Driving libertarians out of the Tea Party movement

insidecatholic.com ^ | 12/29/09 | Brian Saint-Paul

[Publius804]

It appears that some state and county Tea Party groups are trying to cleanse their ranks of libertarians. That's a shame since the movement started with Ron Paul and his libertarian followers, and was then co-opted by mainstream GOP Sean Hannity types.

Lawrence Samuels, editor of Facets of Liberty: A Libertarian Primer and participant in the Monterey County Tea Party, is witnessing the purge firsthand:

[A]fter a successful 4th of July Tea Party parade and Freedom Rally in Monterey, the cracks in the alliance split wide open. I was accused of belonging to too many leftist organizations. In fact, I am co-chair of the local Libertarians for Peace, which joined the 27-member Monterey County Peace Coalition to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Libertarians for Peace is neither Left nor Right….

Obviously, the Tea Party conservatives were neophytes; never before had they been involved in political activism. Some had never heard of Congressman Ron Paul. Prof. David R. Henderson, one of the libertarian Tea Party Board members, described this curious phenomenon as "activism without ideals." I thought my phrase captured it best: "a cause without a rebel." In fact, as demands to purge the libertarians intensified, we got the distinct feeling that the purgers fit the category of "reactionary" since they seemed to know only what they were against, not what they were for. Amazingly, they never pointed out any philosophical differences that they found objectionable. It was as if they were devoid of ideas, marooned with empty rhetoric and no real solutions….

In retrospect, it did not help our case when we asked these rookies embarrassing questions. We asked them why they had done nothing when President Bush bailed out the banks and auto companies, spent money like a drunken sailor, bashed civil liberties and advanced socialized medicine with Medicare Prescription Drug law, a program that some in Congress estimated will have a price tag of $1.2 trillion by 2016. I suppose our questioning merely rubbed their noises too deeply in their ignorance.

You can read his entire account here.

If the Tea Party movement is to function merely as the activist wing of Republican talk radio, it won't get very far.

[DLfromthedesert]

I thought it started with Freedom Works, Dick Armey’s organization. Along with spontaneous local tea parties. The one in the Tucson area is unaffiliated, but the local Republicans have been very involved.

Along with Smart Girl Politics

[is_is]

[If the Tea Party movement is to function merely as the activist wing of Republican talk radio, it won’t get very far.]

agreed!!!

[samtheman]

we have groups right now trying to destroy the movement because they’re afraid

You are right. And in one sense the author of this article is right. The anti-tax, anti-socialism, anti-surrender-to-Islam movement needs to coalesce around a single leader.

And that single leader is not going to be Ron Paul. For one reason, he's not willing to even recognize, let alone stand up to, the threat of Islamofacism.

For another reason, c'mon, LOOK at the guy. Listen to him speak.

We need a LEADER... not a... well, never mind...

And we have a leader, don't we?

And I don't need to say the name, do I?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Can't disagree with that statement. Paul's problem was he inspired thousands, when he needed to inspire millions.

True, but without these supporters, the GOP can't win. Which is why Orrin Hatch begged Paul to endorse McCain.

Huh? Sarah Palin trumps all Republicans in that regard.

Sarah Palin praised Paul before.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...It appears that some state and county Tea Party groups are trying to cleanse their ranks of libertarians....

Good plan.

The last thing this growing movement needs is a bunch of selfish disruptors, dismissive of everyone else.

[rob777]

"That's a shame since the movement started with Ron Paul and his libertarian followers, ..."



This is simply not true. While Ron Paul supporters and the Campaign for Liberty were certainly a part of getting things going, no one group can claim credit for this. Rallies against taxes and spending patterned after the 1773 "Tea Party" are not a recent phenomenon. I remember when Citizens Against Government Waste used to have annual Taxpayer's Action Day rallies on April 15th. In 1998, some of us here in Vermont even dressed up in colonial garb and symbolically dumped some tea in a lake. We fired off muskets with blanks to make the effect even more dramatic. Still, no one from the old "Vermont Taxpayers Alliance" is claiming that our movement is being hijacked.

I am not in favor of purging Ron Paul supporters from the Tea Party movement, but I am also not too keen on any one group claiming ownership of the movement. Any person or group who embraces the goals of limited government should be welcome.

[SoCalPol]

Wonder why the PaulBots arn’t bragging up Ron Paul’s
recent comments that we were attacked because we are occupiers. “Imperial America”
He has a 6 min you tube and rants on between neo left propaganda and
Alex Jones - Lew Rockwell propaganda

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

But libertarians ARE conservative though.
Why can't we agree to disagree on the social issues, and join together on the fiscal ones for now? That's all libertarians are saying. Theocratic big government conservatives are no better than liberals.

[dalereed]

“I love peace who doesn’t love peace?”

Screw peace, let’s have war!

[SoConPubbie]

Bald-faced lie. The Tea Parties, the people who protested Obamacare in Town Halls in August, who protested the porkulus...are all remnants of supporters of Paul's campaign. The GOP and mainstream conservatives had nothing to do with it.

And you are full of it sir!

It wasn't just Ron Paul's supporters who started this movement, it was the whole spectrum of conservatives fed up with the GOP, the DNC, with Government excess, etc.

[DTogo]

Say what you want about him but he was the only Republican to bring in younger voters and small gov't voters back into the GOP.

Only? That's a stretch. And using small government and GOP in the same sentence is nearly an oxymoron. ;^)

[dalereed]

“Libertarians are not the enemy right now.”

They are just as much an enemy as the democraps.

[Brookhaven]

Motives?

Ron Paul has built a nice little movement (and industry) around his name (as have a lot of other conservative 3rd party movements.) Now comes the Tea Party movement that threatens to unite those upset about the current political situation under a common banner (leaving most conservative third parties as well as Ron Paul’s little movement unneeded and unfinanced.)

It’s not surprising to see those that have a lot to lose (like Paul’s movement) trying to either sew discord or take over the Tea Party movement.

[DLfromthedesert]

I have a lot of Ron Paul supporters in my district (I’m an LD chair) and they’ve been very active and helpful supporting conservative Republicans.

[Steve Van Doorn]

I like the concept of speak softly and carry a big stick.
Well, the US has a big stick and we have been using it rightfully or wrongfully it doesn't matter.

The concept of speaking softly with a big stick holds more power then when using it on the diplomacy front.

We are not even fighting the right war in the Middle East. When these wars are over Islam will be left in power and that proves we have no idea who the enemy is.
Then we elected a stealth Muslim/Marxist. This reminds me of how a guy getting his head cut off with a chain saw in his building after a major argument with a developer wanting him out of the building the police labeled it: non-suspicious (we have no clue.) At this point it is just a matter of time before the inevitable happens.

[cranked]

More GOP idiots stuck on stupid.
The independents are needed; wise up.

[alicewonders]

tea parties are for everyone and the one I went to had the left, right and the middle. fed up of Govt and how they are trying to take over every aspect of our lives, fed up of their reckless spending and wanting more taxes then that is where the tea party is for you regardless of what party one comes from

Thank you. This is why we lost the last election - too many different little groups calling each other names & demanding 100% agreement. The ONE thing we all have in common is a belief in SMALLER government - isn't it? This is our strength.

Stop this kindergarden name-calling and lets stick together, we'll never agree on everything!

[IrishCatholic]

Medea Benjamin is on the board of Liberty Tree (Foundation for a Democratic Revolution)
Communists using the Boston Liberty Tree as a symbol to promote the overthrow of the U.S.

A lot of people are trying to co-opt/claim traditional American values but really don't share them.

Libertarians are just a bit off the beam. But they are a whole lot better than others.

However, they don't own nor did they start the modern Tea Party movement.

[SoConPubbie]

You are not going to be able to leave one faction of the GOP Conservative Stool out and win this battle.

You will lose miserably!

Each faction has to decide what is most important to them and agree to give each other faction what is important to them.

This is the Reagan way!

So the Fiscal Conservatives will have to give the Social Conservative their Pro-Life and Anti-Gay Marriage issues and also give the NEOCons their strong military.

The Social Conservatives will have to give the Fiscal Conservatives their limited government and the NEOCons their strong military.

And the NEOCons will have to give the Fiscal Conservatives their limited government and the Social Conservatives their Social Issues (Pro-Life and Anti-Gay Marriage).

If you tell any of these groups they cannot have their signature issues, you lose them and the next election and every other election you try this loser formula.

In short, it means each of the three groups have to grow up and quit being selfish with regards to their goals.

[jimfree]

I’m a Tea Party participant. I never checked party affiliation of others though I have my suspicions. Members of any party are welcome to join us remembering that we do not answer to any party. We are issue advocates who may also just happen to work with one party or another.