Riehl World View

Don't Give GOP The Tea Party Anger

As much as I want to see the GOP do exceptionally well in 2010, simply allowing them to co-opt the Tea Party anger for political gain would be a big mistake. It's premature. Are they doing it because they've got the Tea Party spirit? Or only because it looks to be a prime source for votes? Frankly, what has changed as far as the GOP?

Republicans are looking to resurrect the angry town halls of August in the last few weeks of November.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander said Republicans are “quietly” planning some 50 in-person and telephone town hall gatherings over the next three weeks to drum up opposition to Democratic health care bills. Republicans believe this effort will pick up new urgency once Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) releases his long-awaited bill — possibly next week.

I'm not talking about every card carrying Republican. There are some great exceptions; however, as an organization we are looking at the same old GOP that fueled the Tea Party anger they now would like to capture. Make them earn it.

On whole, they have yet to get New Media, though it's been around for years. From the nomination processes that gave us Dede Scozzafava, to a ton of open primaries and including playing favorites, or hedging their bets, do they resemble a Tea Party party for now?

DeMint endorsed Marco Rubio, where do you think the rest of them will line up? And there's California and who knows where else. I'd be happy to see the Tea Party movement and the GOP team up to win big in 2010. But if all we're doing is supporting the same old GOP, we won't be accomplishing anything.

They have time to do it and I dearly hope they will. But, sorry, GOP. If you aren't willing to spring for the cost of a ticket, the way bloggers and Tea Party folks have put up so much of themselves to get America back on track, you don't get to come to the show.

The last thing the Tea Party movement needs right now is a political party that isn't a Tea Partier playing one on TV. Given all the time and effort Tea Party people have put in, it would be a tragedy if all it won was the same old thing.

Obama In The Hoodie

I'm not sure thuggish is the right word for Obama. Were he truly of the hood, he'd have cruised along for a while on his smarts until his smugness got his ass kicked repeatedly. He's a wannabe thug, if anything. It is amazing that the media gloss the MSM opted to use in portraying him was able to conceal precisely how low-rent he really is. Call it mixed-White Trash. Maybe that's the best phrase? 

Yet Obama, the President of the free world (!) did just that - using the dismissive homosexual slang to describe those that don't want unconstitutional socialism. From the New York Times via Corner at NRO:

NY - 23: More Incoming At Newt's Waterloo

Outside the Beltway, Newt Gingrich has never had many friends among Democrats, few are treated more harshly by the Netroots. It's long fallen to the conservative grassroots to support him as the excellent idea man he's often been. Now, after having already weakened those ties through various political positions he's taken over recent years, he continues to take serious fire from Republican officials and grassroots activists involved in NY - 23 on questions that put in doubt his role as a credible speaker, let alone leader, for the Republican base.

While I pointed out his continued use of the dubious attack against Hoffman on residence issues last night, today a TCOTReport Exclusive brings new charges that threaten to put his career outside the Beltway on the line. Were he a Democrat, he'd be racing down Dike Road with Dede Scozzafava in the back seat and not much of a life jacket on leaving him totally exposed. Or, if you prefer military history, has Newt met his Waterloo? Other than a role as an elite media pundit, Newt may not have much mileage left, as it's hard to see any career path for Newt in electoral politics after this.  

Bob Dugan, the Fulton County New York Republican County Committeeman who publicly called the former Speaker out yesterday remains unimpressed.

In an exclusive interview with The TCOT Report last night, Dugan called out the Speaker again:

"My message to Newt Gingrich is this: You still have it wrong. I was there [at the Speculator, New York regional forum to interview Congressional candidates for the Republican nomination in NY 23]. I am extraordinarily disappointed that a Reagan Revolutionary would take this tack of endorsing Dede Scozzafava to further split the Republican Party. We're not splitting it. You are.

When we walked out, we walked out supporting Paul Maroun unanimously in Fulton County. I don't know about Hamilton County, but Fulton County was unanimously for Paul Maroun, not Dede Scozzafava."

Dugan continued his message to Gingrich, leaving this comment on the Speaker's web site yesterday:

" I implore you, a former Reagan Revolutionary, to reconsider, and come back to your roots. Its the RIGHT thing to do. I encourage you to contact me if you would like to have a frank discussion on the issue. I'd be happy to show ya around! "

NY - 23 A Local Or National Race? It Matters For 2010

If we want to see significant push back against Obama's ultra-liberal agenda, it's important to understand what is actually happening in NY - 23, as well as the Tea Party phenomenon, how it relates to past elections and what can be learned for 2010. Do not be shocked or discouraged with a Scozzafava, or even an Owen's win. Anything can happen because some are viewing this race from a national perspective, while others from a local view. h/t to TCOT Report for that. Stay up on critical conservative movement and NY-23 news here.

Some, if not most of the latter may opt for Scozzafava. This is 2009, not 2010. And I am going to continue to pound the notion - in agreement with Instapundit, along with Dana Loesch and Bill Whittle, in the end the GOP, not only conservative ideas, must prevail in 2010.

Most troubling for me in all this was one quote from the NRCC's Guy Harrison. A Republican invoking liberal cant such as diversity headed into 2010 is a GOP political strategist who is a liability and either has to be shown the door, or wise up, as they are out of step, seemingly replaying video's of the disastrous McCain campaign and waiting for a different ending to miraculously occur.

We are optimistic that the New York Republican State Committee will nominate a strong and credible candidate, someone who shares the interests and values of such a diverse district and we will make a solid effort to gain the seat.

The 1994 Contract with America proved so effective because it nationalized a midterm election by relying upon standard conservative principles in opposition to a then liberal-leaning president, putting up candidates that fit the bill at the time, even if some eventually strayed after staying too long in DC. That's a problem we can deal with later if we manage to get a large number of new Republicans there in the first place. And that must be the number one goal in 2010.

Obama has shifted the political landscape and even more so since just a year ago. And the time for a resurgence in conservatism and conservative thought, realizing there is plenty of room for moderates under that banner, is the only correct approach for 2010.

If too quick to compromise, or overly moderate GOP staffers and strategists are running the pre-game show for 2010, the Super bowl the GOP could win in 2010 may never come about. Whether or not the 2009 NY - 23 race is effectively nationalized giving Hoffman a win in just a few short months, or perhaps just weeks of real work matters not so much.

What matters is that the GOP effectively captures the contemporary, not just any recent, or misguided sense of the American electorate right NOW, genuinely comprehending what will and what won't work big for 2010. That's critically important to what can be a huge year in 2010. NY - 23, not so much - only as a starting point where some important lessons can be learned by everyone over the next week.

Jake Tapper Argues With Tea Party Crowd

Pretty amazing and admirable, too, though Tapper does seem to be of a different sort than many big media folks. If you check his Tweets from 9:10 AM today down a couple dozen, he's having a vigorous exchange with what are apparently some Tea Party types.

Unfortunately, as a 9/12 attendee, in this case I'm not sure I'd be disputing Tapper's position on ABC's coverage as stated. But it isn't something I looked at closely, either.

What I find both fascinating and positive is that the ABC WH guy is mixing it up with the masses on Twitter at all. h/t Jake Tapper so to speak. I hope some few more ardent Tea Party supporters don't ruin the thing by hounding media folks inappropriately.

Only a few years back, a citizen would never have had the opportunity to so directly engage a big media type. I hope the opportunities for such exchanges technology empowers don't get ruined by a few folks a little too fired up for solid debate.

But that it's happening is pretty damn cool!

10,000 Americans Gather For Tea

Damn - what a scene. Check out the image here via Instapundit. In Illinois?

Breaking news from New Lenox/Joliet, IL… the sheriff’s office is reporting to us that the crowd estimate for the rally here is 10,000+ and they are shutting down a portion of Interstate 80 for traffic control do to the massive influx of people.

Here’s a few pictures from my camera phone of a small slice of the audience…

There's a photo gallery here.

Billed as a protest against taxes and government spending, the national Tea Party's stop in New Lenox became a gathering of local conservatives and a call to action on national political issues.

"As much as we say the system failed us, maybe we failed the system as well," said Joliet resident Tim Kraulidis, who helped organize Monday's event. "We can't complain ... that our legislators are doing things we don't want them to do and then we don't engage the system."

CNN provides a slightly more inside politics view. Looks like it's on to PA.

"What we did was take a map of the United States and then we went head and pin pointed the members of congress that merited our attention and then we looked at those that might be politically vulnerable," said Joe Wierzbicki, a strategist with the conservative PAC Our Country Deserves Better, who are organizing the cross country Tea Party Express tour.

Topping the group's target list in the Senate is current Democrat, and former moderate Republican, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. The Tea Party Express makes four stops in Pennsylvania later this week.

A round up of links via Memeorandum.

John Kasich: Tea Parties Are About Genuine Concerns, Not Anger

Ohio's John Kasich appears to present a pretty accurate view of what the Tea Parties are actually all about in my opinion. Clue: It ain't about anger folks. It's about genuine concerns over the direction the country seems to be headed right now.

In this state, our fellow Ohioans have shown up at these events not because they’re angry, but because they care about the values we all share. They’ve come, not because they’re Republican or Democrat, but because they’re troubled by the direction our country and our state is heading. Finally, they’ve come, not to polarize, but to demonstrate their hope in the great American tradition of leaving a better nation, state and community for the next generation.

They have successfully expressed what we all believe. We don’t want people to fail. We want all Ohioans to succeed. But in order to thrive in this state, this movement has rightly pointed out that government should be a last resort not the first resort. To those who will listen, they’ve shown us that there is something un-American about punishing those who work hard, sacrifice and play by the rules. Really what they’re saying is what the colonists in the old days were saying – our government has gotten too big, arrogant and out-of-control.

Tea Party With Hank Williams, Jr.

I imagine this will be one heck of a Tea Party. A fan of Ingraham and Levin but not Obama? Oh well, I'm thinking Obama might not be much of a fan of his either, heh! I can relate.

The Friends of America Rally is a pro-coal, pro-conservative, anti-Obama and anti-cap-and-trade legislation "tea party" arranged by Massey Energy. The man everybody just calls Hank is coming to help heat the water.

... as the singer has grown older, Williams has become more overtly political, more conservative and completely distrustful of most media. "I listen to Laura Ingram(sic) and Mark Levin," he said. "It's the only place you'll hear the truth."

Williams doesn't like Democrat politics or politicians. He's furious, and doesn't care who knows.

"This is absolutely the worst administration in our lifetime," he said. "They're in a tailspin. It's August, and I don't know how this guy is going to finish his term. I really don't know."

Williams scoffs at the Obama stimulus package as worthless, thinks the "Cash for Clunkers" program was pointless and absolutely has no faith in health-care reform.

Still, the health-care debate hasn't been a complete loss for him. Williams says he's enjoyed the coverage of the town hall meetings across the country, where small, angry groups have, on occasion, shouted down senators and congressmen speaking about health-care reform.

He says he loves that the politicians have to run and hide. It's high entertainment.

"I get a lot of enjoyment when I have my evening cigar and listen to these idiots."

Frank Rich Equates NRA With Hamas

While realizing Rich has always been fairly crazed in his liberal rhetoric, between the Clift item below and Rich equating the NRA and Hamas as "self-appointed militias," I wonder if Big Media isn't sinking down into the same bizarre black hole of self deception Obama seems to be sinking on health care reform. Is the liberal wing really prepared to destroy the Democrat Party once and for all? And so soon after a big win at the polls?

But the hidden kicker is Rich's argument that 9/11 didn't do enough to dispatch America's traditional fear of government. Isn't that the very thing he has been arguing for years when it came to the Bush presidency? That Americans were giving over too much of their fear of government to Bush due to that very thing? Note to Frank Rich, maybe right now it's agenda-driven liberals like you America doesn't trust, more than they have always distrusted Big Government? 

Coburn is nothing if not consistent. In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, he was part of a House contingent that helped delay and soften an antiterrorism bill. This cohort even tried to strip out a provision blocking domestic fund-raising by foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas. Why? The far right, in league with the National Rifle Association, was angry at the federal government for aggressively policing America’s self-appointed militias. In a 1996 floor speech, Coburn conceded that “terrorism obviously poses a serious threat,” but then went on to explain that the nation had worse threats to worry about: “There is a far greater fear that is present in this country, and that is fear of our own government.” As his remarks on “Meet the Press” last week demonstrated, the subsequent intervention of 9/11 has not changed his worldview.

via www.nytimes.com

Tea Party / Recess Rally Reports

Plenty of them available via Memeorandum.

It certainly is amazing seeing this kind of activity associated with the Right. The key is to keep it going right on through 2010. That more than anything else might end the ridiculous, as well as dangerous, ObamaNation coming from DC these days.