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Posted by Barton Lorimor
I have to run to class in the next few minutes and will be there most of the afternoon. In my absence, I thought you might want to discuss this…
Is the tea party the new Republican Party?
The grass-roots network of fed-up conservative-libertarian voters displayed its power in its biggest triumph of the election year: the toppling of Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska’s GOP primary. Political novice Joe Miller is the fifth tea party insurgent to win a GOP Senate nominating contest, an upset that few, if any, saw coming.
With the stunning outcome, the fledgling tea party coalition and voters who identify with its anti-tax, anti-spending sentiments proved that democracy is alive and well — within the Republican Party. Don’t like who is representing you? Rise up, fire them and choose someone new.
The tea party has taken hold in the Grand Old Party, unseating lawmakers, capturing nominations for open seats and forcing Republicans to recalibrate both their campaign strategy and issues agenda. Out is talk of delivering federal dollars back home; in is talk of fiscal discipline.
Have fun. Please don’t forget what I said yesterday about the banishment hammer….
…Adding…
I might be able to get to my e-mail in between classes today if you need to get a hold of me:
barton.lorimor@gmail.com
twitter.com/bartonlorimor
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:04 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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Let’s hope not. They are crazy here in the westen ‘burbs. GOP needs a Reagan-type of leader, conservitive but not a religious right-winger.
Comment by In the 'ville Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:20 am
I think that when a party is out of ideas and fractured beyond repair, it looks for any port in the storm, and this applied to both major parties.
In this case, the republican party is so desperate not to be crushed by the most active faction of their party, the religious conservatives, they lay down with the first organized anti government, anti-tax, anti-Obama group to come along. It’s a relationship that won’t end well
Comment by Knome Sane Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:25 am
The tea party seems to be 25 different causes under 1 banner.
Like the anti-war rallies or the G* protestors ahd a littl ebit of every leftist group, this is similar.
Once people realize that a (stereotypical) tea party candidate will not win in a moderate state, they will disappear. The TP were always vocal in IL, they just used to go under the name of Jack Roesser and his groups.
Comment by Wumpus Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:31 am
Nixon said to run to the right in the primaries and run to the center in the general. The right wingers and other assorted baggies are forcing the GOP to stay way too far to the right as November approaches. This might be OK in some right-wing strongholds but overall, it could be dangerous to the GOP. Now, if some of the baggies do get elected, the Dems should just sit back and watch the two conservative factions try to govern - all the talk of ” real conservative values,” “the lamestream media” and “original intent,” etc. will be truly wacky. I think if that is the case, 2012 will be very good for the Dems.
Comment by Deep South Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:33 am
No, the Tea Party does not = GOP any more than MoveOn.org or Daily Kos = the Democratic Party. In each case, the “movement” tries to move the Party in a more ideologically “pure” direction, and the Party walks a fine line in energizing/tapping in to this base without being consumed by it. Aside from the possibility of good-ol’ media bais, I suspect the reason we never saw stories like this about MoveOn and the Dems is that, frankly, the Tea Party is a far more successful movement.
Comment by grand old partisan Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:41 am
Tea Partiers are too incoherent to be a party, but they sure are causing a ruckus in the GOP.
They’re driving the rhetoric of the party to the fringes, but you know old borrow-and-spend pork barellers like McConnell and Boehner wish they would go away.
Bad economic times always drive a minority of the population a little nuts. There’s always a Father Coughlin or Glenn Beck who figures out how to make a buck off them. Once the economy gets going, they fade away.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:49 am
Republicans will have to take the good with the bad on this one. The Tea Party will be good for them this year…and disastrous for them in 2012.
Comment by Thoughts... Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:57 am
But to answer the question - no, they are not the long-term future of the GOP
Comment by Thoughts... Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 9:58 am
I’m a Democrat, and certain elements of the Tea Party appeal to me so I certainly hope they are not the new GOP.
Comment by Niles Township Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 10:12 am
I see the Tea Party more as a statement that government has been ineefective in addressing issues of concern to many Americans. They may be tied to the GOP for this election, but they could go in a totally different direction in 2012.
Comment by TruthSeeker Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 10:25 am
The Tea Party folks are not a typical top down organization like the traditional political parties are. There is no national organization, nor platform.
To label them as members of the religious right, or part of the social conservative movement may apply to some areas of the country, but not all. There is no way to put all these folks in one basket and claim they are homogenous in all parts of the country. That is why they do not fit the Republican or Democratic Party labels.
From where I sit, there is a great disappointment with the ruling class of the country regardless of which political hat they wear. The assertion that there is little difference between the two parties is made more and more often. The Tea Party movement appears to me a consolidated voice calling for no more business as usual.
Here in Illinois we have two governors, one from each party who have been convicted of felonies. They could not have done what they did without the complicity of their respective political parties. Illinois seems to practice the my felon is less bad than your felon philosophy.
Both parties have allowed the State budget to fall into ruin, not just because of today’s economy, but over a period of decades of pandering to a myriad of special interests.
So who do you ask to fix this problem? The red side or the blue? The Greens, Libertarians or other independents would not be able to govern with a recalcitrant legislature. These dysfunctional bodies don’t function with a Governor from their own party.
Will there be an adult among the candidates to fix the State’s problems? I don’t see one yet. As usual, the squishy middle will make the decision of who will win. The hard line my party or die contingent will remain loyal the the ’cause’ and the independents will make the choice. If nothing else the Tea Party activists will ask different questions than the party stalwarts and the media may be less partisan because of the new questions.
Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 10:42 am
I don’t think the majority of the Tea Party followers actually consider themselves to be Republicans (or anything else for that matter)but it just happens to be that they have values and political beliefs that happen to more closely align with the Republicans than with the Democrats.
Twenty or thirty years from now, neither the GOP nor the Democrats will be the political force that they once were. They will have gradually eroded into a much smaller degree of political significance from their former selves due to their straying from their original beliefs upon which each political party was founded. It is a little like the various unions of today. Once they were extremely powerful political and social forces back when they adhered to their union founder’s original values and beliefs. Today, they have gradually whithered away and shrank in importance to a fraction of their former selves. Misguided and self-serving leaders who have tried to justify their own existence have caused their “rank & file” to now question any and all directives from their union leadership. The rank & file who have been out of work for months will vote based on, “Am I better off now than I was 4 years ago?”. Yes, I also realize that “some” of the union leaders and “some” political party leaders are serving in their capacity for “the right reasons”. But for most of us out here, we have become very cynical as to their true motivation. Especially when we see how much they pay themselves and their families and friends while they weep their crocodile tears and say “I feel your pain”. Yeah, right. Time for a change and time to vote with your heart rather than based on “unearned” loyalty to “the team leaders”.
Comment by Cool Hand Luke Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 10:45 am
In some other, smaller states that’s probably true, like out west where there is a long tradition of more rebellion and anti-status quo. Tea party goes along with the pioneer spirit. In some places in the south maybe too to some degree.
But in Illinois the tea partiers are are largely just playing the patsies, helping re-install old GOP retreads from the old Republican patronage days. Lots of tea partiers are working hard to elect some of those retreads, meanwhile they’ll never see the benefits. Lots of these GOP candidates love the free help they get from tea partiers, but they don’t want to really be associated with them. Lots of users out there.
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 10:51 am
the libertarian roots of the intial tea party activists are at direct odds with the social agenda of the religious right without which the republicans can’t win a general election. it’s a fault line that can’t be solved, and the attempt by the republicans to make these factions welcome will cost them the middle in this election. i expect the democrats will easily maintain control of both houses and, although they’ll lose a few seats here and there, with all these teabaggers getting nominated, not get their clocks cleaned
Comment by corvax Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:06 am
The Tea Partiers have made a tactical mistake by placing themseleves under the GOP tent. Their core beliefs - smaller government, less spending, less taxes and leave us the heck alone - do not align in any way, shape or form with the national GOPs (who last time they were in charge GREW government, INCREASED spending, only significantly lowered taxes on the very rich - think Rushbo or Glenn Beck type of income - and spent a lot of time focusing attention on what people do in the privacy of their own homes while carrying on in public bathrooms).
Comment by Bluefish Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:07 am
The Tea Party movement is a popular response to the unresponsiveness of both major parties, but there is an important distinction. If GOP elected officials were actually working to advance the GOP platform, there would be no Tea Party.
The Tea Party criticizes Republicans when they fail to uphold their own platform, but criticizes Democrats when they do uphold theirs.
Comment by Paul, Just This Guy, You Know? Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:10 am
I hope that the tea party = the republican party, but that hasn’t happened, yet. If all republican nominees agreed with the tea party leaders, this would be a better country.
Comment by Conservative Veteran Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:16 am
The Tea Party (or any group of voters for that matter) have only one power to make their dissatisfaction know… to vote out incumbents. Right now, that benefits Republicans with some exceptions (for instance, many but not all Tea Parties will not vote for Mark Kirk).
But I find it humorous how everyone says they’ll be so disasterous for the GOP. Right now, the GOP leads 10 points on the generic congressional ballot. If that’s disaster, I’ll take a double-helping of apocalypse.
Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:16 am
Yeah just like move on is the Dem party.
Comment by Fed up Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:22 am
Is the Tea Party the new GOP? No, it’s the conservative Reagan Republicans taking back the party from these liberal RINO types that have dragged the party into the gutter. Going into the direction of the Dems was a very costly mistake that resulted in the current situation they’re in.
Comment by Segatari Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:23 am
I have no love for the tea party ideology, but liberals/Dems such as myself mock them at their own peril. “Tea Baggers”? David Letterman, who had to have an apology root-canaled out of him even after it was shown that notwithstanding a likely innocent mistake, he indeed had told a child rape joke about Willow Palin? Yeah, that’s productive. In the mid 1970’s there was a Saturday Night Live sketch that simply said “President Ronald Reagan - think about it.”
Yes, the Tea Party ideology can be incoherent (beyond “I hate anything that radical Obama does,” ignoring how un-radical Obama truly is). But broadly speaking, it is the libertarian strain of conservatism. Social causes really don’t play a huge role — even the California gay marriage decision only received muted criticism and mostly on the grounds of judicial overreaching and support of the state referrendum results, implicitly saying the voters could swing 4 percentage points in the future and that’d be that. The movement is not bat-crap crazy.
Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:24 am
>The Tea Partiers have made a tactical mistake by placing themseleves under the GOP tent.
Uhhh…no. It’s only a mistake TO YOU because you wanted them to form a third party in order to split the votes between this party and the GOP nom in the general so another liberal Democrat can get elected with far less than 50% of the vote. Nice try.
Comment by Segatari Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:25 am
The leader of the tea party is Barack Obama. The more exposure and the more Barack Obama achieves in his own plan, the stronger the tea party becomes.
I had not even heard of Joe Miller until a month ago. 30 days later he knocks off an incumbent party name to Alaska what Madigan is to Illinois.
Just like it took the Deaniacs some time to swarm over the DNC after the 2004 defeat. The same pattern will follow for any so called tea partiers with the GOP after the 2008 election.
Comment by Brennan Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:31 am
Don’t see how the Tea Party is either Republican or Democrat. I see it as more an independent organization with many common themes and under a general banner.
In fact, if I were Republican incumbents or any incumbent for that matter, I would be concerned. I believe the general mindset is that ‘we the people’ have trusted the folks at the various state houses and those in DC far too long. Greed has taken charge and that desparately needs correcting.
I do not belong to the Tea Party movement but I do like a lot for which they stand. In particular smaller and more accountable government. I would also like to see lobbying and perks for our elected officials seriously curtailed.
I feel like we are at the bottom of a two-holer looking up and I sure don’t like what I see. If it takes an organization like the Tea Party to straighten things out, good for us all.
Comment by Justice Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:50 am
I don’t think it’s possible to gauge their impact until the general. Tea Partiers have played a pretty impressive role in several primaries, but it remains to be seen how that translates to November.
Comment by And I Approved This Message Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 11:57 am
Some of the commentary here could probably be easily superimposed on Revolution war commentary between the Loyalists and people like Sam Adams.Names change,the story doesn’t.
Comment by jack the dog Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:04 pm
Democratic opinion makers and media sure seem to spend a lot more time talking about tea party people, and wondering about tea party people, and trying to pigeonhole tea party people than most Republicans, Independents, or even tea party people themselves do. Most citizens, though, seem to have no problem understanding that their neighbors in the local tea party groups are merely part of a small, energized but peaceful movement of engaged and well educated Americans who favor less/smaller government (not no government) and favor much more fiscal restraint–who are working to try to help BOTH parties listen better and think things through more with regard to America’s future. Why this concept seems to baffle or scare Democrats is beyond me.
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:04 pm
No. The Tea Party is the new John Birch Society. Many have wondered for some time what it is, other than anger, that unites various viewpoints in the Tea Party. Finally it begins to come out: they’re all dupes.
Comment by Excessively Rabid Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:11 pm
even if the tea party was “the new Republican party,” i’d have to wonder how far that would extend into illinois. this state was immune to the reagan revolution (and i always wonder if illinois republicans actually acknowledge him as president), seems (mostly) the have missed the conservative movement’s innovative tactics and organization so you’d have to question whether they’d be influenced by the tea party activists.
as someone who’s been involved with both parties, going back over decades, i understand that both sides have withstood purification rituals, which the tea party seems to be like. what i don’t know, which is why i can’t really answer the question, is whether the tea party represents a new *force,* one that will continue to influence gop internal politics for decades, or just a temporary phenomenon. the age of celebrity culture and politics is just dawning, and we don’t really know yet what that really means…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:22 pm
The Contract from America
Thought this might be helpful in the discussion. This is the Tea Party’s philosophical basis.
The Contract from America
We, the citizens of the United States of America, call upon those seeking to represent us in public office to sign the Contract from America and by doing so commit to support each of its agenda items and advocate on behalf of individual liberty, limited government, and economic freedom.
1. Protect the Constitution
2. Reject Cap & Trade
3. Demand a Balanced Budget
4. Enact Fundamental Tax Reform
5. Restore Fiscal Responsibility & Constitutionally Limited Government
6. End Runaway Government Spending
7. Defund, Repeal, & Replace Government-run Health Care
8. Pass an ‘All-of-the-Above” Energy Policy
9. Stop the Pork
10. Stop the Tax Hikes
Comment by Truth Seeker Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:22 pm
If the tea partiers focus on efficient government spending and engage in constructive policy-making, I think they will have a shot at expanding their influence within both parties. If they allow themselves to be manipulated by jingoistic media personalities, corporate cash and culture warriors, they will splinter into competing political forces within the GOP.
Comment by Going nuclear Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:30 pm
The tea party is simply a group that is holding elected officials’ feet to the fire. Many of the people ousted, defeated, or chased away (Murkowski, Bennett, Greyson, Spectar, Crist, etc) were either guilty of political double-speak (Crist, obviousy, and Greyson to some degree) or blatantly ignored fiscal discipline (Murkowski, Bennett, Spectar). All the hate posts on this site, but few actual detail what makes the tea party so extreme. Actually being serious about staying within a budget? Being willing to sacrifice pork so the state and the country can get back on solid financial footing? Curbing federal power into thing like education if we feel they are better handled at a state and local level?
Quite frankly, I think Democrats should be jealous–if they were able to purge some of their multi-decade politicians in favor of principled leaders, they would be a much more impressive party. Think of Charlie Rangel and Murtha…people who never even attempted to hide that they were chasing pork money and personal interests over party values a good chunk of the time. They’ve had years now to push an economy-focused and people-centric agenda, and instead passed a stimulus bill chock full of goodies for their powerful supporters (yes, R’s do the same crap, I know…) and out-spend even the “evil” Bush by massive amounts.
Should I even start with the Democrats in IL? I was at one time a very disgruntled R, but even then there was no way I could turn to the Dem’s…they’ve run IL into the group. The tea party is purging the Bush-era R’s who never really cared about spending or fiscal discipline, and good riddance I say.
Btw, some of the IL candidates who have had some tea party support are actually quite solid: Hultgren is impressive here in my 14th, and Kizinger is a very solid candidate. Good work.
Comment by Liandro Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:41 pm
Tea Party is a lot like potato salad. Everybody has a different idea as to how it’s made.
The Tea Partiers are not monolithic, but the bottom line is that they will help with GOP enthusiasm. That translates into turnout.
Comment by LincolnLounger Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:48 pm
No. The dynamic of U.S. politics and governance is that, unfortunately, we don’t welcome in true small political parties in a manner that European democracies embrace tertiary parties. As such, the TEA Party gets lumped in with the GOP, Move-On gets lumped in with the Dems and every talking head on a national news program goes bat poop crazy when “discussing” D.C. talking points.
A lot of TEA Party faithful don’t want to compromise at any costs. In this manner, they are not much different than the fringe left wing of the Democratic Party in that nothing is ever good enough for them. Mark Kirk’s nomination is the prime example of the TEA Party folks feeling disgruntled in a state that is blue and has a long history of electing moderate Republicans.
The TEA Party obviously does make up a portion of the GOP base, but they are typically unorganized and many of them are so anti-incumbent that you cannot include them in the GOP’s tent as a reliable portion of our voting bloc or primary participants. I do, however, see various TEA Party organizations in some states as possible third parties as they are certainly different than libertarian groups and are certainly opposed to many moderate Republicans. Should this happen, TEA Party groups could take the role of a European-style third party and force the Republicans in a state legislature to comply with some of their demands. I don’t see that happening in Illinois, though.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 12:57 pm
In Illinois a lot of the tea partiers seem to be cutting their own throats. Most are blindly helping GOP candidates because they think that’s a way to hurt Obama. But in reality a lot of the old Republican candidates they are working to reinstall are as bad as any Democrat. They are just working to set the GOP back in the long run.
People like Topinka, Mark Kirk, Bill Brady and Dan Rutherford like the free boost they get, meanwhile they laugh in private at the gullibility of most Tea Party people.
Comment by too obvious Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 1:09 pm
Lazy question. That’s like asking does a Ford Taurus represent all Fords. It’s a faction with a lot of media play right now. Nothing more, nothing less. Does “Code Pink” or Moveon.org = Democrats?
Hurting the GOP? Hardly. It’s energizing their base, which is exactly what you want in any election.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 1:11 pm
With the exception of John Bambenek, I doubt very many people have attended a Tea Party. I helped organized the first Tea Parties across the US, and I have attended the first Chicago Tea Party, and several other events. I am also a card carrying member of the GOP.
I will tell you this, the Tea Party and the GOP are two completely different beasts.
I have yet to go to an event that was not completely secular in nature. They are not a religious organization in any way shape or form. They are concerned citizens who rightfully see their elected officials ignoring the will of the people. One of the posters above said that Obama is the face of the Tea Party. I agree, but would add Pelosi/Reid to the mix, and locally Pat Quinn ain’t a favorite. Do not read any more into the Tea Party than their concern for limited government, in both scope, size and cost.
As a whole, the Tea Party has little idea how to effectively turn their people and money into political action. That is the process you are now watching. It’s ugly and chaotic. It will take time for them to figure out the game.
I have been counseling that the Tea Party mobilize at an extremely local level. Worry about the dog catcher in town. He is the next Mayor or State Representative. They are starting to get it. If they evolve into a local political force, they will remain a potent force in upcoming elections as their candidates move up the ladder. And since most of their candidates will conform most closely to Republicans, the Tea Party can influence the GOP from the bottom up.
But what of the GOP? Right now, the rank and file elected officials in the GOP is wary of the Tea Party. The GOP is entrenched in the current power structure of the party, and these “outsiders” worry them. Slowly, some of the “younger” members of the party are starting to see the advantage of supporting the Tea Party movement (until some trust is built, I don’t think you will see the Tea Parties reaching out to the GOP, it will be the other way around).
The Tea Parties represent an AGENDA whose elements are currently supported by a majority of Americans. Look at polling for the past two years. You will see increasing numbers of Americans who support the individual elements of theTea Party agenda. You will see an increasing number of Americans who self-identify with the Tea Party and know someone who is in the Tea Party.
The Tea Party meets in bars and family restaurants, Elks halls and town squares. This is not the GOP. If I would compare the Tea Party to anything, I would compare them to the anti-war movement of the 60’s. Using grassroots tactics, the peaceniks took over the Democrats, leading to one of the most humiliating defeats of a Democrat presidential candidate in history.
The Tea Party can go down this path, too, if they are not careful. The difference is the peaceniks were a one-trick pony, and the Tea Party has a wide agenda covering all elements of government. I think they will pay a huge part in the primaries of 2012. I also predict Sarah Palin will not get the GOP nod because unlike the peaceniks, the Tea Party is much more pragmatic. Good for the GOP, and the rest of us.
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 1:23 pm
–Some of the commentary here could probably be easily superimposed on Revolution war commentary between the Loyalists and people like Sam Adams.Names change,the story doesn’t.–
I’m going to take a wild guess and interpret that to mean you think tea partiers are the Sam Adams’ of the world and all others are Loyalists.
While they might lack in any number of areas, they’re all full up on delusions of grandeur.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 1:26 pm
When the state capital plan was passed, I didn’t see Brady or other Republicans passing up member projects. They voted against raising the revenue, but Brady and Murphy voted to spend it, including in their districts.
The only one I know of who did forego member initiatives is a Democrat, Jack Franks.
Comment by Reformer Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 2:07 pm
You would think Debbie Halvorson would be a lock for re-election. It looks however like Adam Kinzinger is going to beat her in November, I read he had the backing of tea-party groups in Illinois.
Comment by Great Planes Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 2:08 pm
Can we say John Birch Society? Here today, gone tomorrow. Bye, Bye, Tea Party
Comment by Lady Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 2:14 pm
Barton - was my last comment “excessively rabid”?
Comment by Bluefish Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 2:52 pm
It contained language Rich does not allow.
Comment by Barton Lorimor Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 2:57 pm
===It contained language Rich does not allow.===
I think Barton meant to add “does not allow on his blog,” because anyone who’s met him knows Rich has a hard time speaking without employing several choice expletives, often in the same sentence.
Barton, thanks for keeping Capitol Fax up and running this week. Good work and greatly appreciated by those of us who aren’t off on vacation somewhere.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 3:03 pm
No, Great Planes, I wouldn’t think that Rep. Halvorson would be a lock for re-election. That district had a republican congressman for at least 10 years. The majority of the state senators, in that district, are Republicans.
Comment by Conservative Veteran Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 3:29 pm
@47th Ward
- anyone who’s met him knows Rich has a hard time speaking without employing several choice expletives -
Lolz. I thought of that right after I commented.
Comment by Barton Lorimor Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 4:02 pm
Barton, I think you’ve just stumbled upon tomorrow’s QOTD: “What’s the foulest thing you’ve ever heard come out of Rich Miller’s mouth?”
And, nice job keeping things running as Rich gets his R & R.
Comment by TwoFeetThick Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 4:20 pm
As great of a question that is, I couldn’t allow any of the responses to be posted, which is the problem that started this whole thing
Next time I’m in Springfield though, that’s definitely a question I’m asking Speaker Madigan.
Comment by Barton Lorimor Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 4:25 pm
Wow. A double-super-secret QOTD, where all postings must remain concealed. You’ve taken the blog to a whole new level.
Comment by TwoFeetThick Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 4:40 pm
I’m with the Tea Party. Have been for about a year. If anyone told me I’d be an activist at 50 I’d told them they were crazy. But then the government started making laws that force Americans to do something - health care - and no matter how feel good that is it isn’t right to make a law to force what should be a personal decision. That precedent can’t be allowed. When the head of GM was fired by the president it crossed another line. Since when does a government official have the right to take over a business? They don’t have that right. Then the bailouts, the stimulus both failures. Trillions of dollars that have not made a difference and are not forecast to make a difference. What a waste. I teamed up with the Tea Party because they were doing something about it. It isn’t about a political party. It isn’t about strategy to get their guy\gal in office. There are a lot of tea parties. There is no tea party platform like the 2 traditional parties. We don’t all agree and walk lockstep down the street. We don’t demand that each tea party member do that. We have common beliefs about freedom and the Constitution. That’s the glue. So call me a bagger, a racist, a fool, an idiot, stupid and even an insurgent (always makes me laugh) the bottom line is - I’m not 3, I can take it. I will not be silenced. I will not be railroaded. I will continue to work to unseat candidates and elect candidates depending on how they vote. I don’t need to have a fund raiser for a candidate. If i give money or my time it is my choice. Some tea parties do these things some don’t. All respect the individuals right to choose what they want to do. I think you need to wait till 2018 to see what impact the tea party has made. I consider it the mop up year for anyone we missed from the votes so far. So Barton, is the tea party the new GOP? Depends on the tea party and where they are located. BTW - we have a large number of democrats in most of the tea parties and again it depends on where it’s located. I think the days of 2 parties having the biggest voices are over. Voters have their own opinions as well they should. The difference is that now they aren’t sitting quietly at home, they are voicing them. The 2 parties would do well to heed them.
Comment by Belle Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 6:17 pm
Health care coverage is not just a personal decision, it is also a societal one. We all pay when people cannot get the care that they need.
And it isn’t without precedent: as a society, through our votes, we’ve allowed government to mandate things that might poke at one person’s sense of personal liberty, but that benefit the whole.
That the Tea Party drew the line at health care reform was happenstance — they did it because it was the Big Thing that Obama did.
If he had done something else, like tighten regulations around what goes into pet food, they’d be out there, waving dog and cat food bowls at cameras, deploring government interference in what they feed their pets. It is an excuse to be aggrieved, to be outraged.
Comment by Way South of the Border Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 7:00 pm
Well said Belle. I also consider myself a tea partier because I am sick and tired of the parties and the awful ways in which we are represented. Not sure where the parties find these candidates but there has to be a better way! Of course, I have rarely ever met a lawyer or a politican who I could trust or who I felt was bound to become corrupted by the system someday. There has to be a bettter way than the Madigan (Chicago) way- he has had way to much power in Ill for way too long…
Comment by tunes Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 7:39 pm
The Tea Party is a front for corporatists, and the people that gather under its banner are are the victims of marketing and propaganda. The New Yorker article lays it out pretty well
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer
What it will do for Illinois’ GOP is fragment it from within and render it impotent for another couple of election cycles, until all the crazy burns off. This is bad news, no matter what your party affiliation, because without healthy parties to compete against, the system breaks down more than it already has.
But the Tea party influence on the GOP is not at all healthy. They will polarize the party by demonizing the moderates and pandering to the ultra-far-right. The result will be candidates that can’t really win a general election against more reasonable-sounding moderates of the other party. And if they DO win, their positions are so extreme as to make it unlikely they can govern, since governing is all about compromise and collaboration, admitting that we all have some goals in common.
The secret of the tea party is, they don’t actually need to win anything. They exist as a market segment, not a political movement. They are an audience of ears and eyeballs delivered up to advertisers, and a blunt weapon for people like the Koch brothers to wield against whatever runs counter to their interests, nothing more.
Comment by Gregor Thursday, Sep 2, 10 @ 10:16 pm
Way south
That’s the problem every time the G did try to “Benefit the whole” it took a little more liberty from us until they thought that they could direct our lives! The nose under the tent thing. Obama just didn’t listen when America said NO. Just like immigration and the judge in California overturning 7 million voters. It’s called the constitution follow it and everything is fine you can change it if you want, there’s a process for that too. Sooner or later the American people were going to say enough! It took longer than some of us would like but the time has come.
Comment by conservative Friday, Sep 3, 10 @ 8:49 am
The Philistines have taken over the Republican Party and its primary election. Tea partiers gave us such undistinguished nominees as Walsh, Dold, Plummer, and Brady. This longtime GOper won’t vote for any of them.
Comment by privatesector Friday, Sep 3, 10 @ 9:56 am
>This longtime GOper won’t vote for any of them.
That’s because you’re a Democrat.
Comment by Segatari Friday, Sep 3, 10 @ 9:59 am