Modern Conservative Mission Statement

Objective:
A free America

Call it freedom. Call it liberty. However you say it, it is the core principle of conservatism—and it is our mission. We seek an America where human freedom matters more than government power. Freedom for communities to grow and prosper. Freedom for families to raise their children. Freedom for people to be the best they can be.



Strategy:
Political realignment

The pursuit of electoral victory is vital, but it is only half of the equation. The real secret to activism—and the key to victory—is to move the country itself in your ideological direction. Not just at election time, not just on a list of specific issues—but in every arena of society and on every street.

That is our strategy. We're organizing conservatives in every part of the country—county by county, street by street, house by house. And we'll be working on winning hearts and minds in every corner of this great land. Getting your neighbor to vote for your guy is good. Get your neighbor to understand why conservative principles are better, and you've made an ally for life!



Operations:
Full-spectrum

The left is waging this battle on every front. They contend for control at every level. They have a presence in nearly every institution, and they're in every community. They never tire; they never relent. Their goal is nothing less than total victory.

Conservatives' approach must be the same. We cannot just play defense, and we must never cede any ground.

That is Modern Conservative's operational philosophy. We are going on offense—on every front. Our operations are permanent and full-spectrum. We're taking a people-based, bottom-up approach. And, our outlook is generational—we're working not just for short-term gains, but also for durable, long-term transformation.

Modern Conservative: Departments Overview

MODERN CONSERVATIVE  |  ANYSTREET  |   POLICY SOLUTIONS  |  NEWS  |  The CULTURE FRONT  |  ACTION and EVENTS  |  CONNEXUS  |  More to come . . .

The left is waging total war in pursuit of their aims. No area of society is exempt: what they cannot remake, they subvert or destroy. They are constantly on offense.

Conservatives are eager to fight back, not just for a single campaign or on a particular issue—and certainly not in a constant state of defense—but the way the left is fighting us: on every front, in every area of society, with no quarter.

Modern Conservative has heard the message and answered the call.

MODERN CONSERVATIVE

Though we began as a blog and news site, Modern Conservative has now expanded into a full-service organization.

We've moved beyond the confines of the Internet—building a nationwide grassroots entity with operational modules all the way down to the street level. We've added a small think-tank to develop real, workable policy solutions. We're fighting on the culture front, we're working to keep conservatives connected and activated, and so much more.

We now have six departments, with a few more on the way. The entire system is designed to work together and synergize to create the full-spectrum, all-fronts, constant-activism approach we're going to need if we want to win this political struggle.



ANYSTREET

There are lots of activist organizations, and more springing up all the time. Conservatives are getting busy like never before, and it is a beautiful thing to behold. At AnyStreet, we look at these other organizations not as competition, but as allies in a great struggle. We will be working with them, coordinating, and sharing resources. At every step of the way, our goal is cooperation and organizational synergy, with one objective in mind: Victory.

That said, AnyStreet is different. Using a system of grassroots organizing based in part on a model used by the military for the rapid deployment of personnel, we have created a network system that goes deeper. A lot deeper. Our network is set up to operate at all levels, from the national and state, all the way down through the county to the precinct, the neighborhood, and even the street level. The only entity similar is the physical infrastructure of the GOP itself.

Using this system, we can establish a presence on any street in America. Eventually, our goal is to establish a presence on every street in America. The objective? Not just to win elections, not only to win on specific local and national issues, but literally to make America itself a more conservative nation—house by house, street by street, county by county.

That, of course, makes it sound as though the fundamental unit of the AnyStreet network is a place: the street. But it isn't. The fundamental unit of the AnyStreet network is you. Activist teams are forming in areas across the country. Get connected. Get active. Changing America starts on your street! Join us!



POLICY SOLUTIONS

Protests and rallies serve an important purpose. They get us connected with each other, and they energize us. They let the nation know where we stand, and they sure are fun! In the long run, though, they can only do so much. Similarly, there are other things we can do in the short-term, like issuing petitions and registering our opposition to policies and bills. These things have an effect too, but without proposing alternative solutions, the effect is soon lost.

Conservatism has a wide array of powerful and influential think tanks doing the hard work of in-depth policy analysis and proposals. Sometimes, however, it seems as though there is a gap between the think tanks and the average citizen. Our Policy Solutions department seeks to bridge that gap. It is our skunkworks—we're working both on policies to meet the issues of the day, and also on innovative, long-term projects to change the contours of America's political and cultural debate. Though not a full-fledged think tank, Policy Solutions is fast and fresh, with new ideas and young leaders. We like to call it our "punk" think tank.

NEWS

Modern Conservative began as a news and opinion site, and we continue to play that role. Modcon Central and our other blogs provide news, commentary, and provocative essays. Our headlines are hand-selected from the most interesting stories of the day. And of course, we have a forum where you can comment on what we've posted or add your own topics. We'll help you stay informed!



The CULTURE FRONT

For too long, the left has had its way with our culture, suffusing it with propaganda, revisionism, and ugliness. It is, arguably, the single most powerful weapon in the left's arsenal. Slowly, year after year, they inject their messages, affecting not only short-term views, but also the general public's view of historical events.

That said, we need to do more than just complain. We need to fight on this vital front. Not just in a negative, accusatory way, but also by building something. We need to offer resources, alternative choices, and alternative art communities. And we've begun to do just that.

Liberatchik is a new home for conservative art and artists. It is also the home for a new art movement called Declarationism. Conservative artists—and more art movements—are all welcome at Liberatchik.

Industry Conservative provides a place for conservatives working in the entertainment industry to post a free professional profile. And it provides a place for casting and production personnel to search those profiles, to find reliable, trustworthy talent and crew for their productions. Conservatives don't need to hang around liberal Hollywood's table, waiting for scraps or accepting a de facto blacklist. We can build what we want, when we want.



ACTION and EVENTS (launching soon)

Everyone talks about the need for more unity in the conservative movement. At Modern Conservative, that isn't just a slogan. We're working to provide real services to help foster and facilitate cooperation, coordination, synergy, and strength for the conservative movement.

Our calendar is for all conservative organizations. Sign up and post your organization's events and action items. And it's for all conservative activists. Looking to take action, or to find out what is happening in your local area? Our calendar will get you there!

No cost, no catch. We just want conservatism to win!



CONNEXUS (launching soon)

Along with our calendar, our other service to our friends throughout the movement is our directory. Imagine it: one place where you can find a listing for every organization and every blog. Conservative professionals and candidates. Conservative media sources. Books, DVDs, and more. That's what we're building. You'll be able to search by issue, by region, or by focus. Get plugged in to the entire conservative universe!




More to come . . .

We're also working now, behind the scenes, on a few other projects. One is going to be the ultimate weapon in the war of ideas. A resource like nothing else!

In order to finish this, and to keep our many operations moving forward, we need your help.

Your donation today—large or small—keeps us fighting for the many causes we share!

Christopher Cook is the president and creator of Modern Conservative and its many endeavors.

Among Christopher's other endeavors is Castleraine Research and Consulting, which provides research, theme-development, and marketing services for film and television documentaries. Castleraine, in the person of Christopher and his wife Judy, has provided services for films written and produced by Lionel Chetwynd, Newt Gingrich, Ron Silver, Dick Morris, and others. Their latest film work is on the award-winning education-reform documentary Flunked, narrated by Joe Mantegna.

Christopher is a writer and editor, and has background experience in political fundraising and campaigning. He worked for seven years in the education-technology field, developing pedagogical materials for use on the Internet. Both Christopher and his wife have also worked (separately) in music- and entertainment-related fields.

Christopher has lived abroad . . . prospected for gold in rural Montana. . . been rescued at sea by the Coast Guard . . . and was right in the heat of things in Moscow during the coup of August 1991 (the one that precipitated the fall of the USSR). And yet, he says that no adventure thus far compares to the challenge of having a three-year-old child!

Judy Cook is the vice-president and CFO of Castleraine, Inc. She has had a hand in and influence on every stage of the development of The Modcon Project.

Judy heads up Castleraine Research and Consulting, which provides research, theme-development, and marketing services for film and television documentaries. Since 2004, CCR has provided services for films written and produced by Lionel Chetwynd, Newt Gingrich, Ron Silver, Dick Morris, and others.

Currently, Judy is serving as an associate producer in post for the award-winning education-reform documentary Flunked. Narrated by actor Joe Mantegna, Flunked explores how liberation from top-down educational guidelines is having tremendous success in schools across the county. (Once again, freedom shows the way!)

Judy has six years’ experience as a manager in advertising/print media for a major telecommunications company, and five years’ management experience in telecommunications. She also has training and over a decade of experience in music performance and recording.

National Director

Ross Archinal

If you're looking for the typical all-American fellow, you will find it in Ross Archinal.

Born on the banks of the Ohio River in 1970, Ross grew into the kind of accomplished, all-American kid you see in Hollywood stories. Captain and quarterback of the football team. Lifeguard. Student Council Representative. Award-winning public speaker.  Winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution Citizen of the Year award. High academic achiever in high school and college.

Of course, Ross is anything but typical. Statistically, eight out of ten children follow in their parents' ideological footsteps—but not Ross. In spite of having grown up in a liberal household, Ross grew up to become a strong conservative who loves his country, loves liberty, and hates big government.

In 1995, Ross witnessed the HillaryCare fiasco and saw, writ large, the looming disaster associated with government involvement in the medical field (and most other arenas of society). And so, in spite of promising career prospects and a degree in the medical field, Ross decided to take a new path. Today, Ross is working for marketing company in North Carolina, setting up major deals with companies across the United States.

In spite of this demanding job, Ross still manages to devote himself to the full-time role as National Director of AnyStreet. His drive, his ambition, and his tireless devotion to the conservative cause, and to AnyStreet, are nearly without parallel. Ross Archinal raises the bar for us all.

Modest to a fault, Ross was incapable of writing his own bio, so he actually had the nerve to ask his boss to do it. Fortunately, his boss is rather fond of him.

Regional Directors

Northeast: Juan Montalvo

Juan is a life-long Connecticut resident who has always had a love for politics. He has worked on all types of political campaigns in multiple states: local town council campaigns, judicial elections and re-elections to U.S. Presidential Campaigns.

Mr. Montalvo was also an elected official, serving for 4 years as a district Chairman in Connecticut. He represented a district where more than 75% of voters were Democrats, proving Mr. Montalvo's unique abilities to work on both sides of the aisle.

In his spare time, he is very active in statewide and national politics. Juan previously had the honor to serve on the National Steering Committee for Gov. Mitt Romney's Presidential Campaign, and hopes to have that honor again should Gov. Romney decide to throw his hat in the ring again in 2012.

Southeast: Gregory Conterio

Literally born in the middle of the corn in Central Illinois, Mr. Conterio grew-up on a farm in a staunchly Republican household. After studying Zoology and English Literature at Eastern Illinois University, he strayed briefly into political “Moderate-ism” during a 12-year residence in Los Angeles, a dalliance he blames on youth and an environment unremittingly hostile to Conservatives.

As the Southeast Regional Coordinator of AnyStreet, Mr. Conterio works to build the activist organization within this region, and also serves as a staff adviser for Modern Conservative, where he helps to develop policy and initiatives. In his spare time, he serves as the president and CEO of a consulting company which provides business technology and marketing services to small and medium-sized businesses of all descriptions, and is a self-described connoisseur of animated children’s feature-movies, which he watches with his young daughter at every available opportunity.

Midwest: Patrick J. Quinn

Patrick lives in North Central Ohio; God has chosen to bless him  with a beautiful, loving wife and four (soon to be five) wonderful children. Patrick served our country for a brief time in the fine United States Navy. Patrick's experiences have been varied: He has been self-employed for nearly 30 years, having had a couple of restaurants, a lawn care business, an audio and video recording company, a construction company, and more. His current endeavors are an online ordering company, a filter ISP, a cell tower company, a health drink company, and a consulting firm.

Patrick has been active in politics in various ways for a number of years, both as a volunteer or as a paid staff member for a number of campaigns. Among the myriad reasons Patrick is involved in politics is the simple reason of self preservation. As a business owner, he has found it necessary to fight against government, at all levels, keep trying to legislate one or more of his companies out of existence. Patrick believes it is thus vital that we all do more than complain, that we get involved at many levels!

Plains: JC Hagen

Through out college, Hagen was very active in politics; among other things, he helped to found the College Conservative at his school.  In 2005, he joined the national board of a center right student group; the highlight of the group was helping congresswomen Jean Schmidt in the last week of her 2005 campaign. In 2006, he was on staff for a right wing candidate for Governor of Illinois who was so disliked by the GOP establishment that the GOP gave up their only state wide office just to stop him from winning the nomination.

After that race, Hagen began working for the national right to work committee and quickly became the Executive Director of the Montana Citizens for Right to Work.  He lobbied for Right to Work for a little over a year before the affect of the 2006 election and the economy forced the position to be eliminated.

Since that time, he has been growing his consulting firm and working for several non-profits throughout the Rocky Mountain and upper plains states. Currently, he is a campaign manager for a statewide office in New Mexico

West: Bill Turner

Bill Turner is a Patriot Warrior, fighting to preserve the Constitution and the liberties provided therein. He is the US Western Regional Director for Anystreet, Co-Founder of The American Patriot Commission, founder of American Infidels, blogs at the American Patriots Commission and writes for several online papers. Bill is very active in the local GOP, seeking to eliminate progressives from the party. Please join him in his war against tyranny.

Kate O’Malley currently serves as the Director of Development of one of the largest teaching hospitals in the nation. In addition to her fundraising and marketing expertise, Katie is a regular writer and contributor to Human Events and Modern Conservative and is a featured speaker on weekly radio throughout the country as an expert in political analysis and non-profit fundraising. She has broad knowledge and experience working with political and policy leaders on both the national and local levels. She has lived in the Midwest, South, Northeast and abroad and has developed extensive ties and a comprehensive network. She has coordinated a variety of grassroots initiatives for more than two decades.

O'Malley has taken on the tremendously challenging role of bringing the ambitious goals of AnyStreet to fruition, and if anyone can do it, she can!

Katie graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, Chicago.

Assistant Director of Issues:
Daniel Crandall

Daniel Crandall, has two degrees in Psychology, spent a career in project management, and has a passion for American Culture, both High and Popular. He studied story and screenwriting in Hollywood with Act One, Inc., and helped promote conservative films in the midst of West Hollywood with the Liberty Film Festival. He counts, among many sources, The New Criterion and Cemetery Dance, Russell Kirk and Neil Gaiman, the Seattle Art Museum and the San Diego Comic Con as having influenced his opinions on culture.

Do Not Exploit:
Kristia Cavere

Kristia Cavere is honored to be part of the Modern Conservative team working on the Do Not Exploit Project.
 
Kristia lost her brother, Sgt. Jonathan Cadavero, a Medic in the 10th Mountain Division, in Iraq in February 2007. She has dedicated the rest of her life to protecting and defending America.

After college, Kristia worked as a senior financial analyst in the healthcare field for five years until September 2007, when she began graduate school full-time.

In May 2009, Kristia graduated summa cum laude, with a 4.0 G.P.A., from Missouri State University’s “Defense and Strategic Studies” Masters of Science program, which is located in Fairfax, Virginia.  During the spring 2009 semester, she had an internship at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 

She is a columnist for Renew America, Right Wing News, Land of the Free, Conservative Crusader, and numerous other websites. 

Deneen Borelli

Deneen Borelli is a Fellow with Project 21, a network of black conservatives which is an initiative of The National Center for Public Policy Research, a national public policy group based in Washington, D.C. In her role, Deneen promotes the importance of personal responsibility and the benefits of free market policies as a means for social advancement. She advances these values by writing commentaries and participating in media interviews.

Deneen serves on the Board of Trustees with The Opportunity Charter School in Harlem, New York. Previously, she served as Manager of Media Relations with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). In that capacity, Deneen was the Executive Producer and co-host on “The CORE Hour”, a weekly internet radio talk show. Prior to joining CORE, Deneen worked at Philip Morris USA for 20 years. While at PM USA she worked in various positions, her last as Project Management Coordinator in the Information Management department where she was responsible for the department’s mandated quality processes, communications, sales information and database management. Deneen began her Philip Morris career as a secretary and advanced to positions of increasing responsibilities while attending college in the evenings.

She has a B.A. in Managerial Marketing from Pace University, New York. Deneen has appeared in educational videos for children, worked as a runway fashion model, and auditioned for television commercials. Her interests include ancient history, pistol target shooting, photography, and volunteering at her church. She currently resides in Westchester County, New York.

Tom Borelli

Dr. Thomas Borelli is a managing partner with the investment advisory firm of Action Fund Management, LLC; a portfolio manager for the Free Enterprise Action Fund; and a Senior Fellow with The National Center for Public Policy Research, a Washington, D.C. public policy group.

Previously, Dr. Borelli worked for the operating companies of Altria Group, Inc. In his 25 years with the company, he built a foundation in public policy and issues management, drawing from diverse experiences ranging from basic research to corporate affairs.

Dr. Borelli directed an issues management group that supported the company's food, beer and tobacco units' legislative efforts on regulatory reform and economic analysis. Additional areas of focus included biotechnology, environmental issues, and privacy.

Throughout his career he has generated third party public policy support on regulatory and science based issues. He also served as a spokesman on science issues and has maintained strong relationships with numerous public policy groups and journalists.

Dr. Borelli began his career as a microbiologist with General Foods, where he provided safety assessments for new products and also conducted basic research in biotechnology.

He served as Science Fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space and Technology during the 100th Congress.

Dr. Borelli has published scientific papers on interferon and human leukemia. He received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Michigan State University and his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from New York Medical College.

Gina Diorio

Gina L. Diorio is the Principal of Liberty Writing Solutions, a full-service writing firm providing professional wording solutions to businesses, corporations, associations, non-profits, political organizations/candidates, and individuals. With a professional background spanning the political, governmental, academic, and non-profit sectors, Gina has extensive experience in crafting written words for a variety of audiences.

After working as a high school History and English teacher, she went on to enter the public policy arena. She has held staff positions with a New Jersey policy think-tank and a New Jersey gubernatorial campaign. In addition, she served as both District Director and then Campaign Manager for a United States Congressman.

In her work, Gina has drafted radio spots, speeches, op-eds, website content, newsletters, direct mail, bylined articles, and more. A native of New Jersey, Gina holds a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Public Policy.

Eric Porvaznik

A Son of the American Revolution and originally a JFK-style, “Ask what you can do for your country” Democrat, Eric’s fairly brief road to becoming a modern conservative began the day he realized what the immortal Ronald Reagan previously had: he hadn't left the Democrat Party; the party had left him. Reading Larry Elder’s groundbreaking Ten Things You Can’t Say in America also played a crucial role.

Some ten years after coming over from the dark side, Eric (a.k.a. Mr.EPluribus) actively participates in many conservative community events, wearing so many hats that Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Leon Wilkeson looks down proudly from heaven: Talk-show host/producer/director/editor of the online Mr.EPluribus show; Hollywood Republican; voiceover talent; San Fernando Valley Republican, Eucharistic Minister for the Sick and Homebound; and on and on. Unbelievably, he also finds enough time for his lovely wife Brooke and their funky-awesome Tibetan terrier Grover.

Eric is pleased to be a part of the Modern Conservative team, and he's looking forward to continuing to indulge in writing about his longest love affair: music.

Kimberly Ross

Kimberly Ross has spent her life closely following current events and politics in America.  The daughter of Baptist missionaries, she attended Hannibal LaGrange College where she earned a degree in history with high marks. During and after her years of undergraduate education, Kimberly spent time interning for U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald and pursuing advanced education in political science at the University of Illinois in Springfield.

Currently, Kimberly works as a paralegal in real estate and agricultural law. She spends her spare time reading, traveling with her husband, and honing her newfound photography talents among many other activities. She enjoys the wise insights of role models such as Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and Glenn Beck. She eagerly awaits the next conservative revolution.

Afghan Whig

Neither Afghani nor a Whig, Tony chose this pen name as a tribute to his favorite band.  He was born in suburban Detroit, moved to Florida before high school, then Iowa, before moving to San Diego. 

Tony was a left-leaning libertarian feminist (there’s about twelve of those) until his junior year at the University of Iowa, where he witnessed students morosely protesting the war in Iraq before it even started.  He now describes himself as two standard deviations to the right of George Bush.  His biggest influences are the libertarian feminist Camille Paglia, the conservative polemicist Ann Coulter, and the late, post-Freudian psychoanalyst Karen Horney.  This may explain why he prides himself on his ability to relate to liberals, yet takes absolute joy in taunting them. 

Afghan’s favorite subject is the history and background of conservative ideas.  Strangely enough for a blogger, he doesn’t like politics.  He’d rather watch sports all day and hang out with loved ones, but today’s political climate demands action.  “What motivates me is the opportunity to undermine a witch hunt.  That’s what standing up for the underdog is really about.  There is nothing more satisfying than thwarting communal bullies, and the modern left is full of them.”

Liberatchik

Frances Byrd: Managing Editor

Frances was born and raised in the small Florida town of St. Augustine. She is currently a stay at home mom, artist, and blogger. Her formal art training consists of a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design, completed in 1997. Having drawn for as long as she can remember, Frances cannot imagine doing anything else but creating art. She has participated in a variety of individual and group shows, in St. Augustine, Savannah, and Atlanta.

Frances is currently working on political art and expects to do so indefinitely. If you are interested in a particular topic for artistic expression, you may contact her; she may already be working on it behind the scenes!

Frances is a libertarian, and would very much like the government to do what it is supposed to do as laid out in the Constitution, and otherwise to leave her alone and let her live her life.