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Sunday, October 11, 2009

Tea Parties Turn on Republicans

That's the word from this Politico piece.

We will be a headache for anyone who believes the Constitution of the United States … isn’t to be protected,” said Dick Armey, chairman of the anti-tax and limited government advocacy group FreedomWorks, which helped plan and promote the tea parties, town hall protests and the September ‘Taxpayer March’ in Washington. “If you can’t take it seriously, we will look for places of other employment for you.”

“We’re not a partisan organization, and I think many Republicans are disappointed we are not,” added Armey, a former GOP congressman.

In Florida, where the national party has signaled its preference for centrist Gov. Charlie Crist in the GOP Senate primary, tea party activists are lining up behind former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in reaction to Crist’s public backing for President Barack Obama’s stimulus package.

This isn't surprising. The general theme of the Tea Parties is a very pure theme. Tea party goers are both conservative and even libertarian. They have no use for moderates from either party. They certainly have no use for liberals. So, when the Republican establishment, in this case the NRSC, chooses a moderate over a conservative, the tea parties will protest. Crist, as the story points out, supported the stimulus, the bailouts, and appeared with President Obama. He's a moderate. His challenger, Marco Rubio, is a much more pure conservative.

To me, this is short sighted. Rubio is a long shot in the general election whereas Crist is a favorite. A Democrat, we can guarantee, will be more liberal than both of them. Still, the tea parties have the most influence on Republicans in both fundraising and in the primaries. The tea parties have decided to flex their muscles in several local and state races. They are raising a stink in races in Colorado, Connecticut, and in California according to the article.

What's really fascinating is how quickly local regional and local splinter tea party groups have formed from the tea parties. All of this is occurring not from a central national office but from pressure from local and state tea party affiliated groups in each of the areas. It is the South Florida based Tea Party Patriots that is making the most noise against Crist. Similar state groups are raising stinks against Carly Fiorina and other pols deemed to moderate.

If anyone still doubted the political power of the tea parties, you need to doubt them no more. It's entirely unclear just what will be the final outcome of all this newfound power. If they use this power to purge each and every moderate from the Republican party then the tea parties will find that ultimately they'll wind up only helping put more liberals into Congress. I've long said that this movement is "organic" and so it will evolve in ways that ultimately no one can predict. At this point, the movement is transforming from a national movement to a local one.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I disagree that it's shortsighted for the Tea Parties to support Rubio over Crist. In my opinion, it's shortsighted to think in terms of one election and not try to force the Republican party back to their fiscal conservative roots (go Ron Paul). There needs to be enough of a difference between the two major parties that it's worth voting for one of them. I mean, a Republican actually supported the stimulus? That's a Republican in name only.

Right now, I see the two parties grabbing power and serving special interests with no regard to the long-term future of this country.

So good for the Tea Parties. The two-party system is such a problem now because there are too many people afraid to vote for a 3rd party candidate even if they support them far more than the other candidates. I'm done with that way of thinking. I'll vote for who I believe in even if it helps elect someone I hate more.

mike volpe said...

I don't have a problem with the Tea Parties supporting Rubio. It's punishing the NRSC that I have a problem with. I also think that Rubio would lose and Crist would win. If you think that losing helps you, you don't really understand politics.

Unknown said...

I'm a Libertarian. I always lose. I understand politics all too well.

mike volpe said...

I hear ya. I do think that you should support the candidate you want. I think the Tea Parties supporting Rubio is fine, but trying to disrupt the NRSC because they don't only causes chaos. That's all I said.