Has the tea party 'sold out' to the mainstream GOP?

CNN ^ | August 26, 2012 | Shannon Travis

[upchuck]

Is the tea party changing the Republican Party from the inside -- or selling out to the GOP?

As Republicans prepare to officially roll out Mitt Romney as their party's presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention this week, major tea party groups and figures have descended on Tampa, Florida, to schmooze with party bigwigs and rally for Romney.

But Romney's conservative credentials have long been viewed with suspicion by the movement. So it came as a surprise when, before at least one event, tea party organizers committed what some activists would consider heresy: seeking approval from establishment Republicans to rally.

All of it has opened up a once unthinkable charge: the movement that's rabble-roused and rocked the GOP establishment since 2009 is now too cozy with it.

"The top national groups have already sold out," said Judd Saul, a prominent Iowa activist associated with the Cedar Valley Tea Party. "They don't truly represent the grassroots."

"Even before the caucuses, these guys were all pushing for Romney even when the primaries were going on," Saul added.

"It's a pretty widespread (sentiment). A lot of activists have noticed that."

But presidential historian Douglas Brinkley doesn't see this phenomenon as anything new.

"I think it happens all the time in politics," said Brinkley, a political analyst and professor at Rice University. "The grassroots people are the people who are hypermotivated. They are people willing to go to rallies and hold bake sales and ... and they're always later kind of seen as auxiliary players once it gets to the main game when the elections come in the fall."

[RitaOK]

I don’t know how to use copy and paste on my Android. I see the feature pop up once in awhile, but haven’t been able to command it, and worse, my laptop may finally be out permanently. I’m stuck, in open warfare with the dang automatic spell checker, (which has proved embarrassing on many occassions!).

Thanks.

[Sirius Lee]

The same could be said for the opinion of someone who doesn't even know where we keep the towels, yet.

Then why are you still posting to me? Ignore me. I'll return the courtesy, even if you don't - or can't.