Is Tea Party conservatism a help or a hazard to Republicans returning to power?

ANSWER FROM THE LEFT
Will Marshall, Progressive Policy Institute

“That depends on how you define Tea Party conservatism. If it means an uncompromising movement conservatism focused on divisive social issues and suffused with cultural resentment -- the kind embodied by Sarah Palin – then it’s a disaster for Republicans. On Tuesday, it cost them one of the few remaining traditionally Republican seats in the Northeast. The GOP winners in Virginia and New Jersey took pains to assure voters they were not right-wing ideologues.

But to the extent that Tea Party conservatism is animated less by demands for ideological purity, and more by the nexus of “big government,” spending and debt, it has crossover appeal to independents. An anti-government populism focused on a weak economy and exploding federal deficits could give Republicans some traction as we head toward next year’s mid-term election. That’s not fair, given all the GOP did to fuel public mistrust of government during the Bush years, but it’s a reality Democrats will have to contend with as they try to reform health care and put a price on carbon.”

ANSWER FROM THE RIGHT
by Roger Pilon CATO @LIBERTY

“Let’s start with some clarity:  “Tea Party conservatism” stands for several things, but it is not the caricature one often finds in the mainstream media, to say nothing of the left wing blogs.  It is a movement with deep historical roots, drawing its name and inspiration from the Boston Tea Party of 1773.  As with that event, taxes brought it to the fore — on Tax Day, April 15.  But taxes are simply the most obvious manifestation of modern government run amok, insinuating itself into every corner of life. 

Trillions of dollars of debt for our children, out-of-control government budgets, massive interventions in private affairs — the list of wrongs is endless, and under Obama has exploded.  He stands for nothing if not for making us all dependent on the government he has promised us.  That’s not America.  That’s a foreign vision, which over the centuries countless millions have fled, searching for freedom.

To be sure, the Tea Party movement has its fringe elements, as did the revolt against British tyranny, which the establishment of its day disparaged.  So too does the Obama administration, some of whom have already resigned.  The basic question, however, is what does the movement stand for?  What are its principles?  And on that, the contrast with the Obama vision is stark:  However much confusion there might be on specific issues, which is to be expected, the broad principles are clear.

The Tea Party movement stands for limited constitutional government.  At its rallies, on hand-written sign after sign, that was the message repeatedly seen.  These are ordinary Americans – Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats — who want simply to be left alone to plan and live their own lives.  They don’t want “community organizers” to help empower them to get more from government.

But they do need to be organized to bring that about — to get government off their backs.  And the Republican Party should be the natural vehicle toward that end — the party, after all, that was formed to get government off the backs of several million slaves.  But today’s Republican Party is a mixed lot:  Some understand those principles; but others, as in the NY 23 race, are all but indistinguishable from their counterparts in the party of Obama.

The problem in NY 23 was not that a third party entered the race.  Rather, the party establishment botched things from the beginning, by picking a nominee who properly belonged in the Democratic Party, as her pathetic last-minute endorsement indicated, and that’s why a third party entered the race — with a novice of a nominee who nearly won despite the odds against him.

The question, therefore, is not whether Tea Party conservatism is a help or a hazard for Republicans seeking a return to power?  To the contrary, it is whether the Republican Party is a help or a hindrance to the Tea Party movement?  It will be a help only if it returns to its roots.  The mainstream media, overwhelmingly of the Democratic persuasion, will continue to push Republicans to be “moderate,” of course – meaning “Democrat Lite” — to which the proper response is:  Why would voters go for that when they can get the real thing on the Democratic line? 

If Tuesday’s returns showed anything, it is that Independents, a truly mixed lot, are up for grabs; but at the same time, they are looking for leaders who promise not simply to “solve problems” but to do so in a way that respects our traditions of individual liberty, free markets, and limited government.

When Republican candidates stand clearly and firmly for those principles, they stand a far better chance of being elected than when they temporize.  That is the lesson that Republicans must grasp — and not forget — if they are to return to power.”

CRUSIN' and MUSIN'

Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the spot of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason and the mind becomes a wreck. --Thomas Jefferson letter to James Smith, December 8, 1822

Famously smart, Obama was stupid about economy
By: Chris Stirewalt, Political Editor, November, 2009

President Obama came into office believing that in order to achieve two of the hearts' desires of his electoral base -- universal health care and global warming legislation -- he would have to act while his political capital was at its highest point.

Now, a year after his election, the president finds himself lugging two divisive initiatives and facing simmering outrage over the stagnant economy. Obama could have pushed jobs programs, free career training, a pork-free stimulus, more government jobs, etc.

But instead, Obama said he wanted to fix the economy, and cap carbon, and impose a new health care bureaucracy. The question he faces now is whether he has enough time to drop the dead weight and convince Americans that he has his priorities right.

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I have yet to understand how Obama came to be labeled "smart". Now, I could understand "disingenuous" but someone will have to explain the "smart" thing.

I look forward to when we get over the myth that Obama is smart. He is neither smart nor does he possess any leadership traits. Some say Obama is just a Chicago thug politician.

But he's not even a Chicago politician - he wasn't involved in Chicago politics long enough and he did nothing while he was there. Chicago politics still believes in capitalism - Chicago Politics is Dick & Richie Daley. Good or bad, the hallmark of Chicago Politics has always been that the public gets something and the machine gets their vote. Obama is a big government, tax and spend, wealth redistribution, socialist with Marxist tendencies that has some Chicago politicians behind him, and most likely controlling him.

This power hungry egomaniac has no executive or economic experience (except what he has gotten on the job and that isn't looking too good.) But he can read a teleprompter, pump up his worshipers and yet he's running the most powerful country in the world. And now we hear that Iran probably already has a nuke. Any wonder that those with half a brain are a wee bit nervous about the future of our country?

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Not only do the Democrats not know what is in the ObamaCare BILL, they don't even know what is in the constitution that they have sworn to uphold.

Sen. Burris Cites Unwritten Constitutional 'Health' Provision to Justify Forcing Americans to Buy Health Insurance
By Nicholas Ballasy, November, 2009

When asked by CNSNews.com what specific part of the Constitution authorizes Congress to mandate that individuals must purchase health insurance, Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) pointed to the part of the Constitution that he says authorizes the federal government "to provide for the health, welfare and the defense of the country."  In fact, the word "health" appears nowhere in the Constitution.

Learning From Governor Elect McDonnell

Republicans nationally would do well to take a few pages from McDonnell's playbook. Here are five:

Convert conservative principles into practical policies -- and finish the sentence.
Too often, however, Republicans don't "finish the sentence" and remind voters outside our base why such conservative policies are better. McDonnell's campaign attracted crucial independent voters by focusing on the benefits of his policies: better elementary schools, more college degrees, less time stuck in traffic, more affordable gas and electricity, and most important, jobs, jobs, jobs.

Run inclusive campaigns. ...Instead of indulging in the anti-immigration rhetoric of past Republican campaigns, McDonnell appealed to the growing Hispanic and Asian American enclaves of Northern Virginia, where his message of entrepreneurship, educational opportunity and strong families resonated... McDonnell's performance among female and minority voters contributed to the biggest victory margin for any governor since Virginia became a two-party state.

Use language voters want from their elected leaders. When asked to comment on the president campaigning in Virginia for his opponent, McDonnell responded that "the president of the United States is always welcome in the commonwealth." McDonnell was critical of his opponent's policies, but Deeds's attacks frequently were harshly personal. Voters expect the former but reject the latter.

Match the left's use of technology. Between social media networks, texting and e-mail, the campaign was regularly in direct contact with more than 200,000 voters -- impressive, especially given the low turnout on Election Day. In addition to the campaign's efforts, the Republican Party of Virginia did an excellent job of driving coverage and perceptions of Deeds through creative Web videos.

Back strong candidates. Elections are ultimately choices between two people vying for the same job. Bob McDonnell was, hands-down, the superior candidate. Virginia's next governor proved to be a principled, disciplined, energetic, idea-driven, articulate and personable candidate -- characteristics that will serve the commonwealth well over the next four years.

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HUGH HEWITT INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW BREITBART

HH: Andrew Breitbart, do you believe that there’s been a fundamental rescission, revocation, turning away from the temporary infatuation with Obama?

AB: I think that they’re in Humpty Dumpty phase of trying to put President Obama back together again. The reason why I think that it’s going to be difficult is because from what I can tell, and they’ve given him enough time to come up with a tertiary skill set, is that he has two skills that I can see. One is elocution, speaking to people, being able to read that teleprompter. Very early on, we were able to isolate that. And any time where you see that he goes off of the teleprompter, he has a very difficult time. And so we’ve kind of exposed that. We’ve also been able to kind of say to him okay, you can speak, now lead. So I think that he’s sort of been neutralized in that regard.

His secondary skill set was community organizing. Well, before the election, before the exposure of ACORN and the type of intimidation you started to see with SEIU down in St. Louis, you know, with Kenneth Gladney, people are staring to realize that that skill set isn’t benevolence and helping out the poor. It’s actually a very scary tactic that people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been using for years, using Alinksy’s tactics in order to intimidate the masses.

And I think those are his two skill sets. And the ACORN scandal were very effective in isolating them, and recognizing that this guy has two skills. What’s his third one? And I think they’re trying to figure out is if this guy is as impressive a political politician as he was made out to be.

HH: Andrew, are there more ACORN videos to come?

AB: Oh, yeah, I’m glad you asked. Yes, there are.

HH: When do we see them?

AB: You know, we’re playing it by ear. You know, the media continues to lie. You know what’s interesting? I have more documentation, I have more document dumps on ACORN right now than my limited amount of resources can go through. I do not know one newspaper or one network that’s investigating ACORN, but I can tell you about five that are investigating Hannah, James and me. And until they start investigating ACORN and asking me for some of these documents that I’ll provide them, that show how corrupt this organization is, I’m going to continue to play those videos like the game that they’re playing us for.

HH: Andrew, we’ve got thirty seconds. Do you need funding, if there are people out there who want to invest in Big Government? Or is that a closely held you don’t need it?

AB: I’m looking for George Soros to turn, to realize he bet on the wrong horse, and to realize that he comes to the right side, because that’s the only, that’s where the real money is. I’ve come to realize there’s no money on the right. That’s like a huge fallacy. Yeah, of course I need money. I’m working out of my basement still.

An Ex Liberal Gets Insulted by O

O's Latest Insult
BY Jay Nordlinger
“ ... In New York, he said, “Democrats are an opinionated bunch. You know, the other side, they just kinda sometimes do what they’re told. Democrats, y’all thinkin’ for yourselves.”...

... Last year, in San Francisco, he said of Middle Americans, “It’s not surprising . . . they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them . . .”

... Republicans are people who do what they’re told? That reminded me: One of the reasons I left the Left, or became disenchanted with the Left, is that too many of them were like sheep, all herded up — scarcely thinking for themselves at all. They were wedded to dogma and political correctness. ...

... I remember the kids when I was in college: They would just nod at everything their professors and teaching assistants said — and all those professors and TAs, of course, were on the left. ...

... Most of the kids who really thought for themselves were right-leaning — and it cost them something to express their views. Cost them something in social acceptance, grades, and so on. I admired these guys, even before I joined their ranks. ...

... By the way, which side imposed speech codes on campus? Liberals or conservatives? Not conservatives, that’s for sure. If liberals are such a noisy, rowdy, opinionated, pluralistic, uncontainable bunch — how come they’re for speech codes, for shutting down the other side? ...

... O’s New York commentary reminded me of the notorious Washington Post line, that conservative Christians are “largely poor, uneducated, and easy to command.” When you think about it, Obama has a pretty easy time commanding people — millions of them, including important people in media and academia. Including, almost, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee! But some of us, he cannot command — and he seems not to like or respect us all that much.

Long ago, I grew tired of the conceit that Democrats think for themselves, while the rest of us just take orders from some politburo: composed of Rush, Fox, and whoever. All my life, I’ve heard Democrats quote an old Will Rogers line: “I belong to no organized party, I’m a Democrat.” Ha, ha, ha! Oh, aren’t we grand, we Democrats? We beautiful, smart, unorganizable Democrats! Well, Rogers may have had it right at one time; but in my own time, the Democrats have been a pretty disciplined bunch — and pretty ruthless, when it comes to dissent. When it comes to odd-men-out.

I have 30 more things to say, of course, but here’s one more: Do you recall President Bush insulting Democrats, as Obama has insulted us, explicitly? Sometimes our post-partisan president can be a rather nasty piece of work. ”