After the defeat of Goldwater, conservative operatives began to discuss how to move from an intellectual movement into the practical political world of winning elections.  To jumpstart the Conservative movement, a series of conversations were facilitated by Richard Viguerie, the direct mail pioneer.  What had been largely a conservative intellectual movement grew into a formidable, workable coalition of better-skilled, self-identified conservative activists and leaders able to defeat the left in many political contests (elections and legislative battles) and thereby affect public policy.

It’s a lot easier to teach someone already solidly conservative the skills necessary to win than it is to make a committed conservative out of someone who is already a skilled opportunist.  But committed conservatives often resist the study of philosophically neutral techniques.  A lot of the work of the 1970′s was to overcome this intellectual exclusivity for grassroots maturation in communication and organizational acumen.

As an example, Morton Blackwell demonstrates how the powerful principles of Richard Weaver’s Ideas Have Consequences has often become an obstacle to practical action in the conservative movement. Many have wrongly believed that “pure” ideas would win the day without a considered strategy and the use of political technology.  Conservatives must utilize ideas and actions if they want to win.