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Home Front: Politix
What's Next for the Tea Party; Monument or Tombstone?
2010-10-27
In a few days, Americans could carve out a monument to the Tea Party's power -- or etch out the movement's political tombstone.

The outcome of the midterm elections will either validate the Tea Party as a national force or cause both Democrats and Republicans to second-guess the movement's impact. But dead or alive after Election Day, the Tea Party has earned a place in history.

If the Tea Party is able to elect its candidates, it will likely hold even more sway over the Republican Party, threaten the Democratic Party, wield even more influence over the electorate and possibly play king- or queen-maker for the 2012 presidential election.

But outgoing Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter senses danger in the Tea Party.
Especially since the Tea Party folks helped run him out of the Senate, for which I say 'thank you!'
"I think it is really problem-some for democracy when the fringes of the parties gain control," Specter told CNN.
Yet he had no problem joining up with the Democrats who went hard-left. Notice that it's only when the Republicans move ever so slightly to the right that Snarlin' Arlin has a problem.
"And to have a Republican Party go so far to the right is a real problem. I think the only answer is for Middle America to take some greater interest in the political process so that you have the real will of the people as opposed to the people on the extremes."
The good Tea Party folks would reply that they ARE Middle America ...
If Tea Party-backed candidates mostly fail on Election Day, the only success the Tea Party may be able to count is, simply, splitting the Republican Party in two -- between moderates and conservatives.
Or, the various factions of the Republican party would recognize the wisdom of focusing on things you can fix, like our economy, and saving the divisive social issues for later.
Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin recently told CNN, "You know, I don't think that it will, because I think more of the machine within the GOP is going to understand that this 'We the people' message is rising, and it's resonating throughout with the Independents, with hardcore conservatives, with moderates, because it's just so full of common sense and time-tested truths that can put the economy on the right track."

Then Palin warned, "Heaven forbid that the GOP machine strays from this message. If so, the GOP is through."
Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC

#8  If the Tea Party wins big I suspect we'll see a number of term limits propositions on ballots in 2012 as well as some talk about a balanced budget amendment (or at least a pledge to support that sort of thing) in 2012.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2010-10-27 23:31  

#7  will likely cost the Pubs several House and especially Senate seats next week.

Oh really? Which GOP seats is being "TEA party" going to cost them?

I think you are drinking the MSM koolaide to hang any lost House and Senate seats next week. It looks like incumbents even in heavily Democrat areas like Djou in Hawaii and Cao in Louisiana will hold, not lose, their seats.

Look at the TEA Party bringing out much larger numbers of voters in a midterm, which makes the GOP competitive in places where it should not be, and blowing away opposition where it should normally be close.

For example see Florida and Rubio running away with the race in the face of a mainstream moderate Crist, and West Virginia where the Senate race went from Dem blow out to a narrow GOP lead. Look at Chet Edwards here in Texas, multi-term incumbent being beaten by a TEA Party backed candidate.
Posted by: No I am The Other Beldar   2010-10-27 19:07  

#6  I think the majority of the people have awakened to the dangers of career politicians who say "screw the will of the people." I think they realize the need to keep after the scoundrels and replace them frequently and often.
Posted by: JohnQC   2010-10-27 18:24  

#5  I can't decide who is more frightened of Tea Partiers: career Dem incumbents who realized too late that the TPers had broad, centrist, middle-class appeal, career GOP incumbents who discovered - too late! - that the TP was not their pet pony to ride to the comeback, the political operators of both stripes who see their carefully constructed designs being smashed, or the MSM, who try one unsuccessful narrative after another; They're a flash in the pan, they're poor uneducated racist slobbovians, they don't have any defined plan!
Alas, the only political tombstone that will be etched is that for the political status quo as it existed prior to about mid 2009.
I can really see November from my house. Quite clearly now.
Posted by: Sgt.Mom   2010-10-27 17:18  

#4  Dear Shannon, if I were you, I'd pray the Mid Terms work Tea Party way. Hint, ballots are not the only pertinent B-word.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2010-10-27 16:24  

#3  Specter does have a point - it is problemsome when the fringes of the parties gain control; that's been true for the Dems for a while and will likely cost the Pubs several House and especially Senate seats next week. Each party fights to identify and capture the one middle voter, so we alternate between one 'extreme' (relative to that middle voter) and the other.
Posted by: Glenmore   2010-10-27 15:19  

#2  Neither mister, the Tea Party will not just end in a week.

And it is not just Republicans.

And it is not just Middle America.

Posted by: swksvolFF   2010-10-27 15:16  

#1  So sick of this meme....lefty msm trying to frame avg Americans as whackos.

The Tea Party is made up of avg folks who are sick of the crap in DC. They want a return to fiscal sanity and constitutional govt. Pretty reasonable stuff...BTW - this is Middle America talking.

Specter's an ass.
Posted by: Broadhead6   2010-10-27 13:25  

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