Posted on 12/30/2009 4:51:48 PM PST by Publius804
It appears that some state and county Tea Party groups are trying to cleanse their ranks of libertarians. That's a shame since the movement started with Ron Paul and his libertarian followers, and was then co-opted by mainstream GOP Sean Hannity types.
Lawrence Samuels, editor of Facets of Liberty: A Libertarian Primer and participant in the Monterey County Tea Party, is witnessing the purge firsthand:
[A]fter a successful 4th of July Tea Party parade and Freedom Rally in Monterey, the cracks in the alliance split wide open. I was accused of belonging to too many leftist organizations. In fact, I am co-chair of the local Libertarians for Peace, which joined the 27-member Monterey County Peace Coalition to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Libertarians for Peace is neither Left nor Right….
Obviously, the Tea Party conservatives were neophytes; never before had they been involved in political activism. Some had never heard of Congressman Ron Paul. Prof. David R. Henderson, one of the libertarian Tea Party Board members, described this curious phenomenon as "activism without ideals." I thought my phrase captured it best: "a cause without a rebel." In fact, as demands to purge the libertarians intensified, we got the distinct feeling that the purgers fit the category of "reactionary" since they seemed to know only what they were against, not what they were for. Amazingly, they never pointed out any philosophical differences that they found objectionable. It was as if they were devoid of ideas, marooned with empty rhetoric and no real solutions….
In retrospect, it did not help our case when we asked these rookies embarrassing questions. We asked them why they had done nothing when President Bush bailed out the banks and auto companies, spent money like a drunken sailor, bashed civil liberties and advanced socialized medicine with Medicare Prescription Drug law, a program that some in Congress estimated will have a price tag of $1.2 trillion by 2016. I suppose our questioning merely rubbed their noises too deeply in their ignorance.
You can read his entire account here.
If the Tea Party movement is to function merely as the activist wing of Republican talk radio, it won't get very far.
When did Ron Paul supposedly start the Tea Party movement?When he stopped hitting the bong long enough to reload it.
Always get a kick of these names. I am a conservative for peace. I love peace who doesn’t love peace? Oh the religion of peace.
Peace
December 16th, 2007.
Biggest online fundraiser in political history.
Supporters of Paul also dumped "tea" (in the form of big government programs as boxes) into the water of whatever city they held rallies in.
Thus, the Tea Parties were born.
They are.
But abortion rights, drug use without consequence, open borders, and demilitarization aren’t values they hold. Perhaps the Libertatians should return to their roots.
/PreRandian.
We had one Paulite who was considering a run for office speak at a tea party rally on the steps of the state Capital in Hartford, CT. People were listening until he started claiming the military on foreign soil caused terrorists attacks and demanded troops be removed asap. He was booed for the next several minutes so loudly he couldn’t speak. He finally gave up and walked away to the cheers of about 2,000 people.
And this is what will cause us to lose in 2010 and 2012. Infighting in conservative groups and infighting in the GOP.
Libertarians are not the enemy right now. We have our differences but the fight with libertarians can wait until we get these commies out of office. Lets fight smart
Ron Paul? Sheesh, his minions need to give it a rest.
Folks, beware of people trying to fracture this movement. Motives, what is the motive? It would help if we had a point man, a leader if you will. I dont know someone like Sarah maybe??? Just sayin/
I thought the current movement was based upon Rick Santelli’s comment on CNBC
Good point, Steve. I love peace, too. The peace that follows American Victory on the battlefield.
I doubt that. I would be willing to bet 75%+ have been paying attention for over 20 years.
Nope.
When Paul ran for President, he inspired people.
They made their own signs, donated their own money, and used MeetUp.com to hold meetings with other Paul supporters.
I know, I was there, and we used to hold impromtu rallies on street corners and parks for Paul.
Paul was the only Republican who could have match Obama's online presence, grassroots support and fund-raising.
>> then co-opted by mainstream GOP Sean Hannity types
>> Obviously, the Tea Party conservatives were neophytes; never before had they been involved in political activism.
Hannity may not be everyone’s favorite, but he’s been fighting his cause of Conservatism since long ago, and during the hours the witches fly.
Since when do fickle punks own the cause of Liberty?
Nope, they were suggested by Rick Santelli on CNBC. He is a fiscal conservative.
Not only here, but know other freepers in other states who
are good conservatives but will not go back to a Tea Party functions.
The Ron Paul loons handing out papers for 9/11 Truther film
and other propaganda.
Perhaps all the way to El Paso, but I see that wagon breaking down before it hits Fort Stockton.
The Ron Paul movement might want to put their HQ in Pecos. Not much left there in that historic town, they could take the town over.
tea parties are for everyone and the one I went to had the left, right and the middle.
fed up of Govt and how they are trying to take over every aspect of our lives, fed up of their reckless spending and wanting more taxes then that is where the tea party is for you regardless of what party one comes from
Thank you, that was going to be my next post.
and Santelli is not Ron Paul.
That's true but we're talking about the modern-day Tea Party which begun during Paul's presidential campaign.
Paul and his ilk used the name for some of their little anti-war, Guy Faulks type protests, but it had nothing to do with the Tea Party protests you see around the country now
Bald-faced lie.
The Tea Parties, the people who protested Obamacare in Town Halls in August, who protested the porkulus...are all remnants of supporters of Paul's campaign. The GOP and mainstream conservatives had nothing to do with it.
“I love peace, too. The peace that follows American Victory on the battlefield.”
bttt
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