by Sara J.
Tea Party: a little over a year ago, you had the establishment freaking out. You were taking hits from every mainstream media outlet on both sides of the aisle, but it didn’t slow you down. You took out GOP establishment incumbents one by one in primaries, and you didn’t stop there: you went on to take back the House by a landslide; in fact, if was one of the biggest wins in American history.
With all that under your belt, I’m trying to figure why the Tea Party has decided to throw in the towel. Is that really all you’ve got? What ever happened to perseverance? Do progressives really have that much more endurance than you? Don’t you remember how it felt not just to beat the left, not just to beat the establishment on the right, but to get real leaders of character in office? I thought you were the group of Americans with values and principles? I thought is was your conviction that man’s rights are given to him by God, not government. I guess I was wrong. The Constitution, limited government, and real freedom must have just seemed like a good idea, because you don’t just lower the bar on convictions. The Tea Party didn’t choose from the options passed down by the establishment in November 2010. You went out, found real leaders, and won. In fact you got the most epic gloat fest of all time, when it was all said and done.
This election should be one where the Tea Party takes everything the mainstream media says and tosses it out the window. Unfortunately, that’s not what’s happening. We’ve been thrown into this ridiculous argument of who is and isn’t “electable.” After everything that has happened in the last three years: the Healthcare law, finance reform, countless DOJ scandals, establishment GOP ganging up on the Tea Party, you’re going to buy into the mainstream media’s argument of whom the best candidates are? Are we ever going to find a perfect candidate? No. Can we find one that shares our core values? Yes.
For conservatives, this entire election has been positioned around the repeal of Obamacare. How is it that the two highest polling candidates are Newt Gingrich, who supports an individual mandate, or did for 20+ years until it became unpopular, and Mitt Romney, who implemented government run healthcare in his own state while he was the governor? How has one of these candidates lifted to the top of the polls for grassroots conservatives? Is the Tea Party really buying into the establishment's argument about who is the most “electable?” And are these candidates actually the most electable? How are their policies going to fly in a debate against Barack Obama?
Moderator: Mr. President, you implemented an individual mandate in your healthcare plan that is now being challenge by the Supreme Court. Is or isn’t an individual mandate for healthcare reform constitutional?Barack Obama: I don’t know, I got the idea from Newt Gingrich, then we designed the rest of the bill around Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts healthcare plan.
I’m sure that will appeal to the voters that are on the fence… What could a moderator throw at a candidate like Michele Bachmann or Rick Santorum in a debate that would hurt them—traditional marriage, their faith, no instances of adultery, “MSNBC says your crazy”? Oh the horror of a clean record! If we are going to have a discussion about who is and isn’t electable in an election, can we at least look at the big picture?
If I remember correctly, Senator John McCain was a “moderate” conservative in the last election. We were sold this same argument about who could and could not win the election on a national scale. That worked out really well didn’t it? John McCain didn’t rise in the polls until an unknown conservative, Governor Sarah Palin, entered the race. And despite the disgusting attacks on her from the media, she is still the number one choice for many of you. How do you go from supporting Sarah Palin to Newt Gingrich, a guy who has been saying FDR is the greatest president of the 19th century for years and says Andy Stern is a “forward looking leader”?
This week, a friend of mine told me that in order to get independents and moderates to vote against Obama, we have to choose one of the more moderate candidates. I completely reject this argument. If you want to change someone’s mind, if you want to provide a better option for Americans that are on the fence and feel disenfranchised by both parties, give them a candidate who actually believes in what they’re running for. Give them a candidate that they may not agree with on all of the issues, but still respects for walking their talk. We want a choice this election—hot or cold, up or down, left or right, conservative or liberal. In 2008 we had a Republican candidate that was pro-choice, for gun control, and wasn’t going to protect our border. We now have a Democrat president that is pro-choice, for gun control and still doesn’t protect our border. Why are we repeating these mistakes? Or, do you actually believe in the progressive policies of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney?
Tea Party, don’t sell out, don’t sit down, and don’t shut up. You fought hard for candidates like Michele Bachmann last November. She was Nancy Pelosi’s number one target in the last election, and she won. Why are you giving up on her and other candidates who want to restore the founding values and principals of America? Because the media tells you it’s the only way to win? Since when do members of the mainstream media know what winning looks like? They have to lie, cheat, and cover up the truth to get the candidates they want elected into office. Newsflash: the media is losing. Please remember how shocked they all were last November when Tea Party candidates were knocking off Republicans and Democrats one by one.
A true conservative with moral authority over their own life will be the final blow to the agenda of the mainstream media and a huge loss of power to the establishment in Washington D.C. Kill two birds with one stone, and stand up for what you believe in this election. If you don’t stand by your convictions regardless of the outcome, then it is a waste of time to have them in the first place. Don’t throw the last three years of organizing, fund raising, meetings, and withstanding attacks from all sides away. You can beat the establishment, but first you have to support a candidate that represents your values. You aren’t stuck with a progressive Republican yet, so stop acting like you are. This is why we have primary elections. Now stand up, square your shoulders, and support a candidate that will stand firm on the principals of the Constitution.