Wendy Day discusses the effect of the true tea party types that have energized Michigan politics in the last 18 months:
“First, people get it. The mainstream media can deny and minimize the liberty movement that has been ignited across America — but the facts say differently. Five hundred thousand people
lined the Washington Mall to hear about faith, hope and charity. Over seven hundred delegates crowded into a church in Holt, Michigan Friday night to hear from candidates aggressively courting the support of the tea party vote. The people of this country have had enough. They are asking bold questions, learning their history, and standing tall for liberty.
If the establishment isn’t scared, they should be. For political insiders like the Yobs this year meant a challenge to their traditional convention dominance. One of their candidates came in last place when the votes were tallied, and other races were very close.”
Then McHugh of the Mackinac Center speculates about the bigger picture nationally. Questioning if Republicans will “wham bam thank you maam” (sorry – my own creative license) the tea party movement, if a home run by Republicans is hit? Will the Tea Party activity fade through a seduction of power through the Republican machine itself?
“Republican members and caucuses inevitably will do some foolish, cynical and faithless things that will let President Obama make them the issue in 2012, just as President Clinton did in 1996.
Among other things, this creates the potential for a Perot-type third candidate in 2012 – and an Obama second term.
Republicans may try to ride the tiger of Tea Party anger against the generic, bipartisan political class, betting that Obama and the Democrats get the brunt of it. Will the Tea Party movement be so inflamed by the passion of current battles as to forget that their real beef is with the bipartisan political careerist class as a whole?”
In fact the Capitol Confidential cited a survey saying the bonds were already weakened:
“The Republican Party is losing its foothold in the tea party movement, according to a recent survey done about the national movement. The survey was done by the Sam Adams Alliance, a free-market nonprofit research group based in Chicago.
It found that 81 percent of the early tea party members identified themselves as Republicans before joining the tea party movement, but that dropped to 51 percent afterward. And 74 percent of the newer tea party members said they were affiliated with the GOP before tea partying and that dropped to 50 percent after joining the movement.”
I am not yet sure what to make of the numbers, but I would say that the GOP needs the “tea movement” as much or more than the “tea movement ” needs it. Make no mistake however, The Republican party offers the best chance of a structure capable of holding free market, and other liberty minded types.
I only hope the leaders of this movement understand their limitations outside of an established party structure. Reinventing the wheel ought not be an objective for those who must remain focused on taking government back under the control of the people in a constitutional manner.
Keep informed, and keep up on what all the pundits this side of the other are saying, and be involved so you will know the truth.
