An amazing thing happened Tuesday night after Christine O'Donnell's victory in the Delaware Senate primary. Among politically engaged Republicans, there erupted what can only be described as a virtual street brawl. The conservative blogosphere resembled the Five Points district in a scene from "Gangs of New York". On Hannity on FNC, we saw Karl Rove on live television essentially take his toys and go home in a huff. And, we saw the National Republican Senatorial Committee decree from on High that they would NOT be supporting O'Donnell in the general election. The next morning this decision was reversed when the powers to be saw the light of day and bowed to the will of the people.
What we have seen in the Delaware race, and spilling out into the blogs and conservative media, is a microcosm of what is happening in the nation at large. It is an expression of the same emotions and frustrations that have driven the "tea party" movement, and as November 2 approaches, this expression is growing ever more intense. What is becoming more evident, in a sense, is the real scope and span - the "largeness", if you will - of what is truly fueling the American People at this point in history. Most, I believe, have entirely underestimated the scale and intensity of this movement. What stirs the People is bigger than R's and D's. It is more complex than a simple anti-incumbent mood. This is, at its core, an "us" vs. "them" struggle - and this came boiling out on Tuesday evening. Quite simply, the People are screaming out.
Howard Fineman,in the little read and failing Newsweek magazine writes: “Christine O’Donnell, a perennial loser with a trainload of baggage—but also a Palin-backed Mama Grizzly riding a wave of voter disgust with the political establishment—pulled off the upset of the year so far. She beat the well-liked, but way-too-incumbent moderate Rep. Mike Castle for the Republican Senate nomination in Delaware.”
He continues; “Democrats are busy trying to convince themselves that the GOP is hopelessly divided. I didn’t see that in Newark, Delaware. Many of the O’Donnell voters were women, interestingly, and cared about party unity. I didn’t find a single Castle voter who said he or she would vote for Democrat Chris Coons if O’Donnell won.”
Fineman’s comments are an example of what is wrong with the Tea Party. They are allowing others to set the dialogue and message. The liberals say the Tea Party has no diversity and is basically racist. Some of the elite conservative commentators take the same tack. Because there is no way of telling who subscribes to the basic tenants of the Tea Party, “smaller government and lower taxes”, it is assumed that only middle class white people support the Tea Party. This is blatantly false.
Unlike the liberal and Democrat small tent party the Tea Party is truly a big tent party. The liberals have a small tent party, a party of special interest groups. If you are not a member or do not subscribe to one of these special interests you are not welcome in the Democrat tent. As an example if you are pro life you are not welcome. Conversely, the Tea Party does not promote any of these social issues. They welcome all comers, as long as they are for less government, less spending and lower taxes.
The "establishment", the party apparatchik, the inside-the-beltway elites, do not get to call the shots any longer. I can only imagine the flood of email, phone and mail traffic bombarding the NRSC, informing them of the place in which to stick all future donation requests. I know, because I have received these calls with their recorded messages telling me that I need to fight the Democrat agenda by donating to the National Republican Senatorial Campaign. I tell them that I will only donate to candidates that reflect my views on Constitutional government. The timing and manner in which they made their "sour grapes" announcement reinforced and validated the image of establishment party types clinging desperately to power, even as they are happily ignorant to what is really happening "out here." Among the great unwashed. It's like watching a rodeo of goats.
What they fail to see is this: it isn't Christine O'Donnell and her supporters who endanger conservative prospects. Nor is it Sarah Palin, or Marco Rubio, or Sharon Angle, or the tea partiers in general. It is they who endanger the conservative ascendancy, and in fact risk the prospects of more establishment Republicans in the future. To the extent that these party elitists are perceived to be standing in the way, it is they who are the problem. The People are determined to have the power, and will not sit still while some "ruling class" tries to call the shots. The feeling is, "Please, take your toys and go home. We don't need you, thank you very
Nothing has been more distasteful these last few weeks, than the ease with which the Republican Party apparatus has launched salvo after salvo of personal attacks on Christine O'Donnell. The intent of these attacks was clear: not information for the voters; not a case for the other candidate; no, these were meant to demean and destroy! This was a scorched earth strategy that intruded into Delaware's normal primary process, and left no room for anything but victory for the NRSC's favorite son.
Rather than focus on the crucial issues and bring reasoned debate, as Republicans boast is what distinguishes them from Democrats, the establishment played the snob. People don't like snobs. And as should be exceedingly clear now, the people have had enough of political party snobbishness, and will not abide by it any longer.
Even in Delaware, where every talking head seems to think a true conservative is radioactive, the People are saying they don't want be represented by ruling class elitists. The People want citizens from amongst them in Washington. They want folks like them. This is a truly unique year in politics, with a unique mood. What is still being missed by a perennially obtuse punditry and party elite is this: the People don't care about party politics - they are in fear of where the country is headed; about the debt being hung around their children's necks; about the liberties that seem to evaporate daily; about the real question of whether this Republic will continue to exist for their posterity
The People are concerned, and angry, about BIG issues...issues which make lawsuits, or school loans, or details about how many districts were won in prior elections, pale by comparison. Perhaps even a year ago, a candidate's history would have been a key element for victory; this year, in an odd way, the personal foibles, struggles, even inconsistencies make the candidate seem more human. It makes them seem perhaps less prone to the hubris and hypocrisy that is rampant in Washington. It makes them seem more like "one of us."
The "experts" have already written off Christine O'Donnell and have essentially already given the Delaware Senate seat to her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons. These "experts" also wrote off Scott Brown in Massachusetts. But, just as in the Delaware primary, and the Massachusetts special election, and the Alaska Senate primary, the "experts" don't get to choose the victor. The People will rally to Ms. O'Donnell. The money will flow to her campaign (she received $80,000 in donations on her web site right after the announcement of her victory — so much that her web site crashed). She might win - she might lose. But the People will decide - and the elitists would be wise to get out of the way, or risk being run over by a train they failed to board. The train has left the station - the People are all aboard.
The liberal so called big tent is for special interest groups. As long as you support big government spending, lousy government schools, government unions, racial quotas, unlimited illegal immigration, a weakened national defense, reproductive rights and income redistribution you’re welcome in their tent.
If you look at some of the Tea Party rallies you will see Whites, Asians, Hispanics and Blacks. In fact some of the leaders of various Tea Parties, like David Webb, Joe Hicks, Alveda King and Deneen Borelli (Project 21) are Black conservatives. Little or no mention of this fact is made in the liberal press. They just don’t want you to know this fact, it ruins their narrative.
The liberal press wants you to think that Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Jews, Gays and Women don’t care about big government, reckless government spending, the power limited to government by the Constitution, national security and uncontrolled illegal immigration. I can tell you from personal experience that they do.
The Tea Party is not a monolithic party. There are many Tea Parties across the nations. There is the Tea Party Express, Project 21, the 9/12 movement, Tea Party Patriots, The National Tea Party Coalition, Tea Party Nation and Freedom Works to name a few. The liberal media along with their useful idiots in the so called conservative press wants to define the legitimacy of Tea Party.
Sarah Palin, the most hated of all the conservatives by the liberal press has been battling the slings and arrows of the liberal and conservative press for the past two years. As a firm supporter of the Tea Party movement in spite of the constant bashing in the press has a great track record in supporting Tea Party candidates. The ex-Alaska Governor has offered her endorsement to 36 Republicans in contested primaries this year, and 25 emerged victorious (70%) so far, according to data from The Washington Post. So it’s no wonder her support is so coveted. Not a bad track record for one so hated and despised in the liberal media. Here is a list of the winners she has supported.
What we have seen in the Delaware race, and spilling out into the blogs and conservative media, is a microcosm of what is happening in the nation at large. It is an expression of the same emotions and frustrations that have driven the "tea party" movement, and as November 2 approaches, this expression is growing ever more intense. What is becoming more evident, in a sense, is the real scope and span - the "largeness", if you will - of what is truly fueling the American People at this point in history. Most, I believe, have entirely underestimated the scale and intensity of this movement. What stirs the People is bigger than R's and D's. It is more complex than a simple anti-incumbent mood. This is, at its core, an "us" vs. "them" struggle - and this came boiling out on Tuesday evening. Quite simply, the People are screaming out.
Howard Fineman,in the little read and failing Newsweek magazine writes: “Christine O’Donnell, a perennial loser with a trainload of baggage—but also a Palin-backed Mama Grizzly riding a wave of voter disgust with the political establishment—pulled off the upset of the year so far. She beat the well-liked, but way-too-incumbent moderate Rep. Mike Castle for the Republican Senate nomination in Delaware.”
He continues; “Democrats are busy trying to convince themselves that the GOP is hopelessly divided. I didn’t see that in Newark, Delaware. Many of the O’Donnell voters were women, interestingly, and cared about party unity. I didn’t find a single Castle voter who said he or she would vote for Democrat Chris Coons if O’Donnell won.”
Fineman’s comments are an example of what is wrong with the Tea Party. They are allowing others to set the dialogue and message. The liberals say the Tea Party has no diversity and is basically racist. Some of the elite conservative commentators take the same tack. Because there is no way of telling who subscribes to the basic tenants of the Tea Party, “smaller government and lower taxes”, it is assumed that only middle class white people support the Tea Party. This is blatantly false.
Unlike the liberal and Democrat small tent party the Tea Party is truly a big tent party. The liberals have a small tent party, a party of special interest groups. If you are not a member or do not subscribe to one of these special interests you are not welcome in the Democrat tent. As an example if you are pro life you are not welcome. Conversely, the Tea Party does not promote any of these social issues. They welcome all comers, as long as they are for less government, less spending and lower taxes.
The "establishment", the party apparatchik, the inside-the-beltway elites, do not get to call the shots any longer. I can only imagine the flood of email, phone and mail traffic bombarding the NRSC, informing them of the place in which to stick all future donation requests. I know, because I have received these calls with their recorded messages telling me that I need to fight the Democrat agenda by donating to the National Republican Senatorial Campaign. I tell them that I will only donate to candidates that reflect my views on Constitutional government. The timing and manner in which they made their "sour grapes" announcement reinforced and validated the image of establishment party types clinging desperately to power, even as they are happily ignorant to what is really happening "out here." Among the great unwashed. It's like watching a rodeo of goats.
What they fail to see is this: it isn't Christine O'Donnell and her supporters who endanger conservative prospects. Nor is it Sarah Palin, or Marco Rubio, or Sharon Angle, or the tea partiers in general. It is they who endanger the conservative ascendancy, and in fact risk the prospects of more establishment Republicans in the future. To the extent that these party elitists are perceived to be standing in the way, it is they who are the problem. The People are determined to have the power, and will not sit still while some "ruling class" tries to call the shots. The feeling is, "Please, take your toys and go home. We don't need you, thank you very
Nothing has been more distasteful these last few weeks, than the ease with which the Republican Party apparatus has launched salvo after salvo of personal attacks on Christine O'Donnell. The intent of these attacks was clear: not information for the voters; not a case for the other candidate; no, these were meant to demean and destroy! This was a scorched earth strategy that intruded into Delaware's normal primary process, and left no room for anything but victory for the NRSC's favorite son.
Rather than focus on the crucial issues and bring reasoned debate, as Republicans boast is what distinguishes them from Democrats, the establishment played the snob. People don't like snobs. And as should be exceedingly clear now, the people have had enough of political party snobbishness, and will not abide by it any longer.
Even in Delaware, where every talking head seems to think a true conservative is radioactive, the People are saying they don't want be represented by ruling class elitists. The People want citizens from amongst them in Washington. They want folks like them. This is a truly unique year in politics, with a unique mood. What is still being missed by a perennially obtuse punditry and party elite is this: the People don't care about party politics - they are in fear of where the country is headed; about the debt being hung around their children's necks; about the liberties that seem to evaporate daily; about the real question of whether this Republic will continue to exist for their posterity
The People are concerned, and angry, about BIG issues...issues which make lawsuits, or school loans, or details about how many districts were won in prior elections, pale by comparison. Perhaps even a year ago, a candidate's history would have been a key element for victory; this year, in an odd way, the personal foibles, struggles, even inconsistencies make the candidate seem more human. It makes them seem perhaps less prone to the hubris and hypocrisy that is rampant in Washington. It makes them seem more like "one of us."
The "experts" have already written off Christine O'Donnell and have essentially already given the Delaware Senate seat to her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons. These "experts" also wrote off Scott Brown in Massachusetts. But, just as in the Delaware primary, and the Massachusetts special election, and the Alaska Senate primary, the "experts" don't get to choose the victor. The People will rally to Ms. O'Donnell. The money will flow to her campaign (she received $80,000 in donations on her web site right after the announcement of her victory — so much that her web site crashed). She might win - she might lose. But the People will decide - and the elitists would be wise to get out of the way, or risk being run over by a train they failed to board. The train has left the station - the People are all aboard.
The liberal so called big tent is for special interest groups. As long as you support big government spending, lousy government schools, government unions, racial quotas, unlimited illegal immigration, a weakened national defense, reproductive rights and income redistribution you’re welcome in their tent.
If you look at some of the Tea Party rallies you will see Whites, Asians, Hispanics and Blacks. In fact some of the leaders of various Tea Parties, like David Webb, Joe Hicks, Alveda King and Deneen Borelli (Project 21) are Black conservatives. Little or no mention of this fact is made in the liberal press. They just don’t want you to know this fact, it ruins their narrative.
The liberal press wants you to think that Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Jews, Gays and Women don’t care about big government, reckless government spending, the power limited to government by the Constitution, national security and uncontrolled illegal immigration. I can tell you from personal experience that they do.
The Tea Party is not a monolithic party. There are many Tea Parties across the nations. There is the Tea Party Express, Project 21, the 9/12 movement, Tea Party Patriots, The National Tea Party Coalition, Tea Party Nation and Freedom Works to name a few. The liberal media along with their useful idiots in the so called conservative press wants to define the legitimacy of Tea Party.
Sarah Palin, the most hated of all the conservatives by the liberal press has been battling the slings and arrows of the liberal and conservative press for the past two years. As a firm supporter of the Tea Party movement in spite of the constant bashing in the press has a great track record in supporting Tea Party candidates. The ex-Alaska Governor has offered her endorsement to 36 Republicans in contested primaries this year, and 25 emerged victorious (70%) so far, according to data from The Washington Post. So it’s no wonder her support is so coveted. Not a bad track record for one so hated and despised in the liberal media. Here is a list of the winners she has supported.
- Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire candidate for Senate;
- Pam Bondi, candidate for Florida attorney general;
- Allen West, Florida candidate for Congress;
- Tim Scott, South Carolina candidate for Congress;
- Nikki Haley, South Carolina candidate for governor;
- Renee Ellmers, North Carolina candidate for Congress;
- Christine O’Donnell, Delaware candidate for Senate;
- Michael Grimm, New York candidate for Congress;
- Martha Roby, Alabama candidate for Congress;
- Rand Paul, Kentucky candidate for Senate;
- Jackie Walorski, Indiana candidate for Congress;
- Adam Kinzinger, Illinois candidate for Congress;
- Sean Duffy, Wisconsin candidate for Congress;
- Vicky Hartzler, Missouri candidate for Congress;
- Terry Branstad, Iowa candidate for governor;
- Tom Emmer, Minnesota candidate for governor;
- Mary Fallin, Oklahoma candidate for governor;
- Rick Perry, Texas candidate for governor;
- Susana Martinez, New Mexico candidate for governor;
- John McCain, Arizona candidate for Senate, (a support due to loyalty);
- Paul Gosar, Arizona candidate for Congress;
- Joe Miller, Alaska candidate for Senate;
- Carly Fiorina, California candidate for Senate;
- Sharron Angle, Nevada candidate for Senate;
- John Koster, Washington candidate for Congress.
No matter what they do the Tea Party will be defined by others. This cannot stop them. The need to continue to move forward and never let the opposition write their rules. They are the last best hope for this Republic.
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