whispered, “Actually, I think it’s the booze.”

“Yeah,” another sighed, “I already know what they think, I read them all the time. I want to know what to DO.”

We realized that a perfect event would combine the intellectual feast of a National Review cruise with the training and networking aspects of CPAC, and the “Freedom On The Sea” cruise was born. In a year packed with conservative themed cruises, what makes Freedom On the Sea stand out?

Its theme centers around practical activism; how we can better communicate conservatism as the story of the future, and what we need to achieve over the long term. With authors and speakers like John Fund, (Stealing Elections), Steven Crowder, (Fox News), James O’Keefe (undercover videographer) Anita MonCrief (ACORN whistleblower), writer, Deroy Murdock, anti-fraud pioneer Catherine Englebrecht, Hollywood insider and best selling author Michael Walsh, artist Roman Genn, Jewish Republican comedian Eric Golub, and groundbreaking Irish journalists and film makers Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer (FrackNation), it’s sure to offer just the right combination of conferencing, advanced training, and fun.

It’s also a grassroots effort, planned by volunteers who are devoted to the unifying cause of freedom. Prices start at $1,340, reflecting lower overhead, even though this is the same ship National Review used in 2012, the beautiful Nieuw Amsterdam, the youngest ship in the Holland America line.

I am one of those volunteers, working 60 hour weeks to get the word out to conservatives, independents and libertarians everywhere. We can let Washington elites and the Republican Party decide and direct, or we can meet far away from D.C. to compare notes, connect with each other and make our own plans for the future.

Join us on the Caribbean Nov. 17-24 for the cruise of your life, and the event that might change everything. Reserve before March 1 to get special pricing and perks, at www.ourfreedomonthesea.com, and for information on the organizers, visit www.freedomonthesea.com . we are also on Twitter and Facebook.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Been there-done that(2010). Being from the left coast we have even less to get excited about. I preferred the company of the people more than the ‘celebs.’ It may happen again but the party better get their leadership act together.

[6ft2inhighheelshoes]

I loved the National Review cruise because I could relax with like minded cruisers and make connections in an intellectually stimulating atmosphere, but Freedom on the Sea is an entirely different kind of event, and it’s meant for a different audience. There are a lot of “armchair generals” in the conservative movement who crab about the Republican Party, but this cruise is for activists who actually want to DO something. Most of our speakers are success stories of what can be achieved with practical and patient techniques. The efforts of individual activism behind right-to-work in Michigan could fill a book, as could the story of charter schools. Michigan was one of the first states, through judicial activism and grassroots efforts to create a free environment for homeschooling. I lived through that era in the 90’s, and witnessed the beginning of the end for public schools, and the blossoming of unlimited school choice via charters, despite a dreadful Gov. Granholm. Politics in America is no longer about “getting the right people in office” We’ll never have the right people in office, and people who understand that will be joining us on this cruise.