"The race for president has returned to about where it was before the first presidential debate, with Barack Obama and Joe Biden holding a small lead over Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin...."[snip]
Posted on 12/22/2009 8:08:00 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Sen. Ben Nelson's, D-Neb., abandonment of his alleged "pro-life" commitment brought Harry Reid within reach of a Christmas Eve vote to approve a Senate version of Obamacare. When that happens, the political battles over the future of American medicine and especially the care of seniors will shift to the conference committee and then to the House.
Though many conservatives are demoralized, they should instead be gearing up to peel off enough votes from among the 220 who voted for Obamacare when it passed the lower chamber. If the 215 who voted "no" on the first round stay firm, only three Democrats need to be turned.
Those three are most likely going to be found among the 24 Democrats identified by the National Republican Congressional Committee's Reverse the Vote campaign. (See reversethevote.org/dems.html) These are the two dozen Democrats judged most vulnerable on Nov. 2, 2010, because the beliefs of the voters in their districts do not square with their representatives' support for the federal government's takeover of health care. Thousands of small contributions have already flowed into a special fund to be divided among the eventual GOP nominees against these 24 constituent-ignoring liberals.
Even more money is needed of course, but much more than money as well, and that is where the Tea Party movement comes in.
First, though, what do we mean by "Tea Party movement?" The media don't seem to recognize the fact that there are many groups that wear the Tea Party mantle. Some are completely legitimate grass-roots organizations, like Tea Party Patriots (teapartypatriots.org). Others are also completely legit. Still others are consultant-driven not-for-profits in name and tax status only, and they are actually just using the populist anger in the country to line their pockets.
What matters now is that the genuine grass-roots activists join in the effort to peel off at least three House Democrats from their original support for Obamacare. The Tea Party turnout has considerable overlap with the GOP, but they are very distinct efforts in many respects. Almost every member of both opposes the takeover of health care by the feds, and most are also opposed to the massive cuts in store for Medicare.
While the GOP busies itself raising money for the fall races, the Tea Party activists could be focusing on organizing efforts on a district-by-district basis. Imagine the impact over the next few weeks if the cash continued to flow into Reverse the Vote even as committees of Tea Party veterans presented themselves and their grievances in the local offices of these 24 Democrats.
Tea Party participants from districts with congressmen who have been opposing Obamacare and massive spending could become virtual members of one of the 24 efforts to turn a Democrat from a "yes" to a "no." The surge in opposition, if focused, could be very effective.
The GOP and the Tea Parties are not the same thing. But they want many of the same things, especially the defeat of Obamacare.
The time is now for the latter to target the same out-of-touch-with-their-district Democrats as the former. Such an alliance, even if only for a while, could save American medicine.
Some of the Tea Party participants will want to grouse about what the Republicans did -- or didn't do -- when they were in the majority before 2007. Some will worry about being co-opted or about losing their influence or position within the media spotlight as 2010 begins to shift to the elections, which inevitably highlight the two parties. Still others will be dreaming "third party" dreams and won't want anything to do with the Party of Lincoln.
A test of the movement is directly ahead. To defeat Obamacare, it is going to have to team up with the GOP. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about the motives, and staying power, of the new activists of 2009.
********
Examiner Columnist Hugh Hewitt is a law professor at Chapman University Law School and a nationally syndicated radio talk show host who blogs daily at HughHewitt.com.
Some good points in the article, but Hugh's not really in any position to be setting up milestones the Tea Party movement must meet to prove it's motives or legitimacy. And I doubt he'll be the only one trying to set parameters of what the movement must do.
It needs to keep its distance from the Republican insiders until the motives of the Republicans are better known. They can exert influence on the next house votes on Obamacare without taking direction from anyone outside the movement.
Every available seat up for election needs to have a solid attractive conservative on the ballot.
They're already doing it. "Tea Party" is being registered in my state, and probably many others, probably funded by Soros, et al for that very purpose.
Reid knows his career is over, HE DOESN’T CARE!
Several years ago, I would have agreed with you...today, no way! The Republican Party has become useless and seems to be a limp flag for upholding the Constitution.
They need to be purged as much as the Democrats now and I just hope that this Tea Party movement actually brings down this shell of a party. I am so mad at the Republicans that I can spit and do so frequently at the TV...
Amen.
Big spending, big taxing, constitution trampling liberals will remain open targets, regardless of party. Republicans who vote like liberals cannot be trusted! No more RINOs!!
Go Sarah!!
Well, didn’t one democrat from Alabama just turn Republican?
Yes. What is your point?
I checked your posting history around the time of the Palin addition to the McCain ticket:
Obama 48% McCain 45% in CBS Poll (Oversampled Dems)
"The race for president has returned to about where it was before the first presidential debate, with Barack Obama and Joe Biden holding a small lead over Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin...."[snip]
BARR THE SPOILER?
While Zogby has McCain up by two today in a post-Palin bounce, there is one ominous line and statistic in the article: "Still, storm clouds remain on the horizon for the Republicans, a four-way horserace contest between McCain, Obama, Libertarian Bob Barr and liberal independent Ralph Nader shows....." ********** BARR: TOTAL: 5% DEMS: 2% GOPers: 4% INDIES: 11%
Show Support for Reasonable Tax Incentives
Hello fellow Freepers, if you could please take a second to vote "yes" on this poll. Basically, it is a fight between us (good capitalists) AND extreme environmentalists with communist ties who want to see an end to all development/capitalism. Thanks! The poll is Here
FREEP THIS POLL: LEFTIES TRYING TO SWAY VOTE...
See that? Nov. 2005, then next post Feb. 2006, then next post August 31, 2008 (and that was about BARR, not Palin!?)
Busted.
Sarge, Dark...sniff? (not exactly "n" in sniff, but still...)
Cheers!
You’re out of touch with the political situation today...! Please watch more FOX to get caught up...
No it won’t (and I will fight tooth-in-nail) to make sure that THAT never happens; what will happen however is that most will end up voting Republican in the next election or two..(or three).
However I have no problem with genunine conservative/libertarian/moderate-conservative democrats running their own Tea Party Democrats to take on incumbent dems (and liberal Republicans or “moderates” RINOS)!
Okay, let’s keep the pressure on - especially Nelson. The governor and people of Nebraska are really giving it to him. Let’s add fuel to the fire! Let him know we are not only sick of the corruption of which he is chief benefactor, but we will also be cheering for the Cornhuskers to lose big to the Arizona Wildcats in their upcoming bowl game!
Nelson
bennelson.senate.gov
Phone: (402) 441-4600
Fax: (202) 228-0012
Webb
http://webb.senate.gov
Phone: 202-224-4024
Fax: 202-228-6363
Landrieu
http://landrieu.senate.gov
Phone: (202)224-5824
Fax:(202) 224-9735
Lincoln
http://lincoln.senate.gov
(202) 224-4843
Fax (202) 228-1371
Bayh
http://bayh.senate.gov
Phone: (202) 224-5623
Fax: (202) 228-1377
Lieberman
http://lieberman.senate.gov
Phone: 202.224.4041
Fax: 202.224.9750
Be in D.C. for a massive protest on the day of the State of the Union Address! We need to ruin their “party” - no more status quo, no more business as usual - WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE!
It will only take a few to do so.
Don’t start the revolution without me.
It’s gotta work and we all have to do everything we can, including risking jail and shutting down Washington, D.C. with protests.
Shame on Hugh Hewitt for thinking that the Dems who voted NO the first time around were doing it out of a sincere belief that the bill was bad. It may be true of some, but far from all.
My Representative (McMahon, D-NY13) voted no because he is from a Red district and needed the cover. Nancy’s got a 40 vote majority, and can hand out “dispensations” like Halloween candy.
She’ll get the votes she needs with that kind of majority - it wasn’t anywhere NEAR as close as the totals seemed to reflect the first time around.
There is one MAJOR difference between the ‘Tea Party’ people and the GOP...a spine.
Don’t think the tea party-tactic is really going to stop anything. There may be some crossover from Independents and Dems, but in the end Communists always vote for Communists. By the time November 2010 arrives, those with the means will have positioned themselves to avoid the worst damage of the coming socialist tide already well underway.
Those of us in the middle will be overwhelmed by just keeping afloat, at least for a while. But in the end we’ll end up just the the generations who have designed their lives around what the government hands out.
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