With a couple stories in local papers and the Post on the possibility of unsuccessful Republican candidates running in the general election as third party candidates, I can’t help but say I absolutely love, love, LOVE the idea of a new third party as the home (or asylum) for Tea Party activists. All those crackpots who want to eliminate the Fed can take the militant anti-abortionists with them to their own padded room where they can fight over who is the most extreme nutball.
No doubt, Republcans would lose some votes and probably some elections, too. In the long term, though, it’s nothing but a clear win for the Republican party. A house cleaning like that would certainly make the party far more welcoming to independents and former Republicans disillusioned by party purists. I see it as a tremendous opportunity to build a stronger (and saner) political base.
With any luck, the Tea Party as a third party will arise in Loudoun, taking Dick Black as their state senate candidate and Suzanne Volpe as their chairman to start.
For some reason, I'm hearing music: "What a wonderful world it would be."
Interesting, but the divisions are extremely cloudy in the identification of the factions.
ReplyDeleteI have attended TEA Parties with some pretty sane, albeit...cincerned... citizens from across the region and the Country. I think that many of their tax concerns are valid, and that the movement had honesty.
More locally, and probably across the country (as witnessed by the contreversies in Ca and NV), the movement that started as a fresh expression of frustration and outrage with this administration's tax and spend issues....has been hijacked by the unstable and the lunatic nutjobs you describe here.
The first bit of trouble that I witnessed was at a Conservative Awards Dinner in Sterling. While I agee with much of what Ken Cuccennnelli has stood for, as well as Del. Marshall, I had to endure a culture of nitwits that they surround themselves with at that meeting.
Jo Anne Chase was a featured speaker at that dinner, and she spent her entire time attacking Frank Wolf, and her Committee Chair, Glen Caroline. This was immediately after Glen had won the coveted Unit Chair Award for ALL of Virginia. The Award was given by a grateful McDonnell, Bolling and Cuccennelli.
Then, in the aftermath of the large win for Cooch BY Caroline, earning the highest percentage of votes in NOVA, (57% in Loudoun)Cooch endorsed Mark Sell over Glen Caroline's endorsement of Strother. Talk about stabbing your supporters in the back!!! Fimian's toxic campaign was totally expected by this blogger!!
I'm with you that the tea party started off as a good idea, but, like many good parties, it just got out of hand.
ReplyDeleteI was particularly struck by the introduction of a Tea Party leader at last month's LCRC meeting. Just seemed odd.
You'd have been MORE struck, if you were to learn that the Tea Party leader had been allowed to address the sitting Committee of the 10th District in their meeting this week. ESPECIALLY since they seem hell-bent on ridding the Tenth of Wolf, while Lind says he will work FOR Wolf.
ReplyDeleteSomething ain't jiving here, and the only thing calming me now is that the deadline for another candidate has passed.