Posted on 01/19/2010 10:35:52 PM PST by neverdem
The Dems outnumber the Reps three to one in MA. Registered Reps make up only 12% of the electorate. There are more independents than either Dems or Reps. Brown did not advertise or seek Tea Party support publicly recognizing that this would hurt him politically. Instead, Brown expressed support of Tea Party principles and appealed to voters, including tea party members, who held those views.
This is what must happen in every state - Tea Party movement people, or just people who empathize with their views must simply “take over - get involved and get to work” within the republican party and direct it themselves. Scott Brown demonstrated how this can be done. The republican party is the most open to conservatism, but it must be directed by conservatives within the local precinct, district by district. Weed out the rinos - it can happen. We just saw this happen in Massachusetts.
I am active in the Tea Party movement and in the Rep party in VA. It really depends where you are locally as to how much influence the Tea Party can have in the Rep party. The best way is to get involved in the primaries and support those who are the most conservative and can win Tea Party support. You can't just "weed out the rinos." You need all the support you can get, especially from independents.
Scott Brown may not pass all of the conservative litmus tests nor will many Tea Party members who have differences on social issues like abortion. Don't confuse Tea Party members with conservatives. We share many common beliefs and values, but not all of them.
For the most part, you are talking about Democrats. I'm impatient with these attempts to siphon off only Republican support with 'anti-incumbent' rhetoric. This broad brush anti-incumbent sales pitch would have much more credibility in my book if it was also peddled in Democrat forums, but it isn't.
The Tea Party Movement, instead of reveling in its declared independence, should immediately either join forces with or take over the local Republican Party establishment in its respective county or state.
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Hmmm. Not sold on this. For tactical reasons right now, perhaps. But we already put the GOP in complete control a mere nine years ago for them to fumble it all away. Not sure I can ever trust them again.
I agree that those in the GOP who think that Brown won because he adhered to GOP principles and beliefs are like roosters claiming credit for the sunrise. Brown won because this was a referendum on Obama and his health care proposal and the growing anti-incumbent feeling among the electorate. Brown understood those factors and tailored his campaign accordingly. He was the "people's candidate."
To be merely anti-incumbent without understanding the issues and probable outcomes of ones choices is to be intellectually derelict because, for one, that viewpoint often enables the greatest of possible evils.
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Like betrayal by machine incumbents? The American nomenklatura?
I got the impression that the GOP didn’t really help Brown out that much. I’m sure Steele will be on T.V. taking credit tomorrow, though.
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Mitt’s cheerleader squad stole a march on lil’ Mikey Tinsel.
That's a fact, we have several precincts that have no PCs, others we keep all the openings full, we haven't been able to get people to get the 10 signatures to get on the ballot. I typically get the signatures for all the PCs in my precinct.
The libertarian strategy Tuesday was to attempt to siphon off enough votes from Brown to ensure a Coakley win.
They can go to hell.
I _am_ willing to buy an alliance of convenience.
So long as it delivers.
Oooohhh. $500k. That’s my point. $500k is chump change, especially when it is the only race going on at the time.
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1/2 of what they wasted on Scozzafava.
I think you have one too many zeros in that figure.
I am in favor of getting rid of Reps who act like Dems, e.g., Specter, Snowe, and Collins. Specter already demonstrated his true colors by switching parties. The time to do this is in the primaries. If we can continue to elect the Lincoln Chaffes and Specters, then we are blurring the lines between what the GOP stands for. If we want to be Democrat lite, then many of us will just move to a third party or sit out the elections.
Ronald Reagan, in his famous 1975 speech at CPAC, said,
" Americans are hungry to feel once again a sense of mission and greatness. I don 't know about you, but I am impatient with those Republicans who after the last election rushed into print saying, "We must broaden the base of our party"-- when what they meant was to fuzz up and blur even more the differences between ourselves and our opponents.
" It was a feeling that there was not a sufficient difference now between the parties that kept a majority of the voters away from the polls. When have we ever advocated a closed-door policy? Who has ever been barred from participating?
" Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?"
I could care less about what is peddled in Democrat fora. We need to rebulild and revitalize the GOP.
Yep. We nominated the Party’s maverick to be our standard bearer in 2008. He supported amnesty and cap and trade and was against drilling in ANWR and for the closing of Gitmo. Only the Stupid Party does that.
BTTT!
The media is already stressing that this is the work of independents, not the GOP, and they are joining up....hilarious.
When you think of what has been spent in vain during this health care “DEBATE”....excuse me while I go puke.
The GOP has to think that it is always the opposition party. It should have told GWB to jump in a lake with his compassionate conservatism.
His "No Child Left Behind" Law was written by Ted Kennedy and Ted's pals, IIRC. States then lowered the scores for passing. GWB's expansion of Medicare for a new, unfunded Part D was written by Big Pharma, IIRC.
Any majority GOP Congress must learn from that disaster.
“The libertarian strategy Tuesday was to attempt to siphon off enough votes from Brown to ensure a Coakley win.”
yeah but his name was Joe Kennedy. Stupid liberals probably voted for him thinking he was the guy who kisses up to Hugo Chavez.
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