Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Driving libertarians out of the Tea Party movement
insidecatholic.com ^ | 12/29/09 | Brian Saint-Paul

Posted on 12/30/2009 4:51:48 PM PST by 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.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: conservativism; libertarian; libertarians; paulestinians; republican; ronpaul; teaparty
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-150 next last
To: j.argese
When did Ron Paul supposedly start the Tea Party movement?
When he stopped hitting the bong long enough to reload it.
21 posted on 12/30/2009 5:01:01 PM PST by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Publius804
”Libertarians for Peace”

Always get a kick of these names. I am a conservative for peace. I love peace who doesn’t love peace? Oh the religion of peace.


Peace

22 posted on 12/30/2009 5:01:01 PM PST by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* 'I love you guys')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: j.argese
When did Ron Paul supposedly start the Tea Party movement?

December 16th, 2007.
Biggest online fundraiser in political history.
Supporters of Paul also dumped "tea" (in the form of big government programs as boxes) into the water of whatever city they held rallies in.
Thus, the Tea Parties were born.

23 posted on 12/30/2009 5:01:04 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (10 YEARS OF FREEPING! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EEE!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: decimon

They are.

But abortion rights, drug use without consequence, open borders, and demilitarization aren’t values they hold. Perhaps the Libertatians should return to their roots.

/PreRandian.


24 posted on 12/30/2009 5:01:31 PM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Publius804

We had one Paulite who was considering a run for office speak at a tea party rally on the steps of the state Capital in Hartford, CT. People were listening until he started claiming the military on foreign soil caused terrorists attacks and demanded troops be removed asap. He was booed for the next several minutes so loudly he couldn’t speak. He finally gave up and walked away to the cheers of about 2,000 people.


25 posted on 12/30/2009 5:01:48 PM PST by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it! www.FairTaxNation.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Publius804

And this is what will cause us to lose in 2010 and 2012. Infighting in conservative groups and infighting in the GOP.

Libertarians are not the enemy right now. We have our differences but the fight with libertarians can wait until we get these commies out of office. Lets fight smart


26 posted on 12/30/2009 5:02:05 PM PST by Def Conservative (Obama is a joke.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Publius804
Uh, the "Tea Party" movement of 2009 was "started" by the CNBC reporter on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange as an off-the-cuff comment that then went viral.

Ron Paul? Sheesh, his minions need to give it a rest.

27 posted on 12/30/2009 5:02:07 PM PST by DTogo (High time to bring back the Sons of Liberty !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Publius804

Folks, beware of people trying to fracture this movement. Motives, what is the motive? It would help if we had a point man, a leader if you will. I dont know someone like Sarah maybe??? Just sayin/


28 posted on 12/30/2009 5:02:31 PM PST by GoCards ("We eat therefore we hunt...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: smith288

I thought the current movement was based upon Rick Santelli’s comment on CNBC


29 posted on 12/30/2009 5:03:25 PM PST by j.argese
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Steve Van Doorn

Good point, Steve. I love peace, too. The peace that follows American Victory on the battlefield.


30 posted on 12/30/2009 5:03:35 PM PST by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Publius804
Obviously, the Tea Party conservatives were neophytes; never before had they been involved in political activism.

I doubt that. I would be willing to bet 75%+ have been paying attention for over 20 years.

31 posted on 12/30/2009 5:04:18 PM PST by LiberConservative (Global Warming/'Climate Change": Biggest Scam in History)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
Is that true? I kinda thought it started with Glenn Beck.

Nope.
When Paul ran for President, he inspired people.
They made their own signs, donated their own money, and used MeetUp.com to hold meetings with other Paul supporters.
I know, I was there, and we used to hold impromtu rallies on street corners and parks for Paul.
Paul was the only Republican who could have match Obama's online presence, grassroots support and fund-raising.

32 posted on 12/30/2009 5:04:38 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (10 YEARS OF FREEPING! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EEE!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Publius804

>> then co-opted by mainstream GOP Sean Hannity types

>> Obviously, the Tea Party conservatives were neophytes; never before had they been involved in political activism.

Hannity may not be everyone’s favorite, but he’s been fighting his cause of Conservatism since long ago, and during the hours the witches fly.

Since when do fickle punks own the cause of Liberty?


33 posted on 12/30/2009 5:04:59 PM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Publius804
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.

Nope, they were suggested by Rick Santelli on CNBC. He is a fiscal conservative.

34 posted on 12/30/2009 5:05:27 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gwilhelm56

Not only here, but know other freepers in other states who
are good conservatives but will not go back to a Tea Party functions.
The Ron Paul loons handing out papers for 9/11 Truther film
and other propaganda.


35 posted on 12/30/2009 5:05:33 PM PST by SoCalPol (Reagan Republican for Palin 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: samtheman
But if they hitch their wagon to the Ron Paul star... wow... there's no telling how far they can go... in East Texas.

Perhaps all the way to El Paso, but I see that wagon breaking down before it hits Fort Stockton.

The Ron Paul movement might want to put their HQ in Pecos. Not much left there in that historic town, they could take the town over.

36 posted on 12/30/2009 5:07:07 PM PST by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Publius804

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


37 posted on 12/30/2009 5:07:19 PM PST by manc (WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/THE LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BunnySlippers

Thank you, that was going to be my next post.
and Santelli is not Ron Paul.


38 posted on 12/30/2009 5:07:19 PM PST by SoCalPol (Reagan Republican for Palin 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: mnehring
The tea party movement actually started in 1773.

That's true but we're talking about the modern-day Tea Party which begun during Paul's presidential campaign.

Paul and his ilk used the name for some of their little anti-war, Guy Faulks type protests, but it had nothing to do with the Tea Party protests you see around the country now

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.

39 posted on 12/30/2009 5:07:35 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (10 YEARS OF FREEPING! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EEE!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: samtheman

“I love peace, too. The peace that follows American Victory on the battlefield.”

bttt


40 posted on 12/30/2009 5:08:06 PM PST by 1035rep
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-150 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson