The Austin Playbook:
Grooming the Right—How Moneyed Political Elites Plan to Co-opt, Demoralize, and Defeat the Authentic, Non-Grifter Conservative Grassroots Movement
6.1.26
Power doesn’t usually crush the people’s voice head‑on — it bends it, blunts it, buys it, or instigates diversions to buy time until the “little people” have been absorbed, compromised, or simply give up.
The patterns are old, cross‑cultural, and well‑documented in political science, organizational behavior, civic‑rights history, and the Bible.
The most effective tactics are the ones that look harmless, procedural, or “reasonable,” while quietly draining grassroots energy, unity, and leverage.
The Early, Middle-ground 2025 Pivot Leans Left
The January 2025 Texas House Speaker vote was a proxy war between two Republican factions:
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Establishment Republicans + moneyed Big Business Interests(aligned with former Speaker Dade Phelan) who favor the traditional Texas House model of bipartisan coalitions and committee power-sharing;
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Conservative, Limited Government, Texas-protecting Republicans who wanted a Speaker who would
1) ban dangerous leftist Democrats from all committee influence;
2) prepare/secure Texas for a “post-Trump” America with the potential for a once again wide open border;
3) pass strong legislative wins to protect families, elections, and the Texas Dream for young adults; and
4) stop nearly two decades of “purple” drift—outsized spending, government growth, and property taxes.
Immediately after the Speaker vote, wherein Dustin Burrows was elected by 49 Democrats and 36 of the 88 Republicans, The Right Grooming Collective began to lure conservative legislators toward middle ground for a seat at the table.
Grooming Conservative Legislators worked fast…
How many times were the conservative State Reps. abused by the Speaker and House Rules ignored? Numerous times…
How many pieces of conservative priority legislation failed to get out of committees chaired by Republicans? Numerous bills…
And how many times were those abuses met with a united, public call – a formal House resolution – by those abused State Reps. to vacate the Chair?
Zero.
Results?
TX GOP Legislative Priority
Bill Results
(hat tip, Tom Glass):
No Democrat Chairs – FAIL
Border Enforcement – FAIL
End Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying – FAIL
Secure Texas Elections – 10% success
End Federal Overreach – 30% success
Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids – 45% success
Secure the Electric Grid – 67% success after TEN years of effort.
Texas is Not for Sale – SUCCESS, only because of unrelenting work of conservative SRECs and the grassroots refusing to give up, playing hardball.
The Grooming of Conservative Legislators Continues
To all but the greenest, most naïve, Polly Anna-type activists, numerous tell-tale “Grooming the Right” signs continued throughout the 2025 (89th) Legislative Session and are now more than obvious. One would need to be blind or weapons-grade stupid not to see what’s unfolded…
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The RPT and Republican candidates now behave as if it is normal to take campaign money from trial lawyers and PACs funded by Soros and Democrats (look for yourself, it’s easy to find). Some say they’re doing it because they’re mad at another PAC that gives to both sides. How does any of that help the folks they’re supposed to be fighting for? See RPT thanking Texas Trial Lawyers for sponsoring the Texas Republican Convention.
- Speaker Burrows is now celebrated and embraced at conservative fundraisers without ANY public concession on his part to produce better legislative results for the “little people.”
- Unfinished legislative business no longer matters to the paid shepherds of the conservative right legislators. The Right Grooming Collective decided it.
- Many of the groomed are so misled that they allow themselves to be marketed by the Grooming Collective as “Conservative Titans.” This embarrassingly arrogant veneer falls squarely into the “pride comes before a fall” category. It saddens us.
The Grooming Collective’s Latest Targets:
State Republican Executive Committee, Conservative Grassroots Delegates and Activists
The grooming tactics of deception—as old as the serpent who first devised them…
Co‑option of Leaders
A classic move: Identify the loudest grassroots voices and offer them:
- Appointments
- Advisory roles
- Access
- Funding
Once inside the system, those leaders are pressured to “be reasonable,” “tone it down,” “not embarrass the institution,” “be a team player.”
The conservative movement loses its edge because its champions are absorbed—no longer willing to fight the Top-Downer Groomers because they’ve now joined them!
Divide and Dilute Strategies
Power thrives on fragmentation. Fragmentation distracts from the mission. Fragmentation depends on compliance.
Common methods:
- Pitting groups and factions against each other
- Creating “approved” vs “unapproved” groups (a “Cool Kids” group mentality)
- Rewarding compliant groups with favors
- Cultivating a cultic, political groupie focus for favored political figures
- Using grassroots-approved conservatives to help cover institutional failure
- Undermining time-tested liberty principles and Biblical values in favor of political convenience, all while quoting Scripture and citing the Founders
- Demeaning any elected official or leader who refuses to surrender
Conservative activists waste time and energy publicly tearing each other down and fighting instead of resisting the Top Downer Groomers.
Narative Capture
Instead of silencing dissent, Top-Downer Groomers seek to reframe it:
- “These concerns are being addressed.”
- “This is misinformation.”
- “Only extremists care about this.”
- “This was the most conservative session ever.”
- “Now is not the time.”
- “You just don’t understand the strategy.”
- “Those who resist just don’t like us.”
- “_______ doesn’t agree with us because he/she just wants to be in charge.”
The aim is to make the conservative grassroots movement doubt its own legitimacy.
How to Resist the Grooming Collective of Top-Downers
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Stay resistant by building independent centers of truth, unity, and accountability that power brokers cannot buy off, divide, or exhaust.
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Protect morale by keeping wins visible, roles distributed, pressure steady, and mission-focused so no single leader can be co‑opted and your organization quietly drained of energy.
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Remember WHY you started this journey in the first place—because you love your children, grandchildren, and Texas!
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Prayerfully strive to live and operate God’s Way. It is all that matters.
The Republican Party Chair and Vice-Chair Race:
At the link below, you will find essays submitted to Grassroots America from the candidates for the Republican Party of Texas Chair and Vice-Chair.
The vote by delegates will take place during the 2026 Republican Party of Texas State Convention in Houston, from June 11–13, 2026.
We determined that written commitments from the candidates were in the best interest of the voting delegates and Texas Republicans.
Until this release, we have not shared these essays with anyone.
We did not coach any candidate. We did not assist any candidate with their essay.
These essays are posted verbatim and in their entirety—as submitted.
We encourage you to read them, bookmark them, and share with others.
Choose wisely.
JoAnn Fleming
Executive Director
Grassroots America – We the People PAC
Joshua 1:9
