A couple of problems. For one thing, this “Tea Party” label has got to go. There’s no such thing in the first place, and it exists only because the press has managed to lump any conservative or objector to the Dem/GOPe project as a “tea partier.” In my town, the group that calls itself the Tea Party (all ten of them) occasionally marches around in 18th century outfits and then uses your e-mail address to spam you with weight-loss and Viagra ads (regardless of your sex!).
Another is that we do have to get more involved in the overall process. I’ve been thinking a lot about the things that happened in MS, and a couple of things occurred to me. For one thing, conservatives need to get involved not only intellectually, but in the day to day conduct of elections and GOTV drives. More poll watchers in MS would probably have been a big help.
That may mean working with the state GOP, an experience that is frustrating beyond belief, because it’s a combination of party hacks and incompetents, coupled with a low level staff of “interns” who are complete idiots and are only there for a couple of months at a time - so of course they have no idea what’s going on.
Naturally, these people don’t want conservatives or anybody who’s going to call them to account. However, bit by bit in my county, a few good people have managed to get in and things are changing.
So overall I think there’s got to be more mainstream influence and less letting the press and the Dems and the GOPd define anybody who doesn’t agree with them as a “Tea Partier” and hence a flake who can be written off.
I agree about changing the name from TEA party.
And NO I do NOT love my “rep”. See tagline.
We truly are OUTNUMBERED by MORONS.
Good, common-sense approach, Livius.
How hard can it be to just show up at your local republican party meeting?