[Kaslin]

The author has some great points

[freedumb2003]

I hope the ron-bots who handed the election to the TOTUS-reading socialist are reading.

The perfect is the enemy of the good.

[johncatl]

Sounds like the same old warmed over "but the Democrat is even worse" dish the national leadership has been serving up for years.

The people at the top better wake up before they force the Republican party on to the ash-heap of history.

[silverleaf]

especially the part where principles alone don’t achieve anything

sarc

[GregB]

What republican party!!!!

[freemike]

While Tea Partiers are passionate activists committed above all to smaller government and (often) traditional social values, GOP leaders’ primary commitment is to winning seats for the party. But for a partnership to work, both sides will have to grow up.

Have to read the whole thing later after work. But I reject that premise. "Tea Party People," whatever that is suppose to mean, want to win elections too! They want to see those seats filled with the right people!! So, it's not like "Tea Party People" is just this dumb group of folks banging on pots and pans,, too dumb to understand elections matter! Too dumb to realize winning seats in an election makes a difference!

Also,, the GOP's primary purpose, I am sorry, should not be to win seats! Maybe I am off here! I understand the importance of winning seats! We're no good if we lose seats, but a party has to stand for something! If your primary goal in life is to just win seats, then lets just dissolve the two party system, join the Democrats and we'll win seats every freakin election!! The first goal and purpose of a party should be to push an agenda. To push your principles and values. Then you plan your strategies around that! If your first purpose is to just win seats, you will sell your principles down the drain the first opportunity you get just so you can win that seat! And what good is that seat if the person filling it sides with the enemy!! That is the problem right now with the GOP!9/12March

[fr_freak]

More often than not, when the phrase “you need to grow up” is used on any person other than a child, what the phrase really means is that you should just bend over and stop resisting other people’s attempts to screw you over. Were the American Revolutionaries being babies when they fought the British?

[calex59]

BS, sounds like the only side he wants to "grow up" are the conservative voters. We are supposed to cave in and keep having big government except under republicans instead of dimwits.

The GOP style of "winning" elections doesn't win elections, witness 2006 and 2008, not to mention the squeaker in 2000 and a not great showing in 2004.

I will vote conservative and hopefully some will run in 2012. The only people who need to grow up are the GOP leaders who need to realize that they only way they will EVER win another election is to run conservative candidates.

If they want to keep their base they had better wake up and grow up.

[DB]

Republicans acting like Democrats lite is why the last two elections went Democrat. They totally turned off conservatives and why vote for a wannabe when you can vote for the real thing.

The country is going bankrupt quickly. The return of Democrat lite will not save the day or the country.

Either we change course substantially or we go down with the ship.

[Bahbah]

I generally like Ms. Liebau, but I would suggest that no one should ever put this phrase in any piece:

both sides will have to grow up.

It assumes the writer's superiority to the rest of the "rabble" and is very off putting.

[bmwcyle]

In recent days, there have been news reports about growing tensions between the Tea Partiers and GOP leaders.

Carol Platt Liebau, you seem to miss the point all together. When both parties fail to serve the people it is time to get rid on them both.

[Pietro]

IMO the prolem is that the leaders of the GOP are barely distinguishable from their dim counterparts. They view the Tea Parties as cynically as the dims and the msm.

There is going to be hell to pay in the future and I see no way of avoiding it.

[brushcop]

Where was the GOP when our men and women in Iraq were being accused of murdering and terrorizing innocent civilians? Where was the GOP when we kept phoning and writing about the out of control spending? Where was the GOP when liars, criminals and tax evaders were populating this administration?

Where was the GOP when political ammunition was being handed them on a silver platter and they stood by and DID NOTHING? I’ll tell you where they were, they were busy “reaching across the aisle” and appeasing instead of standing for what is right and best for the country and representing their constituents instead of DOING NOTHING. SILENCE.

Now our men are being chopped up in Afghanistan and they DO NOTHING when they should be shouting from the rooftops about reenforcements and a PLAN FOR VICTORY. Hey, these are OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS (husbands, wives, friends, extended family, etc.) over there dammit, while this POS “leader” sits on his hands DOING NOTHING but flitting around the country and WORLD aggrandizing himself. Meeting one time with the general in charge in 70 DAYS and the country averts its eyes, disgraceful and inexcusable. There will be an accounting of these cowards by the parents and loved ones of those stepping up to the plate putting their very lives on the line for their country, it will take some time but we will do it. You don’t have to have an overwhelming majority to do what’s right but you do have to DO SOMETHING.

I’m not part of the GOP anymore.

[Patrsup]

Some good points, however; I don’t think that the GOP is interested in the small town conservative. As is pointed out they want to win seats. I personally don’t care of the GOP ever wins another seat if it is not a conservative seat. I wont vote for expedience - the guy or gal running MUST be conservative. And the tag line says the rest

All great change in America begins at the dinner table. - Ronald Reagan

[Sloth]

Those who oppose such a course are prone to claim that insufficiently conservative Republicans are the functional equivalent of Democrats. But they are wrong, for one fundamental reason. Compared to the status quo, every Republican – of whatever stripe – who heads to Washington next year will ultimately empower the most fiscally-responsible wing of the party.

Yeah, just like Arlen Specter and Jim Jeffords!

[mek1959]

Give me a break. Zero good points. She's upset because there's a growing group of “average citizens” that are rising up against both parties. They understand that both parties have contributed to a $99 TRILLION deficit. They understand that the pragmatism of the republicans has led to the utter disaster in Congress.

We get this, and Carol completely misunderstands the angst of the Tea Party movement if you think there's a “partnership” to simply work out. Keep thinking that way and you'll soon understand. We're more than willing to concede a few battles to win the war and that RNC and NRCC supported candidate in NY will soon find out.

Before I get labeled a "Ron-bot", I did not support him and do not support him. That said, of the R's, he's certainly one of the better ones!

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

On the other hand, Tea Partiers need to be realistic, and understand the limitations of political passion and zeal. Plenty of congressional districts wouldn’t support even a second Ronald Reagan, simply because they are irremediably liberal. Rather than allowing the “best” to become the enemy of the “good enough,” activists could best further their cause by supporting the most conservative candidate who can win, rather than the most conservative candidate, period – when it means that candidate will surely lose.

Wrong. Compromise and "electable" candidates are what got us into the current mess we find ourselves in.

[luckybogey]

And what are those great points? Tell us....

Is this the best response that the GOP has for supporting Scozzafava and Crist? Sure, blame their own stupidity on the Tea Party... I was not born yesterday.

This is the first battle in a long war for the heart and soul of the GOP.

[driftless2]

The author is correct on some points. A political candidate has to be “appealing” and not just politically sound. Obviously if Obama looked and sounded like Dennis Kucinich, McCain would now be the president. But we should never nominate someone JUST!!! because they’re “appealing.” They have to have some meat on the bone, politically speaking. The sixty-four thousand dollar question is: who is conservative enough?

[Lazamataz]

Listen, I don't wanna hear it.

Two words: Snowe, Collins.

Q.E.D.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

The author is correct in most aspects, but fails to drive home the point that the Republicans lost control of the Senate, House and White House precisely because they abandoned core conservative principles. They allowed the DemonRATs to set the agenda in every case, and they, rightly or wrongly, turned their backs on their President.

It takes courage to stand on principles when the public might be clamoring for populist solutions “du jour”. Too many Republican politicians sold out their principles for special interest money.

Finally, it's also disheartening to conservatives to know that even through our hard work and sacrifice, if we succeed in wresting control of the house and senate away from the DemonRATs, the key committees and chairmanships will likely revert right back to the RINO’s that screwed us over to begin with.