‘Real News From The Blaze’ Tea Party Bounces Back With Mourdock Defeat of Lugar
- Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:25pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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The Tea Party movement made a thunderous statement Wednesday night with local Tea Party groups and FreedomWorks-backed candidate Richard Mourdock securing a landslide victory over six-term incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar in the Indiana U.S. Senate Republican primary election. The race has been closely watched both in-state and nationally for its significance in gauging questions on whether the Tea Party influence will be as prominent in 2012 as it was in 2010, and whether grassroots organizers have learned from their mistakes and messaging since the movement first emerged during the president’s push for national health care reform in 2009.
The National Journal’s Sean Sullivan reports that the Tea Party’s momentous victory Tuesday began on the ground floor, with local Tea Party groups organizing amongst themselves and then coalescing behind a candidate, before calling on out-of-state groups to help deliver the final blow:
Sixteen months ago, a collection of tea party organizers met in the city of Tipton. Their goal was to address flaws in the movement that were exposed in 2010, when infighting and competing agendas largely driven by national groups and consultants hindered its ability to make lasting gains. What resulted was “Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate,” a network of 60 tea party groups dedicated to retiring Lugar.
“We didn’t have the unity [in 2010]. Once we built the foundation of unity, we went out and educated people about Lugar’s voting record,” said Monica Boyer, one of the group’s cofounders.
The group endorsed Mourdock after a September straw poll showed that he was the preferred choice of conservative activists. National groups like the Tea Party Express that in 2010 were responsible for the rise of Christine O’Donnell in Delaware and Joe Miller in Alaska had yet to enter fray in a major way. The national group FreedomWorks had met with Boyer’s organization, but it didn’t jump in with full force until Mourdock emerged as the consensus candidate.
“None of the outside groups were in here at that time,” Boyer said. “We actually asked FreedomWorks to get involved.
The “Real News” panel was joined by Brendan Steinhauser of FreedomWorks Wednesday to discuss the Mourdock victory in Indiana, and what it means for the Tea Party moving forward.
S.E. Cupp analyzed that you could take one of two reactions from this election result. On the one hand, the Tea Party made a big statement that could reverberate with similar results for other like-minded Senate candidates in Texas and Utah, leading to the potential for a true coalition of Tea Party legislators moving the chamber to the Right this November. Or one could arrive at the less broad conclusion that this primary win is not as much about ideology, rather an elderly, aloof statesman coming to the end of the line after running an overconfident and smug campaign.
“I think this was a choice between an 80-year-old, out of touch senator, who was indignent about being potentially pushed out of the way, and did not come home and make nice with his constituents and did not take this seriously,” said Cupp. “And you had a guy in Murdock who took advantage of that vulnerability.”
Steinhauser admitted that Lugar’s age and attitude did have a small factor in the race, but points to FreedomWorks polling that showed that Indiana voters’ top issues in 2012 focused on objections to federal spending, private sector bailouts and amnesty to illegal immigrants.
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Marc Conder
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 3:19pmWe did not leave, or die, or fade away. We did learn several very valuable lessons, 1. Ignore the media whever possible. 2. Focus on grass roots issues. 3. Obtain knowledge about voters rights, polling judges, polling observers, and make sure we are at every polling station legally in November. 4. President Obama has a lock on the Unions, the Alphabet media, the gays the blacks and all the so called ‘progressives’ who in total, come up to less than 25% of the American voting public. Ignore them. focus on the Independants, the essentially conservative American majority and those who have been harmed by this adminstrations continued atacks on the average American citizen. FOCUS on the down ticket elections. take back the house, the senate, the govenorships, state legislatures, the school boards, the county sheriff’s offices, etc.
Report Post »That is what the tea Party Movement has been focused on. Not like the performing bears of the OWS. Let the media claim almost anything they want. We will keep our heads down, and when winter comes, we will be prepared.
rickc34
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:42pmThey never left. Just like any group they caught their breath because this is the most important election coming up
Report Post »seresmary
Posted on May 11, 2012 at 2:16amWe regrouped, caught our breath and started strategizing and planning. We made our point with our marchs on the Mall in D.C. and on the Capital, they saw us, they know the numbers, we didn’t come to destroy anything in fact we left it cleaner than we found it unlike the OWS movement. We know who are targets are and so does Sen. Lugar, and if Orin Hatch is smart he’ll get the message as well instead of spouting off how much he hates “those Tea Partiers”. We are the middle America, we are the working class Americans, we are the Seniors, we are the Retired trying to make it, we are those whom Washington D.C. has walked over for the last 50-60 years and we aren’t going to take it anymore. One by one if need be we will oust them out of their House seats, out of their Senate seats and out of the White House…… sorry Newt the Tea Party hasn’t gone anywhere.,,,,, Mary, California
Report Post »sixtysix
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:55pmSomething leftist liberals cannot understand is that many Americans live the Tea Party spirit daily. It took an Oboma and total control by Democrats to shake us out of our belief that as long as we worked and left others to do the same without our interference life would continue as it always had. The liberals went for broke and tried total take-over of freedom and self-reliance, trying to replace it with what they believe is acceptable. We need to work and take care of business; but, we can stop and take on liberalism when it cuts into our freedoms. Those liberals ought to be thanking us for guarding the freedom they have to attempt to propagandize us. Where we twitched them off like flies when they were merely annoying, we now must get a serious fly spray to stop their un-Constitutioal inroad into our daily lives.
Report Post »Trance
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:37pmI was very proud to take my 17yo daughter to the polls to vote for her very first time. Of course she voted against Luger. I’ve disliked that guy ever since I moved to Indiana.
Report Post »cybercorrespondent
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 4:35pmA leftist George Sorrows sponsored site called BusinessGreen is trying to file a complaint about my conservative views.- On their website called BusinessGreen , they are asking other leftists the following “:Fill in this form to register a complaint about the comment ‘http:// cybercorrespondent.wordpress.com’ by cybercorrespondent. Please enter your email address …” If they manage to shut down my website, I will just speak up even lauder on a new one. “Never give up or give in to intimidation”
Report Post »http://youtu.be/P_9yq8IP68g
marineminer
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:05pmThe Tea Party “ bounces back ” ? Sorry lberals , we never left , nor will we leave as long as there is a liberal or progressive in public office . WE are taking back OUR country .
Report Post »marineminer
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 2:42pmThe tea party’s demise has been , intentionally , greatly exaggerated by the lainstream media , the rabid left , and even the timid republican party , because they all fear them , I am a proud member of the tea party and our demise will come only when we are no longer needed to set our great country back on its constitutional path to republicanism and capitalism . Americans are not , nor have any desire , to be socialists or communists under any name . We merely have to reducate our brainwashed children to the reality of America’s greatness , something all the citizens of the unfortunate rest of the world knows because they are less free than we are .
Report Post »Right of Right
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 2:41pmAlthough there are many different tea party groups, the actual power comes from the conservative state of mind. Its like knowing the difference between whats right and wrong. Its the message that will bring out the vote.
Report Post »skiz
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:24amThe revolution began in 2010. We are picking up steam and we will make history come November. This train has jumped the tracks and we are onward and upward, back to liberty, justice and freedom!
Report Post »SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS! TEA in your face!
American_Woman
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:56amFreedomWorks is great! Now, if they could only get training out to Tea Party groups on how to use their FreedomConnector, we’d be golden!
Report Post »Tree_Butcher
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 8:05pmOne down, thousands to go!
Report Post »I am speaking to all the RINOs from the US Congress to the local dog catcher. At least have a shred of honesty: make it official and join all the other socialist traitors in the Democrat party.
lukerw
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:51pmRaspberry Diet… is the Best… TEA!
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:50pmHere’s some Real News:
Report Post »Fed clears China’s first US bank takeover
The United States on Wednesday opened its banking market to ICBC, China’s biggest bank, for the first time clearing a takeover of a US bank by a Chinese state-controlled company.
Just days after high-level US-China economic talks in Beijing, the Federal Reserve approved an application from Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to buy a majority stake in the US subsidiary of Bank of East Asia.
The transaction will make ICBC the first Chinese state-controlled bank to acquire retail bank branches in the United States.
ICBC has been the most aggressive of China’s “big four” banks in expanding overseas…
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/3-big-chinese-banks-enter-us-banking-market-185200086.html
justangry
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 8:04pmLovely… Global elites SUCK!
Report Post »justangry
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:36pmI think for the Tea Party to really establish itself, they’re going to have to bounce those 2010 congressmen and senators who were corrupted so EASILY once in Washington. It’s the only way these people are going to listen.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 9:43pmThere was about 60 of them.What could they do?? Do you have to whine like a DEMOCRAT about every Republican??? You sound like a wuss.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 4:24amI usually ignore your mindless dribble, but in this case… What were they supposed to do? How about voting no? As for the wuss comment; who sees terrorist around every corner? Who is passively submitting to the government’s nudges because they fear the Iranian boogyman? Who is willing to sacrifice freedom for security? Sorry the truth hurts, but take a look in the mirror and you’ll see who let the terrorist win. Unless you think living in fear and calling people names over the computer is the brave thing to do.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:20am*drivel
Report Post »Zorro6821
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:37amThe Tea Party represents intelligent engaged common folks wanting true change and is not tied to the Republican party. Tea Party folks are libertarians voting for the most effective candidates Republican or Democrat.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:34pm“Bounces back”? You don’t belong to the Tea Party, do you Mr. Santarelli.
Report Post »We’ve never been anywhere to bounce back FROM.
Zorro6821
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:32amI really don’t think the Tea Party ever went away, they just work effectively behind the scenes and obviously a well organized and powerful force to get rid of Mummified useless Politicians collecting Public Welfare for Decades. These White Hair Plugged Oligarchs need to go just as Lugar….Republican or Democrat. WE need people who will actually work for their Bloated Congressional and Senatorial Welfare Checks.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:30pmThe rest of you lifetime politicians ie RINOS are marked as well and will suffer the same fate as the fossil
Report Post »Lugar.We’ll purge the party of RINOS then vote out the communist pig dems and voila return sanity and capitalism,not crony capitalism to government.