Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

As Romney rises, Tea Party sees Senate as "bulwark" (Against Obama - or Romney )
Yahoo News via Reuters ^ | 01/12/2012 | By Nick Carey

Posted on 01/12/2012 9:36:38 AM PST by SeekAndFind

CHICAGO (Reuters) – As Mitt Romney inches toward the Republican Party's presidential nomination, many conservative activists are increasingly focused on a different political prize for 2012: the Senate.

Republicans, who currently have 47 of the 100 Senate seats, are seen as having a good shot of winning control of the upper chamber because they are defending far fewer seats in the November election.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is the clear frontrunner for the party's presidential nomination after victories in the Iowa and New Hampshire nominating contests this month. He can move a big step closer with a win in the January 19 South Carolina primary.

But some supporters of the Tea Party movement and other conservatives distrust Romney, deriding him as a moderate, and they hope to get a few of their candidates into the Senate to serve as a "bulwark" against him or President Barack Obama.

"Conservatives in Nebraska are very concerned about Romney and disappointed that he may be the nominee," said John Arnold of the Lincoln Tea Party. "So the Senate has become much more important."

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska recently said he will not seek reelection in his heavily Republican state. The Republican primary for the seat will pit former state attorney general Don Stenberg - who has some Tea Party backing - against the current state attorney general and "establishment" candidate Jon Bruning.

"The Senate is where we feel Nebraska's conservative values will be best represented," Arnold said.

Republicans would need to win four Democratic-controlled seats and successfully defend all their seats to win the Senate. A net gain of three seats would give Republicans control if Romney or another Republican won the White House, as the sitting vice president breaks all tie votes in the Senate.

(Excerpt) Read more at old.news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: obama; romney; senate; teaparty
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 01/12/2012 9:36:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The liberals fear true conservative control of the Congress far more than they fear a Mitt Romney presidency.


2 posted on 01/12/2012 9:40:36 AM PST by ngat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

How pathetic has the GOP become on a Presidential level conservatives, like me, are wishing for a GOP Senate to stop who will likely be the GOP nominee. I think this “bulwark” argument works better against Obama for the simple reason with Mitt in the White House it is very difficult for an individual GOP Senator to say “NO” to the head of the GOP. Look at how Obama/Pelosi/Reid was able to shove ObamaCare down the throats of the Congress when many Democrats who voted YES knew it was political suicide. Would the Big Government domestic agenda of Bush II been able to pass a GOP Congress if the POTUS making the proposal was a Democrat?


3 posted on 01/12/2012 9:43:22 AM PST by C19fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Very wise move.

Another wise move would be to seize control of Republican County and Municipal Committees. From there, work upwards into Local and county offices which lead to state offices which lead to Federal Offices.


4 posted on 01/12/2012 9:44:15 AM PST by ZULU (LIBERATE HAGIA SOPHIA!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The number is going to have to be a lot higher than 51 for conservatives to get anything done. We still have a handful of RINOs who dream at night of the chance to dive across the aisle on issues important to conservatives. The day after the GOP takes control you can be certain that a “gang” of this-or-that will announce that they will be “working together.”


5 posted on 01/12/2012 9:45:32 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (My tagline is in the shop.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ngat

“The liberals fear true conservative control of the Congress far more than they fear a Mitt Romney presidency.”

With McConnell and Boehner as ‘leaders’, they need fear nothing, as conservatives will not control anything.


6 posted on 01/12/2012 9:46:14 AM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans: Don't read their lips - watch their hands.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ElkGroveDan

Insert photo of Wonder Twins. (Plus add Brown, if he wins, Ayotte while at it).


7 posted on 01/12/2012 9:50:48 AM PST by C19fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Tea Party sees Senate as "bulwark" against Obama? I don't
8 posted on 01/12/2012 9:56:45 AM PST by tsowellfan (cafenetamerica.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I don’t believe the GOP wants the white house or the blame that comes with it. After all, they can continue to sit in congress while getting rich and screwing the rest of us.


9 posted on 01/12/2012 10:02:04 AM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The problem with this strategy is that the GOP, with Romney at its head, will force moderate Senate candidates on to us. And, if a tea partier does win a Senate primary, they will not assist them in winning against the Democrat incumbent.

In the state of Wisconsin, this will play out. The establishment GOP and Mitt will back Thompson for Senate, even though the Tea Party and conservative groups here see Thompson as a RINO. If Thompson loses the nomination, they will not assist Newmann, Fitzgerald, or Lasee in the general.


10 posted on 01/12/2012 10:05:00 AM PST by Thunder90 (Fighting for truth and the American way... http://citizensfortruthandtheamericanway.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NewJerseyJoe

P4L


11 posted on 01/12/2012 10:10:47 AM PST by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NewJerseyJoe

P4L


12 posted on 01/12/2012 10:10:55 AM PST by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
BINGO, they NEVER wanted control and for the very reason you stated.

Which is why the Establishment is for Romney, Status Quo, and they will WHIP the new tea party members in line with gusto, and those members will then line their pockets. BUSINESS AS USUAL.

Nothing will ever change, there is no difference in party affiliation any longer.

13 posted on 01/12/2012 10:17:12 AM PST by annieokie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I think this is a making lemonade from lemons approach that could work. A RINO president with a tea party congress could protect the Supreme Court and move a lot of good legislation far better than a RINO with a democrat congress. I fear we have lost any opportunity to get rid of Mitt but if we can surround him with the right congress it might work. Might.


14 posted on 01/12/2012 10:20:23 AM PST by muir_redwoods (No wonder this administration favors abortion; everything they have done is an abortion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ngat
The liberals fear true conservative control of the Congress far more than they fear a Mitt Romney presidency.

Of course, liberals would fear a conservative Congress more than a Romney presidency - ROMNEY'S ONE OF THEM!!!

15 posted on 01/12/2012 10:21:32 AM PST by CommerceComet (Governor Romney, why would any conservative vote for the author of the beta version of ObamaCare?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: annieokie

Seems that some of the redistricting was done with an eye on getting rid of tea partiers as well.


16 posted on 01/12/2012 10:26:49 AM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
Our ideas of the Republicans never wanting to be in control has become more and more obvious. When they had control they lost it, behaving worse than the D's.

It is even more obvious to me, that nothing CAN BE done about it. The establishment D's and R's are one and the same, and this election PROVES it with the endorsement of Romney by all, both sides, and the media.

They are not even afraid of a Revolution, because there will never be one again. (Want some candy little girl?)/s.

17 posted on 01/12/2012 10:48:29 AM PST by annieokie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Thunder90

Simple alternate strategy is to vote for Obama if Romney is the nominee, thereby preventing him from being the head.

It’s what I plan on doing, although I may change to vote for the constitution party.


18 posted on 01/12/2012 11:06:41 AM PST by delapaz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: annieokie

Given the way tea partiers like Bachmann and Cain were savaged by supposed conservatives, I don’t think conservative voters have the moral courage to stand up to the GOP.

My congressman warned that the tea party would fail if we didn’t hold firm. He said that our responsibility doesn’t end at the ballot box, we have to stand over congress every single day of the left would ooze back in and drive the country to the left.

Sure enough, the voters went to sleep and the left was waiting for it to happen.


19 posted on 01/12/2012 11:12:04 AM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
""""My congressman warned that the tea party would fail if we didn’t hold firm"""",

Your congressman was right. Yet the Tea Party IS STILL HERE, it is just there is no call to action any longer and who do we follow?

For the reason, that SO MANY "self imposed tea party leaders"/fakes, are NOT the LEADERS at all. Each saw the Tea Party movement as an opportunity for themselves to prosper and get rich as a leader, AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

The Tea Party Movement is still alive in the hearts of all original participants. We will not give way to some Usurper trying to take control, at least I won't. I knew this was going to happen from the beginning, someone always wants the POWER, and the Media seems willing to make that happen with anyone that steps us and says, "I am the Tea Party Leader", then they quote them.

The next movement will be something entirely different, and I think you know what I mean.

20 posted on 01/12/2012 11:43:50 AM PST by annieokie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson