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Has the tea party 'sold out' to the mainstream GOP?
CNN ^ | August 26, 2012 | Shannon Travis

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 ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: acornpaidforpost; assclownposting; clownsforobama; conservativeforobama; fff; fraudsforobama; gaybotsforobama; gop4rinoromney; gop4romneycare; gop4romneymarriage; howtolose; idiotspostings; loserpost; moronforobama; moveontroll; obamabots; obamacampaignad; obotsattack; stupidpostersneedzot; teaparty; traitorpost; zotthismoron
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To: upchuck

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.


21 posted on 08/28/2012 5:41:15 PM PDT by papertyger ("And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if..."))
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To: KitJ

People sympathetic to TEAPARTY goals will not be baited by the likes of the DNC or it’s child, CNN.


22 posted on 08/28/2012 5:41:52 PM PDT by Rapscallion (Obama - Can you afford to keep him?)
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To: MNJohnnie
MNJohnnie "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"

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.

23 posted on 08/28/2012 5:41:59 PM PDT by Diogenesis (Vi veri veniversum vivus vici)
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To: ClearCase_guy

“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?


24 posted on 08/28/2012 5:42:34 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: upchuck

Has CNN sold out to the global communist party? It sure appears as if they did.


26 posted on 08/28/2012 5:42:59 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Had enough of the freaks running the show yet?)
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To: upchuck
Title"Has the tea party 'sold out' to the mainstream GOP"

NO! But I am not going to kow tow to Ron Paul bots.

27 posted on 08/28/2012 5:43:15 PM PDT by Spunky (Those)
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To: MNJohnnie

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.


28 posted on 08/28/2012 5:43:19 PM PDT by svcw (If one living cell on another planet is life, why isn't it life in the womb?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Yup, they are. Today they were riling up the Paulbots at the convention.
29 posted on 08/28/2012 5:43:40 PM PDT by hope
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To: upchuck

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.


30 posted on 08/28/2012 5:43:49 PM PDT by GR_Jr. (Vote Obama out now.....deal with Romney later.)
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To: upchuck
Okay, fair enough. Care to share who you are voting for?

Virgil Goode

31 posted on 08/28/2012 5:44:39 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (I'm not voting for Romney. The Grand Old Whig Party doesn't own my vote and failed to earn it.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Me too!


32 posted on 08/28/2012 5:45:17 PM PDT by Spunky (Those)
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To: upchuck

No. Romney sold out to Obama and the Communists and one world government.


33 posted on 08/28/2012 5:46:59 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: MNJohnnie

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!


34 posted on 08/28/2012 5:47:24 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie
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To: ClearCase_guy
Obama will bring about a revolution in this country, and I have no problem with that.

Maybe "conservatives" will think twice about shooting their allies in the back when the bullets are real.

35 posted on 08/28/2012 5:47:52 PM PDT by papertyger ("And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if..."))
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To: Sirius Lee

Johnnie I know, but who are you?


36 posted on 08/28/2012 5:50:45 PM PDT by papertyger ("And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if..."))
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To: MNJohnnie

“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......)


37 posted on 08/28/2012 5:51:59 PM PDT by RitaOK
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To: VanDeKoik
I’m sure you will be right there on the front line ready to die, right?

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.

38 posted on 08/28/2012 5:52:09 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (I'm not voting for Romney. The Grand Old Whig Party doesn't own my vote and failed to earn it.)
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To: upchuck
The answer is NO! The TEA Party movement is the essence of grass roots. There is no single head. It is We the People and no wishful thinking can change that. Any organization can call itself Tea party. And some do just that to blur the line and hide the very idea of grass roots.

Great tag line BTW.
39 posted on 08/28/2012 5:52:11 PM PDT by RedMDer (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=93destr)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yep!


40 posted on 08/28/2012 5:53:00 PM PDT by JaguarXKE (If my Fluffy had a puppy, it would look like the puppy Obama ate!)
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