Posted on 12/08/2011 2:27:02 PM PST by Halfmanhalfamazing
An interesting and provocative thesis from Joshua Green, writing in the Boston Globe:
For two years, the driving force in national politics has been the Tea Party, whose founding myth was that ordinary citizens were rising up in defiant objection to the hidebound, self-dealing ways of Washington. Greedy politicians, this view held, had bloated the government and lined their own pockets at taxpayers’ expense, while letting the country go to rot. Prime examples were the expansion of government health care and federal support for the housing market - especially Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entities that many conservatives blame for the financial crisis. The mere fact of being a veteran Washington legislator made respected conservatives like Senator Bob Bennett of Utah into Tea Party targets and cost many their jobs. Should all that anger, energy, and antipathy to Washington end up concentrating itself in the person of Newt Gingrich, then the movement will have failed in its most important race.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
I don’t worry about it too much. The tea party really isn’t a party. It’s the people. And those same people who voted to oust the rats in 2010 will be back in 2012 to toss obama out of our White House. What the rats don’t understand is that the TP is made up of small business owners, granny, veterans, football moms and home schoolers, doctors and fed up private sector workers. We’ll be back to cast our votes.
You can pretty much expect that if he's elected there will be some opposition from conservatives to policies that don't fit what we want.
So, no, there isn't much tea partying going on now. No, they won't be swallowed up by Gingrich. And no, his election wouldn't mean the end of the tea party.
Furthermore, he seems like a Romney supporter.
From The Atlantic and The Boston Globe?
Joshua Green might prefer Romney to the other Republicans, but now way he's any kind of Republican.
Boehner hasn’t turned them from their goals- he has made it impossible for them to achieve them. So they grasp at anything to show some success to the voters.
Boehner has the votes to do that now.
It may even be best that the House Republicans run away from so many fights until enough Tea Party Members are there. Maybe. It does build frustration...
If you don’t mind my asking- any Tea Party types running, or thinking of running, in your district?
The Tea Party drives LOCAL primaries.
The conservative base has successfully primaried rinos and has been able to cause consternation at the dc country club.
campaign managers are hard pressed to prove their fees if they can’t pay off a mass of citizens. There are no magic words only proven deeds that matter.
You can’t kiss enough babies to fool the tea party locals.
don’t nationalize the tea party behind a president.
ALL politics are local.
Control the house, control the senate, control the country.
Oh I agree. But it is the MSM who WILL nationalize it, and you can guarantee Romney and Newt will try to as well.
I wish. John Duncan-R.
Virtually every pol who is or purports to be conservative has jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon. I need someone to refresh my memory of when Palin/Bachmann/Cain first appeared with the Tea Party.
I can’t recall any of them appearing at the major 9/12 event. Sen. DeMint and Reps. Blackburn, Price and Pence spoke there, but I’m drawing a blank on other Members of Congress or potential presidential aspirants who were there. At the time I found it odd that so few Members would appear, given that it was right on the Capitol grounds,
Since then, of course, the TP has expanded and shown its muscle. It became OK for Rs to support the movement, and voila! the celebrities and pols came out of the woodwork.
I agree with your assertion that the Tea Party will be back to vote. This ridiculous talk that the Tea Party has somehow gone away or is ineffective is nothing more than the RINO’s version of Hope and Change that fears the Tea Party.
No, the only thing that would destroy the GOP is nominating Romney.
There is no way that Newt would ever endorse a Tea Party candidate. Maybe another RINO, but never a Tea Party.
“Naaah. The tea party has already largely slid into irrelevance.”
I think you’re very wrong here. The only bad thing for the Tea Party is that our choice of presidential material, as provided by the Republican Party, is looking very weak at the moment.
Nonetheless, I expect the Tea Party to be a major force in the 2012 elections. We may have to hold our nose regarding the presidential candidate, but that remains to be seen really.
I personally am not a big fan of either Newt or Plastic Mitt. The statements of Newt’s former colleagues are damning. Mitt’s flaws are eminently obvious. Perhaps something amazing will happen at the convention.
The TEA PARTY is not a party. It is a mindset, a movement to hold elected officials feet to the fire to turn this country of ours away from the Socialist Nanny State that has TOO Much Power over our lives. It will not die. In the 90’s it was called the silent majority. Years form now it may be called something different but goal will be the same. Individual rights guarantee by our Constitution. What freedom are you NOT willing to lose before you take a Stand?
You're preaching to the choir. MY stand is to not vote for a RINO, period. Read my tag...
Right you are. If Romney gets nominated, nothing will stop a 3rd party from the Tea Party.
“I think you’re very wrong here.”
I hope I am.
“I personally am not a big fan of either Newt or Plastic Mitt. The statements of Newt’s former colleagues are damning. Mitt’s flaws are eminently obvious. Perhaps something amazing will happen at the convention.”
The convention is carefully choreographed and primaries make it unlikely that the nomination will still be up for grabs. One slight possibility is that Ron Paul will somehow pull it out. He’s currently in third place and will probably make a strong showing in Iowa. He is vastly unpopular at FR because of his foreign policy stances, but I may well vote for him anyway.
“If you think the Tea Party movement is dead, watch what happens if God forbid, Romney gets the nomination.”
I think most will suck it up and vote for him. Just like McCain. I’m personally done with that, but when the day is said and done, I think most will vote for the gop nominee regardless.
“All of the third party movements in the past did not have easy and cheap and fast ways to organize.”
The problem isn’t so much the economics but the legalities. Most states have made it difficult if not impossible for third parties to get ballot status. Heck, Newt might not get on the ballot in Ohio because of their election quirks. Multiply that by 50 and you have some idea of the daunting task facing a third party.
Hate to sound like eeyore, but the reality we face is not a pretty one.
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