Posted on 08/06/2012 11:53:44 AM PDT by Da Bilge Troll
The Tea Party movement morphed from protest signs to campaign signs.
That's how a Texas Tea Party activist succinctly put it when I asked him what's become of the movement. He said, "We put down our protest signs, and picked up campaign signs."
He said that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's victory lap after passing Obamacare was a "wake-up call." It signaled that mass demonstrations would not bring significant changes. Change would only come through the ballot box.
Hearing the call, the Tea Party vacated the town squares and hit the streets where it began organizing for the long-term.
It was always a grassroots phenomenon, so no territorial shift was required. And since it enjoyed little, or no, support from established GOP county structures, it didn't need to ask permission from the local GOP leadership, or accept its judgment as authoritative.
Consequently, the movement was largely a Greenfield project, unencumbered by any pre-existing cadre of party hacks, as it morphed from event-driven protests to election-driven activism focused on supporting like-minded candidates.
Today, the local independence of Tea Party organizations remains, but communication between Tea Party organizations has continued to expand, in scope and sophistication.
The absence of central planning is a key to its strength. Decentralization gives it operational flexibility, local ownership of decisions, and continuous learning as concepts are formally, and informally, shared between local organizations. It's a network.
When James Carville recently said that the Tea Party was over, he knew better. He merely signaled what the progressive left of the Democratic Party, which now controls the party's agenda, fears most. Progressives recognize that the Tea Party represents a more clear-and-present danger to their agenda than that posed by the go-along-to-get-along mentality within the GOP establishment, where politics as usual is usual.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
HOWEVER - while we increase our activism we should not stop our public activities entirely! I belong to a group (K&N Patriots in O'Fallon, MO) that demonstrates EVERY SATURDAY for 2 hours on the same corner. We are very well known in our state capitol, partly because of our visibility. Candidates "drop by" to shake hands. Soldiers walk up and say "thanks". It lets the public know we haven't gone anywhere and it gains us new members almost every week. Check us out and think about doing something like this in your area!
A bunch of indians throwing tea into the bay (metaphorically) do not want to be identified..
-OR- Why? is it called the Tea Party?..
Some people easily overlook the OBVIOUS..
Note: UGH.. me no want to be identified by white or black socialist...
Thanks, Troll. I was just about to say the same thing!
As long as the party continues to withhold support for Tea Party candidates for “non-compliance” with party edicts, the Tea Party will be nothing more than noise, after all is said and done, they are just republicans, too bad. All of the bravado about balanced budgets and no more debt, they all caved for the speaker of the house and his “frogs in the wheelbarrow”.
Taxed Enough Already
Do you have an alternative?
lol!
HootHoot...
The Tea Party would do well to keep a respectable distance from any established party and concentrate on candidates and politics that best represents its core base. The RINO’s would love to co-opt the Tea Party for their own personal corrupted use and thus undermine what the TP was supposed to represent. Just some sage advice.
I'm saying we can do both. We can walk and chew RINOs at the same time! I know I can!
I wish I did. I only make that statement in the hopes that we can prod those that subscribe to the Tea Party ideas will take the next step and those that support the Tea Party candidates push them and not accept the status-quot. I am truly worried about our national future and the time for just “being nice” is at an end.
Sage indeed but already taken to heart. Co-opting the Tea Party will be difficult since there are no leaders, no structure, no institutional funding, nothing to grab on to, and the members mean to keep it that way.
Agreed. 100%
You are correct. I think that the various TP groups should be ever vigilant to watch for politicians claiming TP endorsements and support when it is not the fact or the truth.
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.