Points to Ponder

A Bitter Cup of Tea

 

As we move toward the November Presidential election and some of the most challenging political rhetoric in many years, I think it is fair to reanalyze what was the most unexpected major political event in the last 20 years, and it was not the election of President Obama.

The Democratic Party was almost guaranteed to win that 2008 election, but it was no small feat to take a relative unknown, put together the largest political war chest in history and run a positive campaign of major change that promised to unite rather than divide an electorate very unhappy with Washington and the economy.  To be honest, Barack Obama and the Democrats had a blank check.

What blindsided so many who handicap elections and the national media that would like to have us believe that they take the pulse of the nation, was the massive turnover in the House of Representatives in the midterm 2010 election.

That power shift that has caused the administration to move to a lockdown mode was not the result of a well organized Republican Party with a clever agenda worked out in secret by their brain trust.  No, the Republicans just happened to be the “only ready alternative” for an angry citizenry with short tempers to turn to as they saw unfolding before them a very strange mix of Democrats and certain industry insiders on the one hand, and reckless unconscionable fiscal behavior on the other. That angry citizenry was a brand-new movement known as the Tea Party.

Regardless of how those folks may be characterized by the major political parties and some in the media, they are not a political party but a political movement that are informed, can add and subtract, and have made it clear that they will do all they can to turn out incumbents who they think value their careers above the needs of who they serve, and that mindset changed not only the House, but many state and local governments overnight.  From a singular even in 2009 in reaction to Washington/Wall Street sweetheart deals these folks made it perfectly clear that overdue financial restraint and debt that they, their children, and grandchildren would be saddled with if things did not change now was going to drive their agenda and swell their numbers.  That is exactly what happened.

In many ways this group is the embodiment of that 1960s bumper sticker “Question Authority” - - but they have taken it a step further to “Challenge Authority” and they make it very clear that they fully understand that the authority they refer to comes from them under the rules of our participatory Republic.

The reactionary message from the Democratic mainstream is that these folks are the knuckle-dragging Neanderthals of the Republican Party who don’t understand setting no limits on how much money can be printed and borrowed by our government in the quest for a revolutionary system of social services, is not a mirror of the worst fiscal and government practices in recorded history. They want to immediately characterize Tea Party activists as taking orders from the Republican Party as their ultra right wing.  Frankly, the Republican Party would like to control them, but it can’t.

That straw man just does not stand up to scrutiny. While some Tea Party folks moved from the Republican Party, it was because they found that too often the fiscal restraint that used to characterize their campaigns had been left out of recent practice, and they supported only younger Republicans who were not afraid to challenge the moderates.  At the same time numbers of Democrats ran from their party when they found no conservative thinking in their primary offerings, and voted for the Republican alternative to make sure the message was clear.

In the last month or so the usual network talkers have tried to make the case that the Tea Party has lost its power base and was a one-time flash in the pan event that would be overshadowed by a more traditional Democrat-Republican contest in November. Well, that may be wistful thinking for both parties.

In the primary election taking place next in April at least two of longest serving, almost guaranteed-to-win Republican senators, Hatch of Utah and Lugar of Indiana have primary challengers in very close races.  These are Tea Party inspired primary elections and the message from them is that they are not going to support Republicans who don’t place fiscal restraint and conservative principles ahead of other issues; even if this sets up the seats for a loss to Democrats.  Aggressive Tea Party tactics cost other senators their seats the last time around.

For those who don’t recall, the 1994 elections were a reaction to a major left-wing swing then, and five congressmen and one senator changed parties as the folks back home were about to show them the door.  This time we may see more registered Independents as the alternative.

In addition there are serving Democrats who are willingly showing their newfound conservative credentials on many issues as they want to hold on to their seats and the message from their constituents is clear. Senator Manchin of West Virginia has already distanced himself from the Obama administration policies.

Tea Party and Independent movements will determine the outcome of the next election. Some area voters don’t think there is any Tea Party activity in urban communities and believe they are only functioning in rural areas.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  There are five Tea Party groups in Philadelphia alone, (Northeast, Northwest, South Philadelphia, and two in Center City) and a significant number in the nearby county suburbs.  Many ex-Democrats fill the ranks of these groups although they may stay registered (D) so they can vote in primaries.

One thing you can be very sure of, and that is that Tea Party types are among that group of “most likely voters”. They will be organizing to deliver their message and it seems it will continue to be “A bitter cup of tea”.

Jim Foster

Editor

Germantown Newspapers Inc.

6661 Germantown Ave.

Philadelphia Pa 19119

editor@germantownnewspapers.com