The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
We keep hearing, even now, about the "destructiveness" of the Tea Party. Oh? My friend Sally Zelikovsky is a major figure in the Tea Party here in Northern California. In recent weeks, Sally notes, a little movement has arisen here in the Golden State on behalf of impressive, and conservative, third party candidates. What is Sally urging members of the Tea Party to do? Support the Republicans instead.
From Sally's article today in the American Thinker:
Many Tea Partiers aren't happy with the Republican choices for certain offices and are pushing voters to cast their ballots for last minute conservative candidates who, they believe, more readily pass the conservative sniff test than some of their Republican counterparts. Admittedly, some of them just might be more conservative.
Karen England is one such write-in candidate for Lt. Governor. She is an amazing person who I wish had entered the race earlier with a full-blown campaign instead of coming in at the last minute as a write-in....But...a vote for Karen is a guarantee that [Democrat] Gavin Newsom gets elected.
Newsom is the mayor who proudly pronounced San Francisco a "sanctuary city" despite existing law to the contrary and performed hundreds of same-sex marriages in blatant defiance of the popular will....It's virtually the same for the unknown but conservatively appealing Chelene Nightingale, who is running for governor on the American Independent Party ticket....
Wake up from the fantasy before it is too late. This is California -- we cannot change things overnight. It takes deliberate, calculated actions over a long period of time to make a difference. We must start with baby steps in California, and that means voting for the most conservative candidate who can get elected!
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Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
I keep thinking about Pat Caddell's statement on the podcast that the California GOP is braindead. This was probably an unfair characterization, but I was wondering why the California GOP hasn't been able to press their advantage in the state. California is nearly in economic ruin and it is run nearly exclusively by Democrats. I'm from MN and as blue as we are we have produced Tim Pawlenty as Governor.
Does this have something to do with the Tea Parties exasperation with the GOP in California?
Oct '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
E Andy Eccleston:
Does this have something to do with the Tea Parties exasperation with the GOP in California? · Oct 27 at 5:51pm
Yah ya betcha it does. However, there is a point of principle here: Howard Phillps used to refer to "our vote as the currency of our virtue". Many conservatives are tired of holding their noses and voting Republican. Many teapartiers want to send a clear message to the GOP that they will not be co-opted by RINOs any longer.
May '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
E Andy, I would imagine Gov. Arnold has a lot to do with distrust of Republicans by anyone even remotely conservative in CA. The view from here (2000 mi to the east) is that he's set the party back bigtime.
But as frustrating as it may be, Sally Z has it right: reform from within. And maybe squeezing Carly in there will speed up the process a bit.
Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
I have only watched California with casual interest and Gov Arnold has indeed been disappointing. Again this is from an outsider looking in but it seems that once he was thwarted in his attempts to reform California he moved decidedly to the left. Was Arnold tacking to the right during the recall and is actually more comfortable on the left?
Also what is California going to do if it elects Jerry Brown as Governor? I mean thats it right, bankruptcy here we come. Does California think Brown can better negotiate a federal bailout for the state?
I can tell you that a federal bail out for California would be an extremely unpopular move in the country.
Sep '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Cally-fornia is going to be a disaster no matter what. I can't believe Meg Whitman, a moderate Republican, an accomplished woman with tons of money and name recognition may well lose to an elderly left-winger. Something is very wrong with the California GOP.
Incidentally, most of the actual "take my ball and go home" activity is coming from the GOP annointed like Castle and Murkowski and their supporters. Personally, this behaviour makes me livid. Just like with Arlen Specter's actions after he was primaried and lost, there has been veritable silence from the stalwart GOP insiders. What gives?
Tea partiers are not going to be so patient after the election . That is where the gloves will come off. Too much GOP crowing over their takeover without a lot of deference to tea party sentiments and issues will result in hard times for Republican moderates in 2012.
Peter, you are hearing about the "destructiveness" of the tea party from those whom the tea partiers threaten. They are right to be afraid. Just because many in the movement are practical and somewhat forgiving at this point, doesn't mean it will last after the election.
Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
It's not a war, it's an insurgency. If the Tea Party maintains it's momentum, we will take over the GOP one seat at a time; through the primary process. There is no need to form a third party.
This time around, the Tea Party was late to the ball, so we were only able to win in small states like Nevada, Delaware (sorry about that one), Utah and Alaska, where a passionate insurgency had outsized sway.
The question is whether the movement retains its momentum and learns how to pick off RINO's in the big states. I think an important factor there will be how easy it now is to contribute funds directly to one's candidate of choice. This deprives the GOP apparatus of their traditional power to anoint primary candidates like Sue Lowden or whatever that guy's name was who lost in Delaware.
Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Oh, pleeeeez...pleeez
My favorite mountain-biking trails are falling into disrepair. (Sniffle)
And the cheery signs that say, "Welcome to Marin County, a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone," are badly in need of refurbishment. (Especially the one along the road to my firing range.)
Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Good Berean
Many teapartiers want to send a clear message to the GOP that they will not be co-opted by RINOs any longer. · Oct 27 at 6:00pm
I totally understand this urge. I have finally come to the conclusion that I am actually the RINO and not the Gov Arnolds, Lindsey Graham,Lisa Murkowski's and the Ladies from Maine. I don't trust the GOP in power and I actually don't want them to win the Senate. The House is the vehicle for reform and the Senate will be a brake whether it is controlled by Democrats or Republicans.
Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
It won't be long before We start clamoring for a border fence on the eastern border of California.
Jul '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
The Tea Party is the political equivalent of Schumpeter's "creative destruction". One cannot replace the old with something better unless one is willing to cause a rumpus.
The key is "better". What the ideal Tea Party does is cause a paradigmatic shift in the Republican Party. That means - in some cases - enthusiastically supporting Angle and O'Donnell. But there are points where we glide from creative destruction to good old fashioned destructive destruction. That is the line at whch we support - if need be - a RINO against a yammering commie.
The line is different in each race. But the principle is constant:Does Candidate A replace worse with better?
May '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Yes, for sure, but the vote on Tuesday, November 2 is not the time to do it. If the Republicans screw it up again, yes, the "creative destruction" option may be the only one left, but not this time. I held my nose really tight and voted for Mark Kirk so I empathize, but we gotta be real.
Jun '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
8 weeks prior to the June primary in blog postings on several Tea Party sites, I urged fellow California Tea Partiers to reach out to the Whitman campaign and begin a dialogue for Meg to vocally support the Tea Party's core principles. For this heresy, I was roundly criticized and in fact purged from a prominent Tea Party site. (Still a member of Tea Party Patriots, so think of one of the other two remaining large organizations). I digress. With 8 weeks to go, Whitman was maintaining a commanding lead in the tracking polls, 60+% of likely voters. Poizner's campaign was struggling and soon floundering, especially after Dick Cheney roasted Poizner for his support of Al Gore's legal fund in 2000 to challenge Bush's victory in Florida. The Tea Party candidate wasn't even showing up on most tracking polls and in just a couple only showed about 2 points...yet several CA Tea Party groups were still hailing him as the next governor of California. In spirited exchanges with other Tea Partiers I predicted that Larry Naritelli, the Tea Party candidate would only get 2% of the vote. I was wrong. He got 2.2%
Jun '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Per my earlier comment - had a viable Tea Party candidate emerged and had given Meg a run for her money I believe the equation in June and perhaps what's happening now would be radically different. Although I will vote for Meg, she was not my preferred candidate much as McCain was not my candidate in 2008, but one needs to consider the alternative. I have lived through a Brown administration and would prefer not to live through another one but it looks like it could be inevitable unless the Brown campaign makes a serious blunder.
Jun '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
@Patrick Shanahan - I believe that the complicit Republicans on Capitol Hill and the Governator in Sacramento could rightly be accused of "destructive destruction". Their unprincipled, non-leadership and inability to clearly articulate and respond to the socialist elements of the Democrat Party have resulted in that Party becoming more extreme. The natural regression of so-called progressive presidential candidates - Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry each "progressively" closer to a socialist ideology finally resulted in Barack Obama, whose college classmates referred to as an ardent Marxist/Leninist...and who still behaves like one. Is there any doubt, really? The Democrats were on that track and the Establishment Republicans were for the most part mute or going along for the ride.
I would cut the Tea Party movement a bit of slack. They are decent people concerned about saving the future for their children and restoring the American dream and the idea of America. They are not political animals but they are learning quickly and they have thankfully dismissed a few soft and RINO Republicans from the scene. I think we should anticipate that the Tea Party will be even more sophisticated and ready for even bigger game in 2012.
May '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Speaking of California, anyone collect these?
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Peter I yawned reading Sally's words. In NJ for years we were told to support not-quite-conservative Republicans because of a better chance of winning in our blue state. Well guess what? They always lost. NJ was never that blue - we just never ran red candidates. Thanks to the Tea Party aesthetic, we now have Chris Christie.
Here is the fight that's coming: Who gets to be called "conservative?"
Tea Party is a libertarian movement within the Republican party. Equally disgusted with Bush's TARP and Obama's ARRA. Small government is the ONLY issue.
If Republicans identified as social cons or neo cons also want small government (although both have a tougher case to make) they can stand with the libertarian Tea Partiers. Welcome. The more the merrier. We invite Blue Dog Dems and Indies too.
But rather than have the general public think of social cons and neo cons when they think of "conservatism" we are bringing it back to the days of Gadsden Flag - don't tread on me or anyone else, either.
Peter I've seen you try to down play the coming brawl in previous posts - but I disagree. It's coming.
Edited on Oct 28, 2010 at 5:52amJun '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
I was listening yesterday to a journalist on local talk radio who is following the trail of corruption left by freshman congressman Martin Heinrich (NM-1). Asked about Mr. Heinrich's character, the journo's comment was succinct: "Martin Heinrich is very good at looking out for his own interests." Indeed, this is a man who went from summer camp counselor to Congress in one giant leap. And you thought Mr. Obama was unqualified!
I say this as a warning to the Tea Party movement because the seeds of corruption lay dormant in our members, too. There are individuals within the movement who are already maneuvering for power motivated by personal ambition. I reckon this is a basic flaw in any sort of elected government. Power won't necessarily corrupt a virtuous soul, but power is an irresistible magnet that draws to it ambitious and corrupt personalities. I hate to rain on the parade before it's even commenced, but the Tea Party can succeed only as long as we elect the virtuous among us.
Jun '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
As I posted another thought came to mind. The fix to the above mentioned problem would be to prevent (through bi-laws) party leaders from running for office. Nominees should be selected from the ranks. This would put a check on ambitious personalities who would seek to control the party as a means to gather power to themselves. The separation would mean that an individual could serve the party or the nation, but not both. Checks and balances are not just for federalists; they should exist also at the party level.
May '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Paules, interesting what you said. I was phone-banking yesterday for my congressional candidate, The office is a total dump. The candidate is probably 50 years old and extremely good looking. His campaign staff (non-volunteer) is young, all of them appear to be under 30. I was struck by the fact that the women on staff were all stunning, just drop-dead gorgeous. What do you suppose attracted them to low-paying mostly clerical jobs in a dump of an office? The candidate, who lives in my town and attends my mother's church, is known as a real family man. Yesterday I saw just one of the many enticements that power brings. Will the Tea Party candidates fare any better than others in resisting these?
Jun '10
Re: The Continuing War Between the Tea Party and the GOP -- Or Not.
Jeanne,
I lived in and around Washington DC most of my life. The locals have a word for what you describe; it's known as Potomac Fever. It manifests as a desire to maintain power for the perks. For men that includes the obvious. If I were a married man with family and suddenly found myself in power, I would higher frumpy dowagers to staff my office (with a premium on on competence). I know my weaknesses, you see.