Fist Bump, please!
Most of The NHPoliticalScoop is behind a paywall of $400 / year. Most of what is there can be seen (after googling a bit) a bit later and for free unless it is exclusively by James Pindell. The following was sent by a loyal reader who knows of the Seacoast Republican Women Post Election Panel. James kept insisting that the upcoming (and now, almost settled) race for NH Speaker was going to be between the old vs new House GOP members. Both Jeff Chidester and I kept trying to hammer home that the reason WHY there were so many New Republicans in the NH House was not because of the electorate response to the Democrat overreach. Most of these new folks are there for a reason – and more TEA Party sympathy than not.
Thus, the battle was not going to be Old vs New, but rather Establishment wing vs New TEA Party / Constitutionalist / 912er / Libertarian wing.
I feel vindicated. Jeff – fist bump (emphasis mine)!
There has been a lot of discussion about the role that the so-called Tea Party movement has played in politics this election year. Around the country Tea Party supporters can point to a number of high profile victories. In New Hampshire, however, it has been much harder to point to a single high profile Tea Party win over the establishment.
On this point, I would have to mostly agree with James. The biggest reason was the disasterous decision by the NH TEA Party Coalition to not do what many other TEA Party groups did around the country did. They adapted from the protests, sign waves, and rallies to getting ready to make a difference by organizing, vetting candidates, raising money, and then pushing for like minded candidates.
However, what saved the day is the decentralized nature of the movement…
and the rise of the 9-12 Project here in NH. So the principles and the philosophy was carried forward.
But this week provided Tea Party supporters with their highest profile victory in this state so far when State Rep. Bill O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) won the nomination of his dominant party to be the next Speaker of the House.
Wait, wait for it—–the words are starting….
There have only been two races this year that have displayed the perfect test of the Tea Party or conservative grassroots against the establishment. The first contest was the Second Congressional District primary between former Congressman Charlie Bass (the establishment) versus Jennifer Horn (the Tea Party favorite). In that contest Horn and Tea Party hopefuls lost. The second contest featured this race for House Speaker with former Speaker Gene Chandler (the establishment) versus O’Brien (the Tea Party favorite). On Thursday O’Brien and the Tea Party were winners, however small the margin.
Not Old vs New. Establishment vs TEA Party. Yup – and consider this the second race of the "NH Political Triple Crown". Oops you say – Skip, but what about the Governor; you lost!
Only if you look at it from strictly an office basis. What was really important was control of the agenda and the ability to right the wrongs that the Progressives have wreaked upon this State:
- Step 1 – Removing the Democrats as the majority Party (House, Senate, Executive Council) – check!
- Step 2 – Create the ability to set a more Constitutionally / TEA Party based agenda vs that of Republican Establishment in the State – check!
- Step 3 – Cement, effectively, set a more Constitutionally based agenda (vs the Establishment) in the House – half check! (remainder to be accomplished on Dec 2).
As to the next part, I disagree with James yet again:
Some Tea Party folks believed that prior to this their biggest win was when Frank Guinta won the First Congressional District seat. While he probably had more “Tea Party” support than his primary opponents there is no evidence at all that the Tea Party was the reason Carol Shea-Porter lost. It is likely that any Republican would have beaten Shea-Porter in that race given the political climate and that district.
Not directly. However, Congressman Guinta’s policies were very much those of the TEA Party while Scold-Porter ran even more Left. This had the effect of showing the wide, wide chasm between the two in outlook on how they viewed the electorate, the argument of individual vs the collective, and the Proper Role of Government. This large contrast, I believe, played a large role in the vote (for Carol even lost her home town of Rochester – the home, I point to out with no small amount of satisfaction, of the largest and most active 9/12 Project group in the State).
In the race for Speaker it would have been so easy for Republicans to just simply choose Chandler again. He had good relationships with most of the people who know how Concord runs. He helped recruit a number of candidates, he dished out thousands of dollars as the official head of the Republican House PAC this year. But O’Brien is more of a Tea Party guy and won one of the most establishment elections (literally behind closed doors) by taking his own political passions and beating the establishment at their own game.
Lastly, O’Brien was the biggest win for the Tea Party largely because of the fact that there were enough Tea Party winners for state representative to give him the support he needed.
Yes, I feel vindicated – for to have had sufficient number of TEA Party Reps, one had to have had a sufficient number of TEA Party type candidates – vs just run of the mill "regular" Republicans.
I was told that when GraniteGrok announced its endorsement of Bill O’Brien way back when, it sent a shockwave through the Establishment Republicans. Fine. Am quite sure that this election of Bill O’Brien as NH Speaker nominee of the Republican Party was at least five magnitudes more in intensity.
Contented smile on face….Mission Accomplished
Sure, part of the rise of the TEA Party movement was, indeed, the spending by Dubya. But you know, I know that it just rankles the Left just to see it up up there, I thought it fitting….
(H/T: ‘Grok loyal Friend for forwarding the post, Newsweek for the above image)
