The tea party as a ‘hostile takeover’ of the GOP
Two tea-party promoters, Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe of Freedomworks, offer a “manifesto” for the movement in today’s Wall Street Journal. The bit that’s getting all the attention doesn’t come until the end:
[L]et us be clear about one thing: The tea party movement is not seeking a junior partnership with the Republican Party, but a hostile takeover of it.
The American values of individual freedom, fiscal responsibility and limited government bind the ranks of our movement. That makes the tea party better than a political party. It is a growing community that can sustain itself after November, ensuring a better means of holding a new generation of elected officials accountable.
So, it’s a hostile takeover of a political party, but it’s also better than a political party? I think I know what they are getting at: that they are part of a movement that will try to infiltrate the GOP and change it from within, rather than compete with, or take orders from, it. But it’s a little obtuse, as is the notion of setting out a manifesto for a group that, as they write within said manifesto, is not a top-down organization:
The many branches of the tea party movement have created a virtual marketplace for new ideas, effective innovations and creative tactics. Best practices come from the ground up, around kitchen tables, from Facebook friends, at weekly book clubs, or on Twitter feeds. This is beautiful chaos — or, as the Nobel Prize-winning economist F.A. Hayek put it, “spontaneous order.”
Decentralization, not top-down hierarchy, is the best way to maximize the contributions of people and their personal knowledge. Let the leaders be the activists who have the best knowledge of local personalities and issues. In the real world, this is common sense. In Washington, D.C., this is considered radical.
As I’ve said before, the tea party’s best chances for “sustain[ing] itself after November” lie in changing the way Americans engage with politics and politicians — for changing the framework for debate, not working within the old one. And it needs to be done locally before it can expect to have more than a fleeting impact nationally.
I don’t think Armey and Kibbe are wrong about their description of the tea party to date. But if they are right about its intention to remake the GOP nationally, I think the movement will end up using its energies in ways that don’t fulfill its potential.
P.S. — As a challenge to those who will come on here and disparage tea partiers, try to say something more original and insightful than accusing all or most of them of racism.
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310 comments Add your comment
Linda
August 17th, 2010
2:44 pm
CJ @ 1:25, The Contract of American is composed of fiscally conservative principles. Most conservatives vote Republican. The Tea Party is non-partisan.
The Tea Party & FreedomWorks are not one in the same. FreedomWorks is non-profit & the Tea Party is grassroots. FreedomWorks has helped sponsor some Tea Party activities (portable bathrooms, speakers, etc.) but the majority of Tea Parties have no money. Being a member of a Tea Party is free & there are no costs unless you eat or ride a bus.
FreedomWorks receives donations from conservative corporations & right-wing foundations such as liberal organizations receive donations from liberal-leaning corporations & liberal-wing foundations.
The rest of your post is speculative or non-applicable. The Tea Party did not vote for Bush since it didn’t exist until Obama was elected.
The Supreme Court has already ruled on giving corporations (& unions) rights under the constitution.
Horrible Horrace
August 17th, 2010
2:44 pm
Bruno…just lie about your employment situation. Most women will fall for it.
Horrible Horrace
August 17th, 2010
2:46 pm
“under-employeed?” Is that like not being paid what one is worth? ie a CSR being employed at Comcast who expects to make $50K?
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
2:53 pm
“The makeup is 89% white, 1% black. And I thought the GOP was the Big Tent Party!”
Here’s the DNC makeup. 100% retarded.
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
2:54 pm
“The disastrous legacy of the Reagan’s Failure, aka, the War on Drugs is two-fold. First millions of kids went to jail for smoking grass.”
Ah yes, the AJC resident retard has come over to give us her take on Reagan. Gotta hand it to Bedwet, she sure knows how to make us all laugh.
Matti
August 17th, 2010
2:55 pm
Horrible,
“Under-employed” could describe many situations, e.g., having one’s hours cut to part time, having one’s salary — but not hours — cut, having to take more than one part-time job after losing a job in the profession for which one was trained and formerly doing well, and as a result, working longer, for no benefits and a fraction of the pay. People are doing what they can to get by. Tough times for many.
No Longer Republican
August 17th, 2010
2:55 pm
CJ – AWESOME POST!!!!!!! Loved it! If the Tea Party were truly grass roots and interested in only making our country great and our freedoms real for EVERYONE, I might could identify. But I know about the scum who is heading this thing and they don’t give a damn about our country or the people in it. They are only out for themselves. I am truly a financial conservative, but I don’t believe the government should intrude into the personal lives of its citizens, more strongly than I want a loe deficit. Thus these days I have no choice but to side with Dems. Add to that fact you can’t trust or believe a damn thing that comes out of the mouth of a Republican or a Tea Partier and so there is no choice if you truly believe in freedom and honesty. Tea Parties and Republicans are driven by two things and two things only…power and money. They don’t give a damn about me and you so long as the elite ones have power and money. Nothing else matters and if you think it does you are sadly mistaken. Believe me, I;ve been there.
Richard
August 17th, 2010
2:55 pm
Actually Kyle, I don’t agree with that article at all. The tea party isn’t trying to takeover the GOP as much as the GOP is trying to takeover the tea party.
The way the Democrats and Republicans have manipulated campaign finance laws (the business world calls this “collusion”) to prevent third parties from emerging, the only possible outcome is for a new party to be integrated into an existing one. In this case you have a bunch of people who want less government voting for candidates of a party that do nothing but increase government (albeit to a lesser degree than Democrats).
On a national level, one of the two parties is going to absorb every one of the tea party votes even though neither party represents their views. To tea partiers, the republicans are simply the lesser of two evils.
(Personally, I’m shocked the tea party hasn’t started trying to convince the entire nation to stop voting for democrats and republicans entirely.)
Jefferson
August 17th, 2010
2:56 pm
Jr high class just got out…
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
2:56 pm
“Every time I may put forth examples of Republican racism, conservatives keep bringing up Robert Byrd and the KKK.”
Yeah, that’s because the DNKK actually has/had members that served in the KKK. The GOP, not so much.
But please HDB, we love it when you call others racist yet pretend not to be one yourself.
Matti
August 17th, 2010
2:56 pm
There, as they say, goes the neighborhood. Wiedersehen!
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
2:56 pm
Good summary, Linda.
The lefties here are envious of the Tea Party movement because it grows larger everyday while the Daily Kooks and moveon.org are losing their moonbat members in droves.
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
2:56 pm
“Jr high class just got out…”
Oh, are you looking for new NAMBLA victims?
Honky Talkin'
August 17th, 2010
2:57 pm
Conservatives (Tea Party of not) will always cling to God, Guns & Gays. Staying far to the right will be the demise of the GOP and whatever branches from it.
stands for decibels
August 17th, 2010
2:57 pm
Kyle, I tried to read the Armey/Kibbe WSJ manifesto, I guess I got bogged down in the part where they were taking potshots at their political opposites, claiming that our answer to “everything” is bigger government and suchlike.
Here’s my real bone of contention. in the part you pullquoted, to wit:
The many branches of the tea party movement have created a virtual marketplace for new ideas, effective innovations and creative tactics.
What new ideas?
I’m not being snarky here, I literally do not know of any “new ideas” being put forth by the TPers. Unless they’ve figured out a new way to pay for stuff we need–and no, simply claiming you can privatize your way to efficiency is hardly a new idea–I really don’t know what they might be.
I’ll take one example, and please tell me if I have this wrong. During the healthcare reform debate, I was told that the President and Congress were imposing “socialized medicine” (even though what was passed was anything but.) And what were the great ideas being put forth by America’s conservatives?
Far as I could tell, I heard some half-hearted efforts to somehow beef up HSAs and… not much else. Thing is, we already have HSAs. You can provide a bit more tax deductability to make them a bit more attractive, but they can’t possibly provide coverage to all.
what am I missing? anything?
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
2:58 pm
“Staying far to the right will be the demise of the GOP and whatever branches from it.”
Carville, is that you?
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
2:59 pm
More bad news for the left wing retards of the AJC.
Top Democrat splits with Obama on Ground Zero mosque
Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate, has publicly broken with Barack Obama by opposing plans to build a mosque near the Ground Zero site of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/7950475/Top-Democrat-splits-with-Obama-on-Ground-Zero-mosque.html
Jefferson
August 17th, 2010
2:59 pm
Punks can’t resist !!!
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
3:00 pm
Obama, the one-term president
Honest to goodness, the man just does not get it. He might be forced to pull a Palin and resign before his first term is over. He could go off and write his memoirs and build his presidential library. (Both would be half-size, of course.)
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41134.html
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
3:03 pm
Grand Forks August 17th, 2010
2:56 pm
“Yeah, that’s because the DNKK actually has/had members that served in the KKK. The GOP, not so much.” John Birch Society is close enough….and many in the GOP SERVE (present tense!) now!!
” But please HDB, we love it when you call others racist yet pretend not to be one yourself.”
Don’t pretend/contend to be anything but myself!! Just remember what “strange fruit” really is…..
left wing
August 17th, 2010
3:05 pm
Linda @ 2:44 – The tea party – non-partisan? In which universe is that? They are overwhelmingly right wing.
Personally, I thought the tea party was started because the Republican party was imploding from scandals with Jack Abramoff, “Duke” Cunningham, et al, and the absolutely abysmal job under President Bush (or was that President Cheney, I was never quite sure). To me, it was simply a rebranding effort.
I’m sure I’ll here from several of you from the other side about Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters. I would simply point out that these were a result of Nancy Pelosi putting teeth back in the ethics committee. And frankly, if they were corrupt, they should be ousted. Just like people like John Ensign (taking money from his parents to pay of the husband of his mistress and then using his office to get him a job).
Objective Patriot
August 17th, 2010
3:08 pm
HDB,
Did you know that in Gwinnett, caucasians are a minority? That actually makes it a great location for a Tea Party rally. There’s a vastly diverse population there.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
3:09 pm
@ Grand Forks: Saw this from the Politico article:
” It appears, however, that at least on this occasion, Obama does not care what the polls say.”
Funny…neither did Bush and Cheney……..and look where they took us!!
Objective Patriot
August 17th, 2010
3:10 pm
HDB,
Recent census reports have showed that more minorities are moving to the suburbs and that more young white people are moving back to the city. The Tea Party is making the right moves with their choice of gathering locations.
left wing
August 17th, 2010
3:12 pm
No Longer Republican @ 2:55 – I don’t say ‘fiscally conservative’; it’s ‘fiscally responsible’. I do like the idea of a balanced budget and we absolutely need to bring the federal debt down. Just not right now when the country is in such dire streits.
I’d like to point out that I used to consider myself a Republican. I voted for Nixon, Ford, Reagan twice (the second time was a mistake) and Daddy Bush. What I found was that over the past 30 years, the Republican party just kept drifting further & further to the right.
There was a time when extremists like the John Birch society were expunged and denunciated by Republicans. Nowadays, Republicans don’t set a limit on crazy.
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
3:12 pm
How can this be happening to our fabulous Messiah???? He’s the greatest president ever (don’t believe me? Ask the media.).
“Fully half of Americans disapprove of job Pres. Obama is doing for the first time in the latest Gallup daily tracking poll, according to new data released today. In interviews conducted Fri.-Sun., just 42% of Americans approved of the job Obama was doing, while 50% disapproved.”
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
3:14 pm
Objective Patriot August 17th, 2010
3:08 pm
Not quite…..according to the 2000 Census….whites are still the majority in Gwinnett. The population IS getting more diverse…..but the Tea Party is NOT attracting such a diverse group!! Much of their ideology is antithetical to minority interests….and many are evident of that situation!!
Jefferson
August 17th, 2010
3:16 pm
OP in Gwinnett caucasians are the largest single group, to say they are in the minority is politician speak.
AmVet
August 17th, 2010
3:16 pm
Bruno, keep the faith.
It got to the point last year where I stopped asking my clients how business was. Long tales of woe, and here I’m thinking, “Hey, I was just being polite!”
For my business, last year was the worst in seven. By far.
This year however, for reasons unknown, is better. Not yet back to “normal”, whatever that now is, but at least it would seem the bottom has been reached. For now.
But we are just one calamity, contrived or otherwise, away from more horrible days ahead and virtually nothing at all has been done to reverse the war on the American middle-class.
As long as the same unindicted co-conspirators on Wall Street and in Washington are calling all of the shots, it’s just another verse from a Who song – “Meet the new boss…”
Lynn
August 17th, 2010
3:17 pm
@redneck Convert- what about the people who worked 30 years and paid for Social Security do you want to take away their money as well. Or how about retired Military who are eligible for SS? Stop making blanket statements about SS when there are plenty of people out there who deserve these benefits.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
3:18 pm
Objective Patriot August 17th, 2010
3:10 pm
“HDB,
Recent census reports have showed that more minorities are moving to the suburbs and that more young white people are moving back to the city. The Tea Party is making the right moves with their choice of gathering locations.”
Question: Where are the preponderance of minorities located – in the suburbs or the inner cities? Where could greater political influece and conversion be achieved – in the suburbs or the inner cities? What area would be greatest positively/adversely affected by Tea Party policies – the suburbs or the inner cities?
More often than not, it would be the inner cities!!
Answer
Objective Patriot
August 17th, 2010
3:19 pm
HDB,
In 2010 that is not the case for Gwinnett County. Cobb is becoming much more diverse as well.
Objective Patriot
August 17th, 2010
3:22 pm
HDB,
Would you go to a tea party if it were in College Park or East Point? Those aren’t favorable neighborhoods for large crowds. Just ask the 3000+ who were trampling children while cutting line to get housing vouchers.
The Tea Party movement is still young. It needs time to mature and grow. It will appeal to more and more people as more people take the time to understand it.
Jefferson
August 17th, 2010
3:24 pm
OP that just BS and you know it. If no race has 50% that don’t mean they are a minority, word parsing.
Linda
August 17th, 2010
3:26 pm
Stand @ 2:57, Obama did not even nominate anyone to head the new Medicare & Medicaid Services Adm. so he or she could be vetted & voted on by the Senate. Rather he appointed Donald Berwick during the recess, who will be in charge of a budget larger than defense.
Berwick said, 11-08, “Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized & humane must, MUST redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer & the less fortunate. Excellent health care is by definition redistributional.”
He said, 6/09, “We can make a sensible social decision & say, ‘Well, at this point, to have access to a particular additional benefit…is so expensive that our taxpayers have better use for those funds.’ We make those decision all the time. The decision is not whether or not we will ration care. The decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open & right now, we are doing it blindly.”
Speaking about NICE, the UK’s Natl. Institute for Clinical Health & Excellence, he said 7/08, “While the guidelines are complex, NICE currently holds that except in unusual cases, Britain cannot afford to spend more than about $22,000 to extend a life by six months.”
The Boston Globe said of him, “The deeper Berwick has gotten into the problem over the last decade, the more radicalized he has become” & to save the health care system, it first needs to be blown up.”
The health care bill was NEVER about reforming health care.
Scott
August 17th, 2010
3:26 pm
If they think they can win with lunatics like Sharon Angle…all the more power to ‘em
Aquagirl
August 17th, 2010
3:29 pm
Historically third parties have disappeared when they were absorbed by one of the major parties—the temptation of a voter bloc is too tough to resist. Thing is, the Tea Party may say it’s for limited government, personal responsibility, and all that jazz, but it’s attracting too many nutcases and flakes. If the Tea Party can shake off the screaming nutcases it’ll be a great thing for the country.
There’s room for discussion on issues like illegal immigration without suggesting concentration camps. Talk of succession is like a bomb, you better handle it carefully. And railing about death panels, birth certificates, and socialized medicine (while you get medicare) will never pay off in the long run.
Lynn, you’re not familar with Redneck convert, are ya?
Curious Observer
August 17th, 2010
3:31 pm
The disastrous legacy of the Reagan’s Failure, aka, the War on Drugs is two-fold. First millions of kids went to jail for smoking grass.
It’s worse than that, AmVet. I have a 30-year-old son who was arrested at age 17 for purchasing pot. He was unfortunate enough to have a not-quite-16-year-old boy in the car with him at the time. He now wants badly to finish studies to become a physician’s assistant and he’s an honor student, but he’ll never get a job in health care. He’s now a felon for life, even though he never received any jail time. Such are the casualties of the foolish war on drugs.
The Snark
August 17th, 2010
3:32 pm
So the Tea Party is for “individual freedom, fiscal responsibility and limited government.” That’s all good, but I don’t know of anyone who says they are against those things. The Republican Party is nominally for those things too, but once in power, it traded them in for stuff that makes people happy and gets you re-elected (e.g., tax cuts without spending cuts, Medicare prescription coverage.) I don’t see that the Tea Party folks have any practical specifics to back up those generalities, and without practical specifics, they are slated to be co-opted or to fail.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
3:37 pm
Objective Patriot August 17th, 2010
3:19 pm
Voting patterns indicate the contrary:
Obama McCain Other
Cobb 44.7% 141,216 54.1% 170,957 1.2% 3,951
Gwinnett 44.3% 129,025 54.6% 158,746 1.1% 3,167
Granted, the population is growing more diverse……but the voting patterns show that whites are still the preponderant group in both Cobb and Gwinnett!!
…from wikipedia:
(Gwinnett) As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 588,448 people, 202,317 households, and 152,344 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,360 people per square mile (525/km²). There were 209,682 housing units at an average density of 485 per square mile (187/km²). The racial makeup of the county is currently 52.2% White non-Hispanic, 19.8% Black, 0.2% Native American, 9.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.32% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 17.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Gwinnett County has the largest Latino and Asian populations in the state of Georgia
(Cobb): As of 2006, there were 679,325 people, 248,303 households, and 169,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,998 people per square mile (763/km²). There were 261,659 housing units at an average density of 770 per square mile (301/km²). The racial makeup of the county in 2006 was 56.0% White, 29.6% Black, 0.5% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 8.8% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 11.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
If the Tea Party REALLY wanted to be more diverse…..it should attract people from the following Congressional districts (as per voting patterns): 2nd, 4th, 5th, 12th, and 13th……
Bruno
August 17th, 2010
3:40 pm
HDB–In response to some of your earlier points:
“1) Expand the membership roles — don’t limit yourselves to the Caucasians”
Obviously. It’s tough to win giving away a 14% market share year after year. The bigger question is why blacks avoid the Republican Party like the plague, especially when polls focusing on specific issues show that most blacks are in agreement with the Republican platform, especially on issues of morality:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/112807/blacks-conservative-republicans-some-moral-issues.aspx
“2) Don’t just hold rallies at the State Capital or the Gwinnett Center….try AU Center, College Park…..”
If there has been a pattern of avoidance, that should be changed. Even if they get booed, spending more time in black neighborhoods shows interest and respect, which will be rewarded in the long run.
“3) Embrace the idea of dialogue…..not hyperbole!
That goes both ways. And FYI, most conservatives view Hannity, Limbaugh, et.al. as being what they are–entertainers, and not serious thinkers.
“since the Dixiecrats infiltrated the party and Goldwater’s extremism became the party platform, the party has been antithetical to black interests.”
Antithetical in what way? As for the (mis)use of Willie Horton, etc, I think it was a mistake.
“All Affirmative Action did was to grant access to education and employment to those who had been previously denied….” “Conservatives/Republicans wish to eliminate programs that allowed minority advancement!” “Conservatives/Republicans do not believe that racism still exists….and use the law to promote such!! Conservatives cry against “unfair competition”…that minorities will get a job before a white person would…but note the number of CEO’s/managers.executives that are people of color or women!”
Which is, as stated above, a point that I don’t see a resolution to. I’m about as color-blind of a white person that you’ll likely ever meet, and I achieve that status by treating everyone the same.
Anti-discrimination laws are what provide legal access to education and employment ( = treating everyone the same), not Affirmative Action (creating special rules based on skin color or sex). I understand your frustration that minorities remain under-represented in some of the higher echelons of society, but I believe the harm of creating laws specifically based on sex or skin color is too great to use it as a remedy.
Ray Pugh
August 17th, 2010
3:41 pm
Linda,
You’re exactly right: the HCR bill was never about reforming health care. It was about about sneaking through death panels and pull-the-plug-on-granny laws, which I am fully in favor of, as long as the grannies in question are tea party members, that is…
oldtimer
August 17th, 2010
3:41 pm
If we conservatives do not get our act together we will forever live with big spending big government. We need to push the agenda of jobs, immigration, taxes, and healthcare. That is the most important. Who people marry or what they do with their bodies is between them and God.
Objective Patriot
August 17th, 2010
3:41 pm
HDB,
You can correlate the voting results to race if you’d like, but then you should go ahead and admit that just means more whites got out and voted. There are about 40% blacks in my neighborhood. I only saw one black person in total at the polls for the primary elections. Those are facts, not correlations or guesses.
stands for decibels
August 17th, 2010
3:42 pm
Obama did not even nominate anyone to head the new Medicare & Medicaid Services Adm.
erm, this has what, exactly, to do with my post?
Kind of odd, how few appear to be interested in discussing Kyle’s topic.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
3:42 pm
Objective Patriot August 17th, 2010
3:22 pm
“HDB, Would you go to a tea party if it were in College Park or East Point? ”
Yes….that’s my neighborhood!! There are venues on the southside that could handle large crowds…like the Lakewood Amphitheatre, Lakewood Stadium………it wasn’t the crowd, but the venue!! You have to go to where the opportunities would be………..the problem is that the Tea Party WON’T consider many minorities as constituents….and ignore the possibility!!
DawgDad
August 17th, 2010
3:45 pm
Interesting seeing all the leftists and libs posting on what the Republicans and Tea Partiers should do! Like your input has any merit or weight for consideration. HA!
Look, the Republican leadership is under attack from within because many of them have sold out America and Americans. A groundswell of platform debate from the grass roots and a purge of dead weight and ineffective leadership at the top is just what we need. Bring it on.
Whether or not Tea Party leadership drives Party change is merely a side show; most of us understand this is career politicians jumping off the tracks and onto the train before getting run over.
Linda
August 17th, 2010
3:45 pm
Left @ 3:05. The Tea Party is conservative but is made up of Democrats, Independents & Republicans. There are no Progressives & never will be.
The Tea Party began after Obama was elected & started off his adm. spending almost a trillion dollars less than 3 wks. after he took an oath to uphold the constitution, money we did not have for stuff we did not need, at a cost that was about equal to what both wars had cost us as of Feb., ‘09.
The economic stimulus bill was doomed to fail from the beginning. They’ve never worked before in the US, Europe of Japan. Sixteen months later, more Americans believe Elvis is still alive than that it created jobs.
The Tea Party stands for fiscal responsibility, not physical responsibility.
Objective Patriot
August 17th, 2010
3:48 pm
HDB,
You’re showing signs of prejudice.
Bruno
August 17th, 2010
3:57 pm
“Unsure of that…..it may have begun organization in 2008…but the level of vitriol amplified volumes when the Obama Administration came aboard”
“The Tea Party began after Obama was elected”
Just to get the facts straight, here’s a Wiki link giving the history of the TPM:
“The Libertarian theme of the “tea party” began with Republican Congressman Ron Paul supporters as a fund raising event during the 2008 presidential primaries to emphasize Paul’s fiscal conservatism, which laid the groundwork for the modern-day Tea Party movement. On December 16, 2007, the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Ron Paul supporters raised 6 million dollars in 24 hours in individual donations.”