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Tea Party Alive And Well – And Influencing Blacks
Townhall.com ^ | May 12, 2014 | Star Parker

Posted on 05/12/2014 4:07:15 AM PDT by Kaslin

What’s all the crowing about regarding North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis’ victory in the North Carolina Republican Senate primary this week? I’m talking about the crowing that this is some kind of defeat for the Tea Party.

Sure, Greg Brannon was the Tea Party candidate and endorsed by Rand Paul. And, yes, the Republican establishment big names – including, of course, Mr. Establishment, Karl Rove - came out and backed Tillis with endorsements and lots of money.

But let’s not get carried away, folks. Tillis is an experienced politician with solid limited government, pro-family, pro-life credentials. And Rand Paul immediately threw his support behind him after the election.

If this is a Tea Party defeat, we should have more bad news like this.

Furthermore, the obsession with the Tea Party both within and outside of the Republican Party could not be better proof of the profound impact this movement is having on the country.

Many battles are fought in a war. And war theoreticians point to commitment to the cause as a decisive factor in the quality of an army and how it fights.

The Tea Party is in good shape and has good reason to glean satisfaction that it continues to impact the public debate in America in a meaningful way.

On this note, the new highly publicized Pew Research Center survey, showing that Republicans have a notable edge in the upcoming mid-term congressional elections, contains an interesting surprise, which I believe the Tea Party can also take some credit for.

Although it is surely premature, to say the least, to suggest that blacks are becoming Republicans, the data reported in the Pew survey shows a meaningful shift in black opinion in this direction.

The survey asked which candidate for Congress you would vote for in your district if the election were held today – “…would you LEAN more to the Republican or the Democrat?”

Seventeen percent of blacks responded Republican and 77 percent responded Democrat.

In the last mid-term congressional elections in 2010, 91 percent of blacks voted Democrat and 9 percent voted Republican. The average of the last three mid-term elections was about the same – 90 percent Democrat, 10 percent Republican.

Seventeen percent of blacks indicating intention to vote Republican is big news. Maybe even bigger news in that this is the Congress, as these black voters well know, that will be serving during Barack Obama’s last two years.

Blacks and the Tea Party are supposed to be like oil and water. They don’t mix.

But clearly this is not true.

I reported a few weeks ago that in a recent Pew survey about the Tea Party, 25 percent of blacks expressed a favorable opinion about the Tea Party – just 6 points less than the favorability rating among whites.

No, I am not hanging out any ‘Mission Accomplished” banners.

But those who have been working, in good faith, and against aggressive and well-financed opposition, to help black Americans appreciate that their future lies in the ideals of freedom, are starting to see results.

No Americans have suffered more from the improper use of government and abuse of political power than black Americans. No Americans will benefit more from reforms that will permit greater freedom and ownership than black Americans.

The Tea Party movement, which sprung up from the hearts, minds, and common sense of regular working Americans to restore American greatness by refocusing on the ideals of freedom, has touched everyone.

The fact that the message is reaching and beginning to touch black Americans is good news for everyone – maybe most of all blacks themselves.

America is about fighting for freedom. It began with settlers fighting a foreign empire. The struggle continued against slavery and racism.

The Tea Party is but the latest chapter.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: blackvoters; conservatives; teaparty

1 posted on 05/12/2014 4:07:15 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Just the other day MLK III told Glen Toure that blacks should stop being a monolithic voting black and vote independent, republican and engage with the tea party.

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What'choo talkin bout Willis.
2 posted on 05/12/2014 4:12:39 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin.)
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To: cripplecreek

Http://www.twshannon.com


3 posted on 05/12/2014 4:19:21 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (In America, we don't do pin pricks. But sometimes we elect them.)
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To: Kaslin

Because of Obama’s inexperience, voters are looking for experience the next couple elections. Anybody who is running will have to have some years under their belt. The on the job training days are over for awhile. I think when picking our candidates for Tea Party we need to keep that in mind.


4 posted on 05/12/2014 4:26:14 AM PDT by napscoordinator (Governor Scott Walker 2016 for the future of the country!)
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To: Kaslin

Interesting ... I believe blacks will find out that the Dems are today’s slave holder. The Tea Party should reach out to minorities and tell them that we believe you can be successful without the government in your life.


5 posted on 05/12/2014 4:51:05 AM PDT by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: Kaslin
I must disagree with Ms Parker.
The 77% - 17% might, might hold if you run a black Republican against a black Democrat or a black Republican against a white democrat. Run a white Republican against a black Democrat and I would guess the result would be 93% - 3.
Africamericans ain't stupid, they know where the honey comes from.
6 posted on 05/12/2014 4:56:36 AM PDT by Tupelo (I feel more like Philip Nolan every day)
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To: napscoordinator

You got it right. conservatives, including Tea Party conservatives, have to learn several things:

1. Stop eating our children, continue to support those candidates whom we manage to get elected, even those whom we perceive as having become “impure”.

2. Recognize the truth of the old Klingon aphorism: “Only a fool fights in a burning house!” Conservatives, libertarians, moderates, neo-cons, and others have a common enemy. We can negotiate our differences, far smaller than with our common enemy, later, after we win.

3. Find core principles against which we can measure our positions on issues. My most important ones are the support for: Constitutional Government, Frugal Government, Limited Government, and non-intrusive Government. If we can agree, at least to some extent, we can win and settle (or agree not to settle) issues later.

Does that make sense to you? Ask yourself: Would you rather be successful or perceived as virtuous?


7 posted on 05/12/2014 5:43:44 AM PDT by chuck07852 (Intelligent people voting intelligently)
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To: ExCTCitizen

Your lips to God’s ear!


8 posted on 05/12/2014 5:43:44 AM PDT by chuck07852 (Intelligent people voting intelligently)
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To: chuck07852
Excellent points!

We have to realize there is no PERFECT candidate for any office, and to continually justify NOT voting for someone who only BETTER and not BEST represents our views is not only foolish--but dangerous!

One of the most shocking stats I've heard is how many Christians do NOT VOTE in elections.

WHY NOT?????

9 posted on 05/12/2014 7:45:03 AM PDT by milagro (There is no peace in appeasement)
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To: Kaslin
Go Star Parker! -- that girl is just the berries.
10 posted on 05/12/2014 4:03:03 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: Kaslin
Blacks and the Tea Party are supposed to be like oil and water. They don’t mix. But clearly this is not true.

Definitely not true. Common sense is color blind.

If you get a chance, listen to Kevin Jackson and his "The Black Sphere" radio program.

11 posted on 05/14/2014 7:02:04 AM PDT by GBA (Here in the Matrix, life is but a dream.)
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