A POLITICO survey: The tea party's least favorite Republicans

Politico ^ | 3/13/10 | Ken vogel

[pissant]

The tea party movement exploded onto the political scene in 2009 as a backlash to the agenda pushed by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, but a little more than a year later, a POLITICO survey found tea party activists unhappy with many of the biggest names in the Republican Party.

And that could complicate GOP plans to harness the energy of the tea parties as they head into the November midterm elections with hopes of rearranging the balance of power in Washington.

In a survey of more than three dozen grass-roots tea party leaders from 29 states, the party’s 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, was the Republican most cited as a disappointment. Asked which three national Republicans they were most unhappy with, McCain was named by 18 respondents.

Other congressional Republicans considered disappointments included moderate-leaning Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, as well as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

But also receiving multiple votes were two prominent party spokesmen, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele (who finished second to McCain), and two possible candidates for the party’s 2012 presidential nomination, former Govs. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.

Those surveyed made it clear they hold greater disdain for Democrats, but they are also strongly opposed to tolerating Republican politicians who stray even slightly from the principles tea party activists hold dear. For the most part, those principles are fiscal restraint and limited government, but for a smaller group they include conservative social issues and a hawkish foreign policy.

“Save for Ron Paul, I'm not really happy with many Republican officials,” said Marc Delphine, a leader in the Beaverton, Ore., tea party. Other respondents, though, blasted Paul, the libertarian-leaning Texas Congressman, for requesting earmarks or for his isolationist foreign policy.

And fewer than half of the tea party leaders surveyed said the GOP had been responsive to concerns raised by the movement (most respondents said neither party had truly heard and acted on their concerns), with many expressing outright hostility for the party, its preferred candidates and leaders, as well as their efforts to court tea party activists.

“The Republican Party wants to use us — to take advantage of our energy and our people and the demonstrations — and we’re not interested in that,” said John Stahl, chairman of the Berks Tea Party in central Pennsylvania, which he estimated has about 400 active members.

Asked to rate on a 10-point scale the extent a series of conservative figures embodied the principles underpinning the tea party movement, respondents gave the highest grades to flame-throwing media personalities including Glenn Beck (who earned the highest average ranking: 8.4), Michelle Malkin and Andrew Breitbart above conservative Republican stalwarts who have actively courted tea party support, including Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina (who scored an average rating of 7.9), Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota (7.8) and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (7.5).

They ranked first-, second- and third- highest, respectively, among the politicians polled, well ahead of prospective 2012 presidential candidates Romney (who earned the lowest average ranking: 4.9) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (6.5).

Dick Armey, the former congressman and lobbyist whose nonprofit group FreedomWorks has positioned itself as a Washington bulkhead for the tea party movement, earned only a 6.5, with several respondents accusing him of trying to “hijack” the movement for the GOP.

Though Palin, who was McCain’s vice presidential candidate in 2008 and is eyeing a run for the GOP presidential nomination, earned the most votes when respondents were asked who they’d like to see win the presidency in 2012 — followed by Paul and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin — more than half of respondents declined to name a preference, citing either a desire to focus on the midterms or ambivalence about the field of prospective Republican candidates.

“None of the so-called front-runners fill me with any enthusiasm,” said Andrew Ian Dodge, the Maine coordinator for the national Tea Party Patriots umbrella group. “None of them actually represent the true ethos and spirit of the tea party movement, much though some might claim to do so. … It’s the same old thing, and we don't buy it anymore.”

Few respondents expressed a desire to form a third party. But — perhaps just as potentially harmful for Republicans — several tea party activists indicated they would consider voting for independent candidates or those nominated by existing third parties if their preferred candidates did not win Republican nominations in 2010, or even in the presidential race.

McCain, who in recent years has come in line more with Republican orthodoxy, is nonetheless facing a stiff primary challenge on his right flank from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth. Arizona tea party groups made a show of staying out of the race, citing their desire to remain unaffiliated with either party.

But Roger Boone, a leader of the 200-member Flagstaff, Ariz., Tea Party Patriots who responded to POLITICO’s survey, said neither McCain nor Hayworth is conservative enough for him.

“McCain basically moves all over the field — one week he wants to buddy up with the tea party people. The next week, he wants to move over the left,” said Boone. At the same, he said, Hayworth “basically always voted along party lines and never looked at things from a constitutional point of view. I don’t think I can trust him.”

So Boone is supporting long-shot Jim Deakin in the GOP primary, and said he’s not sure what he’d do if McCain or Hayworth won the nomination.

“There are some practical segments of the movement that are willing to compromise a little bit on candidates — if their candidate doesn’t get in, they’ll be willing to get behind the Republican nominee,” said Jim Steineke, founder of a tea party group in eastern Wisconsin called the Fox Valley Initiative, which he said has 800 members. “But there is a very big segment that, if they don’t get their candidate, they are going to be very hesitant to get behind a candidate who doesn’t align completely with their views.”

That ideological rigidity bore itself out when respondents were asked their rationale for ranking the conservative figures included in POLITICO’s survey or for determining their top three most disappointing Republicans.

Not only did respondents blast McCain for his support of stricter campaign finance rules, immigration reform and climate change legislation — all of which he’s dialed back in recent years as he’s tacked right —and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (a favorite target of tea partiers), but they also counted against him his wife and daughter’s support for same sex marriage, and his loss to Obama in the presidential race.

“His lack of tenacity and his vote in favor of the first bailout put an inexperienced and corrupt man in the White House,” said Josh Sullivan, a leader of the Granbury, Texas, Tea Party.

Though last month Steele, in an effort to find common ground with the movement, met with regional tea party activists in Washington and is planning similar meetings around the country, a third of those surveyed named him as one of their three most disappointing GOP figures because of – in the words of Mark Leyva, a leader of the Tea Party of Lake County, Ind. – “endorsing, funding, and helping RINO (Republican In Name Only) Republicans that are not true to conservative principles that Republican Party is supposed to stand for.”

Graham took flak for working with Democratic lawmakers on legislation to reduce carbon emissions and reform immigration laws, and with the Obama administration on a plan to close the military prison on Guantanamo Bay.

“He’s so quick to want to forge allegiances with those who are opposing our platform you almost wince,” said Karin Hoffman, founder of the South Florida tea party group DC Works For Us.

Likewise, Snowe and Collins were roundly criticized for working with Democrats.

Romney’s perceived sins include his rightward evolution on abortion rights, signing into Massachusetts law a health care plan that provided health insurance for virtually every state resident and endorsing McCain.

“RINO!” declared Tennessee tea party organizer Judson Phillips, branding Romney with the worst epithet one conservative can bestow on another. He asserted that a Romney presidency “would be even more of a disaster than John McCain or George W. Bush.”

Even Palin, who generally earned high marks from respondents, came in for some criticism for endorsing McCain, declaring the GOP should “absorb as much of the tea party movement as possible,” and for her lack of experience.

“Sarah Palin is a popular person right now, but she needs to be under the wing of an educated — book-smart, not so much university-professor smart — person to learn how this is so much deeper than knowing details related to foreign and domestic policy issues,” said Scott Mittlestadt, who started a small tea party group in Valdez, Alaska, called Patriots of Valdez. “I think her education would excel under the guidance of Glenn Beck.”

[airborne]

You can say that about every MSM outlet. They ALL have a leftist agenda, all of them.

So true.

As for identifying RINO's, it appears that more and more people are recognizing them for what they are.

Hopefully it's not too late to save the Republic.

[Waco]

Sarah Palin may be our ‘’Margarette Thatcher’’.

[matthew fuller]

Kind of what I wondered, then the more I looked at it, I guess maybe that he means Rick Perry, (Governor Goodhair) but I don’t see any similarity whatsoever. Perry is not a twinkie, and is acceptably conservative in my opinion.

[Lloyd227]

"Politico's #1 goal lately seems to be to deepen any divides within the GOP or conservative movement. "

Does not change the fact that all the Republicans in the top ten of this list are useless RINOS that need to go

[CyberAnt]

These people just can’t help themselves .. they wrote this whole article just so they could add: “Even Palin, who generally earned high marks from respondents, came in for some criticism for endorsing McCain, declaring the GOP should “absorb as much of the tea party movement as possible,” and for her lack of experience.”

Pitiful people!

As for Glenn Beck being her “mentor” .. I believe she chose John Bolton (former Ambassador to the UN). Not that Glenn couldn’t give her a good solid foundation .. but John is the person who could give her the real info about what’s really going on in the world.

[caww]

Well either or...he was wrong...

for me McCain is, was, the worst hands down...he's gotten so sing songy in his delivery he reminds me of Julie Andrews in the sound of music...treats congressional decisions like he's skipping along the hills and singing lets everybody get along. For one with his war time history I would have expected more fight in him. He blew when he ran against Bo and so we are stuck with Bo.

[caww]

I like John Bolton....McCain thought John would be to outspoken in the Un...wonder if the two get along.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. quite frankly, I’d believe anything John Bolton says vs. anything McCain says.

[ncalburt]

Kenny Vogel former Wash Compost dem party operative doing the Divide and Conquer spin for Leftico.

Leftico is a group of former hard core lefties from the Compost and Time mag rag.

Its a branch of the dem party.

Kenny Vogel was part of the MACCA Compost crew who trashed Sen Allen over a made up phony smear.

[caww]

So would I ...I don’t believe McCain at all. Never will.

[Texas Jack]

Those surveyed made it clear they hold greater disdain for Democrats, but they are also strongly opposed to tolerating Republican politicians who stray even slightly from the principles tea party activists hold dear. For the most part, those principles are fiscal restraint and limited government, but for a smaller group they include conservative social issues and a hawkish foreign policy.

It's always amusing to see how a leftist defines the betrayal of their constituents by a politician when voting for the Marxist agenda. It's just a slight deviation, but a betrayal none the less. I believe it's called "reaching across the isle." Unfortunately for their constituents, this has been a one way reach for the past 50 years.

----------------------------------------------------

My new tag line:

A politician is an elected official whose primary goal is to enrich him/herself while appearing to represent his constituents; maintaining a degree of plausible deniability regardless of the results of his efforts.

[KC_Conspirator]

You have that right. Look for an article about the lefties least favorite from Politico and you wont find it. The Politico is nothing but left wing hacks who used to work for the ComPost.

[iopscusa]

Yep the Politico is nothing but left wing hacks, however I have noticed that the commentary to their crappy little digs have been very aggressive in taking these prissy little leftist to school as has a lot of the commentary to all the EneMedia at least those that allows responses.

[Diogenesis]

“"I can tell you I'll either be that person, or
I shall destroy the GOP
like we did to (Gov.) Palin in the last election.
Now go buy my book, ignore what we have done,
and go back to your bananas.”

"Frum ... (Romney supporter called Gov. Palin’s) nomination a "huge mistake" October 13 (2008)"

---

Frum: "I will support (Romney) without qualm."

---

"Romney presidential campaign staffers…have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters."

---

" 80 percent of Romney's former staff was absorbed by McCain
and these individuals were responsible for what amounts
to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."

---

"These staffers are now out trying to finish her off
….hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."

---

"the Palin Leaker from the McCain Campaign?
... was Nicolle Wallace's husband."

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"