Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Tempest in a Tea Cup

There has been much ado lately about what the Tea Party is and is not, so I would like to take a moment and sum up my thoughts on the matter. Keep in mind that although I associate myself with the Tea Party at large, I do not actually speak for anyone else involved in grass roots conservative politics.

The Tea Party is a closely knit band of brothers, but at the same time a loosely knit organization. The genius lies in its lack of top-down organization, an anomaly that only a true grassroots movement can create. It quite effectively turns the Tea Party into a political hydra, growing back two or more new voices for every patriot silenced by a maligning media. The Tea Party is a mismatched and disorganized group of pissed off citizens who have politically had it up to here. And the dangerous thing is that most of them are educated - in life experience if not institutes of higher (lefter) learning.

The Tea Party IS NOT a political action committee.The Tea Party is not campaign central for any particular candidate. And the Tea Party is not a prized endorsement waiting to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The Tea Party endorsing a particular candidate, especially as early as a primary, is somewhat akin to the Church endorsing a particular candidate. It changes the meaning of the meeting, the meaning of the worship. The Tea Party is a very diverse group of people who come together for one common cause. That cause is to wake up the nation to the disaster at hand, not to propel certain people into office. As soon as it becomes about one person, the focus becomes removed from the cause.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with candidates who associate themselves with the Tea Party (or a church, for that matter) or who embrace their ideals. But to do so with the intent of co-opting the driving force behind those ideals is disingenuous at best. At worst, it's devious and unforgivable. And somewhat reminiscent of the liberal tactics that those in the Tea Party have been fighting against from day one.

2 comments:

  1. "That cause is to wake up the nation to the disaster at hand, not to propel certain people into office. As soon as it becomes about one person, the focus becomes removed from the cause."

    Yep! Well said Ginny.

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