Posted on 12/18/2011 8:57:09 PM PST by Jim Robinson
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) Just a year ago, tea party activists came roaring out of the congressional elections eager to shape the looming race for the White House.
Things have not gone as planned.
Turned off by Mitt Romney's style and evolution on several important issues, they have bounced from one candidate to another in hopes of finding a formidable alternative to the former Massachusetts governor to focus their enthusiasm.
After a series of disappointments Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and businessman Herman Cain among them the anti-establishment movement has settled, for now, on a favorite: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, even though he has spent more than three decades in Washington politics.
With the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 and tea party support fractured at best, some activists worry that the passion that defined the movement 13 months ago may become lost in the selection of the next president.
Infighting among conservative groups, a growing sense of pragmatism, and glaring weaknesses among the candidates have forced some tea party leaders to acknowledge their limits and shift their attention to Congress.
"I wish that we had coalesced behind one candidate earlier on. It's not because of the tea party movement, it's because there hasn't been that candidate out there so far that has stirred the passion the fire in the belly," said Amy Kremer, president of the Tea Party Express. "Everybody wants to focus on presidential politics. I think we need to be focused on the Senate. That's where we really, really need to be engaged."
Lacking a presidential contender to rally behind, Kremer's organization and others have begun eyeing congressional elections that could shift the balance of power on Capitol Hill next fall regardless of the presidential race winner.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
It's bad enough for him to blindly swallow all that green pond scum, let alone to promote it is almost too hard for me to forgive!!!
Again, he's just like Schwartzenrenegger!!!
The word is impeach -
and the judges are making law - not their right, and overturning peoples votes - illegal.
Time and again, especially on gay rights bills, in state after state, the people vote not the way the libs want - so off to court it goes and the peoples vote is tossed out.
Where, in the
Constitution does it give judges that right?
Savage is in the tank - you take it from there...
You’re spot on.
Newt’s problem is that he gives the American public too much credit.
He thinks they’ll understand plain English and that they know something about the Constitution.
Wait until Sarah endorses. She won’t, she said, until after Iowa, but she sure talks positive about Newt.
I don’t know if she’s still under contract with FOX - she can’t get involved actively until she out from under.
Hopefully, she’ll be free soon. I’m afraid, the way FOX is leaning now, they’d not let her out early in order to keep her from being active. When and if she does, things are going to get exciting.
Wow! Thanks for that link, Jim - got it cached and ready to use -
There’s this one also
http://mrctv.org/videos/mitt-romney-2002-my-views-are-progressive
Newt got a $20 million dollar donation for a PAC this last week - hope they use the clip you posted - OVER AND OVER RAND OVER - nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth.
I agree. Maybe a Hawkish VP. Like Rubio who could make inroads into the Latino vote. Hell maybe we get Nueva York. I tell you with the recent legislation in the last week - ONE TRILLION DOLLAR stop gap budget measure, Internet Control bill, and the INDEFINITE DETENTION BILL! We need someone to fight for U.S., the individual American Citizen and his rights, not to mention his money.
I actually believe that this incredible spending spree we are see, all the while being covered by a smoke screen of Bi-Partisan lies about mandatory 10 year cuts and plans and SuperKommittees....is actually doing more damage to US than islum. IN FACT, it may be too late. This global monetary meltdown could create a tremendous international cry for a globlal currency and I don’t see any candidate who would stand up for US in that situation except old Ron Paul.
saved for later.
Good for you ‘voting since Goldwater’-—I have voted since being in service during WW2—many candidates remarks have been ‘less than ideal’ but I can put up with one who at least knows history-—since they don’t teach history to our kids for many years I wonder just how much some of you young folks really know
Yep, but which of the below is Mitt and which is Newt?
Thanks-—you put my thoughts into a simple few words-—too many Anericans on the dole (or take) and too many products of our Teachers Union schools for far too many years
I wasn't quite old enough to vote during the Goldwater vs Johnson election, but I started watching the political conventions and listening to the debates since Nixon vs Kennedy.
I agree with you. At least some one who knows history may be able to avoid repeating it. I wonder if this person believes that anything McGovern or Dukakis said was stupid? I don't know - I think maybe Obama talking about 57 states might have been more stupid than what Newt said.
Jim,
It is as obvious to you as it is to me. We have entirely too many folks here that only read headlines and drive-by banter instead of being curious enough to read the whole story to form their own informed opinion.
Yup,
Do yourself a favor and surprise us all by doing your own homework and required reading before your other shoe begins to taste better than your first. The answers to life are not multiple choice.
There won’t be a “next time”. We had this one, final glimmer.
Like it or not it is my choice to figure out how I feel either in the Kansas caucus if the race gets that far down the road and in the November election next year and see who I feel like voting for.
It won’t be anybody that is forced down my throat unless I have no choice. because right now i am left confused and unsold on the top five candidates.
Tyrants Gun-WalkerAG:
"Tea Partyers Not Keen About GOP Presidential Field"?
It matters not.
Your King, like Pres. Carter, supports Romney.
Both are ineligible, lie ubiquitously,
support IAG and Sharia, and death panels."
Example: in S Carolina, if Graham were up for election (and he is not) ... where would the tea party focus? On Romney/Gingrich/Bachmann or on shutting down Graham? In this example, passion for the national election would pale to the fire and determination in the local election. I'm sure there are similar examples in many of the active local contests.
As the election draws near and the top slots are placed "for" us ... we will turn to what we can truly control ... the local elections. I predict the power of the Tea Party will be felt in this election at the local level where real power resides and where individuals still are more powerful than the media.
In Iowa, suppose that some special interest wanted something done state wide. It would make no sense for them to travel to each of the 99 county board of commissioners and try to get a majority vote. That would take forever, cost too much and would provide spotty success around the state.
The same problem would exist if they wanted national implementation the same thing nationally. It simply isn't cost effective and would not produce uniform implementation which would drive up admisitration expense.
So we end up with Sacramento and Washington DC as two of the world's most powerful cities. If you don't believe it, check out the 8,000+ Lobbyists headquartered in Sacramento and the over 17,000 Lobbyists inside the beltway in DC. The concentration of money and power have converted our country from a "bottom up" power train, to a tyranical "top down" power train that provides a "gravy train" for CONgressional leaders and Presidents.
So this is why we've lost control of our big government and are only able to cause locals to do our bidding if only someone would actually pay attention to politics locally. They don't because local electeds are nearly as powerless as the people in their jurisdiction. What ever power they have is routinely ursuped by either state or national government, or both!!!
I know this is true because I've been there and done that in local governmentl and it is truly depressing. It is truly a thankless job and it shouldn't be. Oh well... Please don't let this discourage you or your Tea Party members from the challenge this presents, but don't just get some of them elected, then breathe a big sigh of relief thinking that you've got the job done. Stay with your candidate and attend the board meetings and then judge all that you have been expressing here. Support who you elect and lobby them to stand by their oath of office and things might start working up the line someday.
“But all of us in the Tea Party need to shift focus to the Senate and House contests. If we can control those houses, we can control any president.
...
I predict the power of the Tea Party will be felt in this election at the local level where real power resides and where individuals still are more powerful than the media.”
All well and good and in fact necessary. However, the Tea Party House and Senate buckets will still have holes in the bottom if Boehner and McConnell remain in place to negotiate surrenders. They will do their utmost to preserve the 2006 - 2008 status quo, IMO.
I’m still behind Gingrich. Seems something has to go our way...What if Bush gets in? (I really think Bushes are establishment types)
What if he wants Condi for VP?
Yep, listening to Rush right now and weird stuff is afoot. I used to be a Condi fan, but she hangs out at universities too much...too much bubble thinking...
Ugh, my head is spinning.
Well, we have to vote against Obama and cant stay home; I part ways with those who will stay home.
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