Tea Party group concerned Palin, others using movement for personal gain

The Hill ^ | 09/06/11 | John T. Bennett

[rob777]

Wary that some are joining the grassroots conservative movement merely to sell books and enhance their celebrity status, a Tea Party group is putting the heat on former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to make her presidential plans clear.

In a Tuesday statement, Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots paints former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as the prime example of that kind of behavior. The group, which consists of former military members, wants Palin to announce whether she will seek the White House or sit out the 2012 race.

“If not we are at risk of having major Tea Party speeches and events used as political rallies for a selected candidate [versus] a citizen based movement that forces the legislative agenda and serves as a fundamental check to the current corrupt culture in Washington, D.C.,” the group said in the statement.

...

[dirtboy]

Ah, so you support Bachmann by bashing Palin using left-wing hatchet jobs and faux Tea Party groups.

How utterly original of you.

[rob777]

"Are they self financed, or fat cat funded?"


Given how many there are, I would not make a broad generalization. I do think that our local group is typical from what I have gathered by communicating with other local groups. We are not even formally incorporated, but an informal group that meets regularly to review previous efforts and plan new events. Our funding comes from passing a large replica of a Tea Cup at meetings for donations. We also support events as a joint effort with other local pro-freedom groups so that the costs are shared.

[dirtboy]

I’ve seen how the local Tea Party groups engage in personality conflicts. The Tea Party will never grow in influence if it doesn’t learn to function as a larger, cohesive organization. And larger groups do require some kind of executive leadership put in place by the support of the membership. You cannot make decisions by a committee of thousands.

[going hot]

Well, they could make a thousand decisions, all simultaneously.

[rob777]

"Ah, so you support Bachmann by bashing Palin using left-wing hatchet jobs and faux Tea Party groups."


I became skeptical of Palin well before the campaign season. In my opinion, the left and the media are trying to present Sarah as the face of the Tea Party so that they can discredit the movement by discrediting Palin. I do not want the Tea Party movement to go down with Palin and that concern predates support for any candidate.

[smoothsailing]

FYI

http://www.facebook.com/ArmedForcesTeaParty#!/ArmedForcesTeaParty?sk=info

They have some impressive connections and friends. The Armed Forces TEA Party appears to be a solid outfit.

[going hot]

Are you led to believe that the media would not try to associate Bachmann with tea party participants if she gets towards the front. Do you think the media would not try to associate Perry with the TEA party, and then try to tear him apart?

Do you sincerely believe that it is only Palin that will be linked and then destroyed, thereby (in your mind) destroying the tea party because of their association with the "failed candidate"?

[rob777]

"The Tea Party will never grow in influence if it doesn’t learn to function as a larger, cohesive organization. And larger groups do require some kind of executive leadership put in place by the support of the membership."


The national Tea Party Patriots have coordinators that poll members from local groups and issue statements based on those poll results. The model of organizational structure that many of us are following is based on the book: "The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations". It does a good job of refuting the notion that a movement needs a central leadership to be successful. In fact, the author comes to exactly the opposite conclusion.

[dirtboy]

Well, they could make a thousand decisions, all simultaneously.

So does a covey of quail. Doesn't mean that they are travelling in the same direction.

[rob777]

"Are you led to believe that the media would not try to associate Bachmann with tea party participants if she gets towards the front. Do you think the media would not try to associate Perry with the TEA party, and then try to tear him apart?"


They will try, but the Tea Party movement needs to be diligent about not allowing it to be associated with a single candidate. Personally, I support Bachmann, but I do not think that she should be seen as the face of the Tea Party movement as a whole. From the polls I have seen, the majority of Tea Party members seem to be supporting Perry. I do not think that he should be seen as the face of the Tea Party movement. Eventually the majority of Tea Party members bill line up behind a single candidate, even if it is after the primary. That person still should not be seen as the face of the movement just because the majority of the members support him/her. I do not think that Tea party groups should make endorsements, but should leave that up to individual members.

Finally, I think that Palin is easier to take out than most of the other candidates because she gets into too many personal squabbles, rather than mere disagreements over issues. Bachmann at least has the discipline to stay on message and not get sucked into personal squabbles. As I have said many times, I think that this is because Palin is more of a populist than an ideological conservative. Bachmann is more rooted in ideology. While I do not want to see any particular candidate presented as the face of the Tea Party movement, Palin represents a specific problem as her battles with her critics are more centered around personal slights, real or imagined.

[dirtboy]

It’s asking a lot of some of these folks to realize the hammer being used to hit Palin will be turned on their candidate as well. They just like that it’s currently being used on Palin.

[going hot]

I read the post, and read it again. I do understand what you are saying, and why.

I just do not agree on some of the basis and foundation upon which you make the additional comments and conclusions.

However, politics was never a sport based on agreements between individuals.

Most times, the delving into the why of the post is much more interesting than the face value content.

At times, (present company excluded) it is downright amusing, and actually generates a wife's head turning laugh.

[going hot]

I never insinuated the 1000 decisions would be in agreement. LOL

[rob777]

Basically I am arguing that the Tea Party as a whole should not be seen as tied to a single candidate, but individual Tea Party members should support the candidate of their choice. I think that the Tea Party movement should keep its focus on supporting broad based principles and positions on issues. The more it gets sucked into partisan politics, the less effective it will be in advancing principles. Tea Party members can band together and create PACs in support of their favorite candidates, but that support should not be seen as representing the support of the movement as a whole.

When it comes to focusing on principle over personality, I see Sarah as presenting a particular problem if she is portrayed as the face of the Tea Party movement. Sarah tends to engage in too many squabbles over real or perceived personal slights, rather than disagreements over issues. I do not want to see the Tea Party dragged into personal squabbles when we could be focused on principles and issues.

I absolutely agree with your contention that: "politics was never a sport based on agreements between individuals". We can agree to disagree and not feel personally attacked in doing so. :-)

[BuckeyeTexan]

Sarah Palin is invited to speak at Tea Party events. As long as she is invited, she has the support of the Tea Party. She's a prominent, respected voice for conservatives.

She has just as much right to sell books to Tea Party patriots as do Rush, Beck, Levin, Coulter, etc.

[TLI]

wants Palin to announce whether she will seek the White House or sit out the 2012 race.

This is beyond stupid.

Even Hillbuzz gets it... Based on filing requirement deadlines as I understand them, Governor Palin technically has until November 11th at 5pm to announce her campaign for the presidency (this being the latest she could submit her paperwork and the $35,000 filing fee for the South Carolina primary, which is the earliest filing deadline of any of the caucuses or primaries that will determine the ultimate Republican nominee).

The Governor, however, has promised to let her supporters know her intentions definitively by the end of September.

http://hillbuzz.org/2011/09/06/question-do-you-know-if- governor-palin-is-going-to-be-in-michigan-in-the-next-few-weeks-specifically-september-17th/>

Or how about here...

Palin has said she is considering entering the race for the 2012 GOP nomination, already under way in Iowa, which holds the first nominating caucus, and other early-voting states. She has said she expects to make a decision by the end of September, and is not expected to disclose her plans during her speech Saturday at a tea party rally in a town south of Des Moines.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=45953>

Apparently there are some that are getting impatient. Whether you are supporting or throwing rocks will not change anything. Gov. Palin said "by the end of September."

On a "predictive" note, Gov. Palin indicated she is attending the World Knowledge Forum, which runs from Oct. 11 to 13 and is expected to discuss US leadership in the midst of global economic turmoil. Other speakers include former British prime minister Gordon Brown and Larry Summers, ex-director of President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council.

Given that an announcement of active candidacy prior to that would cause quite a stir and a reasonable expectation would be numerous public appearances around the U.S. the "end of September" time-frame settles in quite nicely.

The decision to run is hers but I would think attending the World Knowledge Forum as a candidate would present an outstanding opportunity to contrast herself against Larry Summers, ex-director of President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council.

.

[dirtboy]

The starfish model is one for political guerilla warfare. That is fine for widespread and somewhat focused political action based on shared ideology, but not for putting forth the ability to actually govern, and IMO that needs to be the end goal of the Tea Party - to evolve to the point where the Tea Party can win elections and govern afterwards.

You won't do that with the starfish model. If you want the Tea Party to be in perpetual opposition, fine, but that automatically hamstrings its potential.

[rob777]

"She has just as much right to sell books to Tea Party patriots as do Rush, Beck, Levin, Coulter, etc."


True, but none of these figures are generating support based on speculation that they may run for President. It is clear that they are not and are merely spokesman for the conservative cause. With people like Bachmann, Cain and Perry, it is clear that they are running. They are presenting themselves as candidates seeking support. There is no suggestion that Sarah not be invited to speak at events. The problem is that even some of her supporters here have argued that, if she does not run, her support would dry up. That raises the question of whether some of the invitations to speak are being made because people think that she is going to run. Some people would like to see Sarah pick a category so that they know what it is they are getting.

[BuckeyeTexan]

That’s probably a fair assessment. There has been speculation about a Palin candidacy since the day McCain lost the election. It’s legitimate to question whether or not she’d receive the same level of support if it were clear she isn’t running.

I wish she’d make a decision too. I am extremely impatient and don’t like indecision. While almost all Palin supporters here will say that she isn’t indecisive about running, her comments clearly say otherwise. She says she’s still deciding, still considering the impact upon her family. She should have figured that out by now, IMHO.

But, she has also said she’d make her decision known by the end of September or October.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Actually, Palin told David Brody the end of September or October. So when September passes without a decision, people need to realize that an October decision is still on the table.