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Home Front: Politix
Sarah Palin will headline first-ever Tea Party Convention
2010-01-07
Almost 1-1/2 years since she shook up American politics with her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is set to headline another landmark political event: the first-ever Tea Party Convention next month in Nashville, Tenn.

On its face, the gig would seem a step down for Ms. Palin, one of conservative America's most popular and polarizing figures (not to mention major thorn in the side of the Obama White House).

But with an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll ranking a generic "Tea Party" as more popular than either Democrats or Republicans, and Palin herself rivaling the charming Mr. Obama in poll popularity, many experts see the Tea Party event as a potential milestone for a mounting, even transformational, force in US politics.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  What makes the "tea party" so dangerous, is that it is ONLY about excessive government spending, taxes, debt and bloat.

This way they can be supported by BOTH sides of the political spectrum. The second any "leader" of the movement gets involved in gay marriage, abortion, chicken in every pot, etc. the movement will die since it will have alienated 1/2 of its supporters.

I would like to see it stay as it is and a endorsement, or the lack of one could spell the 10 pts needed to win or lose an election.
Posted by: DarthVader   2010-01-07 20:46  

#5  That was well articulated 'moose. That would be the best outcome - not for the GOP but for the nation, and that's what we really want in the end, no? As far as my participation has allowed me to see, this is in fact the case. The Tea Party movement so far is working very hard to maintain its independence. This is a very good thing.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2010-01-07 17:29  

#4  The best bet is to keep the Tea Party movement as a movement, *not* a political party. But at the same time, start putting forth a clear and concise political platform, designed like the Contract With America.

If they become a political party, they will have to field candidates. But if they remain a movement, candidates from the Republicans *and* Democrats will have to join *them*.

Importantly, I say "Republicans and Democrats", because at the State level, there is a lot of bipartisan agreement that the national government is out of control. So whether or not the national parties like it, and they don't, the State parties may embrace it.

This is already a winning strategy at the State level, with the "10th Amendment movement" going strong. So optimally, the Tea Party movement can become the elective popular wing of what the State legislatures are doing.

The trick will be to hold *all* candidates feet to the fire.

Do they, or do they not, fully support the balancing of national and State power? Do they or do they not fully support getting the out of control national government back under control?

Most importantly, Do they, or do they not, fully support the return of the national government to the originally intended constitutional framework?
Posted by: Anonymoose   2010-01-07 13:43  

#3  Wish I could be there.
Posted by: Iblis   2010-01-07 10:35  

#2  the charming Mr. Obama
Ohfergawdsake. Give it a rest.
Posted by: Spot   2010-01-07 08:24  

#1  "The Republican Party is trapped by their base, which is going increasingly conservative," says Mr. Abramowitz. "Yes, Republicans can do fairly well in the 2010 elections -- it's entirely possible that they could pick up 20 to 30 seats in the House -- but they could read the wrong message from that. In 2012, if the economy is doing reasonably well again and Obama's popularity has stabilized, that strategy is going to be very risky and this could all come back to haunt them."

Change a few words around to fit the other side, push it back a few years, and we can see it happening before our very eyes.
Posted by: Bobby   2010-01-07 06:50  

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