And we GOPers better pay attention:
While the energy of the anti-tax and anti-Big Government tea party movement may yet haunt Democrats in 2010, the first order of business appears to be remaking the Republican Party.
Whether it’s the loose confederation of Washington-oriented groups that have played an organizational role or the state-level activists who are channeling grass-roots anger into action back home, tea party forces are confronting the Republican establishment by backing insurgent conservatives and generating their own candidates — even if it means taking on GOP incumbents.
“We will be a headache for anyone who believes the Constitution of the United States … isn’t to be protected,” said Dick Armey, chairman of the anti-tax and limited government advocacy group FreedomWorks, which helped plan and promote the tea parties, town hall protests and the September ‘Taxpayer March’ in Washington. “If you can’t take it seriously, we will look for places of other employment for you.”
“We’re not a partisan organization, and I think many Republicans are disappointed we are not,” added Armey, a former GOP congressman.
I’m not – I want the TEA Party and the GOP to remain separate – though, of course, I want my GOP to bid strongly for TEA Party support. It is what I intend to do – and I warn all my fellow GOPers that if we spurn these people and/or take them for granted, then we’ll pay a high price. But more important than the sheer political battle, the TEA Party offers us a chance for real reform.
P. J. O’Rourke wrote – only half-jokingly – after the 2008 election that we conservatives had blown it for good and all. We had the world at our feet, and we threw it all away. In a very real sense, we did – we forgot what we’re here for. Its not for tinkering around the edges of Big Government; its not to be a kind face for Big Corporation idiocy; its not to merely harp upon one-issue themes…it is to rescue our Republic from the leftists who seek our destruction. We are the party of Life; we are the party of Family; we are the party of Faith…but in order for us to defend Life, Family and Faith our first task is to bring government back under control. Our first task is to restore the Constitutional order…after that, the rest will fall our way of its own accord. If we can’t do this, then all our arguments against abortion, against gay marriage, in favor of family and faith are pointless…the left will just roll over us and take us down along with the economic conservatives. Divided we really do fall.
The TEA Party wants just this – government under control, out of the way and reduced to its proper functions. If we can demonstrate to the TEA Party people that we are serious about this, they’ll come out and vote for us in droves, and provide all the enthusiasm we need to sweep this nation. So far, I only see a few Republicans who are picking up on this – Sarah Palin is the most prominent, but most GOPers either are shying away, or are foolishly thinking of ways to get the support without carrying out the promise.
Barack Obama and his leftist Democrats have concentrated our mind – it is now time for us to put together the winning coalition; it can be done, it must be done. All it takes is a willingness to listen and then the courage to act.
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