Quoting from Peter Vickery’s December 15 2009 post on the Mass Greens blog, describing the growth of the formerly tiny Liberal Democratic Party in the United Kingdom.

It Could Happen Here

“How did the they do it? Partly by luck, of course, like so much else in politics. But also as a result of planning and foresight: by campaigning around issues their grassroots supporters were passionate about about, from the apparently mundane to the almost esoteric; by building up their base in diverse communities, from blighted inner cities to middle-class suburbs and far-flung Scottish islands; by targeting their resources on winnable seats; by forging electoral non-compete agreements with allied parties; and, above all, by taking the long view.”