How national tea party groups missed the David Brat boat

Washington Post ^ | June 10, 2014 | BY MATEA GOLD

[Oldeconomybuyer]

David Brat’s surprise victory Tuesday over House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was quickly embraced by the tea party movement – especially national tea party groups that have been looking to score a big win in their battle against GOP incumbents this cycle.

Leaders of the Tea Party Patriots quickly chimed in on Twitter.

So how much did their groups spend to help Brat win?

Zero.

Of the measly $4,805 in political expenditures against Cantor reported to the Federal Election Commission, none came from the big national tea party groups, according to data compiled by the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation. The bulk was spent by a newly formed super PAC called We Deserve Better PAC on an online ad that attacked Cantor as pro-amnesty.

[mazda77]

With Brat being outspent 50:1, this is again a clear message that it is convictions, standing by them and forging ahead on them. As Rush would say for years that Conservatism works every time it is tried. He was criticized for missing two forums because his first commitment was to his students and their finals. I would hope this was one of the main reasons that people voted for him because they saw he would fulfill a commitment before his own self-aggrandizement.

If one or two of the people in SC would have recognized, or not been paid off not to, that this is the way to beat them, then we would have seen the end or at least a runoff there as well. How many of the top two runner us got money from FW, TPP or TPE. I am going to find out.

To his credit, he did not go onto the stage and try to tear apart the GOPe but instead stuck his foot in that doorway to ask for some unity to win the general. Karl Rove I’m sure is going to tell everyone that it was the Democrat voters crossing the line to oust a leader. If they did, they jut voted for an even greater one.

[Shery]

I consider myself a tea party voter, but I quit giving them money, as well. They were calling for backing of candidates that I thought were too weak...several of them, in fact. We need to vet these so-called “tea party” candidates better. Everybody who runs against a GOP-e candidate is NOT necessarily a real conservative. Sometimes they are one issue only candidates and they get a lot of support, but as they talk about other issues, the public feels something is wrong. These days there should not be so many frauds posing as conservatives out there, but they are a dime a dozen, apparently. They pop up everywhere and get touted by this tea party group or that. I got (tea party) emails that said to vote for Perdue in GA, BEFORE the primary! I considered Perdue as the last possibility I’d vote for, and ONLY should everyone else drop out. What is wrong with people? I know many thought Perdue had the name recognition, but after looking at his opinions and his father’s record, there was no way I could vote for him! We’ve got to do better!

[Impy]

Wait, “spending huge sums on fundraising”, that doesn’t make much sense. It’s costing them money to raise money? ;d

[JimRed]

How many of the national Tea Party groups are morphing into what the RATs and Pubs have become? You know the drill; get elected, then fight like hell to hold on to “power”.

TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!

[TBP]

Local Tea Partiers supported him enthusiastically, but the national Tea Party movement didn’t do anything for him.

I love how the media is using the meme (now that Brat won) that he isn’t really a Tea party guy. (They said the same thing about Ben Sasse —after he won.)

[Graewoulf]

Here is a “third” TEA Party Platform:

* Close and seal the Southern US Border, all 2,000 + miles of it.

* Cancel NAFTA.

* Abolish all Federal, State and Local Welfare payments to non-citizens of the USA.

* Block all money transfers to Mexico, or other any Country South of our Southern Border.

* Have lunch.

* After lunch, pass and sign Federal Penalty law to anyone who hires an Illegal Alien Invader, with a fine of $1,000 per day per alien.

* String Concertina Wire Holding-Pen Stockades at 100 mile intervals for the newly captured gotta-ways.

* Be as hostile to Mexicans as the Mexicans have been to the US Marine held and tortured in Prison by the Mexican Guards for the last two months.

* Hire Greyhound Bus Company to transport Illegal Alien Invaders to Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Chain Link Desert Spa near Phoenix, Arizona.

* Have supper.

[GOPJ]

As much as the Washington Post and assorted liberals 'feel' the only thing that matters in politics is money - they're wrong.

The Tea Party offers a strong ideological base. We back people with our votes, faith, and beliefs. The other magic the Tea Party offers is we provide conservative cover. Candidates who would have looked ‘too conservative’ a few years ago, now look mainstream. It's because we've moved the goalposts.

So don't buy into this yldstrk... what we give is worth much more than money.

[Pietro]

"Why is it so hard to just have ONE official tea party group to coordinate things nationally?"

Because it would be immediately corrupted and compromised by big $$$.

It's better that the small independent groups work under the radar, it makes them harder to squash.

And added advantage is that they drive the power elites in DC absolutely nuts!!!!

[103198]

You nailed it. The local Tea Parties drove this election - and won it. At least seven of them went all out. Not with money, but with door-to-door, phone calls, and emails.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Wait, “spending huge sums on fundraising”, that doesn’t make much sense. It’s costing them money to raise money? ;d”

How about those fancy fundraising dinners with open bar and entertainment?

Maybe a $300 dinner raises $400 ($100 net)

Recall it was a Romney fundraising dinner where a waiter put a recorder on a table to catch Romney's 47% comments.

Makes me think of United Way.