Posted on 10/30/2013 3:58:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It's instructive to remember that when the Tea Party first began to gather steam, the name referred to a "party" in the celebration sense the Boston Tea Party, specifically: an event of planned chaos, a protest that masqueraded as an Indian attack. Over time, the name has lost its punny puckishness much as the movement has steadily shifted from a proudly anacharical even populist response and rebellion within the GOP to a smoothly functioning alternative to it.
The government shutdown proved that attempts by the GOP establishment to co-opt the Tea Party as a source of energy just created a network of political sleeper agents. With its own mechanism for drafting (and supporting) candidates, its own agenda, and its own media eco-system, the Tea Party is a third_party by almost any criteria but ballot affiliationand leadership. The absence of any official organizational structure might be one reason the Tea Party has remained so lively despite a terrible national reputation and negligible policy achievements. When something goes wrong, those identified with the failure fade for a time and the attention of Tea Party-identified voters shifts smoothly to someone else. There's also no demand for positive policy victories or signature legislation: no one has to win a debate, just spoil the outcome.
Thus it's no surprise that Ted Cruz is the current face of the Tea Party: All his achievements are proudly in the negative, all his goals are set resolutely in the past. But the Tea Party's fickle and hive-like nature virtually demands that Cruz cycle out of the spotlight eventually. He will either fail to stop something from happening or, perhaps worse, accidently cause something to get done.
For when that happens: here's a look at some of the Tea Party's once and perhaps future leaders....
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Good comment. That's how you read lefty stuff, kind of upside down. This was amusing and I'm glad you posted it.
Actually, there isn’t nearly enough!!
Gee whiz, a leftist dope doesn’t like conservatives. Will wonders never cease?
Thanks for posting. I’d have missed it as I don’t read that paper.
RE: Your profile page. That, plus Beautiful Savior, have always been my favorite hymns. I was raised both LCA and ALC (we moved a lot, my dad was a career Marine) and we attended whichever was closest. I was adopted through Lutheran Social Services, as well, and attended a LCMS school for 8th grade.
I was raised Catholic but have been on a journey and am a child of the Reformation. The Lutherans have the best music. I am drawn to them and I look forward to the season and being with them again.
Trying to get the crushing weight of huge government off America's back is a huge positive if you ask me. This dumb slag author goes on to call Mark Pyror a "conservative democrat" and Cruz and Mike Lee "means girls". Real political genius.
You keep posting Vet. I’ll keep reading. Thank you sir.
No, Manchester UK, as Viennacon said, one of Britains scummier cities.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.