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Tucker Carlson: The Tea Party Has Destroyed The Republican Establishment
Mediaite ^ | November 16, 2011 | Colby Hall

Posted on 11/16/2011 11:04:53 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Sarah Palin offered some unsolicited advice last night to Mitt Romney, the red-headed stepchild of GOP presidential frontrunners, encouraging him to more openly embrace the fiscal and social conservative side of the Republican party, and to develop a more robust relationship with the Tea Party movement. This morning on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, host Martha MacCallum asked Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson and liberal “embed” Alan Colmes to discuss Romney’s strategy in engaging the powerful Tea Party contingent, which Carlson put in remarkably stark terms.

After openly questioning why Romney hasn’t made more of an effort in including an energized side of potential GOP voters sympathetic with the Tea Party movement, Carlson boldly stated what he felt to be an under-told story in the evolution of conservative politics, saying of the Tea Party:

Well I think the explanation is a little broader. Leaderless movements don’t endure because they can’t. This is basically a leaderless movement. But I think it’s had a huge effect, and its biggest effect that almost no one ever mentions is that the Tea Party destroyed the Republican establishment. All the people Republicans and conservatives have looked to for guidance have been basically discredited by the Tea Party, which has alllowed this current chaos to flower. That may be a good thing, it might be a bad thing. I don’t even know. But that is the legacy of the Tea Party. No more Washington establishment on the right.

One of the leitmotifs of the 2010 midterm election was what we called the GOP Civil War, and was perhaps best evidenced by the ongoing rhetorical battle between GOP operative Karl Rove and Tea Party Senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell. Carlson makes the astute point that business as usual inside the D.C. beltway is a thing of the past, which is evidence of a Tea Party victory in the battle for the soul of the conservative movement.

Given that Carlson has a lengthy resume of defending the GOP and conservative movement, it’s not difficult to imagine that when he says that he isn’t sure if this is a “good thing or bad thing,” he really is shooting a cannonball across the bow of the USS Tea Party, especially when Tea Party endorsed candidates like Herman Cain (and Sharron Angle of last fall) brought embarrassment to some in the GOP ranks. Perhaps the Tea Party has won the GOP battle, but some might suggest that they will lose the eventual war against their Democratic foes.

Watch the clip below, courtesy of Fox News:

(VIDEO AT LINK)


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues; Parties; State and Local
KEYWORDS: cain; palin; rinos; romney; sarahpalin; stenchofromney; teaparty; teapartyrebellion; tuckercarlson
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“The Tea Party Has Destroyed The Republican Establishment”

And this would be bad because...?


21 posted on 11/16/2011 11:18:03 AM PST by ozark hilljilly (Tagline typed on a closed keyboard. Do not attempt. Your mileage may vary.)
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To: NoGrayZone

If so, then “Mission Accomplished”.


22 posted on 11/16/2011 11:18:05 AM PST by 5thGenTexan
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Total truth. Several years ago my 13 year old (at the time) daughter came through the den and saw TC on the TV. Her only comment was "he looks like his mommy dressed him".

Still laugh about it today.

23 posted on 11/16/2011 11:19:32 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This (l)ibertarian says THANK YOU to the Tea Party for its continued assault on the GOP establishment. Rock on, brothers and sisters.


24 posted on 11/16/2011 11:19:52 AM PST by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The Tea Party Has Destroyed The Republican Establishment

Mostly superficial flesh wounds, we need to keep at it until we kill it dead.

25 posted on 11/16/2011 11:20:02 AM PST by smoothsailing
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

First, I had no idea Carlson was founder of the Daily Caller. No wonder I have found that outfit so suspect in the past.

Secondly, why is the tea party responsible for Sharon Angle and Christine O’Donnell, but no mention of Mike Lee, Toomey, Rubio, Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, and dozens of other winners. The insiders love to cherry-pick to create a narrative. The tea party activists supported a HELL of a lot more winners than loser in 2010.

This is ignoring that the Delaware race was also a victory because we kept another left-wing northeastern Republican out of the Senate to do massive damage. Mike Castle would have been an immediate addition to the gang of nitwits like the Maine twins, Scott Brown and Lindsey Graham that muck up our good policy efforts time after time.


26 posted on 11/16/2011 11:20:02 AM PST by ilgipper (Everything you get from the government was taken from someone else)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Perhaps the Tea Party has won the GOP battle, but some might suggest that they will lose the eventual war against their Democratic foes.

Who dat some that might suggest?

27 posted on 11/16/2011 11:20:15 AM PST by USS Alaska (Nuke The Terrorist Savages)
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To: NoGrayZone
Well, not yet....but we're working on it!

I was just driving by to post that very phrase.

28 posted on 11/16/2011 11:21:11 AM PST by Paine in the Neck (Where's he getting these ideas? He's not smart enough to be that stupid all by himself.)
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To: 5thGenTexan

Not quite yet, we have plenty of more work to do, but have made great strides.

Keep on truckin Tea Party, full steam ahead. We cannot rest until our job is done.

The future depends on us.


29 posted on 11/16/2011 11:21:15 AM PST by NoGrayZone (Stay involved..because stupid people are running America! - Herman Cain - Amen!!!)
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Paine in the Neck

Great minds, yada yada yada. You know the rest!


31 posted on 11/16/2011 11:22:23 AM PST by NoGrayZone (Stay involved..because stupid people are running America! - Herman Cain - Amen!!!)
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To: circlecity

Reagan was but a brief respite from the elites controlling the GOP.


32 posted on 11/16/2011 11:22:26 AM PST by dfwgator (I stand with Herman Cain.)
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To: BoingBoing

My father taught me to never trust a guy wearing a bowtie.


33 posted on 11/16/2011 11:23:28 AM PST by dfwgator (I stand with Herman Cain.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

No Tucker, the GOP Establishment destroyed the GOP Establishment, by too often being indistinguishable from the Dem’s, in their quest to expand the scope of government, and their spending habits.


34 posted on 11/16/2011 11:24:34 AM PST by G Larry (Catholic Conservative Supporting Israel!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
especially when Tea Party endorsed candidates like Herman Cain (and Sharron Angle of last fall) brought embarrassment to some in the GOP ranks.

And Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ron Johnson--all now considered to be rising GOP stars, even by the GOP establishment.

None of these people, not one, would have been elected without the Tea Party. The GOP establishment was backing Charlie Christ, some hack in Kentucky, and a Democrat in Wisconsin.

35 posted on 11/16/2011 11:26:54 AM PST by Brookhaven (The media is throwing smoke bombs at Cain and claiming the smoke is proof of fire)
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To: NoGrayZone
Great minds, yada yada yada. You know the rest!

Apparently, half the thread is made up of great minds ;-)

36 posted on 11/16/2011 11:28:13 AM PST by Paine in the Neck (Where's he getting these ideas? He's not smart enough to be that stupid all by himself.)
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To: dfwgator
[ My father taught me to never trust a guy wearing a bowtie. ]

Trust me, I'm the Doctor!!!

37 posted on 11/16/2011 11:28:57 AM PST by GraceG
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
America's Ruling Class -- And the Perils of Revolution By Angelo M. Codevilla from the July 2010 - August 2010 issue
38 posted on 11/16/2011 11:29:46 AM PST by mewzilla (Forget a third party. We need a second one.)
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To: Brookhaven

If the GOP doesn’t have Scott Walker’s back in Wisconsin, then I am done with them for good.


39 posted on 11/16/2011 11:30:32 AM PST by dfwgator (I stand with Herman Cain.)
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To: Paine in the Neck

Seems to be so!!! FR rocks!


40 posted on 11/16/2011 11:33:22 AM PST by NoGrayZone (Stay involved..because stupid people are running America! - Herman Cain - Amen!!!)
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