By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Recent political events can’t be pleasing for the Tea Party. The rise of the “moderate ” Mitt Romney coupled with the S.S. Gingrich running aground everywhere but South Carolina has forced many in the ostensibly “grass roots” movement to question their viability. The soul-searching has caused as least one prominent leader to declare the movement kaput. Ohio Liberty Council co-founder Chris Littleton said, “The tea party is dead. It’s gone.”
This dire observation seems prompted by the lack of any enthusiasm for the Republican slate of Presidential candidates (Perish the thought that this “nonpartisan” group might consider a Democratic candidate). Says Littleton, “I think largely the Tea Party is irrelevant in the primaries. They aren’t passionate about any of the candidates, and if they are passionate, they’re for Ron Paul.” Damning praise indeed from an expert in the field.
But what about Tea Party darling, Rick Santorum, now that Gingrich has faded? The former Pennsylvania Senator, who during office resided in Virginia, did make some surprising noise in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. However as they say on that most Republican of boulevards, Wall Street, the “fundamentals” are against him. Santorum trails well behind Romney in fund raising and his infrastructure has the feel of the Afghan highway system. Santorum promises an aggressive attack in Michigan where Romney’s father was governor, but polls show him dead last in the four horse race.
That said, what’s a right-wing anti-government type to do? Well look to the future for one thing: “When the (Republican) candidate is selected, I think ‘anybody but Obama’ will have nationwide support from groups like us,” Dayton Tea Party President Don Birdsall said. But that presumes the Tea Party will show up at the polls despite its admitted lack of enthusiasm. The next time they do that will be the first time it’s been done.
Groups that are agin’ things tend to peter out rather quickly. Think Ross Perot. The Tea Party claimed some headway (though how much is debatable) in 2010 when it pointed to victories in the mid-term elections of Marc Rubio and Rand Paul and the Republicans took over the House. But has anybody heard from these two since their matriculation to Capitol Hill? How about legislation cutting taxes or cutting government? Lots of talk about it, but most of the meaningful legislation passed is Obama proposed law. Groups with staying power tend to be “for” something and not just agin’ something else.
The Tea Party suffered from a lack of a charismatic spokesperson and any real traction in the political middle where staying power is built. Oh, there were pretenders to the throne. Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and several others had plenty of rhetoric but no real intellectual gravitas to throw the disgruntled right on their back and carry them to the White House. Most are still trying to pick up the standard, but being out of the Presidential Race in 2012 doesn’t help. At best, they are left to cheerlead from the sidelines or offer timid advice like this stuff from Sarah Palin: Romney has work to do to convince GOP voters he’s moved beyond his “pretty moderate past … even in some cases a liberal past. I am not convinced, and I do not think the majority of GOP and independent voters are convinced.” Not exactly “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead,” is it?
The Party does claim success in shaping the Republican campaign issues, but are cutting taxes, less government, run-away capitalism, and the Second Amendment really anything new in Republican circles? More importantly will they be front and center in a Romney White House? History says emphatically “no,” and that’s what has the Tea Partiers hopping mad and likely to take their six-packs and stay home this Fall.
There still a chance the movement could rally around a Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, or Sen. Rand Paul, but none have the national stature to get traction before November. All in all the Tea Party seems fated to be just another passing fancy littering the political landscape.
Anyone remember the Whigs?
Source: Daily Beast; Detroit Dailey News; and USA Today.
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The polling data at the link provided is all polling before the Feb 7th votes. Every poll done since then has shown Santorum closing the gap with Romney.
the enthusiasm may not be there but the money that brought them together is.
get ready for “tea party two” the sequel.
OS
hope it wasn’t the kind with extra pulp
Professor have you heard that Oprah is going to interview hassidim? Specifically Messianic Lubavitch hassidim,I see a totally bizarre and uninformative series coming up.
Here’s the Michigan polling I mentioned:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/mi/michigan_republican_presidential_primary-1589.html
Izzy, The progressives aren’t hiding- we are simply being ignored by the DNC, as usual. The TB’s are likewise being ignored by the RNC and only an RNC blessed candidate will be on the ticket in November no matter what the polls say or the far. far, right wants.
OS and junctionshamus,
Grossed-out!
OS – I’ll see you that OJ, and raise you a grape Nehi; it’s like purple steaming dragon snot.
Mike S., Frankly and Tony (or is it Victor T de Almeida? same post, close in time, two names) had it right. The Tea Party as a movement died out because it was always a front group, the usual very wealthy GOP/conservative suspects whipping up fear. The movement accomplished its goals, however — let us not forget that. The political debate in this country lurched to the right, the GOP took over the House, is within striking distance of the Senate, and has a enough of a critical mass of support on Capitol Hill to frustrate Obama’s political agenda. By any standards the Tea Party was a successful political movement — outrage translated into action (more precisely, perhaps — inaction). Of course, one reason that people might be keeping the Tea Party at arm’s length now is that the approval rating for Congress since the Tea Party sent its members there is 10%.
Two corrections to what Mark wrote — first, Santorum is not fourth in recent Michigan polls, he is neck and neck: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/02/10/santorum_surge_seen_in_michigan.html
And I don’t know what political news Mark reads, but I see frequent mentions of Rand Paul and, especially, Marco Rubio, who will likely be the GOP VP selection. Additionally, Mike Lee, the Tea Party Senator from Utah, has been very effective — if you like what he stands for.
So while the Tea Party groups on the ground may be wistful and unfocussed, that is because they were always a faux-movement, an army that served its purpose, and whose soldiers are now cast to the winds. All of the money that went into underwriting the Tea Party now flows into Super PACs and the like.
Mark,
This is something that I head today….That most of the folks that voted for the “Tea Party: are having buyers remorse….I listened to Sister Sarah’s speech on the radio and was like…..WT hell…people are still buying this stuff….well….I suppose there are ideological idiots in everything that goes on….or else we’d all be communist….We do at least have the appearance of a two party system….even if the are called RINO’s…..Republican In Name Only….
Heh! Lizzie made a neologism: “Discecting it all.”
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Made me snort my orange juice–you have any idea how badly orange juice up the nose burns? I am making a note of that fabulized combination. It fits their movement so well. Can’t spell, have no idea of the meaning of words and just make up stuff.
You seem to be lost. Here’s your sign:
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt256/otteraylens/MoranRd.jpg
Grassroots? Or more like AstroTurfing. The tea party had three national-level conservative groups, all with slightly different agendas, guiding it. Freedom Works, dontGO, and Americans for Prosperity. All are quick to tell you that the movement is a bottom-up affair and that its grassroots cred is real. All three groups vehemently deny that the movement is a product of AstroTurfing–fake grassroots activism organized from the top down.
Grassroots? Or more like AstroTurfing. The tea party has three national-level conservative groups, all with slightly different agendas, guiding it. Freedom Works, dontGO, and Americans for Prosperity. All are quick to tell you that the movement is a bottom-up affair and that its grassroots cred is real. All three groups vehemently deny that the movement is a product of AstroTurfing–fake grassroots activism organized from the top down.
I needed a good chuckle.
WE so called, Tea Baggers are all here and not going anywheres. Just like the Progressives…..we hide in the Both Parties as well. We are just sitting back and looking at each canidate with a magnifying glass. Discecting it all. Right after the RNC meet this fall………..watch out.
Lizzie,
Congratulations I hadn’t realized that one could create an oxymoron out of an entire paragraph. Well Done!
I think the Republican Party as a whole has moved farther
to the right probably since the days of Ronald Reagan. Gone are the days of grand coalitions between Democrats
and moderate Republicans that used to dominate the passage of important legislation. This has been a great
detriment and stumbling block to the legislative process.
And it is this divide that the Tea Party immersed themselves in. Instead of bringing unity of purpose, they have brought discord. We can agree that they may be
waning as a seperate movement but the ideology they grabbed hold of is on the upswing. They have exposed the
true nature of current day Republican Party politics.
One can argue that there is no such thing as a moderate
Republican any more. Democrats on the other hand are
admonished or praised depending on your point of view of
having a big tent that welcomes many different points of view. Even some Democrats say that this can be a problem
when it comes to advancing legislation. I think it was
FDR who was said to have remarked that there are many
ways of moving forward but only one way of standing still.
Mark,
Good article. My suspicion has been the Tea Party was like the “Swiftboaters” dredged up by Right Wing money they were just dupes with strange political outlooks and short on facts. After a while they went too far in their empowered craziness and their creators began to lose control and had to shut them down before they got to far out to get anyone elected.
The thing was a joke, a short-term tactic by Koch/Murdoch to convince the moran brigade that they needed to vote Republican when there was no good reason for them to. A little manufactured outrage to make sure that the 27% continued to vote against their own interests.
It was never intended to be a long-term player and only a few deluded souls thought it would be.
Oh hell, they’ll be back with a brand new grassroots movement, name … and hats. After all, the Roman Catholic Bishops are too exposed and will demand cover.
Well done Mark. I agree that the Tea Party has come and gone and the country is no better off for its racist efforts.
The Pee Party in my county is having its second annual get together at the boat ramp this weekend. Last year I won distance competition and some County Commissioner won the fill the barrel contest. This year they are having a special dog division and I am entered again for Distance and Write Your Name in the Snow events. We are not much into politics this year and will not be getting involved in the get out the vote campaign. Too many of our members can not pass the literacy test required in this State.