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Why Are Some Conservatives Targeting the Tea Party as a ‘Cancer’?

Feb. 6, 2013 9:30pm Mytheos Holt

In the aftermath of 2012, many conservatives have been afflicted with an identity crisis. Having seen the Reagan coalition fail to elect a man who would have won in a landslide with similar proportions of the population 30 years ago, and having seen Democratic constituencies turn out in numbers that defied expectations set by previous elections, it is understandable that the conservative movement and its sometime political vehicle, the Republican party, should find themselves bewildered about the future of the movement.

Naturally enough, as in any debate, different people have different ideas, and more than a little mutual recrimination was probably inevitable in this debate. However, now the first full-blown fight between previous allies has finally erupted. On the one side sit pragmatic conservatives looking to broaden the party’s base, though perhaps at the expense of a few policy positions, and playing defense more than offense. On the other side sit principled conservatives looking to preserve the party’s identity by jealously guarding policy positions, and viewing the act of playing defense itself as an admission of defeat.

Over at RedState, one of the former has just fired a shot across the bow of the latter:

The Tea Party brand has been effectively destroyed. After three years of demonizing the Tea Party as ‘racist,’ ‘extremist,’ and ‘radical,’ the brand has become a cancer.

It is now a drag on the candidates it supports, with the Left (and GOP establishment types like Karl Rove) gleefully labeling conservative candidates as “outside the mainstream.”

In the meantime, while the Tea Party had once enjoyed 24% popularity, according to a recent Rasmussen poll, only 8% of Americans now identify themselves as members of the Tea Party.

While that is the lowest it has been in the three years, there is some positive news in that poll: Thirty percent of the poll’s participants do hold favorable views of the Tea Party. That is something to build on.

However, insofar as it has been branded and is now associated with negativism, the brand itself must change in order to build and grow again.

Obviously, contrary opinions exist. David Brody of CBN devoted a recent Brody File to the question, and interviewed multiple Tea Party members who suggested that reports of their death are exaggerated.

CBN:

Much like Mark Twain, the Tea Party said reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. While polls show Tea Party identification dropping from 24 percent in 2010 to just 8 percent today, there have been key wins.

Newly minted Sens. Ted Cruz and Deb Fischer joined a growing constitutional conservative group made up of Sens. Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Tim Scott, and Rand Paul.

In the House, more than 50 Tea Party members make up a strong voting bloc. Ultimately, Tea Party leaders say the key to a sustainable national movement is electing House and Senate candidates who are ready for prime time.

Julie Turner, president of the Texas Patriots, said the way to keep the movement on track is by grooming candidates on the local level and growing a bench of all-stars.

“We require our candidates for endorsement to have a path to victory in their campaign,” Turner told CBN News.

Nevertheless, if calling the Tea Party label a “cancer” at one of the most well-read conservative blogs isn’t a sign of warning for those who identify with the label, then it is almost certainly the case that another recent story about Republican mega-strategist Karl Rove will cause some discomfort. The New York Times reports:

The biggest donors in the Republican Party are financing a new group to recruit seasoned candidates and protect Senate incumbents from challenges by far-right conservatives and Tea Party enthusiasts who Republican leaders worry could complicate the party’s efforts to win control of the Senate.

The group, the Conservative Victory Project, is intended to counter other organizations that have helped defeat establishment Republican candidates over the last two election cycles. It is the most robust attempt yet by Republicans to impose a new sense of discipline on the party, particularly in primary races.

“There is a broad concern about having blown a significant number of races because the wrong candidates were selected,” said Steven J. Law, the president of American Crossroads, the “super PAC” creating the new project. “We don’t view ourselves as being in the incumbent protection business, but we want to pick the most conservative candidate who can win.”[...]

The Conservative Victory Project, which is backed by Karl Rove and his allies who built American Crossroads into the largest Republican super PAC of the 2012 election cycle, will start by intensely vetting prospective contenders for Congressional races to try to weed out candidates who are seen as too flawed to win general elections.

The project is being waged with last year’s Senate contests in mind, particularly the one in Missouri, where Representative Todd Akin’s comment that “legitimate rape” rarely causes pregnancy rippled through races across the country. In Indiana, the Republican candidate, Richard E. Mourdock, lost a race after he said that when a woman became pregnant during a rape it was “something God intended.”

Rove himself has hastily backtracked from this description of his group’s mission, protesting that his fight is not actually with the Tea Party.

Unfortunately for him, not everyone’s convinced of the purity of his motives. However, one or two conservative commentators have accepted Rove’s word, albeit for different, and more cynical reasons than he suggests. Allahpundit at Hot Air provides one such explanation:

But then, we’re assuming that Rove’s main goal, and American Crossroads’s goal more broadly, is to boost establishment candidates. Is it? Or is this reorientation towards electability more about protecting their viability with rich contributors after a disastrous election year?[...]

Some donors will walk away, but not all. And by backing the most “electable” candidate in every primary, CPV now has a prefab defense to future losses: They can’t be accused of mismanaging their contributors’ money because they’re betting on the horse with the best odds of winning in each race. It’s like a hedge fund switching to a more risk-averse investment strategy after major losses, even though a lot of Republicans who went bust last year were establishment favorites who weren’t so risky on paper. “Electability” is really just Crossroads’s way of reassuring its funders that next time will be different — with the punchline being that they’ll likely be pressured into backing a few tea-party longshots anyway, just to keep grassroots conservatives from making the CPV endorsement a badge of contempt in the movement that candidates grow reluctant to embrace.

Poll numbers are not pleasant reading for those looking to defend the Tea Party, however. People who openly identify as Tea Party members have declined as a percentage of the population from 24 percent to 8 percent. Only 30 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the Tea Party, a number only slightly higher than former President George W. Bush’s approval rating when he left office.

However, just because the label “Tea Party” might be unpopular, that’s no reason for principled conservatives (or libertarians, for that matter) to despair. In late 2011, at the height of the Occupy Wall Street movement, young people gave the term “libertarian” high marks by a 22 point margin, even higher than the margin by which Tea Partiers liked the term. Could this label at last be coming into its own? One can only guess.

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Comments (208)

tnw71
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:32pm
The American economy WILL come crashing down. It is not ‘if’ but ‘when’. When it does crash, that will be when the re-set happens. The strong will survive. The folks in the cities produce nothing and will not be able to survive there. The showdown will then begin. All the folks that think they are ‘entitled’ are in for a huge surprise when they show up at Mr. Farmer’s house looking for something to eat. It’s gonna be ugly folks.

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- BODYBAG
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:41pm
  @TNW71
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:32pm
  The American economy WILL come crashing down. It is not ‘if’ but ‘when’. When it does crash, that will be when the re-set happens. The strong will survive. The folks in the cities produce nothing and will not be able to survive there. The showdown will then begin. All the folks that think they are ‘entitled’ are in for a huge surprise when they show up at Mr. Farmer’s house looking for something to eat. It’s gonna be ugly folks
  ———————————————————–
  Exactly and well put.
  The sooner we get this party started the better.
  
  This article is nothing more than PsyOps.
  
  “Nevertheless, if calling the Tea Party label a “cancer” at one of the most well-read conservative blogs [RedState]”
  
  Cmon, who you trying to kid here? Erik Ericson who runs RedState is a d o u c h e in a clown suit.
  
  Get real people.
  
  Report this comment
- Keatonc333
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:43pm
  anyone else find it ironic that farmers take more from the government than food step recipients?
- Brother Winston Smith
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:55pm
  The Tea Party is fine.
  
  But the FAKE-TEA republican-co-opted tea party groups are the cancer. And understand… the republican party is DESIGNED TO BE A CANCER TO KILL ANY CONSTITUTIONAL HOST that is stupid enough to let it in.
  
  Tea Party Express – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  Freedomworks – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  Tea Party Nation – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  Tea Party Patriots – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  Rubio – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  Rand – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  Bachmann – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  ANY republican – FAKE-TEA GOP cancer.
  
  The local, decentralized tea parties MUST SHUN ANY, AND I MEAN ANY, REPUBLICAN INFLUENCE OR BRIBE MONEY.
  
  Same with Ron Paul’s Liberty Movement. STAY AWAY FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- scarydave
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:37pm
  WHY ARE SOME CONSERVATIVES TARGETING THE TEA PARTY AS A ‘CANCER’?
  ——————————————————————————————————————————-
  This one is simple… because some of the folks that call themselves Conservative have this notion that the words “Conservative” and “Republican” mean the same thing. Not by a long shot!
  
  For you Conservatives that think Rove is some sort of hero, think about this… Because of Rove, we got “Compassionate Conservatism”. Rove needs to retire and people need to STOP listening to him.
  
  Report this comment
- LibertyOrDeath12
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:50pm
  The Tea Party was corrupted by Rhino’s and ended up voting for the biggest liar on stage… Mitt Romney
  
  Report this comment
- Heather Cocolin
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 12:49am
  It’s funny to see the blaze report on something like this when Glenn himself said on his TV show that what the Tea Party did was stupid since everyone made fun of them. Why is Glenn not mentioned in this article?
  
  Report this comment
- dissentnow
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 5:55am
  Glenn also called the tea party “racist”.
  Again, no mention of that.
  
  Report this comment
- Obama Been Lauding
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:28am
  Real Libertarian,
  You keep putting the same thing down, as though you think the Republicans need to take up the same platform as Progressive Democrats. Gay Rights– What exactly should Gays(Sexual Lifestyle), get, as far as additional rights? Pro-choice–What more, than abortion, do they need? Infanticide?
  Religion–This country came to being by people wanting to exercise their right for religious freedom!!That is why the “Framers” put in Inalienable Rights(Rights given by God). Now the question is, why should it be removed, so people can be more uncivilized/immoral?
  
  Report this comment
- grimmster
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:17am
  This is what the left does oh so well, demonize things that scare the crap out of them.These so called “republicans” are anything but,they are nothing more than progressive commies just like hussein odumbass.The old established republican party is dead,now what “true” conservative party replaces it, ie the Tea Party,or Conservative party,remains to be seen,but it will be replaced,just hide and watch.
  
  Report this comment
- naughtycal
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:18am
  Someone congradulate the Democrats for their 2016 victory…..Because the Republican party just lost more than enough support to totally destroy any chance in 2016.
  
  Report this comment
- SquareHead
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:57am
  I fear you are right. The “Conservatives” that fear the T-party are:
  From Blue states, and can’t see how a real small government movement can succeed.
  Are in a business that profits from the government in some way, there are thousands of types of jobs that would not exist in a free just society. Tax accountants for one, HMO specialist, and compliance types, half the attorneys.
  The brain washed, that bought into the lies pushed by 90% of media this website included, which is promoting a New World Order.
  
  Report this comment
- jettson
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 8:55am
  Brother Winston Smith We should stick with the Demorats sure buddy There the reason America is going to crash and burn. Grimmster this guy has it right. Watch and See
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 10:51am
  TNW71 you do realize that its the rural red states that are by and larger the takers, while its the liberl Northeast that gives more money to the federal government than it recieves in return.
  
  But than logic and reason is never the strongest suit of the reactionary fringe tea baggers. You live in a fairy tale land, believing the lies and bigotry of Beck and others you are another lost soul.
  
  Report this comment
- happ77
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:11pm
  Encinom, when the $#t hits the fan its not
  going to matter who takes federal money and who gives.
  The northeast, where I lived for 50yrs, will fall apart.
  They produce nothing of real value in a disaster.
  Some will riot, some will go to a corner and get in
  the fetal position, many will die.
  
  Report this comment
- GetRight
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 10:49am
  DISSENTNOW, Do you have a sound-bite or an article in which Glenn said the Tea Party is racist? I have been a long time listener/watcher of his show and never heard anything but good things from him about the Tea Party.
  
  Also, the GOP is dying because they stopped being conservative. It seems to me that conservatives pay attention. We know the Constitution, our history, and current events. We are hard to trick. We are not ideologues. When the GOP decided to be a big government machine it lost us. While they try to break from small government and Constitution in order to appeal to the masses they will lose their base. That is why the Tea Party formed in the first place!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
Shrugged
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:21pm
The TEA PARTY gave the nation and the republicans the 2010 mid-term election victory. In turn, they gave us Mitt Romeny and the 2012 election failure. . . .and we are supposed to believe the tea party is the problem??

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- CatB
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:32pm
  Exactly .. but they, like the Dems, ATTACK what they fear .. and they FEAR being put out of power. Even if they are number 2 they can steal (or “appropriate”) a lot of power and $$$.
  
  Report this comment
- wowjustwow
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 12:49am
  In all fairness you have to admit that days prior to the election everyone on this site was singing wild praises about Romney…and saying it would be a landslide. For the same people to act like they felt shortchanged is dishonest.
  
  Report this comment
- banjarmon
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:01am
  In my mind the TEA is alive and well, the 2014 election cycle will be here soon and My time and $$ will go to help people that believe the way I do. GO TEA!!!
  
  Report this comment
- dissentnow
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:10am
  @WOW
  
  Its called revisionist history and it happens every election cycle. The same people that said that if you didn’t vote for Romney but, instead, voted libertarian or constitution party then you are a communist traitor who hates America and who is secretly working for the Obama camnpaign, are the same people who are now, that Romney lost and the election is over, bad-mouthing Romney and talking about what a loser progressive he is.
  Its just like all of the dems who were ready to impeach Bush over the patriot act, domestic spy programs, and the deaths of civilians overseas, but now, that Obama is in office, they don’t say a word about the fact that Obama renewed the patriot act, signed the NDAA into law, doubled the domestic spy program, doubled the war in Afghanistan ( troop deaths have doubled there under his watch ), and is killing far more women and children with drones strikes than Bush ever dreamed of.
  The river of hypocrisy flows in both directions.
- Palter
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:55am
  Tea party also gave us Todd “vag rejects rapist sperm” Akin, Sharron “not my job to create a job” Angle and Christine “i’m not a witch” O’donnell. Don’t forget Michelle “John Wayne Gacy” Bachman also. Welcome to the tea party, where common sense doesn’t always make sense.
- naughtycal
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:25am
  The tea party is the problem when both parties want to grow bigger more intrusive government.
  The fake two party system now actually has a second party in the tea party patriots.
  So Rino please do evertone a favor and jump on the attack the founding principles band wagon…..
  WE WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
  
  Report this comment
- theBru
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:47am
  Personally, I think the TP’s should do what the dims did to the repugs, infiltrate the other’s party under false pretense, once elected, you get to do what you want…TP’s would never think of this, as they are inherently far too honest to do it…
  
  Report this comment
- Red Meat
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 8:19am
  Rasmussen polls are suspect since the 2012 election. Disregard all polling from the mainstream.
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 10:54am
  The Tea Party is the reason the GOP doesn’t control the Senate or the White House. The party can win district election, but that is it. Their are too many sane people who look through their insanity in larger races.
  
  Report this comment
stopprintn
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:16pm
If the true conservatives in congress, would break off and form a national conservative party, I would join. But I think it would have to start there.

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- lovenfl3
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:18pm
  It’s because conservatives represent the origin of the Republican Party, and it scares the hell out of Rino’s……period!!! I agree Stop, time for a real conservative party!
  
  Report this comment
- IndianaUSA
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:27pm
  If we didn’t listen to everyone that said a third party won’t work, It will split the vote. Who cares? We couldn’t throw a commie traitor out of office that bought the election with our tax money. I’d rather try to bail water out of the ship than sit there and go down with it. What do we have to lose at this point?
  
  Report this comment
- stopprintn
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:37pm
  By starting in congress, we would already have 40 or so seats. The tea party would jump on m
  
  Report this comment
- American Soldier (Separated)
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 12:29am
  Why don’t you just be a libertarian, where the ground work of being in all 50 states ballots have already been laid out and where we actually believe in FREEDOM, not selective freedom as is clearly the position of both the Dems and the Reps.
  
  Report this comment
IndianaUSA
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:12pm
We no longer have a two party system in this country. It’s all just an illusion. Both parties are corrupt and greedy. They thirst for power and control. The Republicans have failed miserably. The democrats are now Communists and the republicans are now Socialist. Our country is going down fast. It’s time for all of us to unite under the Libertarian or Constitution party. We must donate money and support to honest candidates. There are many on the left who support our ideas, but the media does its’ part to keep us divided. This is our only hope.

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capitalismrocks
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:09pm
Only RINO’s are attacking the Tea Party, Conservatives are NOT… The Tea Party ARE the Conservatives, its the GOP and its dying, pathetic lot that are in a panic and are either need to get its act together, go on a full on positive PR campaign showing how Free Market, Conservative ways work better instead of their negative reactionary responses to the liberal attack machines tearing them apart day by day… the Tea Party is the last line of defense, the GOP has become powerless and worthless.

TEA PARTY = CONSERVATIVES

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- RealLiibertarian
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:17pm
  Real conservatves are Libertarians. Small government, ficscally sane, mind your own busines types.
  
  Report this comment
- LEFTIST_CLOWNS_AND_FAR_RIGHT_JOKERS
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:31pm
  Libertarians are part-time Conservatives as a matter of fact. Like the Tea Party, you can’t claim what you are not (Conservative) or didn’t start (Tea Party). You may want to keep telling yourself that until you believe it… but the facts are the facts part-timer.
  
  Report this comment
- RealLiibertarian
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:40pm
  I’ve never denied that I’m a fiscal conservative. But I am socially extremely liberal- supporter of Roe, in favour of full gay rights, opposed to goverment censorship, and opposed to government or religion engineering society in any way. Part time or not, many Tea Party members, including some on this site,have told me that I am part of the problem and that libertarians are not wanted.
  
  Report this comment
- ltb
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:40pm
  The reason liberals keep gaining ground in America is because they play to win and they don’t compromise. They falsely accuse conservatives of doing the very things that liberals actually do and then RINOs say, “oh my, we really need to stop being such bullies,” even though conservatives are the ones being bullied into silence. This isn’t about playing well with others, it’s about a war of ideologies. We don’t need to “broaden the base” by welcoming homosexuals, militant minorities, pro-abortionists, etc., we need to explain why conservativism is good for everybody. And why is conservativism good for everybody? Because it is the only ideology that is compatible with the ideals set forth in our Constitution. People cannot be free in a so-called liberal society, because liberalism promotes selfishness and a selfish society requires an overbearing government to police the actions of everyone to make sure that nobody gets offended.
  
  Report this comment
- LEFTIST_CLOWNS_AND_FAR_RIGHT_JOKERS
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:50pm
  Society is dependent upon inculcated self-restraint if it is not to slide into barbarism, and Libertarians attack this self-restraint. Ironically, this often results in internal restraints being replaced by the external restraints of police and prison, resulting in less freedom, not more.
  
  This contempt for self-restraint is emblematic of a deeper problem: Libertarianism has a lot to say about freedom but little about learning to handle it. Freedom without judgment is dangerous at best, useless at worst. Yet Libertarianism is philosophically incapable of evolving a theory of how to use freedom well because of its root dogma that all free choices are equal, which it cannot abandon except at the cost of admitting that there are other goods than freedom. Conservatives should know better than to fall for Libertarian BS.
  
  Report this comment
- RealLiibertarian
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:58pm
  LTB- your atttude is exactly why I won’t support the conservatives or any version of the Tea Party that supports those attitudes. Freedom includes gays, pro choice, non christians. Real consevatives support small government and minding your own business.
  
  Report this comment
- Jedrin
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:07pm
  RealLiibertarian is not what I would call a Libertarian. Gay rights are what? Making Gays more equal than everyone else. Libertarian is sticking strictly with limited government. Everyone is treated EQUALLY under the law. Why should gays have more rights than me? I have seen that an awful lot of so-called Libertarians are really anarchists criminals, promoting slavery and a lot of other stupid things. The reason Libertarianism doesn’t work is because people, at this time in history, will not accept the policy of live and let live, giving others as much liberty and respect they themselves demand and accepting diversity of thought. The golden rule would suffice 90% of the time, no laws needed. Laws are only needed to take the burden of responsibility from the weak and put it on the state, which then prey on the weak. http://www.constitutionparty.com
  
  Report this comment
- Jedrin
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:30pm
  The Tea Party has been attacked by all sides from the get go. It is not a Party at all. Bachman and others tried to turn it into a party, bad idea. The Tea Party movement should stay a “loosely associated group of individuals brought together for a common goal of reducing the out of control spending of the federal government” and that is it. That would be a HUGE accomplishment. But no, Turn it into a “conservative” movement adding in other stuff that is unrelated to spending is just a loosing strategy. Cut the spending of the Feds and everything else will fall in place or at least be easier to tackle. Spending is the ONLY thing that is the threat. Without spending there is not BATFE, QE infinity, free cell phones. Why? The Feds cannot afford it, any of it. Cuts have to be deep. Do any of your realize how many people make a living off the Feds? 60% of the country is directly connected to the spending and ALL of us are indirectly connected. It is going to be horrible to get out of this dilemma. Unemployment will skyrocket. The small business in California are decimated in the last year, storefront that were occupied a year ago are empty this year. I see this. It is horrible. Quit back stabbing and adding is stuff that doesn’t matter at this point. KEEP FOCUSED, CUT SPENDING. The county will not survive the spending; it will survive gay marriage and many other things for which even I do not agree. Better not get involve with the stupid things, put that on the States. It
  
  Report this comment
- American Soldier (Separated)
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 12:35am
  @JEDRIN
  
  “Gay rights are what? Making Gays more equal than everyone else. Libertarian is sticking strictly with limited government. Everyone is treated EQUALLY under the law. Why should gays have more rights than me? ”
  
  How exactly are homosexuals equal right now? Please tell me how exactly they are equal, especially when it comes to marriage, insurance, benefits and tax breaks….
  
  That’s not equal, that’s you not carrying that they don’t get the same benefits, and since you’re not gay, this embalance means little to nothing to you.
  
  If you really believed in limited government, instead of critizing gays, why not advocate that NO extra treatment is given to married people. No tax breaks, no insurance breaks, nothing.
  
  It’s a similar tactic to tackle illegal immigration. You can build the largest wall in the world, but if there’s benefits for making it over, people will continue to fight their way across the border.
  
  Want marriage to stay the same? Take government out of it. Why do you have to BUY a marriage license to get married? If marriage was truly a religious ceremony, then why do you have to pay for the “PRIVILEGE” to get married?
  
  They want what you have, how’s that asking for extra?
  
  Report this comment
- DYNA
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:49am
  @RealLiibertarian
  Your statement included
  “But I am socially extremely liberal- supporter of Roe, in favour of full gay rights…”
  
  You are contradicting yourself. The social liberals want us to pay for abortions and “gay rights” demands government intervention against those that do not accept it. Forcing this on others is definitely not libertarian.
  
  Report this comment
- wilsonj72
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:36am
  Right on! All the RINO are in fear. Mitt did not get elected because the TEA party stayed home. Karl comes up with this Phony TEA party like group what a joke. Karl had McCain a joke and McCain 2.0 Mitt a joke and tries to bring in Christie a joke. The RINO candidate McCain, Mitt and now Christie failures
  
  Report this comment
- Dismayed Veteran
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 9:32am
  I believe in much of what Jerdin states. If I recall correctly, TEA means taxed enough already. This is what drew divergent people together. I believe we need to concentrate our efforts on fiscal matters based on what the Constitution describes as the purpose of the federal government. We are broke and in debt to one of our main enemies. If we focus on the social issues, we will continue to be marginalized. I guess what I am saying is that I want the US to survive and adhering to the Founding Fathers. If it takes help from gay, lesbians, minorities some don’t like, and people of other Christian denominations who hate mine, I don’t care. Those are secondary issues to survival.
  
  Report this comment
- edmundburk
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:13pm
  BRAVO!! dismayed veteren,
  
  Report this comment
- ltb
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 5:18pm
  Reallibertarian, the problem I have with libertarians is that they fail to understand that small government and an immoral society are mutually incompatible.
  
  —–
  
  “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” — John Adams
  
  “Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.” — William Penn
  
  Report this comment
RealLiibertarian
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:02pm
When the Tea Party was a new idea and stood for fiscal conservatism and libertarian ideas, it was a good thing. Unfortunately, instead of joining with the Libertarians, it sold out to the the social and religious whackos of the GOP and consigned itself to the dustbin of history. The majority of Americans don’t like the moralising twaddle that comes from such Tea Party stars as Bachmann, Ryan, and Santorum.

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- erock33
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:12pm
  Can we just call Rove and republicans like him “democrat lite” and be done with that part of the republican party?
  
  Report this comment
- IndianaUSA
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:15pm
  The Tea Party had to use the republican party to get candidates elected. It is now time to sever the ties. We have time before the next election.
  
  Report this comment
- RealLiibertarian
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:20pm
  IndianUSA- the Tea Party needs to get a whole new slate of candidates in order to do that, pretty much a makeover from the ground up. The current Tea Party candidates are soiled goods after kowtowing to the social right in order to get elected.
  
  Report this comment
- IndianaUSA
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:33pm
  Realliibertarian,
  There are some very good candidates that the Tea Party helped to elect. We keep the good ones and throw out the bad ones. The Tea Party isn’t organized nationally. Each chapter and state kind of do their own thing. I agree with their principles. I have met many good people that are involved with the Tea Party.
  
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- Mike76
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:39pm
  Spot. On.
  
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- S-O-B-E-R
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:59pm
  Just following the thread here and responding to you couple of folks. Wasn’t that a huge rallying cry in 2010: “Vote the bums out. If they’re no good, vote them out, too.”? The wonderful Tea Party folks that I have met were truly grass roots, inspired to save their country, and were I would say politically naive. The vicious attacks have made many retreat and review. It is time to pick up where they left off, not take the political BS personally, and vote the new bums out.
  
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- DYNA
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 3:31am
  @RealLiibertarian
  
  For those who are alive, their time in history has been short. Give it a little more time. The wicked are like the grass of the field that perishes. So do their plans. They wither away and their place knows them no more.
  
  What society continues to exist after becoming morally bankrupt? They bring about their own demise.
  These are those who return to the “dust” and whose names will rot, because they rejected the grace.
  
  Report this comment
txjb
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:00pm
Everything is apart of His plan because He is the creator . But because of the fall of Adam , the world is under the control of satan , only because God allows it to be . When Adam fell ,all the world is under a curse and things happen .My God in heaven is , all powerful,he’s everywhere and He knows it all .

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BasketFullOfPuppies
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:59pm
Problem # 1 with this article : Allowing people to determine for themselves, whether they are conservative. Actions speak louder than words.

Problem #2 : Allowing Karl Rove to even speak for conservatives. He’s a republican. He’s no conservative.

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environmentalandawake
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:56pm
I really believe a new party has to form, but I’ve been saying that for some time now. Truth is there was a serius following of the Libertarians last election cycle, but they had no real horse to back come election day. I voted Gary Johnson, and lean Libertarian, but the Libertarian arguement breaks down at its extreme. Maybe it’s time for the Tea, and Libertarians to merge and get this thing done in 2014?

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Pat Alexander
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:54pm
Pandering to Dems and “Moderates” lost the last election. Not the Tea Party.

As long as the establishment Republicans keep picking the candidates, the losing will go on. But even Mitt could have easily won – had he only taken the gloves off. You can’t be Mr Nice Guy when facing thugs.

Clearly defined conservatism wins. Lukewarm RHINOS lose.

I can’t stand the sight of Rove anymore. Cancer?: Look in the mirror, Karl….You make me want to barf..

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semihardrock
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:52pm
It is very easy to distiguish between a RHINO and a Conservative……

ASK THEM what Freedom means to them…….then listen…..If they never mention how Government is STEALING your money through “Laws and Regulation”…….they are a RHINO or are “Rich White Boys” like Rove……

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GardenoftheGods
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:52pm
I’m not aware of Ron Paul starting the Teaparty; but my opinion is that Rove & his ilk are deathly afraid of real Conservatives standing their ground & fighting for smaller government & lower taxes. I think more Americans will wake up as ObamaCare gets implemented and the tax increases demanded by Obama/Dems start to really hit home. Prices of food, gas, clothing are all increasing weekly; eventually everyone in this country is going to see what the Teaparty said was TRUE… You’ll see a great increase in the party’s popularity and that Karl Rove is one of the talking heads who pushed Romney on us… We’ve had enough of the mainstream “Party” (which intends to move more to the left); Drink TEA! Reclaim your government & your Country America!!

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AUsername
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:50pm
cause ignorant neo cons want to beat the dead horse called the tea party.

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- GoodStuff
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:19pm
  Oh look, a RuPaul loser.
  
  Report this comment
- AUsername
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:50pm
  go cry to netanwahoo because the inevitable end to that worthless nation if coming.
  
  Report this comment
- David Ross
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:55am
  Goodstuff was obviously spot on. Bot for sure. Keep it up User, you make an excellent argument for the problem of Bot ism.
  
  Report this comment
- AUsername
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 8:52am
  nice 2nd account to talk to yourself.
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 9:30am
  A User is never far from a bong.
  
  Report this comment
- texastommy
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 11:17am
  Or, apparently, a dong.
  
  Report this comment
- David Ross
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 12:51pm
  Too funny. I found a paranoid Bot. Keep it up friend, I need to laugh more often.
  
  Report this comment
OlefromMN
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:50pm
Please put “conservative” in quotes when you talk about people in the GOP disagreeing with the “Tea Party”. For one, the “Tea Party” exists only in principle and is not an organized party. People (like myself) who are part of the “Tea Party” are interested in fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free & fair trade. If these “conservatives” disagree with those principles perhaps they should join the “progressives” in their quest for mediocrity.

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- omega309
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:23pm
  They allready have
  
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- revelation2012
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:04pm
  The American Sovereignties include:
  
  *Individual sovereignty, as free moral agents by natural law, under and responsible to God
  
  *Family and parental sovereignty
  
  *The autonomy of the Church
  
  *the sovereignties of state and in some ways, local governmental concerns (e.g., Sheriffs)
  
  *National sovereignty, including the People’s investment in our U.S. Constitution, fixed squarely upon our definitively national Declaration of Independence
  
  They all must remain, hard, fast, and true, if “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
  
  Report this comment
ginger100
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:49pm
Maybe tea party people are busy working and not able to answer the phone to take a pole or maybe they don’t pickup the phone when it’s not a number they don’t recognize. I know I don’t.

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omega309
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:48pm
What does it matter, the elections are rigged and everyone knows it. Sorry I meant 53% know it.

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Marine25
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:48pm
Cancer is a broad group of various diseases, all involving unregulated growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the body.
Approximately five to ten percent of cancers are entirely hereditary.
Cancer can be detected in a number of ways. The chances of surviving the disease vary greatly by the type and location of the cancer and the extent of disease at the start of treatment. While cancer can affect people of all ages, the risk of developing cancer generally increases with age. Rates are rising as more people live to an old age and as mass lifestyle changes occur in the developing world.
Cancer, undiagnosed or untreated, is often fatal to the host.
Sounds like the tea party to me. It drove me from the party it will, evidently and eventually, kill.

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- David Ross
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:52pm
  If the Tea Party drove you from the Republican party then that is a good thing for the rest of us who are Tea Party members. We need less fair weather “friends” who fail to grasp our situation and even less of those who fear Chrisianity. For if you don’t believe in God then your rights are bestowed upon you by man, whom also can take your rights away at their whim. My rights come from God and cannot be taken when the majority feel as they do now. Adios Muchaco! Let us grownups handle this mess.
  
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- Lord_Frostwind
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:41pm
  What I fail to understand about your argument Marine, I’m guessing what you’re talking about is the Tea Party’s rhetoric (correct me if I am wrong in this regard). How in the blood soaked circles of H*** are people able to say that Tea Party rhetoric is extreme after this last election?!
  
  Liberals have accused people or MURDER and more, somehow being responsible for the greats ills of society, including our President who acts like a condescending arse who thinks the moment he walks into a room he is smarter than everybody there in every field. And he did not try to hide this at all in the debates.
  
  Now, if you want to talk about our ideas being old fashioned, uhm, is Barack doing anything that hasn’t been done, and most of the time failed in the past? Lest we forget all these wonderful programs that are pretty well described as shoveling money into a fire pit hoping that the problems will go away. Fun fact, it never does. Case in point, schools are doing horrific now inspite of having more funding that at any point in history.
  
  “Oh we need to respect, gays, hoes, etc.” you know, they, nor the people who preach tolerance have been keen respecting people who have divergent view points. I am rather sick of everyone treating me like I owe them something because they’re some divine gift to the planet. So I find myself well within my rights to tell them to screw off and leave me alone, but alas somehow that means that have to get more up in my face about it.
  
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- BODYBAG
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:53pm
  @MARINE25
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:48pm
  Cancer is a broad group of various diseases
  ————————————–
  we all know you’re a ladyboy. you like that fudgecake.
  tell you what, this prize winning BS gets you a case of KY.
  
  Report this comment
teammommy
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:47pm
I guess my family and I (large family at that) are cancer? Sorry i know a TON of Tea Partiers…no one asked us if we were dead yet. I am starting to hate the GOP more and more.

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Shasta
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:46pm
If Rove is going to be responsible for rebuilding the republican party, they are definitely done. Good riddance!

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- Lord_Frostwind
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:51pm
  Contrary to a lot of people, I have no problem with this kind of conflict. It has been far too long since we had an honest discussion of what the GOP stands for, so let’s hash it out. I think Rove and his allies are rapidly losing ground, especially after they burned the base so hard last election (Fun fact, treat your people like garbage, they probably won’t support you, even if they really don’t like the other guy).
  
  Granted, the price of this conflict will likely be that opposition against Obama and his merry men will be diminished. But, it is better to have this fight sooner rather than later. By the time it is done, we’ll know what we want, and if people want to split off an go their own way, so be it, but at least we will stand for something.
  
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txjb
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:43pm
Tea Party is not dead but it’s ability or maybe it’s want to , to meet and promote good people for office does need some viagra .

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- OlefromMN
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:20pm
  Or perhaps it’s the laxative the GOP so urgently needs? It sure sounds like the GOP is facing a identity crisis and is trying to blame the “Tea Party” for it’s bland looks.
  
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:42pm
More and more it looks as if Obama has managed to sunder the Republican party apart once and for all.

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- neverending
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:52pm
  @SNOW – absolutely detest barry but I don’t think the Republican party needed any help with that. Said well before the primaries the devisiveness was beyond belief and didn’t see how we could win and looks like the fighting and backstabbing and division is just going to get worse – so sad to say. Hope I am wrong but fear I am not.
  
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- Plan B
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:52pm
  Snow,
  I loved the tea party when they started, but just like everything else, people got gready. If you ask most Republicans if they stand for the things the tea party stood for with out mentioning the tea party by name I am sure more then 30 percent would answer affirmatively. I started receiving so many emails a day requesting donations. I had get away from them. I will never give a donation to the republican party again. I started in 2009 only giving donations to people I believed in. I do not mind giving to the election of a senator in a state other than mine especially if it is a close race.
  
  The republican party is trying to push the importance of the hispanic vote so much it is beginning to make me sick. They are so sure that they have us locked up and think it is not important to listen to conservative voters, they seem to think we will always vote with them. Although I thought I learned my lesson with perot, and have told my kids over and over without perot we would never have had clinton. But the Republican party is leaving conservatives behind. They feel they do not need us to win elections. No, I am not Libertarian and will not vote that way either. I guess the only way anyone is going to get my vote is if they are a conservative and I will just not vote in contests that are not running a conservative, local state or national.
  
  The republicans lost my contributions when they stuffed Dan Coats down our throats in Indiana.
  
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RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:42pm
“WHY ARE SOME CONSERVATIVES TARGETING THE TEA PARTY AS A ‘CANCER’?”
Because they are not conservatives.

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JJohnGalt2
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:41pm
The Obama campaign has infiltrated the GOP. Karl Rove is a Plant who has infiltrated the conservatives and now trying to destroy the good people who formed the Tea Party. He is the establishment and if we let him and his ilk succeed, then say bye bye to the country we have fought for and the coun try we love.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:44pm
  JJOHNGALT2, Its funny how Rove was about the most hated man on the planet by the left about 12 years ago. While in the past few years, he sounds more like a member of the Democrat Party.
  
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- ginger100
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:51pm
  Yeah, a low level agent for the illuminati
  
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- The-Monk
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:00pm
  Hi RJJ,
  
  The Blaze says they will check into doing a “and it’s the right thing to do” montage.
  
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- neverending
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:09pm
  @JJOHNGALT2 – sadly I think we are already saying bye bye to our beautiful God given country. We are losing our freedoms at a very rapid pace with the commie in chief and with a second term he has just put it in high gear.
  
  Report this comment
Al J Zira
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:40pm
I’ll go out on a limb here and say it’s because they’re not conservatives. They’re RHINOS.

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- Triple7
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:03pm
  Gee, be careful on that limb.
  Democrats are Marxist/Communist and the Republicans are 1970′s liberal Democrats.
  TEA Party minded folks are hated by both.
  You could build a house on that limb.
  
  Report this comment
- Al J Zira
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:29pm
  Lol! You’re right! Could probably build a conservative movement on that limb.
  
  The Tea Party is only a cancer to those who feel threatened by it.
  
  Report this comment
justangry
Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:36pm
“In the meantime, while the Tea Party had once enjoyed 24% popularity, according to a recent Rasmussen poll, only 8% of Americans now identify themselves as members of the Tea Party.”

So when Ron Paul started the Tea Party it was much more popular than after the establishment types (Glenn Beck) co opted it?

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- WAKEUPUSA2012
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:42pm
  That pretty much sums it up buddy. Sad as it is, they will never understand it.
  
  And the trolls hijack the thread in 3,2,1
  
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- givemelibertynow
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:44pm
  The media had nothing to do with the decline? Now Repugs are jumping on the wagon to drive the final nail. I for one will change my affiliation and dump the Republicans.
  
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- sjpru
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:47pm
  …conserrvatives are not attacking the tea party…karl rove and republicans are.
  
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- Shasta
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 9:51pm
  Yeah, and Al Gore invented the Internet…
  
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- GoodStuff
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:22pm
  “So when Ron Paul started the Tea Party”
  
  Bwahaha, thanks for the laugh. I didn’t know the Tea Party supported legalizing all drugs, prostitutes on every street corner and a nuclear Iran.
  
  Time for you to move on from RuPaul, your cult is over.
  
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- RepubliCorp
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:22pm
  And unicorns are real
  
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- LEFTIST_CLOWNS_AND_FAR_RIGHT_JOKERS
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:24pm
  ANGRYMAN. Sorry but Ron Paul didn’t start the Tea Party. A Ron Paul money bomb on the anniversary of the Tea Party in ’07 by Paul and his supporters a Tea Party Movement didn’t make.
  
  It could argued that the “ideological paternity” of the movement rested “in part” with Paul but the implication is always that the man himself coordinated, planned and executed this vast groundswell of grassroots activism.
  
  The original nationwide Tea Parties in Feb ’09 effectively took the pulse of the cities in which they occurred. Organized in just a few days, with microscopic budgets and promoted usually only by social media and word-of-mouth, these groups gathered thousands of people in 50 cities across the country… not to raise funds, but to raise their voices. Fundraising, if done at all, was an afterthought; buckets and jars set out to help organizers defray the cost of the venue.
  
  After a Rick Santelli rant on CNBC sparked nationwide attention In February ’09, the Conservative community began to rally and immediately go into action on Twitter and making calls. Most of the organizers on the calls were first-principle Conservatives and there was only one avowed Libertarian present for the calls. Many were disaffected Republicans who didn’t believe there was an effective party structure with which to fight the progressive agenda. Others were conservatives who didn’t feel
  at home in any party structure. None of them ever mentioned Ron Paul.
  
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- Mike76
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 10:36pm
  Beck only co-opted it when it was useful to him. Then he threw the Tea Party under the bus by calling them racists on Freedom Watch because they were leaning toward Gingrich and not Magic Mitt or Sanctimonious Santorum.
  
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- riseandshine
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:29pm
  Well-spoken Time2…or maybe not: http://www.broadsidebooks.net/2011/05/19/ron-paul-is-not-the-founder-of-the-tea-party-movement/
  
  Report this comment
- Maxim Crux
  Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:34pm
  The tea party started in 1994 if you want to discord the original Tea Party. I have the photos. Ron Paul did not start it, it was citizens who were concerned. Politicians ride waves…either an American wave…or a World wave against America. Right now politicians ignore Americans and they are riding the wave of hatred towards America and the fundamentals that made freedom what it is. The only thing a politician is noteworthy of is lying and lack of integrity.
  
  The Tea Party is dead…Really? I guess you think the occupy deadbeats are dead too. Perhaps, but I doubt it.
  
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- justangry
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 12:02am
  Wow all the “progressive” Republicans aka neocons, aka Bolsheviks got their panties in the bunch over that one. Keep up writing your ‘revisionist’ history, comrades.
  
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- Bernese2008
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 7:19am
  Ron Paul never started the tea party
  
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- Fubared
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 9:32am
  RuPaul did start the wee party and weed party.
  
  Report this comment

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