RightRoots...the name, like the concept, is elegant in its simplicity. A group of conservative bloggers have banded together to tout a slate of truly conservative, Ronald Reagan Republicans in competitive House races across the country.

To date, the group has named eighteen candidates - 14 in the House and 4 in the Senate - as beneficiaries of their efforts. Not surprisingly, House Conservatives Fund PAC has endorsed half of these candidates, as well.

So what does the support of RightRoots mean? In its purest form, it means exposure. It means another source of funding for endorsed candidates, through contributions that are made directly to the candidate through the RightRoots portal. For Van Taylor, this support has translated to an additional $3,000 in online contributions. For most candidates, the total is closer to $1500 so far. And that's just in the two weeks since the initiative was launched!

Needless to say, this is an idea that is still in its infancy - but its time has come. Led by prominent Liberal bloggers like DailyKos, the other side has launched a similar effort - and it seems unlikely that these methods will be abandoned for future elections. Rather, we can expect them to be refined in the same way that online fundraising by candidates themselves was in the wake of John McCain's much-reported success.

And what is the upshot for tech-savvy conservatives? Now there are several ways to help candidates who reflect your values, in your backyard and across the country:

• Give to the candidate directly, through a secure contribution on his or her website.


• Give to the candidate through RightRoots, encouraging other conservative groups to follow suit and help their favorite candidates get their messages out.


• Give to groups like the House Conservatives Fund, whose explicit mission is to identify and support true conservative candidates across the country. B y supporting these groups, you help them to endorse candidates who best represent the conservative values we all share. That, in turn, helps bloggers and other grassroots activists focus their efforts without having to spend time and money vetting candidates directly.

When all three of these are working in concert, we are best able to support our candidates, maximizing their chances for victory in November.

Posted By: House Conservatives Fund at 12:53:29 PM

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