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.
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