Replies

Well, it’s quite correct that we should not be overconfident.

But those smart political operatives where the guys in charge of the party who have screwed up at every opportunity in the last few elections. The guys that put Specter and Schwarzenneger into office. And I’m not really sure if they fear a Democrat victory nearly so much as a conservative takeover of the party that would relegate them to the sidelines.

As already pointed out, nobody with any sense is giving a dime to the RNC or the other party organizations, because they’re just going to blow it on the next Dede Scozzafava or Juan McCain.

What’s doubtful in my mind is whether the very widespread but relatively leaderless Tea Party movement can pull it all together and work to get the right people into contention in timely fashion. I don’t mean that there aren’t plenty of good leaders, but that there is no recognized leadership nationally, unless someone like Sarah Palin steps in and is accepted by the populist movement AND the party pros who know how to time things and work things.

And all of this needs to be done pretty soon, or it will be too late to get the momentum going to nominate the best candidates for congress and make them known to the voters.

But that’s not exactly overconfidence. It’s a question of whether the party pros will be willing to put their little power games aside and work with the base. And it’s a question whether everyone will accept a leader who can work with everyone and bring them together. That leader CERTAINLY isn’t Juan McCain or Michael Steele or anyone in DC.

“Well, it’s quite correct that we should not be overconfident.

But those smart political operatives where the guys in charge of the party who have screwed up at every opportunity in the last few elections.”

Indeed. These are the guys who had both houses of Congress, AND the Presidency, and bumbled it all away in merely six years. From everything to nothing, and for no reason.

You and I often see eye to eye, and I agree with your post, generally. I disagree about a point you make regarding the Tea Party types, to a degree. You say that “...unless someone like Sarah Palin steps in and is accepted by the populist movement AND the party pros who know how to time things and work things [it will be too late to get the momentum going to nominate the best candidates for congress and make them known to the voters.]”

I think that ultimately, local action is what the Tea Party and Ron Paul types must accomplish. A particular leader right now is not necessary and would only allow the national media to Joe-the-Plumberize the group. Once conservatives are active enough in the primary process, I do believe that a solid core of active conservatives will form to confront the DNC/RNC-as-usual on a national basis. The aim is to keep their feet to the fire during the next two years and get a national representative by 2012, and the best way to establish that candidate’s bona fides is through at least a two year national track record. It doesn’t matter if a Sarah Palin comes into a Tea Party leadership role, if she turns into a McCain endorsing lefty—most of the Tea Party types, like me, are tired of pushing for a candidate’s election and getting a Rat in conservative clothing.

No, the crucial thing is to take over the GOP hierarchy in the long run, to run those who object to ‘litmus tests’ out. Sure, we might not elect a major wave of conservative candidates in 2010. But I think that a Ron Paul on a national stage has been the biggest asset in building the Tea Parties, and the success of the movement relies upon conservatives’ voices simply being heard. A Congress with even a small, vocal, and committed Senate and House group of conservatives would be the most important thing to sustain it. Having talking heads that aren’t McConnells and Boehners, but conservatives, to represent the conservative point of view, would go far to electing more of what we want.