Tea Party Shaping 2012 Race

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 10-25-10 | PETER WALLSTEN

[GOP_Lady]

The tea-party phenomenon is forcing possible Republican presidential candidates in 2012 to make early and potentially high-risk strategic gambles over how to harness the movement.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is traveling the country to build alliances with local tea-party activists in key presidential primary and caucus states.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is solidifying ties with traditional party leaders and organizations by helping them with fund raising and candidate endorsements.

The two potential rivals are acting on opposing assumptions about the newly energized but volatile tea party-infused Republican base. The results of their decisions will show the impact that tea-party supporters will have on the 2012 presidential race, and on the new political scene to emerge after the Nov. 2 midterm elections.

[Jim Robinson]

“how to harness the movement.”

FUMR and the RINO you rode in on!!

[MaggieCarta]

Thanks, 001.
002

[Red_Devil 232]

Thanks Jim. The Mitt bots kneed to know We Ain't Goin' Away

[Jim Robinson]

Woo hoo!! Great video!!

[ilovesarah2012]

Go away Newt, go away Mitt, we’re not interested in what you’re peddling.

[JPG]

Myth ‘Mittens’ Romney is a zero on a 1-10. If America doesn't get strong conservative leadership, and soon, then turn out the lights ‘cause the party is over.

[Red_Devil 232]

Yeah! It should be the FReeper anthem song!

[Doulos1]

The Man has spoken, listen to his words.
There wont be a Romney love fest here.

Remember he put the Romney in Romneycare.
Total disgrace to the Republican brand.
I’ll go third party before I vote for Mittens.

[SamAdams76]

Romney’s team is making a mistake. The Tea Party has not peaked yet. Insiders need to join the stampede or get trampled underfoot.

I agree. The nation was shocked the night of January 19th when Scott Brown won the "Kennedy" senate seat by a solid margin here in Massachusetts. Yes, it is true that Brown does not represent the Tea Party and he's a bit of a RINO, but it did send a clear message to Democrats that things were about to start changing.

Well that was only a shot across the bow and a week from Tuesday, the nation will be rocked to the core when they see just how strong this movement is. When the dust settles from this upcoming election, I predict that nobody will be talking about Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich for president any longer. The Republican party will no longer belong to them.

Over the next two years, the Tea Party movement will continue to build and by the summer of 2012, it will have taken over the infrastructure of the GOP and very likely, Sarah Palin will be making her acceptance speech as the Republican nominee for President of the United States and whatever we gain a week from Tuesday in terms of House and Senate seats, add another 100+ two years from now.

The light at the end of the tunnel is about to get so bright that we are going to have to get our sunglasses out.

[GOP_Lady]

You’re welcome, my dear. :-)

[Conservative4Ever]

Neither Romney nor Newt should have their hands on the Tea Party movement. This is a grass roots thing, and it should stay a grass roots movement.

[PMAS]

*

[toldyou]

“Semper Fi!”

Wasn’t he awesome? He would respond to you with, “OOH-RAH!”

Thanks, Jim! xo

[Third Person]

Can someone please post the Slick Mitt “used car salesman” image? LOL...

[Walts Ice Pick]

Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Romney plan to decide their 2012 plans early next year.

Both of them can forget about it.

Newt needs to understand that the American people will never elect to the presidency a man with a feminine, female voice. It may seem unfair, but that's the way it is.

Mitt cannot get the nomination, even if he renounces his present religion, which he will readily do if he gets the idea that it will work.

Both should announce their support for Sarah Palin now. It's not too early.

[topher]

The TEA Party of Lafayette, Louisiana, has demonstrations every week. It was initially at the corner of Pinhook and Kaliste Saloome Road.

That only lasted a couple of weeks.

Then the site for demonstrations/placards changed to the intersection of Johnston Street and South College/North College Intersection.

I am not sure how early they get there, but it is every Friday morning. They are normally there by 8am, so I imagine they come out earlier than this.

This is definitely a TEA Party event, and not a TEA Party Express event.

Note that Sarah Palin's tour of the country is a TEA Party Express event.

There are both TEA Party and TEA Party Express candidates forecast to win come November 2nd...

[Windflier]

"...Mitt Romney is solidifying ties with traditional party leaders and organizations..."

The WSJ needs to speak plain English.

Plainly speaking, Mitt is a phony who would be thrown out of any honest Tea Party meeting. The patriotic right thoroughly rejects him, so he's making alliances with the old guard, RINO establishment.

Lotta good that's gonna do him. The rebellion won't vote for him, and anyone who's stupid enough to publicly align themselves with him, will instantly be branded as a RINO for life. The man's going to be radioactive in 2012.

[Windflier]

Big 10-4, boss. If Romney showed up at any Tea Party meeting, he’d be escorted off the premises with extreme prejudice.

He’s an establishment RINO who’s going nowhere in 2012. The rebellion will not support him.

[yadent]

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't the ‘Tea Party’ started as a backlash against the economic fraud that has taken over Wall street, Washington DC (both parties), and many of the State houses? Wasn't this movement started as an outcry against the bailouts, the stock market manipulation, the excessive debt both private and public that was and still is being encouraged by both Wall St and DC? Wasn't this movement asking for the rule of law to be applied not just to Main St but to DC and Wall St equally? I find it sad that no pol is talking about the economic looting of this country that has and is occurring. No talk of bringing economic perps to justice. The Tea Party was not started to address the social issues of the day but the economic ones cuz if the economic issues are not taken care of, the social issues won't really manner much to a hungry population....so yes, I find it sad that the Romneys and the Newts and even the Palins have apparently taken over the movement while not addressing the core issues of the movement.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping - a Tea-nami’s coming...