Ron Paul Wins Over the Tea Party Movement: Why Incumbents Should Worry

US News & World Report ^ | February 22, 2010 | Mary Kate Cary

[presidio9]

Over the weekend, Ron Paul won the CPAC straw poll for president. Many pundits immediately dismissed the win, for a lot of reasons. (The Atlantic did a roundup of all the "he's irrelevant" comments.) My take on Ron Paul is this: He says a lot of off-the-wall stuff, but his bottom line is that he's a limited-government libertarian. And he's not Mitt Romney, the establishment GOP choice. I think that's why he won.

Joe Scarborough likes to say that if you look at where Ross Perot did well in 1992, those are the same places that tea party candidates are doing well. That may be, but I think there's some overlap between Ron Paul supporters and the tea partiers, at least some of the younger ones. Ross Perot has a website, PerotCharts, that illustrates the government's fiscal responsibility; but Ron Paul supporters have an interactive site for those who want to meet up at campaign rallies (with over 100,000 people either already members or interested), and according to the timeline posted, it looks like many of them have joined in the last two years.

I came across a bit of a tea party manifesto, if you want to call it that, in Politics Daily on Sunday: "A Grassroots View of the Tea Party," written by Roy Nix, a golf pro in Florida. Here's how he describes the average tea partier:

"They don't dream of power, and they don't dream of telling their neighbors how to worship, how to spend their money, what kind of car to buy, what kind of food to eat and how to save the environment. They expect their neighbors to decide all of those things for their own families.

"They don't want big government, they don't want socialistic policies and they don't want to spend more money for things they don't need. They don't see Washington as Robin Hood, robbing the rich to help the poor, but as the Sheriff of Nottingham--taking their tax money and giving it to big business while we starve.

"They don't want to have to march in the streets, and they don't want to be 'activists' in politics because they have lives to live.

"They don't hate immigrants, but they don't like lawbreakers who come here illegally. They don't mind helping people, but they are out of money and want to help those closest to home first until their bills are paid off ...

"These lawmakers have forgotten what 'representative' means, and they end up in Washington doing what their party tells them to do, rather than what their constituents tell them to do ... And that's what's motivating so many who've joined the Tea Party movement."

Nix hits the nail on the head, in terms of the anti-Nanny State, limited government message of the tea partiers, and how all incumbents, not just Democrats, are at risk: "The Tea Party is sending a genuine grass-roots message to both Democrats and Republicans. And they'd better listen up and learn fast," he concludes. A New York Times/CBS poll from earlier this month supports this: Only 8 percent of respondents think that most incumbent members of Congress deserve to be re-elected; a whopping 81 percent said it's time to "give new people a chance." That's putting it nicely--I think if the election were held today, it would be a tidal wave against incumbents.

[presidio9]

I initially didn't give this "story" a moment's notice. But after Bathtub Boy spent 10 minutes of tonight's 45 minute broadcast (with commercial breaks) and even invited "expert" opinion from a Politico guest, I felt the need to set the record straight. It is common knowledge that CPAC has become infested with Liberaltarians in recent years. Last week several prominent conservatives (including Mark Levin and Laura Ingraham made that observation last week). Liberaltarians and Conservatives share some common ground (as Conservatives do with all Republicans), but the two political philosophies are diametrically opposed on several key issues, including the right to life, military spending, and drug legalization. In short, liberaltarians have no business at CPAC, just as they have no business on FR, but they show up anyway. I have given up suggesting to liberaltarians that they get their own website, but I fail to see the point in them infecting a conference designed to let Conservatives network with other conservatives. I get the idea that liberaltarians need to go wherever the media will hear them, but the end result with things like CPAC is that Conservatives will eventually fail to justify the expense of attending. Essentially liberaltarian stunts like this will eventually kill CPAC.

That being said, here are the facts on that straw poll: 20% of attendees voted. Ron Paul is famous for his netroots support. It becomes fairly obvious that his supporters orchestrated some sort of twitter campaign to rig the poll. So he became a "Conservative" front-runner in the clown car media, which is even sillier. Even he doesn't pretend to be a Conservative any more. The only time the word appears on his web page is in a press clipping about this poll. He's being coy about running again. If he runs, 100% of the votes he gets will be taken from the Republican challenger. So the net result will be that he helps Barak Obama get re-elected. The stupidity is infuriating.

[big'ol_freeper]

Ron Paul wins over Tea Party Movement

[Nervous Tick]

>> It is common knowledge that CPAC has become infested with Liberaltarians in recent years.

I reckon that explains the Fruit Fly infestation at this year’s CPAC.

The ElRonTologists have always been good at packing polls and campaign events. Unfortunately for them, the electorate hasn’t quite caught up.

[cripplecreek]

Actually no, but that won’t stop the lamestream media from saying it.

[arealconservativeforachange]

The author of the article is on crack.

RP won over Tea Party?
Not this tea partier!

[Candor7]

CPAC dpoesn;t turn anyone away who wants to be there. Ron Paul bused in all his supporters to overwhenlm the straw vote, and niw poses as a front runner? Thats an Obama like trick.

I always said Paul is a closet fascist. He's not much better than Obama IMHO.His policies would be just as totalitarian as Obamas.

[paltz]

CPAC STRAW poll:

Mitt Romney won it last three CPAC's

John McCain did not

John McCain was never a CPAC favorite but he made it to the general not Romney.

[freekitty]

Who are they kidding?

[Jmouse007]

Ron Paul is a NUT, no he is a BIG NUT!

[GeronL]

Ron Paul has no such thing. please.

[familyop]

Political Madness.

Ron Paul wins CPAC straw poll
Fox News ^

Ron Paul 31%

Mitt Romney 22%

Sarah Palin 7%

Tim Pawlenty 6%

[Kartographer]

"Ron Paul is a shitbag assclown that will never get elected president. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool."

You are right but then look who we have for President now.

[JaguarXKE]

Ron Paul wins over the Tea Party movement? That makes as much sense as a football bat!

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

The HELL he HAS!!!!!

[Grunthor]

“Ron Paul Wins Over the Tea Party Movement: Why Incumbents Should Worry”

They should worry because Paul and others like him might get 2% in their respective primaries rather than their usual 1%.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

How can anybody trust libertarians when their favorite
“son” loads up legislation that he knows will pass and
gives the pork while giggling “I voted against it.”?

***

Shrimp boats Is Acomin
Their Sails are in sight.
Shrimp Boats is acomin
there will be dancing tonight.

** Ron Paul version.

Shrimp Boats is acomin
Their pork is in sight.
Shrimp Boats is acomin
They will be drugged up tonight.

[Revolting cat!]

Is he Ron or is he Paul?

[1rudeboy]

Karl Rove made an interesting point on WLS-AM this morning: CPAC should drop its straw poll altogether, when out of 10000 attendees, 2000 vote for Ron Paul and call it a victory.

[Drango]

Losertarians monkey wrenching the process and peeling off a flank of the GOP. Has are wRONg Paul’s results any different than the left’s Dennis Kucinich or Ralph Nader?