'I don't give a crap about party': The GOP's struggle with surging grass-roots conservatives grows

TwinCities.com Pioneer Press ^ | Nov. 2, 2009 | Jim VandeHei and Alex Isenstadt

[Al B.]

The conservative coup in upstate New York did much more than lay bare the power of conservative activists: It exposed how little control GOP officials hold over this surging and formidable political movement.

In the wake of conservatives' role in forcing liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava (pronounced: skoh-zuh-FAH-vuh) out of Tuesday's special election in New York's 23rd District, GOP officials are trying to make it seem as if they are helping to stoke the passion — and can harness it to upend President Barack Obama and Democrats.

They didn't — and they can't.

Many of the activists who helped knock out Scozzafava told POLITICO that the passion is building despite — and sometimes to spite — Republican leaders in Washington.

"I don't give a crap about party," said Jennifer Bernstone, a tea party organizer for Central New York 912, which helped to lead the anti-Scozzafava charge.

"Grass-roots activists don't care about party." Says Everett Wilkinson, a tea party organizer in Florida: "We are not going to allow our (movement) to be stolen by the GOP or by any political party."

This energy on the right seems to exist outside the control of the conventional political structure, and GOP politicians and operatives are as likely to be victims of this anger as beneficiaries. GOP leaders are about to learn the lesson again, several conservatives warned.

Grass-roots activists are ready to turn their fire on Republicans in a host of races across the country, said Adam Brandon, a spokesman for FreedomWorks, an organization that helped gin up the tea party protests and town hall flare-ups.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

The sooner the GOP establishment gets it through their heads that ideology trumps partisanship, the better off we’ll all be.

The days of voting for any old refuse the GOP country-clubbers decided to shovel our way just because it had an “R” after its name are over.

[Sybeck1]

So let be written, so let it be done.

[hoosierham]

Throw out all the bums who threaten our freedoms and our pocketbooks.

[skeeter]

This stuff is music to my ears. Reminds me of the debates we used to have with the name-calling moderate contingient here on FR a few months back, who always seemed to consider conservatives more of an enemy than the libs.

Nice to see the right side is winning.

[Texas Fossil]

Pitchfork and Torch time!

Sounds like a Texas thing:

“Leave us alone to live our lives in peace and we will get along fine, if that is not satisfactory, we will deal with it.”

[Man50D]

The race in NY-23 illustrates the OP(formerly the GOP) and the socialist RATs have merged their ideologies to become one big socialist Republicrat party.

[GI Joe Fan]

Gingrich, Steele, Graham, Gingrich and the rest of the RINO losers better pay attention.

The American people are plenty angry with them and the democrat party, and their voices are gonna be heard LOUD AND CLEAR!!!!

[DManA]

And that ideology isn’t a dirty word.

[MrB]

“conservatives”, ie, non-elitists, individual liberty advocates,

ARE _THE_ threat to “moderate republicans”.

Because “moderate republicans” are just as elitist as democRats.

[DarthVader]

This is very true and it is the force that is fueling the GOP resurgence. The party leaders would be wise to understand this.

[nhwingut]

GOP, get out of the way.

[Night Hides Not]

I'm really surprised that no pundit has seen the irony of the old phrase "23 skidoo".

[I Buried My Guns]

As the GOP hurtles headlong towards absolute irrelevancy, one must ask the inevitable question: Is that a bad thing?

[annieokie]

That word "CONTROL", says it all for both party's. Control is what is has always been about, the Republicans can't control us, which means the Democrats no longer control the Republican party.

We are off the reservation now, come get us Custer.

[ScreamingGreenAlienGorilla]

Grass-roots activists are ready to turn their fire on Republicans in a host of races across the country, said Adam Brandon, a spokesman for FreedomWorks, an organization that helped gin up the tea party protests and town hall flare-ups.

Gin up? GIN UP??? GIN UP??????

Sigh.

SGAG

[xzins]

The GOP will not learn. They will devise a strategy to manipulate. There is no way that the GOP puppet masters are letting go of their strings.

The only recourse for principled conservatives is always to vote for the conservative and never to trust the Rino Party.

[SteamShovel]

Is that a bad thing?

No....but ONLY IF....there is another alternative that can collect the necessary votes to win against the RATS.

I say run the RINO's out and reclaim the party. Three concurrent parties divide the non-RAT vote.

[bigoil]

That’s because no one remembers 23 skidoo.

[Night Hides Not]

That’s because no one remembers 23 skidoo.

BTW, I'm not that old! LOL!

Apparently, no one under 50 (that I know) remembers the one word reply that BG McAuliffe gave to the Germans at Bastogne.

[PapaBear3625]

The power that the Party officials have mainly comes from their ability to influence primaries, and get Party money to candidates in the general election.

If independent conservatives can get behind true conservative candidates in the primaries, and send money directly and only to individual conservative candidates, the power of party officials evaporates.

[2Jedismom]

Is this an opinion piece or a news article?

What ever it is, it sounds full of fear.

[the long march]

BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAAHAHA

we of the evil conservative right wing conspiracy -——ooops sorry left out a word VAST

[HamiltonJay]

a spokesman for FreedomWorks, an organization that helped gin up the tea party protests and town hall flare-ups.

Gin Up? Yep, no bias in this article... and they wonder why they are going out of business.

[JWinNC]

""Grass-roots activists don't care about party." Says Everett Wilkinson, a tea party organizer in Florida: "We are not going to allow our (movement) to be stolen by the GOP or by any political party.""

Amen.

And what the hell happened to Gingrich? He would have had a point if Scozzafava had actually been a Republican, but she wasn't. She gives RINOs a bad name... dropping out and endorsing the Dem? OMG, the GOP is so dead if they don't turn away from the left and get back to the people.

jw

[workerbee]

GOP officials are trying to make it seem as if they are helping to stoke the passion

[Horusra]

“Nuts”

[Rockingham]

The mood among conservatives is similar to that after the 1960 election. As Phyllis Schlaffley put it then, conservatives want Republicans to offer a choice, not an echo of the Democrats.

[oldfart]

“Leave us alone to live our lives in peace and we will get along fine, if that is not satisfactory, we will deal with it.”

Shortened, it comes out as “LUTHA” or Leave Us The Hell Alone!

[Night Hides Not]

“Nuts”

You are correct, sir.

[Tallguy]

Nuts

Cleaned up for the historical record, no doubt.

[Texas Fossil]

That will work too. TNX

[OriginalChristian]

‘Gingrich, Steele, Graham, Gingrich and the rest of the RINO losers better pay attention....’

I would add Mitt to this list as well...

[GI Joe Fan]

I meant to add McCain, not mention Gingrich twice.

My frustration with the RINOs did cause me to be redundant, but I agree.

Romney better be paying attention to We The People as well!