Cliff Maloney, Jr. on Young Americans for Liberty’s Plan to Reshape the Political Landscape
Liberty is winning at the door, one state legislature at a time.
Guest: Cliff Maloney, Jr. — President of Young Americans for Liberty
Topic: Operation Win at the Door
Date: Sunday, 6/17
Federal politics are depressing. The more we learn about how Washington really works, the more House of Cards looks like a work of non-fiction, and the less it seems like there is any hope for nation-wide progress towards liberty. This video of Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky talking about the dysfunction of “The Swamp” confirms what most of us already knew:
But before we despair, we should remember that this apparent “bug” is really a feature of the Founder’s plans for the United States. Progress isn’t supposed to come from the Federal Government. “Progress,” to the extent that we can define such a nebulous term, comes from individuals who make their own lives better through effort and personal sacrifice. Of course, somebody has to write the laws, and all libertarians should work towards a freer society. Thomas Massie and Justin Amash– two “liberty Republicans” — are exceptions among the nearly 435 R’s and D’s in Congress who are in love with the government as the solution to their constituents’ problem.
But across the country, there is hope. State legislatures have become testing grounds for sound governance, and libertarian ideals are on the rise — thanks in no small part to student organizations like Young Americans for Liberty (YAL).
Operation Win at the Door
Most people rationally assess that their votes and actions can’t influence the Federal behemoth. Cliff Maloney Jr., President of YAL, grasped this cold, hard reality and changed the organization’s strategy to give student activists a genuine sense of purpose and accomplishment. The 900+ YAL chapters across the country are already seeing results from their campaign to #MakeLibertyWin in the states, via Operation Win at the Door — starting at the most local level possible.
He joined Bob on Sunday, 6/17, to talk about what’s happening on college campuses across the country, and how YAL’s new program is influencing national politics from the bottom up.
Cliff likens the model he’s leading to a baseball farm league. YAL scouts for young talent (think Justin Amash 10 years ago), and supports them with funds and physical “boots on the ground.” Operation Win at the Door has already been successful in three primary races after deploying their army of students to go out and talk to people in their homes. Mayes Middleton of Galveston, Texas, won after YAL students knocked on 25,000 doors. Students knocked on over 30,000 doors for Savannah Maddox of Kentucky. These candidates hope to reach the state legislatures, and from there become increasingly relevant to the national discourse. It’s is a strategy that fits with the libertarian ethos of decentralization, that doesn’t abandon hope for the country as a whole.
