How The Bull Moose Project Injects Teddy Roosevelt’s Fight Into The New Right

“Credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again, and again … but who does actually strive to do the deeds.” These inspiring words were spoken by Theodore Roosevelt during his post-presidential European tour in a speech titled “Citizenship in a Republic.” The speech has since become one of his most famous, inspiring generations of American statesmen and those who aspire to follow in their footsteps.

Last week, the Bull Moose Project, a newly formed political organization, held its first-ever candidate leadership summit. The summit brought together aspiring officeholders from across the country to receive training on how to run their campaigns. The attendees, mostly in their early 20s and already running for office, were enthusiastic and eager to learn. The organization’s mission is to train, support, and elect the next generation of American statesmen while building out the burgeoning conservative populist movement. As its name suggests, the group draws considerable inspiration from the 26th president.

The summit featured speeches from current officeholders like West Virginia Delegate Riley Keaton and Missouri State Rep. Chris Lonsdale, as well as former candidates Stefano Forte of New York and Florida’s Anthony Sabatini. All of these individuals first ran for office in their 20s and are currently under 40. Battle-tested policy experts like Mark Krikorian, Mike Howell, and Jeff Clark, as well as younger think-tankers like Thomas Hochman and Jake Denton, fleshed out potential policy prescriptions for the conservative populist movement. The general consensus was that an immediate course reversal with a drastic emphasis on domestic production of essentially everything is paramount not just to conservative political success but to American national survival.

But why does the Bull Moose Project matter? After all, an ideologically oriented organization attempting to embolden similarly inclined allies isn’t exactly new. The answer is that the Bull Moose Project plays a unique role in the world of conservative politics. As a young organization run by younger adults, it punches significantly above its weight. The largely unoccupied space Bull Moose fills on the still-developing New Right — candidate recruitment and retention — is one that must be stepped into if the ideology is to have any hope of longevity.

Developing a farm system of candidates, so to speak, is necessary for every political movement. People have to get elected to implement their vision. By developing a network of like-minded individuals who eagerly await the opportunity to step into the ring, there are more chances conservative populism remains electorally viable. At the very least, it retains more messengers who want to hold office.

Aiden Buzzetti, the organization’s president, highlighted the importance of investing in the leadership of future generations. “The [leadership summit] brought current and future candidates together from 17 states and featured campaign and policy experts to help us achieve our goal of developing future statesmen for the conservative movement. We want to provide them with the knowledge and resources necessary to run for office and win, so they can enact legislative change that will ensure a brighter future for future generations,” he said in an interview with The Federalist.

The Bull Moose Project has found itself wrapped up in the ongoing realignment of the Republican Party. The organization’s ability to develop a sizable following of ideologically aligned and enthusiastic activists while garnering support from influential institutions in conservative politics like the Heritage Foundation, who sponsored the event, indicates that the organization’s “America First” approach to domestic issues is in sync with both the grassroots and the larger political framework of conservative politics. The Bull Moose Project has presented itself as yet another foil to the rapidly eroding neoconservatism of the old guard.

Opposition to this cultural and economic populism appears to be among the main criticisms of the organization. But even so, it remains unclear whether objections to the organization are inspired by revulsion to populist aesthetics or because of genuine ideological disagreement.

Ziven Havens, the group’s policy director, said, “People attempt to mischaracterize the stances and goals of the Bull Moose Project, but our intentions are clear. We are working to equip candidates with the practical skills and policy knowledge needed to become effective leaders in their communities.”

Running for office is not easy, and most candidates don’t succeed the first time they run. But by developing a network of like-minded individuals who are eager to step into the ring, the Bull Moose Project is increasing the chances that conservative populism remains electorally viable. As Roosevelt said, “if a man is to fail, [he] at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The Bull Moose Project has walked directly into the arena and has yet to look for the exit. Only time will tell if their efforts will yield great results, but one thing is clear: the people behind the Bull Moose Project are daring greatly