Posted on 11/12/2018 9:25:45 AM PST by Kaslin
Generation Z may be the heir to a bankrupt social security system and over $21.6 trillion of debt, but unlike generations before them, they aren’t buying into socialism, and they aren’t kicking the can down the road. A student army, nine years in the making, descended into state house districts across the United States, knocked on over 1 million doors, and clinched 35 midterm wins for libertarian-leaning candidates as part of a project called “Operation Win at the Door.”
Operation Win at the Door was the brainchild of Young Americans for Liberty (“YAL”) President Cliff Maloney Jr. Originally developed from the Students for Ron Paul movement, YAL is the largest, most active, and fastest-growing pro-liberty organization on college campuses with over 900 chapters and 300,000 activists nationwide.
Historically, YAL focused on expanding their campus footprint and educating students on the principles of liberty; however, in 2018 Maloney thought it was time for action. After YAL’s sister organization received status as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, allowing activists to engage in lobbying and the promotion of candidates, Maloney laid out an ambitious plan to elect 250 principled state legislators by 2022.
First, the plan called for identifying candidates running on liberty-based principles and vetting them via survey. The survey contained 29 questions related to taxes, spending, civil liberties, regulation reform, etc. to determine which candidates supported free minds, free markets, and limited government. Notably missing from YAL’s selection criteria was party affiliation. Maloney told me “When principles come first, party is nothing but a vehicle. Real reform is possible when people are led by more than blind party loyalty.”
Secondly, the plan called for hiring, training, and deploying activists. Teams consisting of 10 activists would be assembled and sent to targeted house districts with the mission of knocking on 35,000 doors and talking to likely voters three times; ultimately making sure voters turn up to support the YAL endorsed candidate on Election Day.
Election night vindicated YAL’s tactics as they brought home 35 wins (potentially 36 pending certification in Iowa.) In a YAL-issued press release, Maloney said “Mark my words: YAL will elect 250 state house members by the end of 2022. This is how we mobilize YAL’s national college campus network to build the next generation of leaders and advance the libertarian philosophy.”
Juxtaposed to YAL’s election night wins were those of the new, progressive guard of the Democratic Party. When I asked Maloney what their electoral success meant for liberty, he said: “Democratic Socialists stand against nearly every principle YAL holds dear.” Nonetheless, Maloney believes that YAL is the “insurgency” that will stop the rise of socialism in America.
YAL sees each win as a realization that their beliefs in “free markets, civil liberties, and support for the Constitution” are resonating. Maloney believes that the ripple effect that YAL has started in the minds of young people “…will pay dividends for decades to come.” As one YAL canvasser, 21-year old Ana McMullen said, the “ five words that scare the hell out of socialists are: Operation Win at the Door.”
YAL may have won big in 2018, but they aren’t resting on their laurels in 2019. Maloney told me that YAL is seeking to endorse 10 candidates in both Virginia and Mississippi as well as 5 in both Louisiana and New Jersey. Electing 250 state legislators by 2022 is merely the means to achieving the ultimate goal of creating “…an upward mobility of state-based leaders running for federal office, reinforcing the likes of Senator Rand Paul, Congressman Justin Amash, and Congressman Thomas Massie” in order to take the country back. Or more simply put, to change the course of history.
Four words—pay for it yourself.
come ON, Kaslin.
They went 40 percent MORE for dems in the past election.
They are the laziest, most socialist leaning bunch that I can recall.
I know too many of them.
Posting an outlier article is good for morale, I suppose.
But on it’s face, it’s wrong.
come ON, Kaslin.
They went 40 percent MORE for dems in the past election.
They are the laziest, most socialist leaning bunch that I can recall.
I know too many of them.
Posting an outlier article is good for morale, I suppose.
But on it’s face, it’s wrong.
Bkmk
“Get a job, you bum”.
The Libertarian Party would be far more effective if it were a club like the NRA or like this group, the YAL.
As the Libertarian Party is now organized it more often acts a spoiler.
Boy, I SO want to believe something good and encouraging about young people in this country.
I am really pessimistic based on my dealings with Millenials. They cause me to suffer cranial explosions on a regular basis.
Your post is directed to ?
Put your eyes on God and pray
Far too many FReepers hate the thought of actual liberty under constitutional law.
I guess that’s because liberty applies to those we don’t like as well.
If you are under 30 and not a Liberal, then you haven't got a heart. If you are over 30 and not a Conservative, then you haven't got a brain.
There is a lot of truth in this statement.
Yeah, but a lot of Millenials are in their mid-30’s and still believe this stuff.
That's kind of a misleading statement. The statement gave me the impression that they are of the Libertarian Party. Everyone that I checked, which was everyone and the 1st one listed in New Hampshire, were Republican candidates. I'm not sure why the author of this piece chose to use the phrase libertarian-leaning candidates. Do they only lean towards liberty, but are not fully committed to the concept of liberty?
Maybe she’s a libertarian?
Bookmarked for later....
The wave of the future may just be good old-fashioned grassroots politics.
“The survey contained 29 questions related to taxes, spending, civil liberties, regulation reform, etc. to determine which candidates supported free minds, free markets, and limited government. Notably missing from YAL’s selection criteria was party affiliation. Maloney told me “When principles come first, party is nothing but a vehicle. Real reform is possible when people are led by more than blind party loyalty.”
I like it! Survey is worth a look. They seem like a new caucus-thing, regardless of party affilliation. Naturally, there will be more repubs than dems. One of the questions is if they support the House Freedom Caucus. Excellent!!!
Forwarding to siblings with college age kids.
“It takes people a bit longer to grow up these days. Now that they can move out of Mummy’s basement and get a real job, the process just might accelerate.”
I was born five days before D-Day in a shack a mile from the nearest two lane blacktop, joined the Navy just before high school graduation (I actually took two weeks leave to graduate). I love to tell stories to millennials, every word is true but they don’t believe any of it. When I was 23 I was working in the manufacturing engineering department of a roller bearing factory, my job was to get the tooling made so that production could begin when a new bearing size was scheduled for production, I was driving a new Mustang and renting a three bedroom brick house and a sixty year old coworker told me I should be ashamed of myself because I was still SINGLE! That tells anyone who can think straight just how much things have changed.
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