Posted on 09/25/2010 11:30:56 AM PDT by smoothsailing
Sat, Sep. 25, 2010
Ken Connor
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As the midterm elections rapidly approach and Tea Party candidates continue to gain ground in primary battles across the country, the Republican establishment is beginning to feel the sand shift beneath their feet. Rather than resigning themselves to irrelevancy however, key leaders within the GOP establishment are determined to find a way to translate Tea Party enthusiasm into further entrenchment of the Republican status quo.
The relationship between the Tea Party Patriots and the GOP has been tenuous since the movement began over a year ago. More than anti-Left or anti-Liberal, the primary motivating spirit behind the Tea Party movement has been anti-incumbent, anti-Washington, anti-establishment. This spells bad news for everyone inside the Beltway regardless of party affiliation. Initially, the Republican response to the Tea Party phenomenon was to pay lip service to the movement while working behind the scenes to ensure the continued hegemony of the GOP establishment. However, this tactic has not proven very successful, as evidenced by recent primary upsets in six states including Florida and Delaware.
Having gone on the record with sharp criticisms of prominent Tea Party candidates during the run-up to (and in some cases, the aftermath of) these primaries, prominent members of the GOP establishment now find themselves in the awkward position of trying to dispel accusations that they are undermining the movement while simultaneously trying to figure out a way to leverage Tea Party successes to the advantage of the Republican power-base in Washington. Karl Rove, while declaring adamantly that he is not an "establishment" Republican, attempted to split hairs between his role as a GOP operative and a political analyst when pressed on his opinion of Delaware Republican primary winner Christine O'Donnell. Trent Lott, former Senate Majority Leader and current K Street lobbyist, insists that there is no room in Washington for "a lot of Jim DeMint disciples" and that the GOP establishment must "co-opt" any Tea Party candidates who manage to actually win races and make it to Washington.
Recognizing the wisdom in the old adage "keep your friends close and your enemies closer," the major operatives within the Grand Old Party know that the only way to maintain their grip on power is to find a way to keep the troops in line. In the military such control is maintained by the strict adherence to the chain of command. In third world dictatorships such control is maintained through intimidation. In Washington, such control is maintained by money, the mother's milk of politics. Secure the Tea Party Republicans' loyalty the old fashioned way, Lott argues – by buying it. By doing so, the Establishment's agenda will become their agenda.
This, sadly, is the way it's always been done in Washington, and it's a trap into which even the most conscientious, idealistic political newcomer can easily fall. They come to our nation's capital, electoral mandate in hand, full of big ideas and dreams for their constituents back home, only to find themselves caught in the web of establishment interests on the Hill. Campaign contributions, fancy dinners, box seats, all expense paid trips – this has been the medium of exchange for years in the Federal City. It is all very alluring. And it's precisely why the voters are clamoring for a change.
The American people are hoping the Tea Party candidates – precisely because of their relative political inexperience will – help chart a new path for our government. There is a desperate desire among the American people for a new and different generation of representatives – people who run for office not because they need the job, or the money, or the power, but because they are people of integrity and honor who truly feel called to serve their fellow citizens.
Instead of embracing the American people's call for authentic change and welcoming the Tea Party's influence, the GOP establishment appears hell bent on doing business the old fashioned way. In the meantime, the likes of Rove and Lott are watching and waiting to see if America's first Tea Party candidates have what it takes to prevail against the Democrats in a general election. A bigger issue, however, is whether the Tea Party's electoral vanguard has the character and fortitude to stick to its ideals and resist the lure of being co-opted by the GOP establishment. For voters across the country who are sick of politics as usual in America, this is the million dollar question.
Ken Connor Christian Post Guest Columnist
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Copyright © 2010 Christianpost.com. All rights reserved.
“the primary motivating spirit behind the Tea Party movement has been anti-incumbent, anti-Washington, anti-establishment.”
Pro Individual Liberty, Pro National Defense, Pro Capitalism, and Pro Individual Responsibility, will take care of the “anti’s”
Splendid analysis. “Taking back the GOP” is not going to be as easy as cleaning the refrigerator. We shall see.
No... not anti-incumbent, that would assume a degree of brainless decision making. We are anti socialist (anti forced collectivism), but that is just the beginning. Our support or opposition to an incumbent depends solely on their ideology and whether or not their ideology is compatible with real freedom and liberty.
We must not let others tell us who we are.
We know who you are.
We know how your past.
Old senile posers will be put out to pasture.
Either you’re with us or you’re against us!
We want our America back, with or without you.
I like the old expression better.
Thousands of volunteers were ridiculed by the California Republican Party, who backed Democrat Gov. Davis, until the California Republican Party realized that the recall vote was going to happen.
At that point the California Republican Party shoved the citizens aside and claimed the recall as their own.. and all we got was this lousy Schwarzenkennedy.
Beware Tea Party folks.. the political parities are prone to doing those things.
That new agenda for America or whatever it’s called is nothing but RINO rehash. Conservative candidates should trash it as not enough.
Tea Party candidates that get in, will get tiired of trying to get co-opted will find a bigger enemy than the GOP and Obama's Vetos...
K-Street
I am getting good at this prediction thing, my guess is somewhere between Nov 2010 and 2012 Tea Partiers get real pissed that nothing is getting done and the monkey wrench in the gear box will be K Street.
I can see T-Party movement against the establishment special interest being a potential channelling of their energies.
I do not know the shape it will take, possibly shaming them, and waking the American People up to the fact they are a big part of the problem.
It's called The Pledge and it's 21 pages. There are a few good points but it's too wordy, no one can remember it much less recite it.
Here's a pledge that's only 39 words.
“On my honor, I will serve God and my country, obey the Constitution, balance the budget, reduce the size and scope of government, and protect the rights of the people and the sovereignty of the United States of America.”
Hat tip to Don Surber
I say we make SURE we vote, and vote for the most conservative of the two candidates, which is usually the Republican. We can't effect change, if there is no change in the power structure in Congress. We have the best chance this year to get conservatives in office than we have for almost 20 years. Let's not blow this in any fits of pique brought in by articles like this.
When we've voted conservatives into office, we can begin to remind those who may not be AS conservative, that we are a force to be reckoned with. Even if they don't agree wholeheartedly with is, they might just spend more time agreeing with us just to keep any conservative opponents at bay.
The Tea Party movement, our best, perhaps last, chance to save this country and return it to founding principles.
In the immoral words of Trent Lott: “when they get to Washington, we’ll have to co-opt them.”
That's why I'm enthusiastic about Palin for president. She's the only one I trust to bust heads, because she has a track record of busting heads --RINO heads.
She also has a track-record of being fearless in the face of a hostile media, the best example being that she has declared war against what she calls "the lamestream media." Now that is a rare quality. She's ready to wage an all-out war against the media. It's about time somebody did.
Better that a real Communist-Democrat wins any race than a RINO, Because when the real SHTF....The fewer Republican fingerprints on the train wreck the better.
I like it! The opposite of a 2000 page healthcare bill.
The US political Old Guard, like Lott, still refuse to open their eyes and see what is going on.
Sadly this also includes some of the most well know, radio hosts, bloggers and columnists on the Right.
They still think of this as just another round in the political game. They still do not realize this is no longer a game, this is war.
The Republic is in danger.
Never in our history has this nation been governed by a group so fundamentally at odds with the values and the beliefs of the average citizen as the 0 Democrats. In every other election the two sides shared some common values that linked them all as Americans. That is not the case this time. This time it is the Americans vrs the Anti Americans. Between those who value the exceptionalism of the USA and those who wish to destroy that exceptionalism and remake it in the style of a European Democrat Socialist country. The political old guard persists in thinking of this as just another election, just another round in the game where everyone shakes hands afterwords. That is not at all the case.
We are now engaged in a remorseless revolutionary struggle where by either the Republic is restored or it is forever lost. This struggle is not going to end with the elections in November, this struggle will be going on for years.
In that struggle there is no middle ground. One is either on our side or against us. I know that is hard for the “can't we all just get along” GOP Establishment types to deal with but that is the reality in US politics we are living these day
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