Indeed, indeed. Those involved in the TEA Party movement are still around. They were lambasted three years ago for being “amateurs”, thinking that holding clever signs would change things, that they were too white, too middle class, leaderless, and if the media and Democrats were to be believed, would soon go home to their living rooms and resume a more normal life of simply grumbling at their TV sets and wringing their hands. H/T to Instapundit for this:
AN A.P. REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE TEA PARTY: Dead it’s not — the tea party lives on in grassroots activists determined to see change. “Dead the tea party is not. Changed? Perhaps. But still very much alive, in the back room of a Jim’s Restaurant in San Antonio and many other places across the land. . . . Perhaps nowhere is the persistent power of the tea party more at work today than at the local and state level, where many grassroots activists have decided to shift the focus of their efforts. More tea party-backed candidates are running for county and state Republican leadership positions, with the aim of having a bigger say in the party’s agenda and direction.”
All is proceeding as I have foreseen.
And I see no end to it soon. Sure, there will be the rallies going forward, as Steve points out for one today in Manchester, NH and as I’ve posted here for next Saturday in Dover (sponsored by the Granite State Patriot Liberty PAC). But change, REAL change comes only after real hard works over a longish amount of time. In Glen’s second link, he outlines what the Utah TEA Party was doing in participating in personal democracy – moving the Utah Republican Party back to its roots of not just lip-serving for smaller government but actually making it happen. They did it rather quickly – but as I just told another activist concerning a different issue on the phone, be prepared for change to come slowly.
I think that a lot of NH grassroots activists thought “it’s over – we won” when Jack Kimball became the NH GOP Chair at last year’s GOP meeting only to see him resign just before being ousted by the Executive Board. In hindsight, very few, complete victories are won quickly and that ouster reminded many of us that a battle that can be won can also be reversed almost as quickly. Instead, that more complete change will come more effectively and more completely only after much effort and much time (perhaps years). As you know, GraniteGrok endorsed three people for elected positions: Diane Bitter (assistant secretary), Cliff Hurst (vice-chair), and Pam Tucker (RNC Committeewoman). Two won: Diane and Cliff. The needle moved and in the right direction. Principle over power/politics. Republicans with Principles vs Republicans for, well, “because we’re Republicans and better / less bad than Democrats”.
I will also say that MUCH effort is being done and looking at local town and city races and incumbent officials. Why? Because of all politicians that get elected, local politicians:
- can raise your taxes really quickly with relatively large expenditures relative to town size
- it is easier to influence local politicians – they live just down the street. You will see them in stores
- if you can’t defeat them, you may well be able to influence them – you know their neighbors and families to yak with.
- it grows the “farm team”
- it helps to aid the ethos of what small government can do and aid in creating a more response society.
But back to the NH GOP – And of course, as Mike posted, I ended up running. More details as to the why in another post.
