Many skeptics have been signaling that the Tea Party was getting weak or hadn’t little influence anymore as their movement has seemingly quieted over the last year. Yesterday’s run-off for GOP Senate nominee in Texas proved otherwise, as wildly outspent Tea Party candidate Ted Cruz his beat GOP establishment opponent, LT. Governor David Dewhurst, by nearly double digits.
The Tea Party has all but lost its influence over the last year. FreePAC, a convention for grassroots conservatives and Tea Partiers, took place in Dallas last weekend. Not only was this a global conference with representatives from over 20 countries, but it was the largest political convention assembled in recent history with over 16,000 attendees. The Tea Party hasn’t disappeared; they’ve simply put down their protest signs and entered a new phase of their movement – a phase that puts them in a position to fight for something, not against something.
“You better wake up, buddy, because you are done,” Glenn said of the progressives grasping at straws to maintain power in the Republican Party this morning. “Your days are numbered.”
Ted Cruz’s victory isn’t a message to the Democrats as much as it to the Republicans. Most Democrats know that the Senate seats in Texas are going to go to the GOP. What happened yesterday was a clear message to the top of the Republican Party.
“Ted Cruz winning Texas is gigantic. This is a very Republican state,” Glenn explained this morning. “This is, you know, a stronghold Republican state. Rick Perry, Republican. David Dewhurst, he’s the guy that everybody who has power in this state said David Dewhurst was the guy, you’ve got to get off that Ted Cruz bandwagon. He’s going to lose.”
Pat confirmed was Glenn said and added, “Everybody told us that, politicos, billionaires – everybody said it’s David Dewhurts, get used to it.”
All of the people with power underestimated how many people are waking up to what’s going on in the country. Glenn reiterated that this message isn’t to the Democrats, it’s to the GOP.
“This should send a message to the Republicans. It doesn't matter how much money you have. It doesn't matter if you have all of the power players. It doesn't matter. We're not doing it anymore. We're not buying into it. We're not buying into your stupid advertisement. You can't win that way,” Glenn said.
Like in most Tea Party and grassroots victories, Cruz was outspent four to one by the time all was said and done with the election. It takes more than good political ads and money to win these elections the last few years.
Glenn took a look back to 2009, when the Tea Party really started shaking up the base. Agenda 21 is continuing to unravel in California of all places. Why? The California 9/12 project.
In 2009 Chris Christie defeated Jon Corzine, who outspent him by millions. Bob McDonnel defeated Creigh Deeds in Virginia. Scott Brown beat Martha Coakley in Massachusetts.
In 2010, Rand Paul defeated Jack Conway in Kentucky. In Florida, Mark Rubio beat Charlie Crist twice, in the primary and again in the general. Mike Lee took Bob Bennett’s long held seat in Utah. Grassroots candidate Pat Toomey beat Arlen Spector in Pennsylvania. That’s just a few examples of many that took place in 2010, and since then the Tea Party hasn’t beaten a recall in Wisconsin and continues to have victories like last night’s.
This isn’t just about Barack Obama, it’s about defeating corruption.
“That’s who we want our country back from, those that are corrupt,” Glenn said. “Those who are corrupting the system and those who are trying to destroy it – the people who say they know better than we the people.”
A lot of these people in the GOP that grass roots are taking on now started off good, but power corrupts, Glenn told his listeners this morning. He used Orrin Hatch as an example, making sure to point out that he’s a good guy, but he’s been there too long – he’s addicted to the power.
“This is a battle for the soul of the Republican Party,” Glenn said. “Power corrupts and so they slowly, over time, lost their way.”
This fight inside the GOP is far from over, there are more important races quickly approaching. If you look at the wins, despite what the mainstream media says, it’s easy to see that the Tea Party hasn’t gone anywhere – nor do they intend to.
Later on in the radio show, Pat made sure to solidify the big Tea Party victory in their new home state of Texas with a gloatfest. After all, what’s the ousting of a progressive without Pat serenading us with “Happy Days…”?
