Posted on 01/30/2012 6:38:36 PM PST by neverdem
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Newt Gingrich's fast Florida fade is the latest indication that the Tea Party is losing its grip on the GOP, with the establishment poised to triumph once again.
An official endorsement Saturday night from last year's Tea Party standout, Herman Cain; an all-but-official backing from longtime Tea Party darling Sarah Palin; and the support of an increasing number of Tea Party officials around the country have not lifted Gingrich back over Mitt Romney in the Florida polls. That weakened clout has been accompanied by the Republican establishment's full-throttle charge at Gingrich's past -- to great effect with the primary here just one day away.
It’s a stunning twist of fate for the GOP, which just 18 months ago was mired in intraparty battles that gave rise to the grass-roots movement, and which had been desperately seeking anyone but Mitt Romney in the presidential race to satisfy its hard-right turn. Still, if Romney wins here on Tuesday and goes on to clinch the nomination in the coming weeks or months, it may not settle the question of whether he has quieted the Tea Party faithful heading toward the general election.
Its various favorites have failed to take hold. Michele Bachmann was ultimately not seen as credible, Cain was forced out of the race over charges of sexual harassment, and Rick Perry couldn’t pass muster through the debates.
Though Gingrich has embraced the Tea Party -- and many of its leaders have hugged him back -- he doesn’t fit the movement’s mold. The Romney campaign knows this and has had no qualms about highlighting that fact.
From former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the GOP presidential nominee in 1996, to Sen. John McCain, the standard bearer in 2008, a growing number of Republican “insiders” have blasted...
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
I see Todd is going on the road with Newt now. Why doesn’t Sarah just get off the fence and get out there too?
What does she have to lose? Reagan had a great career and beginning but we all know it was “A Time For Choosing” in 1964 that really got the ball rolling. Sarah could do the same now.
Campaign hard for Newt and if we lose we lose. I’m afraid Romney would lose to Obama and another open primary in 2016 could be the end, I hope, of the Rockefeller wing. But only if conservatives keep getting elected down the ticket.
Romney can’t help them, Newt or Santorum can. But, good or bad, we know who Newt is. I have to Google Santorum to look up his voting record since I can’t think of anything he ever did to stand out as a fighting conservative.
I don’t know what world you are living in.
The Tea Party was written off in 2010 because of losses, as you pointed out, in a few high profile areas. The fact is those candidates still changed the nature of the election (Harry Reid had to actually spend money and offer more bribes to unions in NV) and they helped elect almost 1,000 Republicans in 2010. Many conservative.
To say in just 15 months since that they are now impotent is just silly.
you need to read up on once ler but youre kinda new
i had no idea that poster was back
he or she was a major pro amnesty bot here back in 04 and 05i when things got hot here....a culture war lib....maybe something personal
bayourod....prnd321....howlin....sinkspur.....all compadres and all bots....many left in the Giuliani exodus
probably now a Mittbot
amazing how they slink back
While I haven't read this author, Erin Mc Pike, that much, I find realclearpolitics.com basically neutral from a political point of view.
I'm taking the day off on Election Day. First, I'll go vote, then I'll head to the nearest theatre to see Atlas Shrugged, Part II.
IMHO, if Romney gets the nomination, it would be very Galt-like to see Obama reelected, in the manner that Francisco d'Anconia destroyed all of his coppermines at the same time.
A major problem in our economy is that problems have been allowed to fester, such as the housing crisis. Foreclosures have been stalled, when they should have been accelerated. Too much money is sitting on the sideline, as investors are waiting for a bottom.
With Obama, we're like Thelma and Louise heading for the cliff at breakneck speed.
With Romney, we're still heading for the cliff, but in a Conestoga wagon.
For the sake of my children and grandchild, I'm opting for more rapid destruction if no one's going to grab the steering wheel and drive away from the cliff.
If history is our guide, a slow, meandering world economy will only lead us to WWIII.
Any advice on how to move forward conservative ideas at this point then?
I’d love to hear your perspective.
I dissagree...
The Republican party, its leadership, most of its elected officials, elitist backers have completely succeeded in moderating the parties political representation/ideology and its political direction...
Some of us who are active in the Republican party in our locals have tried many times to re-invigorate the grassroots/originalist/literal Constitutional interpretations for many years since the direction has been set by those very establishment people in the party...
It has not been very successful, and only to a point of staving off the inevitable...
I heard someone yesterday bring up something thats been on my mind for a few years now, and that confirmation of what I have been chewing on during that time only emboldens me to hope a true conservative party can be implemented to challenge the liberal/progressive Democrat and moderate/copmpramising Republican parties...
The GOP does not represent my political views and interpretations anymore...
I do not believe I am an independent, that is a feckless term used by those who are not very politically savvy, more lazy than anything...That is my opinion...
I used to be against splitting off from the Republican establishment as an initial weaker position to take at that time...
I no longer believe it is...There are people ready to jump as I am from a political organization that is failing on ALL fronts...
And this is key...It has to be deliberate...The castigation/exploitation/lip service being stingily paid out to the grassroots/TEA Party movement makes more sense every day now...
November 2010, was a good attempt at trying to send the last good message to the GOP to get its act together...They (GOP) failed to fully appreciate the civil tone in that message and its rejection of it tells me and hopefully a few others that the GOP does want to diffuse, dilute and control what should not be controlled, but welcomed...
I think it is time to reject the GOP, and do our bet to form up a viable political party that can welcome those who wish to return to original Constitutional values and interpretations and take the Conservative movement to the next level...
I think it would immediately put the Republican party into the 3rd and weakest position (politically) and they would have to immediately caucus with us and our position of strength...
We tried to hold off a split, and there was never going to be a good time to do this, but if it ever was a time, it has to be now, we have to get it organized, get some heavy hitters to lead the charge, and get it to where the next election cycle will be the true rejection of moderate/liberal/progressives in our current and feckless representative republic...
Just my opinion...
We need to have people who wish to pony up to have no fear of running as a Conservative anymore...Not be fearful of the already established liberal media and its political hacks...
They are betting we do not have the will to fight them anymore...Well, there is a lot more to fighting than just civil discourse, and that will be their biggest mis-judgement...
I do not believe we’ll win the WH this cycle...So we had better start now getting those Senators and Congressmen noticing the real reason for this election...
Another summern of Town hall meetings, puting their incumbent feet to the fire, and letting them know they are replaceable...
Because if their response is to demean our Grassroots/TEA Party positions and intent, because “You do not know how things work in D.C. and your local state capitols!!!”
Well, hells bells, apparently the way things are working now, ain’t working...
I’d just assume fire them all...I think we can find enough “qualified” people to replace them...
Again, just my opinion...
It is funny all these pundits so willing to write off the Tea Party. You would think it has been around forever and is losing steam. Consider the Tea Party was started in people’s minds, moved to the streets, and then into local politics. They have not won every battle but a fair amount. In each of the last two elections and the specials in-between lessons were learned. The Tea Party continues to grow stronger, why else would Obama and the liberals try to copy it with OWS. One thing I think everyone forgets is this is going on the 3rd year and the first presidential election. This requires a national coordinated effort. I am not advocating giving up but keep fighting and we will prevail. President Lincoln was the second candidate run by the newly formed Republican Party. The first one lost and I’ll bet the Wigs figured that’s the last we will hear of them.
The problem is that most Freepers have no clue where that limit is. This forum has expunged posters with an eye on reality so many times, it is now a extreme right echo chamber. Here is an example...
In Oct of 2009 Newt told Republicans that moderate Dede Scozzafava was an easy GOP win in NY-23 to protect a moderate GOP retirement. Freepers lost their minds and protested that they knew better than the NY GOP, but Newt was right and Hoffman lost a rare NY GOP Congressional seat. The Tea Party Express departed the station leaving a GOP seat in the hands of Nancy Pelosi. 2 years later and now only Newt can save our American way of life
The term RINO is thoughtlessly tossed out on FR at people like Ann Coulter, Laura Ingram, Karl Rove and even Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity Romney’s Bain Capital Owns Media Giant Broadcasting Limbaugh, Hannity
Ridiculous. But here is something that isn't ridiculous...If Tea Partiers sit out the general election because they didn't have the power to nominate a GOP conservative, and another border agent is killed with Eric Holder's guns...well, I guess that blood will be on their hands now wont it?
Good luck to Newt in Florida. I'd be happy to vote for anyone but Ron Paul, but I'd still do it to get Obama out.
“It was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, and it served its purpose in 2010, but, it’s disorganized and leaderless and basically useless.”
That’s not what I see at the grassroots here. I just attended state assembly house district organization meetings (Republican party functions). In four different house districts, there was a successful and quite spontaneous tea party rebellion amongst the precinct committee folks. The rebellion changed a procedural rule the GOP old guard has been using for years to select non-liberal candidates. The reason it happened is that tea partiers have been showing up at caucuses and running for low level party positions quite successfully. They are now a significant majority of low level party officials in my region.
Maybe it’s time for the TEA party to take the money and run. The RNC is dead-set against us, they want their man romney in place to keep the status quo. A third party is perfectly viable, so long as people are willing to back it, and and not listen to the other two parties who will tell you that will not happen. It’s a straight up battle of wills, who do you want to win?
“Any advice on how to move forward conservative ideas at this point then?”
I got one. Impeach Obama. He is not eligible to be POTUS. He is not a natural born citizen with two parent citizens as is required by our constitution in article 2.
What’s the problem? All we need to do is follow the law. Apparently, not even the GOP is willing to follow the law. So that leaves us, what? Romney, as the best candidate to defeat Obama? That’s what the GOP is saying. Not me. That’s what the voters are saying, not me. When all we need to be saying is impeach Obama as ineligible. Obama is not eligible. Read the Constitution Article 2 NBC.
Begs the question, is the GOP in on this fraud? Someone please explain it to me. Since I am at a loss as to how a non-natural born citizen #occupies our Whitehouse, in the first place.
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