Posted on 08/28/2012 5:23:35 PM PDT by upchuck
Is the tea party changing the Republican Party from the inside -- or selling out to the GOP?
As Republicans prepare to officially roll out Mitt Romney as their party's presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention this week, major tea party groups and figures have descended on Tampa, Florida, to schmooze with party bigwigs and rally for Romney.
But Romney's conservative credentials have long been viewed with suspicion by the movement. So it came as a surprise when, before at least one event, tea party organizers committed what some activists would consider heresy: seeking approval from establishment Republicans to rally.
All of it has opened up a once unthinkable charge: the movement that's rabble-roused and rocked the GOP establishment since 2009 is now too cozy with it.
"The top national groups have already sold out," said Judd Saul, a prominent Iowa activist associated with the Cedar Valley Tea Party. "They don't truly represent the grassroots."
"Even before the caucuses, these guys were all pushing for Romney even when the primaries were going on," Saul added.
"It's a pretty widespread (sentiment). A lot of activists have noticed that."
But presidential historian Douglas Brinkley doesn't see this phenomenon as anything new.
"I think it happens all the time in politics," said Brinkley, a political analyst and professor at Rice University. "The grassroots people are the people who are hypermotivated. They are people willing to go to rallies and hold bake sales and ... and they're always later kind of seen as auxiliary players once it gets to the main game when the elections come in the fall."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
The conservative grass roots are being double shat upon by the GOP elite.
CNN is poking us in the eye.
To the headline: don’t know about all so called conservatives but many of them on FR certainly have.
EPU - I concur. CNN is trying to start a fight by pushing the TEA Party buttons.
The R party is a party of moderates, and those with the power want to keep it that way.
Right CNN is really worried about the future of the Conservative movement.
When are you people going to stop being the willing foot soldiers of the Democrat propaganda machine?
Maybe you people might finally start fighting the enemies of everything you stand for instead of spending ALL your time shooting your allies in the back.
You people are the useful idiots of the Democrat party.
It ain’t gonna be that easy, CNN and the rest of you. I’ll crawl thru broken glass surrounded by concertina wire, enshrouded in tear gas in 3 inches of pig dung to vote for Romney and against Obama!! Got it?
It’s from CNN, meaning wishful thinking culminating in Bullsheet inference.
huh?
Please, just consider the source.
The D party is a party of Marxists, Maoists, Fabian Socialists and Nazis, and those with the power want to keep it that way.
There are only two teams. Pick one.
Nice try from the Obamabots. These are the same people who told us the Tea Party was dead and of no consequence.
What is important from now through the election is that we all present a united front. I am here to express with certainty that after we take the House, the Senate and the White House there will be major conflict within the party, but first, lets get rid of the Cabal that is bringing America Down.
Last night they had on Van Jones and Mayor Villagarosa on the same show. What does that tell ya?
I’m not voting for Romney. The Grand Old Whig Party doesn’t own my vote and they failed to earn it. Obama will bring about a revolution in this country, and I have no problem with that.
Smart soldiers fight one battle at a time. They focus on killing the most dangerous foe 1st.
People who spend all their time shooting their allies in the back instead of ever fighting the real enemy of their political agenda are the useful idiots of the Democrat party
100% accurate.
Please, just consider the actions of today.
It is true that there was some compromisin’ and silencin’ going on with some conservatives. Hell was not raised to the extent necessary to do squat.
You didn’t see a soul walk out did ya’?
Okay, fair enough. Care to share who you are voting for?
Yup. Agreed. On all counts.
I was just about ready to hold my nose and vote for Mitt instead of writing in Sarah....
Then the “conservatives” joined with the liberals in the lynching of Akin.
Such people deserve four more years of Obama.
People sympathetic to TEAPARTY goals will not be baited by the likes of the DNC or it’s child, CNN.
Tell THAT to Mr. RomneyCARE and Tokyo Rove.
Ooooppps. Too late. Should have told them in 2008 as
they attacked Gov Palin for their Obama and Soros.
“I’m not voting for Romney. The Grand Old Whig Party doesn’t own my vote and they failed to earn it. Obama will bring about a revolution in this country, and I have no problem with that”
Pffffft!
Please keep telling yourself that, general Washington. I’m sure you will be right there on the front line ready to die, right?
Has CNN sold out to the global communist party? It sure appears as if they did.
NO! But I am not going to kow tow to Ron Paul bots.
So who made you in charge about what is and is not important enough to fight?
Most of us can multi task, I am sorry you are unable apparently to do that.
My war is with liberalism, if that’s not important to you fine, you are free to fight your own battles.
The GOPe has declared war on conservatism, like I said there are some on FR, who don’t take issue with that but instead have capitulated to the GOPe’s liberalism.
Tea Partiers were willing to hold their noses and vote for Romney/Ryan. Not any more. Mittens f’ed that up today with his power grab.
Virgil Goode
Me too!
No. Romney sold out to Obama and the Communists and one world government.
WELL SAID!!!
the Tea Party has impacted the GOP and the country of conservatives are getting stronger and they will impact the GOP. the older RINO’s will fall away.
But we can’t go onward in this direction by eating our own...but instead keep supporting Ryan, West, Kasich, christie, Walker etc!
Maybe "conservatives" will think twice about shooting their allies in the back when the bullets are real.
Johnnie I know, but who are you?
“they focus on .....the most dangerous for first.”
Not necessarily. Sgt. York picked them off from the rear like ducks. We have a lot of ducks in closer range than the most dangerous one.
The way you talk, Obama Lite wins and gets no obstruction whatsoever from a Republican capitol building. Socialism on down hill sled.
Obama wins and the purse strings slam shut, the majorities in both houses freeze him in place.
Cooperating with the guys who just kicked you to the curb doesn’t sound all that smart to me, but hey if the curb works for ya’...........(trails off......)
Run, and you'll live. At least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that, for one chance -- just one chance! -- to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives but they'll never take our freedom.
I know why the first revolution was fought. It was fought because it was worth fighting for. Perhaps you have forgotten.
Yep!
Maybe if you people quit squealing in hysteria because your candidate of choice did not get the nomination and started listening you might finally get a clue about what is going on in this campaign
But I know, so much easier to just keep squealing the same old slogans and ignorance based talking points then bothering to pry open you welded shut minds.
CNN’s concern for Conservative Tea Party and Republican Party members is touching. /s NOT!
Hey CNN, go [ expletive deleted ] yourself!
Try to remember a few months to a few years back when you were perfectly happy to convey the idea Tea Party members were terrorists.
I don't care.
“Grassroots” is term the MSM uses for the Paulers.
Spoken like a true “compassionate” conserv....please check your principles at the door.
As always during campaign season, the loudest squealing is coming from you, MNJohnnie. Do you really think this is effective, or is it just therapeutic for you? Either way, simmer down, you’re spittling up my iPad screen from the inside.
Nice answer.
We’ve been jelly in this country for so long people can’t even spell r-e-s-i-s-t-a-n-c-e. Busy stalling, putting it off, cooperatin’ and complyin’ in their own shake down, but talking pretty big against those whose rope just broke with the go along to get along crowd.
It's your vote. Waste it any way you want.
The thing that scares the big TWO Parties the most are political groups that are outside of the mainstream Party followers. I’m outside of the Party myself as an Independent, and I am damn proud of it. Parties, hacks, thieves, and corruption, have all become synonymous.
As a once very strong independent tea party supporter (my first post on FR dealt with it) there is a case to be made that the TP was hijacked by big money and global political interests. My interest was always advancing the USA, demanding a Congress that listens to average Americans, fiscal responsibility from government, and an end to our policeman of the world role unless we are fully paid for it by countries that benefit. I’m tired of putting world defense on American’s credit card.
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