Posted on 06/11/2014 1:15:13 PM PDT by kingattax
Radio talk show host and Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham called out national tea party groups for allegedly “not helping” David Brat, the college professor who derailed U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s congressional career in the Republican primary for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.
Brat has been reported as a “tea party-backed candidate” but Ingraham disagrees with giving credit to the national tea party groups for his victory Tuesday night.
“People say this is a big tea party victory. So people understand this — the national Tea Party Network, Tea Party Patriots, Freedom Works — I don’t believe any of these organizations did anything for Dave Brat. Dave Brat couldn’t get Jenny Beth Martin, who is the head of the Tea Party Patriots, the largest tea party organization in the country — he couldn’t get her on the phone, much to my consternation,” Ingraham told Fox News Channel Tuesday night.
The radio host continued: “The national tea party groups were not helping at all. There were little pockets in Virginia but no national presence.”
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
“Jenny Beth Martin” and “Amy Kremer” are ABSOLUTLY WORTHLESS!
you’re not the only one who thinks that.
PING
Once again the media misreports
The Tea Party many have not provided dollars, they only provided votes.
I bet Tea Party individuals did.
Reorganization is key. These national orgs have the same problem as a centralized government. We need a coalition of local orgs with a very loose national structure to coordinate and share best practices...maybe coordinate on technology and education. The idea of a single person or small national team being the ‘face’ of the tea party has failed.
I remember Tea Party express coming out in favor of immigration reform as wanted by the GOPe. They are clearly a GOP operation trying to capitalize on TEA as a movement.
EVERYBODY misses the whole point. It isn’t Tea Party. It’s tea party as in grass roots activism. People who turned out to vote for Brat expect change from the status quo. So what if a national group with Tea Party in its’ name didn’t become involved. The people in Virgina didn’t need to be told what to do. They knew what to do and they did it.
And no getting rich off the tea party!
The point Ingraham, Brat, and others make is that the “Tea Party” organizations didn’t do anything for Brat. It’s true that regular citizen voters who may be sympathetic to the so-called “Tea Party” movement voted for him but not based on anything those organizations did. This one should be chalked up as a victory for conservative talk radio, Ingraham and Levin in particular.
these national umbrella groups are not the “tea party.”
>> “I remember Tea Party express coming out in favor of immigration reform as wanted by the GOPe.” <<
.
Tea Party express has absolutely nothing to do with the TEA Party movement.
It is a brazen attempt by the GOPe to capitalize on the name recognition for diverting funds.
Constitutional conservative....you’re time has come. Yes! I’ve already stated this twice today on FR, but I started seeing through the TP as well, quit giving to them, and now give directly to the candidates! I got all kinds of emails this morning stating that the tea party had won another round, but I knew better this time. Come to think of it, one has to wonder if Bevin and others might have done better than the TP actually did for them. I got tired of being harassed in phone calls, and I told them that there were candidates that did not meet MY idea of a conservative, let alone a TP candidate, so I would be giving directly to the candidates from now on. It’s time for a correction in the ranks. This is about wining seats with conservatives, not filling TP coffers and paying out huge salaries. There have been some really good grassroots campaigns over the years, where the winner spent a LOT less than the average. I like grassroots campaigns where the candidate actually takes the time to interact with voters, get to know them, listen to them, etc. Some just want the “air” time. Don’t want to shake people’s hands? Listen to their gripes? I’m really happy for Brat and I think he has a good thing going. I pray that Cantor doesn’t do the “write-in” thing.
Not quite true. If you listen to Brat himself he gives credit for his win to the TEA party people who helped him. They were local not national. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath. The TEA Party (local organizations) and its people are fantastic grassroots. The national tea party is for the most part a money stealing joke.
Levin and Ingraham helped but they did not knock on doors or get people out of their houses to vote, the local TEA party people did.
great post !
youre right on the money (PUN), and these so-called national "tea party" groups have been sucking up cash that seems to be mostly benefitting their 'leaders'.
nathanbedford wrote about this last night and this is something that more people believe needs to be examined and discussed.
a lot of folks seem to be confused about an important fact.
there is no such thing as THE “national tea party”.
‘tea party’ is an umbrella term used for hundreds of local grassroots conservative groups.
as has been pointed out in this thread, there are several organizations which call themselves “tea party” that do fundraising on a national basis. whether they do anything other than raise money or any activity that can be called politically effective is certainly open for debate.
CANTORCIDE......a disease that strikes down those who think they have no competition.
call it “cantoritis” and i’m with you :)
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