The philosophy of the Tea Party in the primary season can be described in three words. Anybody but Romney. Unfortunately, this is a very bad strategy.
Is Romney now an acceptable candidate?
No! Absolutely not.
Time Magazine just pointed out how bad the “anybody but Romney” strategy is. They did not do that intentionally, as I suspect they want to see an Obama-Romney battle next year.
What they did point out is that the Tea Party vote has been fragmented and not solidified around a single candidate. Earlier this year, the Tea Party vote floated around Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. Now Palin has decided she is not running and Bachmann’s campaign is flat-lining. The Tea Party vote has fragmented even more. The vote is now divided among Bachmann, Cain and Newt Gingrich.
Like in 2008, when conservatives split their vote between Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson and (unbelievably) Mitt Romney allowing John McCain to win the nomination, this is the opening for Mitt Romney. The meme his campaign keeps putting out is that he is the inevitable nominee and that he is the only one who can beat Obama next year.
Both claims are demonstrably false.
Seventy to seventy five percent of Republicans want someone other than Romney. That number is higher among Tea Party supporters. Obama’s numbers are tanking so badly that almost any Republican who can fog a mirror is going to be in good shape next year.
But before we get to the general election, we go through the primaries. If Mitt Romney wins the primaries, the Tea Party has lost and it does not matter whether it is Obama or Romney who wins the election, as there is very little difference between the two.
Granted Obama hates America and Romney at least likes America, but beyond that, from a policy standpoint, there is little difference between the two. The number of advisors that worked for both Romney and Obama is stunning, or appalling, depending on your point of view.
Romney gave Massachusetts Romneycare, which has almost bankrupted the state. His spending on welfare programs would make Obama proud and of course, he supported cap and trade and imposed draconian, job-killing environmental regulations on Massachusetts businesses.
We need a President who is committed to ripping socialism out of government, which excludes Romney who wants to grow and manage big government.
A month ago, I endorsed Newt Gingrich. I now encourage all Tea Party members to join me in supporting Newt Gingrich.
When Gingrich was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, he faced a similar situation that John Boehner faces today. He faced a liberal President who was loved by the driveby media and he faced a Senate controlled by the Democrats. Unlike Boehner, Gingrich did not raise the freshly laundered white flag of surrender. He fought. With Gingrich as Speaker, the budget was balanced and welfare reform was enacted. Even before Gingrich became Speaker, Republicans were in the minority and the Republican leadership of the House was perfectly content with that. Gingrich was the one with the vision to see that conservatives could take control of Congress.
Over a year ago, I decided I was going to endorse someone early in the primary season because I thought it was important to make my voice heard. My criteria for selecting someone was simple. I wanted someone with experience. Look what happened in 2008 when we put someone without experience in the White House. I also wanted someone with a track record. I wanted someone who could show me they have done things before. I wanted someone with vision. Simply winning is not enough in this election. We must take socialism apart. Since 1932, government and socialism in government has grown unchecked. It has never been reversed. Only during the Reagan administration, was the growth of government stopped for a few years.
Finally, I want someone who can beat Obama.
Newt Gingrich is the only one who meets all of my criteria.
The problem the Tea Party has right now is an abundance of riches. We have some good candidates and one really great candidate. Unfortunately our votes are split all over the place and that is the problem. The first caucus is eight weeks away. If we remain split, we are going to see the Republican establishment nominate Romney and if that happens, the Tea Party has lost.
We have a great candidate in Newt Gingrich.
We have the candidate who can beat the establishment, stop Romney and then lead us to victory in November 2012 against Obama and the Party of Socialism.
I encourage everyone in the Tea Party movement to come on board now and join me in supporting Newt for President.
Tags: 2012, bachmann, cain, gingrich, herman, michele, mitt, newt, republican, romney
Permalink Reply by Charlie Snouffer on Permalink Reply by Pat Henry on Charlie I wish I had said that... YOU ARE 100% ON THE MONEY
The only think I could add is that when the Teaparty needed help and support in the NY 23rd race.... It was Gingrich who turned his back on us and sold us out to the the big GUBBERMUNT liberal RINOs.
Permalink Reply by MUG on He's not as bad as you make it seem Charlie, but he is FLAWED. He is not a RINO, but he has tried to advance conservatism with compromise and bipartisanship and he gets distracted with bright ideas. He is not the General Patton or Admiral Farragut that I think we need. "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."
That said, the only candidate I trust to be a bulldog and stay the course is Michelle Bachmann, but she seems to be going nowhere. Rick Perry might convince me, but he also seems to be going nowhere.
Judson, I will trust you on this, but I am reluctant.
Permalink Reply by Marcie Ellis on I have been a Tea Party member since its inception.
You have just lost me.
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Permalink Reply by Judson Phillips on © 2013 Created by Judson Phillips.
