Posted on 01/30/2012 6:38:36 PM PST by neverdem
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Newt Gingrich's fast Florida fade is the latest indication that the Tea Party is losing its grip on the GOP, with the establishment poised to triumph once again.
An official endorsement Saturday night from last year's Tea Party standout, Herman Cain; an all-but-official backing from longtime Tea Party darling Sarah Palin; and the support of an increasing number of Tea Party officials around the country have not lifted Gingrich back over Mitt Romney in the Florida polls. That weakened clout has been accompanied by the Republican establishment's full-throttle charge at Gingrich's past -- to great effect with the primary here just one day away.
It’s a stunning twist of fate for the GOP, which just 18 months ago was mired in intraparty battles that gave rise to the grass-roots movement, and which had been desperately seeking anyone but Mitt Romney in the presidential race to satisfy its hard-right turn. Still, if Romney wins here on Tuesday and goes on to clinch the nomination in the coming weeks or months, it may not settle the question of whether he has quieted the Tea Party faithful heading toward the general election.
Its various favorites have failed to take hold. Michele Bachmann was ultimately not seen as credible, Cain was forced out of the race over charges of sexual harassment, and Rick Perry couldn’t pass muster through the debates.
Though Gingrich has embraced the Tea Party -- and many of its leaders have hugged him back -- he doesn’t fit the movement’s mold. The Romney campaign knows this and has had no qualms about highlighting that fact.
From former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the GOP presidential nominee in 1996, to Sen. John McCain, the standard bearer in 2008, a growing number of Republican “insiders” have blasted...
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Spoken like a cheese eating surrender monkey.
It was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, and it served its purpose in 2010, but, it’s disorganized and leaderless and basically useless.
At a time when it’s needed to the most, it’s nowhere to be found.
Harry Reid, is that you?
We meet twice a month here, and conference with 41 other groups in our state alone. Just because you aren't involved, it doesn't make it dead.
Oh, you're mistaken, my FRiend. It's right here.
This does bear out what I've suggested in another thread. The entire last year of American politics has been nothing more than a crude puppet show with OWS on the one hand and Romney on the other - we have to fall in between, and the Tea Party falls outside. The difficulty with this is that declaring a political movement dead doesn't make it so. It isn't working, and it isn't going to.
The GOP in it’s war on TEA had better wake up, in their efforts to destroy us, their are causing us to flip them the bird and walk out the door.
I have tolerated Bush, Dole, another Bush, and McCain. It has been 24 years that the GOP E has had it’s way. It’s our turn to drive.
If they succeed in their conspiracy to annoint Romney, they are going to do it without me. Im sick of their cynical “you HAVE to vote for us” mentality.
The Tea Party is us
GOP to the Tea Party “ you f-cked, you trusted us”
GOP E is like a bad husband, always belittling and berating a wife who voices legitimate complaints. He keeps telling her she can never survive without him, she has to stay, shes stupid, etc etc,,,,
Sometimes such people eventually find the strength to walk out the door.
The TEA party is beneath the established republicans contempt. We are considered nothing more than a nuisance and obstacle to the goals of the GOP. Time to quit being useful idiots to the GOP, un-hitch our horse from this bunch, and form a party that has America’s best interests in mind.
Most TEA elections have had the GOP actually working AGAINST TEA repubs. Murkowski, Crist, Angle, O’Donnell,, etc.
TEA would have been FAR more succeessful had the GOP worked as hard for their success as they did against them. Of course, that would require the GOP to believe in TEA goals.
The TEA party never had a ‘grip’ on the GOP.... that is the whole point it existed!
Bump to that, rawcat...
Even if you are correct, so what? Impotence is impotence. Do you think the “establishment” is going to give up power? What kind of war were you expecting?
When the first TEA events started, i thought it would be the worst mistake ever to become an actual “party”. But that was because i was CERTAIN that republican party would have a home for these ideals.
Instead they have waged all out relentless war on TEA. I agree it’s almost time to bolt. We will know very soon.
You guys might still be active and holding your own meetings, but the bigger tea party movement, with the large protests and the in-your-face confrontations against the democrats and against the RINOs in the republican party, are no longer there to get the message heard, loud and far. Quietly organizing is not as effective as getting the big crowds organized and notice and broadcast.
I’m planning to vote for Gingrich. However, things look dismal in Florida if Romney wins the primary here. If we had been as organized and effective as we were in 2009/2010, Romney would not even be running for the nomination of the GOP.
So, you guys can be dismissive of my remarks all you want, but I’m calling it as I see it, and I’m pretty sure that there are millions other feeling the same as me.
If Newt is denied the nomination by the establishment, and they force Mittens on us,
Nobody can force anybody on us. If the tea partiers would all vote for Newt than he will win. If the Tea Partiers vote for Romney then they aren’t much of a tea partier. Everyone has a vote nobody votes with a gun to their head. Tea party is 40 percent of the Republican party or more so there is no forcing Romney on us. It is the Tea Partiers who are not voting for Newt.
You are mistaken. If we are so impotent,,, lets see them win election without us.
The Romney plan is to abuse us beyond belief in the primaries, throw us a bone in the worthless Veep job slot, and then say, “whatcha gonna do”.
But if we were really so impotent,, they wouldn’t need us in november, would they? Our potency will be to see Romney lose. It appears to be the punch in the nose the establishment needs.
I said it before, left-right, here we are stuck in the middle. The RNC and the DNC are deathly afraid of a third party forming to counteract their stranglehold on the federal government. The powers to be be will fight tooth and nail to prevent a third party from usurping their power. Unfortunately for them, there are too many Americans stuck with having to live through their poor policies and decisions. A third party based on sound Constitutional principles is the only way out of the mess that the feds have dragged us into.
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