Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
Studies show, as Dave Weigel notes, a dip in the Tea Party's national favorable numbers. But the movement's got some real gains under its belt. What's an object of political hype to do? Diversify, says Jeffrey Miron at NRO -- into advocating the legalization of drugs! Not so fast, warns Jonah Goldberg. Key line:
Embracing legalization at this time would amount to nothing more than a catastrophic unforced error. And to be fair, I think the same logic applies to the issues surrounding gay marriage, abortion, Israel, the infield fly rule, the season finale of Lost (I know, I need to vent about that myself) and countless other issues.
As for myself, I'm not sure tea partiers were ever the kind of folks who could be effectively stage-managed one way or the other. It's instructive that a movement like this hasn't marginalized itself already. It's possible that any turn to the drugs issue would make a mess of the clarity of purpose that the Tea Party has managed so far. But it might amplify that clarity.
The American public [writes Jonah] is acutely concerned about the economy, the size of government, the debt, the deficit, taxes and so on. The Tea Party was created in response to those concerns. The last thing this inchoate movement needs is to lose its way with mission creep.
But the drug war -- like all our other open-ended big-ticket commitments -- is getting harder and harder to view outside the context of the debt and the size of government. I'm not convinced that the tea partiers would be poorly served weighing in on this and other issues. Lord knows we all have to.
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May '10
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
I don't think the drug war is near the top of the list of Really Expensive Things the Government Shouldn't Do at this point. I think they would do well to stay focused on bank and mortgage bailouts, environmentalist wacko taxes, trade restrictions, and "health" "care" "reform".
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
James writes:
Despite the existence of so-called "tea party candidates," there is no central leadership of the movement. This is a key feature of the tea parties that pundits so frequently overlook. While the individuals that show up to tea parties might have widely varied views on drugs or abortions or homosexuals, they agree that spending is out of control and that our current fiscal trajectory is unsustainable. These are the things that unify these individuals and compels them to show up on a sidewalk on a Saturday morning with their homemade signs. In theory, tea-partiers could prudently support drug legalization and do it in such a way to help their cause, but because they are so fractured as a movement – arriving at their limited-government axiom through diverse and often-competing worldviews – they might be hard-pressed to find unity on such a controversial issue. (P.S. These photos are from the last tea party yours truly attended)
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
Ramesh Ponnuru talked to Republican pollster John McLaughlin, who raises some warning flags about the Washington Post poll. The poll had a small sample of Republicans, talked to adults (the Tea Party does better among likely voters), and had Democrats ahead in the generic ballot (other surveys show the GOP with a slight edge). The Tea Party may not be losing popularity after all.
Then again, does popularity actually matter? What's refreshing about the Tea Party is that it stands on principle. It unabashedly promotes free enterprise. It has a distinct vision of the Constitutional order. Both tendencies probably lead many Tea Partiers to look skeptically on the drug war. But is the drug war the most pressing issue facing America today, or the most visible sign of Big Government? I don't think so. Emphasis matters in politics. If you believe government ought to be limited, then ending Democratic control of Washington and stopping and undoing the Democratic agenda is going to be your top priority.
May '10
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
To quote Curly, from 'City Slickers': "One thing."
Jun '10
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
Please, lets keep this thing focused until we win a few elections. Then the libertarians and conservatives can debate these other issues.
May '10
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
I just hope the Tea Party isn't hijacked by the Christian Right. I have been really disgusted by those of the Christian Left like Jim Wallis, who use their influence to claim a candidate or political party is more "Christ-like" than another. It insults the intelligence of the voters. A recent Wallis article criticizing tea partiers, over at HuffPo, sent me over the edge. Let's keep it to fiscal responsibility and smaller government.
May '10
Re: Should The Tea Party Stay Single-Issue?
I agree Karen, though perhaps I would avoid using the word "hijack". The important point is that we on the right all seem to agree about fiscal responsibility, but we have more divergent views on a particular set of social issues that Christian conservatives place a high priority on. The Tea Party serves us all best when it limits its scope to things that unify us.