Do I know why the Tea Party should be proud?

Do I know why the Tea Party should be proud?

Outline

A boring lecture about political groups
What this means for the Tea Party
My conclusion

A boring Lecture about political groups

Inside each political party are groups of people that really really don't like each other. In the old days it would be Union Busters under the same party name as Union Members. These days it's things like Teachers along side Trial Lawyers. The trick is to balance out the opposition.

No one person can take the constant demands and petitions, head the marches and solicitations, without being completely overworked. So how does one become a "party boss?" Simple. For every group, for every major issue, or list of demands, one only needs to find another group that is against that very thing and bring them into the party.

Then one can say to each group separately in a private meeting, "Look, I'm really with you, but we need the support and donations of this other group. Now if you could convince them, failing that at least convert a few, failing that at least hold them off for me, then we can get our stuff through congress." Then set back and make minor adjustments till the efforts of the opposed groups balance each other out.

Then bring in two new parties, opposed to each other. Use the same routine on them, and tell the old parties (separately and in private meetings) "Look, we need their support, they are the new thing, our issues aren't popular anymore. But If you help me bring them in, we can quietly get our agenda through congress." And there you have it. This is how one can be a party boss and still have plenty of time for golf and movies.

What this means for the Tea Party

This is bad news for the Tea Party. Not that they seem to be unified with little opposition from within, but that they will never get roads built. The difficult reality is that when the highway system started up there was a lot of opposition. One guy didn't want to sell his house so the road could go through there. Another guy wanted the road to go by his business and not two blocks over. Plenty of dissent and resistance everywhere. These factions could be pitted against each other, leaving the people in charge to relax and watch.

But the Tea Party seems to be more like a construction crew. They are doing the heavy lifting, they are all moving in the same direction. And worst of all, they expect results. In this environment how can any party boss survive. They can't. The Tea Party as it stands now will remain headless.

I mean how is a boss supposed to preserve their position through the generations if everyone goes home after the first road is built.

The same is true of social clubs. Back in the day, my dad was a card carrying member of the Sierra Club _AND_ the National Riffle Association. He told me that conservation, back then, meant that one only shot what one was going to eat.

And nothing got done.

But split those two groups into different camps, turn them against each other, and a boss has something to work with. So what if they got absorbed, generally, by two different political parties. They still have their axes to grind, and at the highest level they can be used to slow down the other ones.

Too many accidental gun deaths? "Sierra, I have good news, the national media is going to cover our next spotted owl sit in."

Too many restrictive laws on business expansion? "NRA, I have good news, [Insert Famous Actor] is running for president of the NRA."

See how that works?





A political party is nothing but opposing forces balance out in such a way that one boss can easily manage it. Heck they can even fit some of their friends in the basket. Even an enemy or two helping to steer can make sure the balloon goes no where and just wobbles back and forth.

My Conclusion

Once apon a time a man from Arkansas with a Connecticut wife wanted to be president, but the cards were stacked against it. Mysteriously a billionaire who made all his money off of government contracts popped up and ran as an Independent. More mysterious was the fact that he sounded more republican than the republicans, and he wound up splitting the vote. The Democrat became president.

Later a president understood that history showed how he would loose a lot of seats during the midterm elections due to his policies. Mysteriously a Tea Party popped up that sounded more republican than the republicans...

but a very strange, and unexpected thing happened.

The members of the Tea Party hijacked their own party, all started agreeing with each other, and nightmare of nightmares, actually voted for republicans.

... It was a disaster. For the Dems, anyway.

[Now remember, this part is just my conclusion, please make your own. Attack my conclusion(s) if you want. But making your own to counter it would be more constructive.]

So if someone wants to become the head of the Tea Party, then let them. Ask them the real questions in public. Like...

Who can you bring into the party to oppose us.
What policy will have the least real effect, we want to start with that.
How can we make sure that it takes at least three generations to get anything done.

It is my hunch that the Tea Partiers are grown up enough for each one act like a party boss. Cause like it or not, balancing out opposing forces internally is how one generates concensus. In the world of politics this is how one generates the most lift.


David Grouchy

Heh,
I guess I should have
put this in the Above Politics Forum.


David Grouchy

reply to post by davidgrouchy


Hey, not so fast, you and I have an agreement.

Both sides are attacking the Tea Party. Both sides do not know what to make of the movement.

There really is no head, so you cannot attack it.

There really is no body, so you cannot pin it down.

The Repubs think they can control it.

The Dems think they can demonize it.

If you ask me, I think a lot of the groups leaders read SKL threads.

The media attempts to say that they have no plan. They do have a plan, it is not a plan but it is a plan. How do you attack a ghost of a plan.

The media attempts to label them in many different ways, racist, ignorant, unsophisticated, non politically connected, unrestrained, etc. All GOOD points. They have one all encompassing narrative, less government and more freedom for the people. How are they going to attack THAT?!

I think the Repubs see their own blood in the water. The media and pundits are attempting to say this is a Repub manifestation, I say this is a takeover of the Repubs, they just do not know it yet.

I think the Dems have seen their own blood in the water. They are RUNNING from the big government control freaks.

One of Sun Tzus ultimate rules of war is to NEVER be reactionary. The Tea Party is completely out there, their stances are set in stone, they do NOT react. They do not have to. All they have to do is stay the course.

This is my conclusion.

Originally posted by saltheart foamfollower

If you ask me, I think a lot of the groups leaders read SKL threads.

SpartanKingLeonidas makes some great points.
If that's the case, then more power too them.

I have to ask though, does he have an
evil opposite, a nemesis of sorts?

Cuse his friends list is like
massive and huge, but
he has zero enemies.


David Grouchy

reply to post by davidgrouchy


I have seen the way that SKL engages folks that attempt to troll or attempt to get an emotional response, he is like a rock. You can hit him with all sorts of trollish behavior and he just acts like a stone. Quite a sight to see. I would attempt to emulate, but I am the emotional type. Gives me a little problem now and then, but to me, I see it as a benefit rather than a detriment.

Cool and calculated I am not, more Hot and frenzied.