Are you tired of the same old groups, the same organizations, and the same people running the show in Tallahassee? You know exactly who I’m talking about. The ones with all the right friends, rubbing elbows with the elected officials, throwing fancy events, and somehow always managing to be at the center of everything. They’ve got the media on speed dial, always featured in those “rising star” lists from Florida Politics. Yeah, you know the names. But here’s the real question: are they telling you the whole story?
Let’s get real for a second. These organizations don’t run on magic. They’re not winning because they’re smarter, better, or more connected than everyone else. No, they win because we do the work for them. We’re the ones knocking on doors, making phone calls, sending letters, and showing up to the Capitol. And the kicker? They need us to keep doing it. They’re not pulling the strings without us – we are the strings.
Think about it. Why do they pull out all the stops for their big “Capitol Days”? It’s not just about putting pressure on lawmakers like they want us to believe. Oh no, it’s about making us feel good. They put us in nice hotels, treat us to meals, walk us around the Capitol building like we’re making some grand difference. They introduce us to their favorite legislators, smile for the photo ops, and give us a little pat on the back like we’ve really made waves.
But let me tell you what happens after those Capitol Days wrap up. While we’re patting ourselves on the back, they’re off meeting for drinks, laughing about how smoothly it all went. They’re planning the next big push—one where, surprise surprise, we’ll be doing all the hard work again. They need to keep us engaged because without us, they don’t have the power they claim to wield.
And here’s the thing: do we really need them? Honestly, think about that for a minute. Do we need these big, shiny organizations telling us what to care about, what issues to fight for, and who we should be pressuring? I don’t think so.
What if, instead, we took that energy and poured it into our own communities? What if we built local groups in our towns, cities, and counties? We could meet up, talk to each other, and coordinate our efforts—without needing some organization to hold our hands. We can still knock on doors, make phone calls, and show up at the Capitol, but this time we’d be doing it for the issues we care about. Not the ones they’ve decided are most important.
Imagine the impact we could have if we brought that grassroots energy right to their doorstep. We could visit our legislators in their offices, sit in on committee hearings, and even show up in the gallery during floor votes. And here’s the kicker: we don’t need a political organization, a PAC, or even a party to do it. All we need is each other.
And when we start making waves, believe me, the media will take notice. They’ll have no choice but to cover our movement, our issues, and our impact. We won’t need to rely on anyone else to tell our story. We’ll be writing the story ourselves.
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: “Well, what if we don’t all agree on everything?” And that’s totally fair. We’re not all going to see eye-to-eye on every issue. But guess what? That’s okay! We don’t need to agree on everything. We just need to work together where we do agree, and let other folks handle the rest.
What’s important is that we stop letting these big organizations dictate what we care about and start focusing on what matters to us. They’ve been calling the shots for too long, and it’s time we take that power back. We have the numbers, we have the energy, and we have the passion. Now we just need to get organized and go make some noise.
I’ve spent over a decade in politics, and I’ve seen how this game is played. I’ve seen how these organizations operate, and I’ve seen how they need us way more than we need them. And after all this time, I’m here to tell you: we can do this without them. We can make real change on our own terms, without having to bend to their agenda.
So here’s the deal: if you’re tired of being used as a pawn in someone else’s game, if you’re ready to start fighting for the issues that matter to you, then let’s do this. Let’s build something real, something grassroots, something powerful. And let’s show them that we don’t need their Capitol Days or their fancy events to make a difference.
Are you with me? Because I’m ready to get started. Let’s grow this movement, one door knock, one phone call, and one meeting at a time. And together, we’ll show them what real grassroots power looks like. Who’s in?
Written By: Stephen Despin Jr. | Founder/Contributor
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