One Year In, National Tea Party Learning while VA-05? Not so much
By D.J. Spiker | Monday, March 1st, 2010 | PoliticsAn article by Politico ran on Saturday, headlined “Conservatives target their fringe”. In it, it highlights how Tea Party supporters like RedState have finally begun eliminating the nut jobs that are sprinkled loosely through the movement, yet attract a dominant amount of coverage from the MSM.
Birthers. Truthers. Is Obama a US citizen? Was 9/11 a government conspiracy?
You see the signs, you see the posts. You laugh and move on. It’s no secret that while I respect the goals of the Tea Party, I’m largely indifferent. I wrote an op-ed last year regarding just that. With a full year under their belts, it’s good to see the Tea Party realizing the bad publicity ‘birthers’ bring to the table.
Additionally, when you have wack jobs like Tom Tancredo (quoted at the Tea Party Convention: Obama was elected because “we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country.”) it puts all Republicans in a bad light. As I said last year:
This is not to mention the ‘black sheep’ tea party members: birthers. Individuals believing that a conspiracy theory that President Obama is not a US born citizen, was born in Kenya, falsified his birth certificate, if in fact there ever was one, blah blah blah. Individuals who spout these beliefs not only bring a black eye to the Republican party and conservatives but also the tea party movement. Every time someone runs off at the mouth about wack-job theories they allow everyone, Republicans, conservatives, tea partiers, what have you, to be painted with the same brush, thereby demeaning the group collectively.
To consider it locally however, in the 5th District, there’s still a long ways to go for the Tea Party. In political circles here locally (meaning experienced campaign workers) the collective sense is Robert Hurt is running away with the nomination, given the trite coming from the other seven (or is it eight) candidates. While McPadden and Co play Tea Party Idol, playing to the crowd about how much of a ‘true’ conservative they area, Hurt seems content to rest back and wait for June 8th to come and go with an overwhelming victory. Take a recent 5th District debate, sponsored by the Lynchburg Tea Party, as reported by the Daily Progress in Charlottesville:
McKelvey said, “At some point we are going to have to throw the U.N. aside, not only for the security of this country but the security of the world. We need to do what we have to do to protect the rest of the world from terrorist nations such as Iran. Hard decisions, folks, but they will have to be made.”
Earlier, in response to a question about the No. 1 threat to national security, McKelvey got a round of cheers by saying, “The present administration is the biggest threat.”
Verga said the biggest threat is the Americans who voted the Obama administration into office. “That was political correctness gone awry,” Verga said. “There is a global jihad against the United States,” Verga said, “and we need to stand up to Iran with our allies and stop what they are doing.”
Seriously. These guys are candidates for the United States Congress. McKelvey calls the administration the biggest threat to national security, in essence, the entire administration is a bunch of traitors out to weaken and plot this country’s demise. Oh, and we’ll have to throw out the UN, demolish it. Verga’s stupidity, which Waldo Jaquith erupted about here, is beyond contempt. Disagree all you want with the results of an election, but calling Americans who voted for President Obama the biggest threat to national security? Idiot can now be spelled V-E-R-G-A.
In the 2nd, there was a small Tea Party gathering yesterday in Virginia Beach at Town Center. Many of the 2nd District candidates were on hand, with varying levels of success. But as I’ve mentioned before, the Tea Party is largely irrelevant in the 2nd District. There’s no huge outcry, any ‘he’s not a conservative!’ There’s contrasts by the candidates but by and large, with the number of military and independent voters in the 2nd district, the Tea Party won’t play any significant role in the primary on June 8th. That, my friends, is a good thing.
The Tea Party functions best when it’s holding our national leaders accountable. It functions worst when it attempts to anoint itself as conservative saviors and overseers, as it’s been attempting (and failing) in the 5th District.
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...entrenched on the right as a member of the Establishment, proudly tattooed member of the Republican Party, bartender by trade serving both sides the libations needed to continue the debate and discourse. College student, ten years late, majoring in Public Policy and Administration with an eye to serving the conservative and Republican movement in the public or private sector. ducit amor patriae You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com. You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com.
We're 75% there! Thank you to everyone who has so far contributed! Just $2000 to go!
Comments
27 Responses to "One Year In, National Tea Party Learning while VA-05? Not so much"
No matter which group you go to there will always be the fringe that causes embarrassment to the group as whole. However, we better take any movement that has received the growing support, like the Tea Party, seriously and see where we can agree and unite. For Republicans to win future elections we need to find common ground with the Tea Party folks, Libertarians, and Independents.
an interesting article that, though I agree with your thrust, I disagree with some of your examples.
is it too much to ask that voters know the 3 branches of govt? who among conservatives believe that the UN is a world asset considering the massive corruption; & the total idiocy of the IAEA (just to cite 2 examples)?
that said, I agree with Kathy above. Bring the TEA party ideas & advocates into the Republican fold. We need everyone pulling together to beat Perriello in the 5th.
DJ,
I do not agree with your premise here. The TEA Parties are driving the discussion here in the 5th, that can and will breed some resentment among the establishment, however, it is happening. These TEA Party groups are aggressive and represent true coalition politics. If they are allowed to coalesce behind the right candidate, they could play a big role in a victory in June, and in November as well.
As to the assertion that they are not effective in the 5th, did you notice who sponsored the debate in Lynchburg this past Saturday?
Steven, I think you’re wrong. The Tea Party is driving the discussion among the Tea Party. Yet the Tea Party represents maybe 5% of the likely voter turnout in the primary, and far less than that in the general. And if there’s anything the Tea Party does NOT represent in the 5th, it’s coalition politics. Otherwise you would have coalesced behind a candidate by now, rather than having new ones joining the race. Instead, the bickering and fighting continues amongst the (now) 7 also-rans, leaving Hurt to walk away with this race (and if you think that’s not happening, you’re missing the big picture)
And sponsoring a debate does not make them effective. The VBTA sponsored a ‘debate’ in the 2nd. It justs means they can put 7 or 8 candidates on a stage. I’ll be impressed when the Tea Party can get behind one candidate, and stop applauding at moronic statements like I’ll repeal everything Obama has done and this administration is the biggest threat to our national security.
verga said at the TEA party debate that the biggest threat to nat’l security were those who voted for Obama. this statement has gotten play at Waldo. and when I mentioned this statement on a TEA party blog, they agreed with Verga.
we are winning those “misguided” independents back. I don’t want to poison the well.
We need to remember that the whole premise behind the T.E.A. Party movement was a push back against ‘top-down’ government. So, I think the presumption that they can be ‘lead’ to or ‘delivered for’ a candidate like a conservative doppleganger to the labor unions is in serious error.
I agree that it’s not about impressing the TEA Party faithful, it’s about winning the independents and you’ll do that by showing them that you are better suited to represent that Tom is. I think the independents are listening, but not impressed as of right now. They’re looking for someone who will not only ‘talk the talk’ but also ‘walk the walk’ once in the House. Perriello is inimitably beatable given just his stands on health care, cap & trade and, most importantly, his failure to repair the Detroit-esque unemployment in southside. Where’s the; ‘Are you better off now than you were 2 years ago?’ or; ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’ of this race?
What’s truly ironic is that while all this is going on, Congressman Perriello was on the Grist blog acting like he hadn’t heard that even Phil Jones has given up on global climate change.
“You see the signs, you see the posts. You laugh and move on. It’s no secret that while I respect the goals of the Tea Party, I’m largely indifferent.” – DJ Spiker
Indifferent? No, you’re not D.J. You’re a Tea Party basher. Given all of your commentary over the year, I find little evidence that you are indifferent or even respect the goals of the Tea Party. Even your choice of language speaks volumes about your attitude towards the Tea Party.
“With a full year under their belts, it’s good to see the Tea Party realizing the bad publicity ‘birthers’ bring to the table.” – DJ Spiker
You act as though the ‘birthers’ and Tea Partiers are one in the same. They are not. You just want to push YOUR kooks off on the Tea Party. Yes, I am sure there are ‘birthers’ in the Tea Party just as I am damn certain there are ‘birthers’ in the GOP that are NOT in the Tea Party.
Your goal is to stop the Tea Party from gaining further mainstream and GOP traction.
You are corect on many of your points. You just spin it off with your slant. There are too many candidates in the 5th opposing Hurt. It was precisely the reason Hurt didn’t want a convention. Unless several drop out, or opposition coalesces behind one candidate, Hurt’s chances look pretty good.
You are again correct, at this point at least, that the Tea Party movement will likely have little effect in the 2nd. Only because we are fortunate to have a multitude of decent candidates. We don’t have a brightly painted “Big Government” Republican here like Hurt from the 5th.
What will be interesting is the general elections. A candidate friendly to the Tea Party would get a sharp boost in the 5th vs. Perillo. Hurt will still get some support, but not the vigorous one that a good “smaller govt.” candidate would get. Some might just not be energized for Hurt.
In the 2nd, Nye’s voting record will be a problem in harnessing the Tea Party for the GOP. Nye voted the right way too many times. Some might end up supporting Nye. Especially if the GOP nominee is weakend somehow. If Hurt was running against Nye instead of Periello, Nye would win by a landslide.
The Tea Party will only be a factor when they can coalesce against an extreme. What is going on in the 5th is a perfect storm for neutralizing the Tea Party. They remain united by general ideals, but divided by their individual preferences. It would be nice if they’d just pick somebody.
I attended Saturday’s TEA Party debate and must confess that I left rather unimpressed with all seven candidates. Mike McPadden certainly had the best stage presence, but all of them seemed ill-informed and many of them seemed unsuited for such a high-stakes campaign. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but it would be nice to have a candidate who could rationally and articulately discuss the constitutionality (or lack thereof) of Congress’ delegation of its regulatory-writing duties without turning the question into a rant about Sen. Scott Brown’s voting record, as did Jim McKelvey. If we want to replace Tom Perriello in November, we’re going to need more substance from our candidate than what was on display Saturday evening.
PS: Even though the TEA Partiers seem anti-Hurt, Sen. Hurt came within three votes of winning the straw poll conducted after the debate.
DJ, I’m not sure where you are coming from on this post. Lots of questions for you.
In bashing Tom Tancredo, how do you feel about another well known and out spoken former conservative Congressman with very similar views, Virgil Goode?
If you’re saying that Tancredo and Goode are bad for the Republican Party, we disagree.
But you also seem to be implying that their views are so far out of the mainstream that they don’t have a chance being elected to Congress, despite the evidence not only of Tancredo but Goode himself.
Are you saying that someone like Goode couldn’t be elected over Perriello?
Also, you seem to be indicating that Hurt has the inside track for the nomination. Have you taken into consideration at all the only public poll of the race showing him with a lead but with the vast majority of the voters still undecided? The same poll that showed a Tea Party candidate would attract significant support from him in a general election.
I don’t understand how you can do the math so that 12% of the general electorate translates into 5% of likely voters in a primary. Are you assume that these Tea Party activists are active enough to vote third party, but somehow too lazy to vote in a primary? Active enough to protest at Perriello’s office, to visit DC, to organize debates, but somehow too lazy to vote in a primary?
Because Virginia primaries have notoriously low turnout, I expect the Tea Party movement to have a big impact on the primary.
On Nye, I again argue that even if he’s voted the right way on cap and tax and Obamacare, he’s still voted for thought crimes, for federal funding of abortion, and supports through cosponsorship the radical homosexual agenda that Virginia families oppose.
who did Perriello (&Nye) vote for Speaker? Pelosi is so toxic.
This is about the place in the conversation where this comes to mind…
http://bearingdrift.com/2010/02/27/seeking-generation-next-what-can-republicans-do-to-recruit-the-future/
Clearly this part of the author’s bio reveals the bias he has against the TEA Party; “D.J. believes in the sanctity of the Republican Party …”
The TEA party poses a threat to those that want the world to exist as only the status quo of a failed two-party system – people that want the GOP to be the only game in town when it comes to representing Conservative values and principles.
I am a member of the TEA Party, VBTA, and Tidewater Libertarian Party in the 2nd District. Our fellow TEA Party members are far – FAR – from whack jobs or the types of citizens that guys like this GOP author will marginalize as they look down their noses at citizens that have realized that the GOP leadership is lost – and in the 2nd District, the GOP has failed to reject a long track record of RINOs.
The TEA Party is filled with voters who were once Republicans – but who woke up and realized that the leadership of the GOP at all levels has abandoned Republican principles in favor of a “win at all costs” addiction to moeny and a “Big Tent” filled with “moderates”, meaning voters that do NOT share Conservative values of the principles the GOP claims they stand for.
Reid,
I respect your activism but we are light years apart. It also smacks of hypocrisy when you blast ‘conservatives’ but the VBTA endorses two tax-loving Democrats last year, yet not one Republican. That’s why the VBTA is and will remain a joke to me (among other reasons). As far as my bio goes, I am and will be a Republican. My Republican principles are conservative, my values fall to the right. I exist to support and elect Republicans. I do not need the Tea Party, VBTA, or any other organization to tell me who they deem to be a ‘true’ Republican. I believe in the Ronald Reagan rule of 70%, a rule the Tea Party at the local and state would do well to comprehend.
NAS,
If you’re telling me the Goode is as large a bigot and racist as Tancredo proved himself to be, then yes, I’m against him. And just because we can gerry-mander a district to ensure reelection doesn’t mean they should win. In this political climate, I would expect an almost anti-tea party candidate to rise up, someone more in the mainstream if Tancredo were still in the House.
As far as Hurt winning the nomination goes, of course it’s predominantly undecided. It’s March. The only people following right now are true activists and politicos. But until another candidate puts together a legitimate campaign, which to this point not one of the other eight have done, Hurt wins going away regardless. Polling is meaningless, especially a question about support for a Tea Party candidate. With the moronic quotes these guys have put out, a twelve year old could run Perriello’s campaign and win by a landslide.
Britt,
As far as birthers go, there’s has been little if any repudiation of birthers or the movement by anyone from the Tea Party side. It’s almost like they’re the crazy uncle, we don’t talk about em. Ridiculous. It’s a stupid conspiracy and they should be repudiated, especially since they collectively drag the movement down.
I have little respect for the Tea Party at the state and local levels. At the national level, I respect what they’ve done and their role. I applaud the fact that previously inactive people are becoming involved, they’re holding their leaders accountable and rightfully up in arms over unjustifiable spending. It’s been a tremendous movement and a powerful one.
At the state and local level, and the 5th is the specific example I use when people ask me about the Tea Party, it is a joke. Suddenly holding leaders accountable becomes less of a focus and defining candidates as ‘conservatives’ becomes the primary goal. McPadden, McElvey (sp) and Verga wanna play Tea Party Idol rather running a legitimate campaign.
I think we agree on most things, you just didn’t like my slant, which I can understand and appreciate. But given the way these candidates are running their campaigns, there will be no Tea Party-friendly candidate. They need to stop pandering to the extreme right, and start talking legitimate issues. And each time a Tea Party sponsors a debate as Steven so quickly pointed out, the questions go further and further to the right, while in a primary, the constituency remains a center-right voting bloc.
Think I responded to everyone, if i missed you let me know.
D.J., your response to what I wrote didn’t really address the points I made. But I appreciate your honesty in admiting that your view is one that exists to advocate for the Republican Party.
Spiker appears to consider himself somewhat of an authority when conveying his misguided opinions. When it comes to the electorate, the major upsetting factor is the indifferent voter, who unless motivated by a hot button issue could care less what is going on. Herein lies those who are motivated by the arbitrary 5% figure to which Spiker eludes. Unless Spiker recognizes therein leads to a candidate prevailing, his statements and opinions, if followed, will lead to unsuccessful fiscally conservative campaigns.
There’s nothing like a Reid Greenmun rant to remind people of how critical mental health funding is.
The biggest “whack job” in Virginia Beach politics feigns concern for the sanctity of the principles of the Republican Party, and out of the other side of his mouth attacks Spiker for upholding the sanctity of the Republican Party. (Best yet, he didn’t think anyone would call him on it.)
By his own admission, Reid’s goal is to splinter conservatives. Just as he split the vote off Glenn “Corey” Corillo in 2000 and got Meyera reelected Mayor, Reid now wants to pull the ultraconservative vote off the GOP, which would only ensure the election of Democrats. How would THAT advance Reid’s goals?
Of course, Reid is a member of the Libertarian Party, a group that Dr. Tabor admits isn’t conservative. In fact, on the blog Tidewater Liberty, Dr. Tabor stated he was insulted being called “conservative” as a Libertarian.
Finally, even Reid admits how far out-of-touch he is. He claims “the GOP has failed to reject a long track record of RINOs.” Since Republican elected officials are normally nominated by primary, that demonstrates that Republican voters are much more moderate than Greenmun wants to publicly admit.
Here’s a novel concept for Reid: before you can do anything in government, you first have to win elections. Of course, as a VBTAer, Reid has no clue as to how or what it means to win an election.
Isn’t it ironic that Mr. Ryto is espousing “Republican conservatism” when he himself is a supporter of Transit-oriented-development which results in diminishing Republican/conservative pocketed strongholds through gentrification and urban flight yielding a Democratic/liberal electorate.
Yes Wally, let us man the ramparts and prepare to fully defend the McMansions lest people who live in apartments and condos take over the City! My God, we must defend our way of life against those who would actually ride on light rail instead of paying $4.00 per gallon to ride 40 miles to their three acre farmette. If you don’t own a SUV, you have no business claiming to be a republican or a conservative. Drill baby drill! MJB sends!
Wally,
Funny to hear you and fake Libertarians like Reid attack the natural progression of the land market.
What you fail to grasp is that if Virginia Beach’s Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs) fail to blossom, it would then be nearly as easy for developers (yeah, like Mike) to encroach into our suburban subdivisions as it would be to build in the SGAs. Therefore, it’s the SGAs that would preserve the suburban character of the vast majority of Virginia Beach for generations to come.
To downzone all of Virginia Beach to suburban density would require the City to pay tens of millions of dollars in compensation to landowners. Until you, Reid, et al come out for The Mother of All Tax Increases to do that, you’ll be recognized for being the frauds that you are.
What is funny is to read the words of a despicable die hard free loader like Henry Ryto when he attacks true Conservatives who have the back bone to stand up to Henry’s plan for abusing the powers of government as a means of redistributing wealth others earn to benefit himself and his small band of devoted taxpayer-subsidized loving accomplices.
GOP activists that are really Socialist Party shills like Henry Ryto are another reason the Republican Party is just as despised by the Conservatives of the TEA Party movement as the out-and-out Socialists of the Democratic Party. The big ethical difference between the GOP loyalist and the Democratic Party loyalists is that the Left running the Democratic Party are honest about their vision for transforming our nation into a Socialist state. Guys claiming to be GOP loyalists like Henry Ryto are dishonest when they claim to be “Republicans” and “Fiscal Conservatives”. In Henry’s case that claim is as far from the truth as each time Developer Mike Barrett falsely claims that taxpayer-subsidized development lowers our property taxes in Virginia Beach!
Until the Republican Party rids itself of guys like Henry Ryto, Ken Stolle, Ron Villanueva, and Will Sessoms, it can no longer honestly lay legitimate claim to the title “Fiscally Conservative”.
Self-admitted Republican Party cheerleader D.J. Spiker attacks the VBTA for supporting candidates that ran against clear RINOs in the person of the king of RINOs, Ken Stolle – and his “mini-me” wanna-be RINO-in-training, Ron Villanueva.
Folks, THAT is the reason the that growing legions of true Conservatives in the TEA Party movement realize that supporting the mislead GOP is a waste of their time.
Because guys like Mr. Spiker wear blinders when it comes to holding Republican Party elected representatives accountable for their voting records that reval a history of supporting out-of-control tax and spend budgets and endless out-of-control borrow and spend special interest schemes like Light Rail and Transit Oriented Development, the intelligent electorate has sadly realized that electing “Republicans“ doesn‘t help us at all. It simply perpetuates a failed “Two-Party System“. Mr. Spiker attacks the VBTA because the VBTA did not support RINOs like Ron Villanueva and Ken Stolle. Does Mr. Spiker support RINOs like Ken and Ron? Why? Because they have a “R” next to their name instead of a “D“?
Instead of attacking the TEA Party supporters and the VBTA Mr. Spiker should look beyond the “R” next to a candidates name and insist that his political party clean their own house and actually rid the GOP of RINOs – instead of attacking hard working citizen activists for working to rid our government of Socialists and big-government RINOs that have infected our government at all levels.
Mr. Spiker states that he supports the principles of the Republican party. I believe him. I support the principles of the Republic Party too. But the difference between Mr. Spiker and I is I will not compromise my principles simply to help a RINO get elected instead of a Democrat. I expect that when a candidates claims they support the principles of the Republican Party that they will govern in accordance with those principles, and not quickly abandon the Principles of the Republican Party to the highest bidder writing large checks to the coffers of the GOP.
How did this discussion go so far without my name mentioned? I must be mellowing….
Brian,
No, you’re not mellowing.
I do get a kick out of Reid’s latest rant:
1. I’m a “Socialist Party shill”? When did I call for a change in the means of ownership of the economy?
2. He now finds me a bigger threat to the Republican Party than Stolle, Villanueva, or Sessoms? Never knew I was that powerful.
3. After having claimed previously that Spiker never answered his points, he ignores mine.
following the blog, good stuff!
The simpleton Birthers along with the Tea baggers are the same whiners that were crying when the McCain/Bailin ticket lost. Now that their yelling and screaming failed to stop the health care debate and the bill from passing they are crying again. Let’s face it the Republicans had eight years to deal with health care, immigration, climate change and financial oversight and governance and they failed. The Republicans are good at starting wars (two in eight years, with fat contracts to friends of Cheney/Bush) but not at winning wars as seen by the continuing line of body bags that keep coming home. Instead of participating in the health care debate of ideas the Republicans party turned inward to their old fashion obstructionist party (and their Confederacy roots). In my opinion the Republican Waterloo loss was caused by the party allowing a small portions (but very loud) of the republican party of “birthers, baggers and blowhards” to take over their party. I will admit that this fringe is very good at playing “Follow the Leader” by listening to their dullard leaders, Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush, Savage, Sarah Bailin, Orly Taitz, Victoria Jackson, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the Blowhards and acting as ill programmed robots (they have already acted against doctors that perform abortions). The Birthers and the Tea party crowd think they can scare, intimidate and force others to go along with them by comments like “This time we came unarmed”, let me tell you something not all ex-military join the fringe militia crazies who don’t pay taxes and run around with face paint in the parks playing commando, the majority are mature and understand that the world is more complicated and grey than the black and white that these simpleton make it out to be and that my friend is the point. The world is complicated and people like Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt believed that we should use government a little to increase social mobility, now it’s about dancing around the claim of government is the problem. The sainted Reagan passed the biggest tax increase in American history and as a result federal employment increased, but facts are lost when mired in mysticism and superstition. Although some Republicans are trying to distant themselves from this fringe most of them, having no game plan/ vision for our country, are just going along and fanning the flames. For a party that gave us Abraham Lincoln, it is tragic that the ranks are filled with too many empty suits. But they now claim they have changed, come on, what sucker is going to believe that? All I can say to you is remember Waterloo.
Montana,
I am not sure what the point you have in your rant. Reagan was, much like the rest of us, not perfect. However, if you look at his record you will find that overall through his time in office he did reduce taxes. The biggest tax increase in U.S. history (income tax). Ocurred under Wilson. He instituted (with other Democrats) the income tax which didn’t exist until that point (there was one briefly to fund the Civil War and yes that was a Republican president). The tax rate doubled before Wilson got us into a war that we didn’t need to get involved in and the total increase for the highest earners went from 1% to 77%. Democrats have proven themselves very capable in getting us into undeclared wars too. Some examples are the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the war in the Balkans.
The Republicans only really had 4-6 years to “fix problems” not the 8 you claim.
Since 1945 Democrats have had 12 years in which they controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House. Republicans only 4 years. So how successful have some of the Democrats key issues been: War on poverty- poverty rate unchanged up to the recent recession, Education- US scores worse than they were when the Federal government began spending money on education, and getting people to own homes who can’t afford it-well we know what happened there.
What was my point? That you can argue your position by using facts and logic and without name calling.
Montana is a troll. He is posting this all over the net.
Leave your response