It’s not a victory for the national Tea Party groups like TPX, TPP, etc. But local Virginia tea partiers were behind Brat.
The Tea Party has never been about electing ‘Tea Party candidates’. It has been about electing conservatives. We did that tonight.
I think it’s a good point. As some on Twitter mentioned tonight, this is a Tea Party win (via the voters), but the organizations taking the mantle of the movement were hardly involved at all.
One of the key benefits of this movement is that it’s about ideas, not about specific people. Many of these groups have fundraised as THE leaders of the party, but we haven’t gotten much back from them in terms of electoral success. You mentioned there has been no response to the charges of high administration costs. That seems to speak volumes.
Well, the conservative grassroots tea party voters won the primary for him. That pretty much makes him the tea party candidate (vs the losing GOP establishment $$$ candidate).
Lois Lerner must be fuming.
Thanks for pointing this out, because too many people are attempting to call this a “tea party victory” when in fact it was the victory of one man and his ideas. His views may align with those of the tea party, but coincidence does not equal causation.
This doesn’t prove the “tea party” (whichever or however you define that term) is yet an effective element in influencing election outcomes (as Lindsay Grahams victory proves). Mr. Brat was a good strong candidate who pulled off an incredible upset by making his case with the voters who turned out today. “The Tea Party” should study all the factors surrounding tonight’s victory and learn from this example instead of rushing to take credit for an outcome it had little to do with.
Your money should only be going directly to good candidates. Period! If anyone is sending his money to any organization -- GOP, Tea Party or otherwise -- he's a sucker.
It’s never been about so-called Tea Party groups and organizations.
It’s about US.
We, the fed up.
We, the sick and tired.
We, THE PEOPLE.
Why donate money to a “Tea Party Patriot,” “Tea Party Express,” or whatever EIEIO group comes along, when you can contribute directly to a political candidate who shares your values?
It eliminates the bureaucratic middleman.
Yes, my wife and I (and I think many others as well) have learned the hard way that you should only give to the candidate.
I think he represents Tea Party values, the people’s values. Tea Party is just another name for the people.
In defense of the local TEA Party groups, most of these people are political neophytes and ordinary citizens who have no idea how to run an organization and manage its financial books. That needs to change moving forward, and I expect it will.
To those posters who say that the only prudent course today is to send your money to the candidate rather than to an organization, I say again, yes.
But the question for us is how do we gain political power to save the Republic through conservative principles. The best vehicle for that is and remains the Republican Party which is tragically entirely in the clutches of a Rino establishment. How do we gain control the party, or at least how do we influence it?
Until now the best hope has been to organize and present a united front and that we have been doing under the rubric of, "The Tea Party." Can you imagine approaching the likes of Cantor, Boehner, McConnell as an individual saying you better listen to me or I'm going to send my $20 contribution to the candidate? You will not even get a hearing from these men. But if we are organized and we approach the Republican establishment and say we represent the votes and the contributions of millions of American conservatives, we will at least get a hearing.
The point is that we lose leverage if we cannot present a united front. But a false and fraudulent front is worse than no front.
I heard Laura Ingraham, who campaigned for winning Tea Party Candidate Dave Brat, say on Fox tonight that the head of the Tea Party Patriots organization, Jenny Beth Martin, would NOT help Brat, in fact she would NOT even take Brat’s phone calls.
This woman pays herself– using Tea Party donations– 9 times more than she spent on behalf of Tea Party Candidate Matt Bevin who lost to RINO Mitch McConnell.
She draws a salary as president of the Tea Party Patriots’ nonprofit arm — getting more than $272,000 in the 2012 fiscal year, according to the group’s most recent tax filing.
She also gets money for “strategic planning” ($120,000.00 between 7/2013 and 5/2014).
Don’t donate to the Tea Party Patriots. They are a scam organization. Give to your LOCAL Tea Party/Liberty group.
And here: http://www.mofopolitics.com/2014/05/02/lets-face-it-tea-party-patriots-jenny-beth-martin-is-a-fraud/
Mark Levin’s relevant remarks on the Brat victory:
http://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-on-hannity-the-republican-party-leadership-better-wake-up/
he sure got a bunch of my money, and i’m a tea partier.
People who identify with the tea party have been called every name in the book. Nazis, racist, nuts, etc. In addition their businesses and personal finances have been targeted by the federal government through the IRS and numerous other agencies.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all that many of these people are simply laying low and are really pissed off. That when they get a chance to vote they will. And they know who is responsible for what’s been done to them as do their friends and associates.
Anyone ever heard of teaparty.net?
I got a solicitation email from them tonight.
Had never heard of them before, they have a drop box(?) at 1701 PA Ave WashDC, ...
letter signed by Todd Cefaratti. Freedom Organizer.
Tea is spelled that way T e a throughout the letter and in the letter head.
I responded to the email with a ‘questionnaire of my own
Who are you
Why have I never heard of you before
Are you a Registered Solicitor
etc etc
E Mail address must be good as it didn’t ‘bounce’ though I haven’t gotten an answer and really expected my ‘note’ to ‘bounce’.
I only contribute to individual campaigns, not to organized networks. The Tea Party is an idea, not something to be co-opted by nationally led groups. I’ve belonged to several local groups in my area...each focuses on issues important in their districts and are not exactly the same. If they (a national group)support a candidate that I’m on board with, ok. But that is not always the case.
and I’m very wary of those that claim a Tea Party mantle...look no further than the gubernatorial election in Va. to see what can happen. People in his district are wide awake. Campaign $$ didn’t buy them. I hope it turns out that way in much of the country. Time will tell.
Which only goes to prove the original message of the tea party, I guess. (lower case by design)
And in the paltry $200K Brat had, there didn't seem to be ANY national TPA-whatever money. No national support, advertisement, what have you.
This wasn't a win of the National Tea Party acronyms - far from it. It was a win by people in a district over a man who let his second-tier power lord over the rest of the country with an outright hatred it seemed at times, especially for conservatives of the Tea Party sentiment/persuasion who were bolstered by the likes of Laura Ingram and other talk radio hosts.
These national groups have gotten away with it so far judging by the dirth of reporting on their finances and where/on whom the funds are spent. I hope this Cantor loss brings some of this to the light of day.
If these groups really are legitimate, they had damned well better step up their game. This means SIGNIFICANT support in the general election campaign for Brat. If they do not and Brat loses and what conservatives have fought so hard for is deeply tarnished by defeat, these groups will have sealed themselves in that bag of dirty laundry I'd label corrupt money grubbers, IMO.
Bump