Tea Party Movement Takes Center Stage
- Monday, February 8, 2010, 4:30
- Iowa, News Center, Top Story
- 1,161 views
- 3 comments
This coming April, the Tea Party movement will celebrate its one-year anniversary. In Iowa, Tea Party members organized rallies throughout the state on April 15th and July 4th, they then organized a Tea Party convention of their own last November. Nationally, the Tea Party movement held a convention in Nashville this past weekend. The event received a tremendous amount of media coverage, some of which was probably generated from the person who gave the keynote address, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Yesterday, the Des Moines Register released some of the information from its Iowa Poll. The poll asked if people supported the Tea Party movement regardless of their political affiliation. Forty-five percent of those surveyed said that they did not consider themselves to be supporters of the Tea Party movement, but 33% did. The interesting part of the Iowa Poll is that, of the the 33% who support the Tea Party, 49% are independents, 34% are Republicans, and 17% are Democrats. Many people have wrongfully assumed that the Tea Party movement was mostly a Republican effort. It’s not.
Even with all the state and national conventions, the media attention, and the countless of groups that the Tea Party movement has created in the last year, it remains undefined, unorganized, and without a core mission.
As it stands right now, the Tea Party movement in Iowa can be all things to all people. Some Republicans who are upset with the GOP’s lack of focus on social issues have sought refuge with the Tea Party. At the same time, moderate or libertarian Republicans who think that the GOP focuses too much on social issues have also joined the Tea Party ranks.
Ironically, when well known Republicans like Haley Barbour, who is the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, promote a big tent philosophy, many well known social conservatives get angry and upset. Yet, some of these people have become the loudest supporters of the Tea Party movement, which is funny because the Tea Party movement is nothing more than the ultimate big tent.
For the most part, the Tea Party is comprised of people who think that our leaders in Washington D.C. are out of touch with the people on Main Street. They opposed the Wall Street bailout, out of control spending, massive debt and deficits, and much of President Obama’s agenda. However, if it ever chooses to be an actual third party, it will be forced to address a number of issues that are divisive to many within its own ranks.
Right now, the Tea Party benefits from being the ‘none of the above’ option for the American people. Yet, if they ever want to be more than a loose confederation of independent groups, they will have to tackle issues that they currently don’t have to deal with. This is why it may be in the best interest of the Tea Party to remain ambiguous.
While the media is captivated by the Tea Party movement, its members are merely doing what the founders of our government thought all citizens should do – hold their elected officials accountable. For far too long the general public has been apathetic about what is going on at all levels of government. Once in a while, the silent majority of American would be aroused to defeat things like nationalized healthcare in the nineties, or blanket amnesty to illegals just a few years ago, but after those issues settle down, the people would simply go back to their normal lives.
This is where the Tea Party movement is different. For almost a year now, they have found a way to stay active and engaged even as the issue set has changed. If one had to guess what was fueling the Tea Party movement, it would have to be the liberal agenda that President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi continue to pursue even thought the public vehemently opposes their proposals. Without this liberal agenda to fight, the Tea Party could be over.
There is no doubt that a number of people, myself included, consider themselves to be supportive of the Tea Party movement. We will begin to see what kind of effect the Tea Party is having in the June primaries as well as in November. While it is safe to assume that more people will go to the polls, I don’t think we are about to see a radical shift once the ballots are counted.
What the Tea Party movement is really about is holding all of our elected officials accountable to the will of the people, regardless of political affiliation. This is something to celebrate and something that members of both parties should embrace. The sad part is that it is the one thing that our founders expected us to do from day one, and it’s the one thing we’ve failed to do – until now.
About the Author
Craig Robinson has written 700 stories on this site.
Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.
3 Comments on “Tea Party Movement Takes Center Stage”
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I think if either of the two major parties ignore what these folks are saying, they do so at their peril. Having said that, this movement needs to focus on what can be done within the current political system. I’m all for throwing out some of these elected bums on their a$$es, but the sentiment of voting out all incumbents, etc. is too simplistic and wrongheaded. I’m glad to see the enthusiasm & passion comming from the grass-roots, but enthusiasm and passion still needs direction to be effective!
Craig, two of the finest people I know, Wayne and Carol are involved with other voters who are expressing their dissatisfaction with Congressional and White House officials who refuse to listen to their objections to bloated and insensitive government. My friends are church attending Americans who pay their taxes, contribute to the life of their community and proudly salute the flag and our troops as they pass in parade each July 5th. These friends are well informed as to the issues facing our great country at home and abroad.
The Boston tea party, was the visible action of our patriotic founders who had been persecuted by King George. The British, many of whom were elitists, and their sympathizers failed to take note of the protests and criticism of early colonialists. Elitists then and now often exhibit a condescending attitude toward those who have different points of view. We Americans are no longer are part of a monarchy, our constitution has no provision for czars, and executive dictators, we remain a democracy with each of us having rights of expression and guaranteed constitutional liberties. Any American President is simply an elected servant of the voters, expected to preserve protect and defend the constitution of the United States. He is not a member of parliament and is expected to listen to the people. Lobbyists, elites, celebrities, billionaires, should have little advantage over the poorest among us.
Those who today are identified with the tea parties are analogous to the colonials who gathered at Concord and Bunker Hill during the nation’s founding. The founders were the ones who gave their lives for a cause which was greater than themselves, and due to their determination our nation has become the hope of the world. I must ask this question, “Did these early authors of the constitution come from the ranks of elected professional career politicians – absolutely not.” The experience our founders brought to their tasks, came from work on farms, in fields and towns. Each defending their right to life liberty and values which have served to lead the world. They came from the working class of this great land, E Pluribus Unum, Out of many one Just working class Americans, like all of us, busy with their jobs, unable to position themselves daily in Washington D. C. outside the doors of Congress and the White House, to represent financial interests as paid lobbyists with endless streams of dollars targeted often on behalf of large special interest groups. At a time when many in Washington D.C. today, listen, to lobbyists and special interests, at a moment when many politicians touting elective and political experience spend us into a canyon of debt leaving our grandchildren, and future generations under massive financial bondage, government inefficiency and incompetence, it’s time to revisit our founder’s thoughts. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its Constitution; I mean an additional article taking from the Federal Government the power of borrowing.
Finally, these patriots today, are emotionally committed to the freedoms we enjoy and to America as a nation of which we can all be proud. There will never be a time when Americans need to apologize for their points of view or the achievements of this great nation. In that sense, we like our founders are tea party people, I am proud of that fact!
Dr. Alan Phillips,
Bloomington, IL
Sir, your comments were fair. For the most part I agree. We are a very large group of smaller groups and individuals. We have no national agenda, and no desire to form a third party. In fact if you refer to the Constitution, I don’t believe you will find mention of a “party”. We all describe ourselves differently, that is American Individualism.
There are huge problems in every aspect of government. Fist is a citizenry that is not eduacated on political issues. Many of our groups act as education centers, taching history, our govenrment, issues, and many things we have neglected in favor of our video games, and our sports heroes.
We are attending school board meetings, we are getting involved as precinct chairs and committemen, talking to neighbors and friends.
Discussions have already began on what we do after the mid-term.
We are not a group that opts for none, nor do we speak for everyone. We only speak as Americans that have grave concerns over the changes we now know have taken root in both parties for decades. To join our effort you only need to have passion and desire to restore our Constitutional Republic to Greatnes. This is the year of the Patriot.
http://912action.ning.com