The sniping has started folks. The probing and testing the defenses for the upcoming WAR of 2012 has begun in earnest.
"I've had enough of it, and Tea Party is soiling the good name of Conservatism that he worked so hard to elevate above use as a perjorative. Let's be very, very, very clear on a few things: Ronald Reagan was loyal REPUBLICAN, who was CONSERVATIVE. He did not believe in vote splitting, and always supported the nominee of the GOP. The only time in his entire poltiical career he stood against a fellow Republican, or had an unkind word for one, was against David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan official in Lousiana who tried to run for office as a Republican. Even then, due to the 11th Comandment which Reagan truly practiced, he sent Lee Atwater, to deliver the message the bigot should be defeated, rather than violate his own 11th Commandment rule.
Second, Ronald Reagan hated that term RINO, and he defined it to me, after I misused it to describe Senator Bill Roth, and almost got fired for it. A RINO is someone who supports a democrat, or independent for elective office, while claiming to be a Republican. As far as moderates go, Reagan was smart enough (unlike many in tea) to uderstand not everywhere in the nation is conservative, and in fact we give up nearly a full quarter of the Senate if we try to elect a "perfect conservative". He made the famous quote about a friend is your true friend if he agrees with you 85% of the time. Again, tea party loves Reagan, just not what he stood for, nor anything he said.
Ronald Reagan won in 1980, and in 1984 because he reached out to those who were NOT conservative, and sold them in the idea being conserivative offered a desirable alternative vision to America. Does Tea Party do that? NO. All I read, or see out of tea party is "rino, this, rino that", and far too often I read "I wish someone would kill Obama". Imagine that? Saying they love the constitution, freedom, and everything America stands for (including elections) then wishing for murder upon the President of the USA. On her profile, what was her "Political Beliefs"? Yep, you've got it: Constitutional Conservative; and she also had some Bible quotes being in her self description "a good christian".
The Tea Party fraud is over. Now a tool of the Democratic Party, born of frustration in 2009, it has morphed into just another directionless group, with no purpose other than to throw venom at EVERYONE. It can only elect, and reelect democrats, as we have seen in the NY Special election: rallies behind candidates who also throw venom, is a home to conspiracy theorists as well, and know why the Mainstream Media can use Tea Party in a negative way? Because of your own behavior. But of course, in what is now the evolved Tea Party mantra, it's someone else's fault.
Tea Party, stop making a mockery of Ronald Reagan. He stood for little for what you say you believe, and employed NONE of your tactics. The liberals I fear are right, when they say tea party is just a hate group. I see nothing but venom from Tea. Tea Party is the real RINO. Look no further than a bathroom mirror if you want to hunt a RINO, it's starring out at you."