Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Tea Time

Republican Scott Brown's amazing victory yesterday over Martha Coakley for the "Kennedy" senate seat in deep blue Massachusetts can be attributed to many things: an attractive candidate, an inept opponent, a smug Democrat party, growing fears over health-care reform, growing disgust over the health-care reform process, a poor economy, the Christmas Day bomber, etc. But we must not forget to include what happened last April, the 15th to be exact, tax day. It was then that the Tea Party movement was launched. More than any other single event of the past year, the Tea Party rallies held across the country that day served to voice, focus, and organize what was until then a smoldering but mostly frustrated opposition to President Obama, the Democrat Party, and their aggressively liberal agenda for America. The movement achieved what the Republican Party seemed incapable of accomplishing, and too often seemed even unwilling to try. Very significantly, it succeeded without morphing into a "pox on both your houses" movement towards a third party, a third party that would have assured Martha Coakley and every other liberal Democrat a comfortable margin of victory not only last night, but this coming fall as well.

3 comments:

  1. All true, but make no mistake, the angry, engaged voters who elected Brown yesterday will ditch him as well if makes party his priority (rather than purpose). They, and many others, are not impressed by turf wars.

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  2. Party and purpose are not necessarily exlusive. Republicans would serve themselves well to remember the ideals on which the party has traditionally stood. I love a good turf war!

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  3. Impressed or not, turf wars are what party politics is all about. The Tea Party movement has given voice to a growing group rightly frustrated with President Obama and the party he represents. A party he clearly puts before the people. I can only hope this group learns, just as Alexander learned from Xenophon, that no victory in any single battle means true victory. Victory only comes when one completely annihilates the enemy's ability and will to wage war. The Democrats have made clear their willingness to force their agenda on the American people come hell or high water. We need to persevere until they no longer have that ability.

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