[jerry557]

The issue is that the Tea Party was NOT formed based on social issues. It was formed in response to government spending and really picked up a lot of steam in opposition to Obamacare.

The social conservatives did not form the Tea Party. They jumped on the bandwagon because they share a common enemy (Obama) with fiscal conservatives. It was the fiscal conservatives that started the movement and those people will fight tooth and nail to keep their message at the top of the agenda.

But this will become a bigger problem as the GOP gains more power. The social conservatives will want to push pro-life issues while the fiscal conservatives say, “Not now...” This is going to cause some bloodletting in the 2012 GOP primary for sure.

Remember that the Tea Party has no leadership. There is no central thesis other than to oppose Big Brother and government spending. When you look at the other issues, it gets cloudy.

[wagglebee]

The social conservatives did not form the Tea Party. They jumped on the bandwagon because they share a common enemy (Obama) with fiscal conservatives.

Hey troll, the Tea Party IS NOT an extension of the Libertarian Party no matter how much you want it to be.

If the Tea Party expels or marginalizes social conservatives it will cease to be relevant.

[chesley]

The 2012 primaries are where some RINO blood should be shed. And in copious quantities.

[rob777]

"The issue is that the Tea Party was NOT formed based on social issues."


That may be true, but it is totally irrelevant to the current discussion. The letter is not making the case that the Tea Party should stay away from social issues, but that the incoming GOP Congress should. If the Tea Party movement wants to make that decision for itself, that is fine. It is quite another matter when it comes to the recently elected officials, many of whom were supporters of the Tea Party movement AND social conservatism. Making such a suggestion is about as useful as it would be had social conservative groups called for the newly elected Congress to ignore the fiscal issues and stick to the social ones.