My take is that precisely because so many Tea Partiers were "first timers" and really novices---a wonderful thing for ideology---they tended to seriously let down ther guard and more important, failed to BUILD the movement after 2010. Many expected that the new House members and senators would carry the ball. Some did, some (Rubio) defected, some hsve been squishy.
But here's the bad news: Tea Party groups either became angry and dropped out or lost patience. Politics is a marathon, not a sprint. The Left gets it..
I noted in my talks that Tea Party attendance began falling steadily. One Dayton chairman told me his group was nearly defunct, and that the ONLY issue that drew a crowd all year was Common Core. But it's the same wherever I travel. Chapters that existed two years ago are gone---Fargo, ND for example. Part of any revival that can take place has to be an understanding of the slow and incremental nature of American politics.
A lot of them also think going to meetings is campaining.
The Ruling Class Establishment GOP made it abundantly and crystal clear: they were going to “crush” Tea Party Conservatives wherever they found them. The TEA Party Conservative movement was infiltrated by Ruling Class operatives and torn apart from within and buried in an avalanche of Establishment -funded demonization.
Conservatives are IDIOTS if they think they are going to be able to forward our agenda and maintain the Constitution and the Republic from within the GOP.
We are become wholly Soviet in our politics in this country. We have a single party Ruling Class running the country fostering the illusion of choice while making Conservatism IRRELEVANT in political discourse.
If you do not understand this - you have no clue what time it is in this country.
It also has to do with there being candidates who have a complete vision of what the US should be, has the instincts to react in fast-moving national and global events, and can inspire as he/she articulates a vision.
Rand Paul did that with the drone issue and his popularity soared. Ted Cruz did that for a lot of people (in spite of media and RINO hype) with his magnificent 21 hours. Rubio could've done it, I think, if he hadn't been taken down by Schummer.
Nobody either party is out there connecting low wages and unemployment with the invasion of the US. Nobody either party is expressing the disgust of most US citizens about supporting terrorists, destabilizing governments, and being involved in parts of the world we don't belong. Nobody cares about decent hard-working older citizens who are being destroyed by 0% interest on bank savings. Nobody was quick enough to seize on Bundy as an imprefect person perhaps but a real rallying point for how the federal govenrment has taken over our lives. Did anybody have the guts to actively and vocally condemn all the damage McCain has done, at home and abroad?
The RINOs will win because we don't need positions, we need a vision to save the US. I think it's something in a candidate you might have to find, by their actions and leadership, instead of them finding you.
Empirical data is irrelevant yaknow, globaull farming and all. ;-)
The proof is in the pudding.
We’ll see who puckers in delight this fall and 2016.
I like sleeping giants..
And the odds.
But I’m an Ike baby. Lol