Scott Brown’s election in Massachusetts may have rammed a nail in the coffin for socialized health care and resurrected the Republican party. Massachusetts couldn’t have been a more fitting place for the Tea Party activists’ first significant electoral victory. But the Tea Party must not allow the Republican party to masquerade as this generation’s Paul Revere.
In a recent Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal, Obama Versus Bush on Spending, Karl Rove contrasts the spending by the Obama administration to the spending of the Bush administration. Rove argues that Bush added $3 trillion to the US debt in his 8 years in office while Obama will add that much and more in only 20 months.
Alarming? Yes. But, the Bush administration should not be held as the gold standard benchmark for fiscal responsibility. Making Bush seem like a spendthrift is disingenuous and downright dishonest.
There are many examples of Republicans attempting to take credit for the Tea Party’s momentum. The New York Times article Republicans Strain to Ride Tea Party Tiger quotes GOP chairman, Michael Steele as saying that he’s, “a Tea Partier, a town-haller, a grass-rooter.” The article also describes the conflict that resulted between the Tea Party activists and a GOP candidate for Colorado governor, Scott McInnis. Tea Party activists were upset over an interview on Fox News where the candidate was labeled as a Tea Party-backed candidate. McInnis did not deny that he was officially backed by the Tea Party and was lambasted as a charlatan by some Tea Party activists.
The truth is that the Republicans are trying to cash in on the Tea Party’s success and the American public’s discontent with the Democratic party.
Tea Party activists must remain strong and dedicated to their cause to remain an enduring force. Though the Tea Party is not a singular movement, it must stay committed to its ideals and not compromise with particular candidates. A combination of conservative and libertarian elements, the Tea Party is united in its commitment to limited government. The founders and framers were not a singular group, but they managed to fight off British tyranny and eventually construct a constitution. Tea Party activists must continue fighting the establishment–Democratic and Republican–to bring America back to its rightful place.
Limited government was foundational to the Republic. The Republican party was not. In fact, the Republican party did not even exist when America was founded. The ideas that link the Tea Party movement did exist and made this country what is today.
As a practical matter, the US is a two party system. To be effective the Tea Party movement needs elected officials that respect principles of limited government. Yet, the Republican party need not be the party to do so. If Republicans do not submit to the pressure, in the end a third party may be the answer. As it stands though, the Republican party is the best chance the Tea Party has for affecting change. But, Tea Partiers may need to stay vigilant because there is no guarantee that Republicans are up to making the difficult choices in limiting the growth of government services and spending. The Bush years serve as a clear example.
To be independent and resolute, the Tea Party should continue refusing to endorse specific Republican candidates unless they submit to the ideas of limited government and individual liberty.
Tea Party activists must send Republicans a message: Dont Tread on Me!
Article by Ryan Olivett
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