Don't Underestimate Young Republicans/ Conservatives, #TCOT

['cause I won't fit in the box]

Twitterland is all abuzz right now with one of the most infectious movements in the rightosphere:
Top Conservatives on Twitter.com,

a.k.a the infamous
#TCOT.

#TCOT's grassroots gorilla wordfare* is on the verge of a total hostile takeover of the liberal-ruled social media outlet, with astronomical growth just days after its inaugural listing...and I'm so proud to say that @AJae is on the list.

With that being said, there is something that has been tweeting around (ever since Hot Air published a piece on #TCOT) that really rubs me the wrong way. I am 100% certain that this is not #TCOT's official opinion, but I've run into a shocking number of conservatives that hold the view that you have to be a certain age to have valid contributions to political dialogue and/or be a 'real' conservative. (This issue, of course, certainly isn't just confined to Twitter.) It's this tiny little box that they can automatically stuff any new young voices that pop up in the party into and continue on their merry way.

We, as conservatives, need to check this attitude at the door. It's annoying, it's patronizing, and it's one of the reasons young conservatives lose interest in the party early on. Personally, I found it insulting: just because I'm only 21 doesn't mean that I'm somehow missing the logic and reasoning processing centers in my brain. I'm used to being insulted by lefties claiming that I'm full of the 'foolishness of youth,' but this sentiment from my supposed allies has left me bewildered. As Steven Lee of the New Republican has proven, younger conservatives are a essential key to reforming our party while staying true to core conservative values.

So, please, for the sake of preserving our great nation and reinventing the Republican party (and the conservative movement), don't forget the youth in your grassroots reform campaigns. Encourage and foster a new generation of intelligent, well-rounded politicians, writers, and opinion-makers.



*War of words. Yes, I like to make up my own language. Shaddup.