Patrick Ruffini on the TEA Party vs Republican Party

I had posted on the (amazing) results of the Rasmussen poll (Democrat, Republican, TEA Party); at that time I had opined this thought:

There have been no small number of Republican "strategists" that have opined on how GOP candidates can "co-op" the TEA Party movement.  In many most vast majority of cases, I would counsel most candidates not to even think about it.  Many of the local TEA Party group, while consisting of many who may well be registered Republicans, are not too hep to the idea of someone swooping in and claiming the title "TEA Party approved" – most TEA Party folks will turn on that candidate in a heart beat.

There will be some candidates that will still try it – and perhaps a couple might even squeak through – but I still maintain that the TEA Partiers should see most of those pretenders stopped in their tracks.

Patrick Ruffini, an online Republican operative writing over at TheNextRight, had these thoughts (emphasis mine):

The prevalence of the Tea Party movement does hold a cautionary note for the GOP — if they win. The danger is that Republicans will interpret a victory as a sign that all is well in the party, and that they can go back to their old ways pre-2008. In other words, they’ll confuse a Teapublican victory for an old-school Republican mandate.

However, the reason that Republicans are now at the mercy of the tea parties to drive their GOTV is because they drove spending through the roof (at least in pre-Obama terms) and agreed to the bailouts. The protests were as much a reaction to Republicans selling out as they were to the incipient Obama administration, though the passage of time has shifted the focus to the present Administration. The notion that the Tea Party  — of all people — will be unenthused about voting in November 2010 is wishful thinking, particularly when a clear opportunity exists to do damage to the left. The question is whether they’ll abide the same Republican Party that set the bailouts in motion to begin with — after the election.

Teapublican?  New word for me – but I’m not sure that I would go or think that it would apply to me. TEAservative?  Yeah, that would be more like it.  Yes, I am a registered Republican but certainly Patrick is right ("The protests were as much a reaction to Republicans selling out") – most TEA Party folks want one thing:

Excellence from our politicians – ESPECIALLY from Republicans

And have been sorely disappointed – and still ripped. Why SHOULDN’T we expect excellence?  Is it because for so long we have so long just said "lying weasels all!" and moved to the next topic in the conversation.  We want excellence in all other areas of life -

Thus, to the question he posed:

The question is whether they’ll abide the same Republican Party that set the bailouts in motion to begin with — after the election

I have the obvious answser:

We expect bad behavior from Democrats – they are who they are.  We no longer expect better; nay, we DEMAND better!

Let the phrase "fool me once" ring in your ears, candidates – because I doubt that TEA Partiers will go for a "twice".  We DEMAND Fiscal Responsibility, Legislative Responsibility (e.g., read the bills!), expecting us to show Self-Responsiblity.

It IS about Responsibilty – and there will be Accountability along with it.