Posted on 08/28/2012 5:23:35 PM PDT by 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."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I disdain Mitt Romney, true, he's even worse than John McCain, in support of whom I will note you were spittling and carrying on theatrically in the previous presidential election.
I will vote for whomever stands the best chance of removing Obama from the White House. If that's Mitt Romney (and it's honestly nauseating to contemplate), then so be it, but he's going to run into a buzzsaw of opposition from this quarter on every step away from Constitutional conservatism, it'll make Harriet Miers seem like a walk in the park.
Consider that a promise, if you'll just promise to STHU.
Deal?
Squeal little piggy, just like your masters, the liberal GOPe, want you too.
ta da
” the movement that’s rabble-roused and rocked the GOP establishment since 2009 is now too cozy with it.”
BS! We need to take over the Republican Party! That will take a lot of work! But;;;;;
I WANT OBAMA GONE!
I WANT HIS CABINET GONE!
I WANT HIS CZARS GONE!
I WANT HIS ADVISORS GONE!
I WANT HIS APPOINTEES GONE!
I DO NOT WANT HIM TO APPOINT ANY MORE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES!
I’m not a Romney fan, but I WILL PULL THE LEVER FOR HIM! It’s a small start, but an important one! We must retake the Party! Look to the future, and work for the future!
“Every sort of wanna-be tyrant is champing at the bit for a chance to set up their own fifedom after a SHTF scenario.”
Yup. Like King George.
“...he’s going to run into a buzzsaw of opposition from this quarter on every step away from Constitutional conservatism.”
His pals in the GOP-e just made sure today that’s not gonna happen.
Smart soldiers fight one battle at a time. They focus on killing the most dangerous foe 1st.
People who spend all their time shooting their allies in the back instead of ever fighting the real enemy of their political agenda are the useful idiots of the Democrat party.
I totally agree, now is the time to fall in behind Romney as we have no other choice. Look where we were at in 2010 when we took back the House. We’ve come a long way with the Tea Party. We took back the House and Lord willing we’ll take the Presidency and Senate in Nov.
Romney was not my first choice, but it’s a vote in the right direction. The local state vote is what can bring the issues to the floor of the House and Senate. We have no choice for now. Been through this for many years, but it’s a move forward and beats the alternative.
“We need to take over the Republican Party!”
The actions of today and those that will now follow as a consequence will make sure that cannot happen without destroying the party first.
Be that as it may, it's largely irrelevant when "the center does not hold."
One step at a time. Four years is sufficient to do a lot of things currently deemed unthinkable, just look at what has occurred since 2008. The Republican Party as currently constituted cannot be the framework, that we’ve learned today. An independent conservative grassroots has just been guaranteed, that we’ve also learned today. Work with us or we work against you and field our own slate. Their choice. Since that choice has been taken away from us in their little sandbox, we’re now forced to make our own.
“He, ( meaning Romney ), is a Leftist.”
I disagree. I think that he is a totally unprincipled person who has absolutely no values except making money and using power. He simply wets his finger, sticks it in the air, sees which way the wind is blowing then goes with the flow. That’s what he did in MA and with the birth of the Tea Party he saw the swing to the right and he said, “Oops! Gotta change again.”
That is worse than leftism any day.
CNN is gloating, but yes, they sold out. The Tea Party challenged the GOP in 2009-2010, and the GOP responded by calling their bluff and nominating Romney. When push came to shove and the time came to either fold or mount a third party rebellion, the Tea Party made peace with the GOP.
“So, go butt a shorter stump and try again.”
Never heard that one before. Could you please ‘splain? :-)
“The actions of today and those that will now follow as a consequence will make sure that cannot happen without destroying the party first.”
We must make them bend to our will! But first,,,,, we gotta get rid of obama!
Demoralization and disinformation campaign a la Toyko Rose. Glad to see that most freepers are not deceived.
Has the tea party ‘sold out’ to the mainstream GOP?
No, but Thank you for playing...............
“usual Republican testosterone crowd.”
Rita, you’re killing me here. Laughing so hard I can barely breathe. Please stop! :-)
Tell me about it. I’ve been called an idiot and a troll today.
Perhaps the elite among us should cease acting like democrats.
Well, it will only get worse.
Romney people are really mean, which is not unexpected since most of them are liberals.
;-)
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