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As a proud Tea Party member, I am thrilled to see the emergence of Tea Party-backed candidates around the country gaining popularity and even winning important primaries over well-established incumbents. It is encouraging to see that the voting populace is no longer voting onthe "name brand" nominee and is instead seeking those who actually stand for something.
For instance, Mike Lee won the GOP bid for a senate seat in Utah, ousting the incumbent Republican Robert Bennett by touting his love for the Constitution and a "practical" understanding of its function.
Ken Buck of Colorado defeated the early Republican favorite Lt. Gov. Jane Norton running on a platform of "bottom-up" governance vs. Norton's establishment mentality of taking care of the status quo. (If you haven't been to this guy's website, I highly suggest you peruse his blog. All I can say is, "Wow!")
Joe Miller of Alaska defeated incumbent Republican Lisa Murkowski who is now running what some call a "sore loser" campaign as an independent. The Murkowski name has been part of the Senate GOP for three decades but the Alaskan GOP still voted her down this year. Joe Miller has promised to "support and defend" our Constitution. This race is reminiscent of Florida where Republican Governor Charlie Crist is now running as an independent in that state after being defeated by Marco Rubio.
And then there's Christine O'Donnell who is referred to as a "Constitutional conservative" by her endorser, Sarah Palin. In Delaware, Ms. O'Donnell defeated a nine-time senator and former governor to win the GOP bid for senate in the most surprising upset this primary season.
Those of us who are active in supporting the Tea Party movement know that what this country needs is a return to core American values such as individual liberty and sanctity of life. We need to take a fresh look at the timeless document we call our U.S. Constitution which protects those ideals. The outcomes in these races are evidence that more people are not only waking up to that knowledge but are flexing their political muscles and exercising their right to vote with that strength.
The establishment called the GOP has certainly taken its lumps this primary season. As the Tea Party brews another pot for November, it will be fascinating to see how the Democratic establishment fares when those final votes are tallied.
So, how's about it, Dems? One lump or two?
Interesting post, Missy. Are you worried by the view, which I've heard propounded, that the Tea Party candidates are actually doing the Dems a favor, as their views may be too "radical" to appeal to middle ground/undecided voters in a general election? Apparently Delaware Democrats were jubilant when O'Donnell won the primary, reasoning she would be an easier opponent than the established party candidate.
ReplyDeleteI think there are definitely general election races where that scenario will play out. The opposing forces, however, are often seen as a "radical fundamentalist" vs. a "radical progressive." It's funny to me that many liberals don't see their views as extreme when they want to take us so far away from the ideals that the country was founded on while at the same time viewing their opponents as being radical for wanting to return to where we used to be before the progressive moment began.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm really glad to see, whether it plays out in the November elections or not, is that this country is returning to its roots and people are excited and motivated by that prospect. My real hope is for that excitement and motivation to last long beyond November.
As far as being worried, no. It is rather obvious that things are no longer status quo. There's every reason in the world to believe that if the GOP can be so shaken up in such a short time, that the Democratic party will feel the tremor, too.
However, I'm not as interested in defeating Democrats as I am ousting the corrupt politicians who think they're above the law and think they know what's best without regard to what their constituents think. There are plenty of Republicans who fit that bill. And one of these cases in point is Mike Castle, who lost the primary bid to O'Donnell.