Should the Tea Party split from the GOP?

(Newser) – Former Bush I speechwriter David Frum has a few words for Tea Party politicians who might be considering a split from the GOP to form a third party: Good riddance. Such a split might be the only hope for the party's long-term chances, writes Frum at CNN. Tea Party backers, for instance, would rather keep the government shut down and allow the government to default rather than give even an inch to Democrats and the White House. It's all principle and no pragmatism.

www.newser.com...

Um, all principles and no pragmatism? The GOP has become/is becoming democrat-light. Same ideology, half the calories.

The Tea Party stuck on principles? How dare they have a backbone! How dare they hold values! How dare they represent their constituents!

Personally, I think the GOP had corrupted the Tea Party and that it would be in the best interest of ALL America if the Tea Party DID split from the GOP and let them enjoy the circle-jerk with their "esteemed" colleagues on the left! Hell, I'd welcome members of Occupy to the Tea Party since we agree on more things than the GOP!

What say you, fellow members? Are you ready to charge that hill?

(you go first, I'm having a sandwich)

Sure the TP should go third party. Being third party worked wonders for the Libertarian Party, Green Party and the Constitution Party. Tp goes third party then it's goodbye to the TP. Acting like they were members of the GOP was the only reason why the TP even got notice. Bet the GOP regrets letting the TP run on their tickets now.

Most American people fall in the middle; anyone that is willing to compromise a little with both Rep's & Dem's I would consider being an Independent.

reply to post by beezzer

I don't think they should split...The Republican party is in desperate need, not only of a backbone, but ideological leaders who can voice the desires and will of the majority of the American people.

I see the TP as the primordial soup of new Republican leadership in this country. They provide a new dynamic to the lackadaisical Republican party.

reply to post by beezzer


The Tea Party is just fine where it's at. Tons of people who go to the polls are straight pulls: GOP or Dems.

Now ... if they would just put in a lever for Kick All The Bums Out ...

reply to post by beezzer


I'd join any party I believed was American 1st and a pursuing politcal agendas second. It doesn't have to be a distant second. They can be neck and neck for all I care...as long as the good of the nation WILL be put ahead of harm to their own agenda? They've not only got my vote, but give me a phone number and I'll get in touch to help organize locally.

I didn't spend the time I did in Occupy just to enjoy the stimulating intellectual exchange and crime free environment of the camp. First and foremost...I went to learn how to make my own. I learned well enough ...so just give people like me a banner we can honestly believe in and not just say is 'less evil than what we have'....and the game's on!

buster2010
Sure the TP should go third party. Being third party worked wonders for the Libertarian Party, Green Party and the Constitution Party. Tp goes third party then it's goodbye to the TP. Acting like they were members of the GOP was the only reason why the TP even got notice. Bet the GOP regrets letting the TP run on their tickets now.

I think the Tea Party has those same regrets.

reply to post by beezzer


I don't know, it seems to me that if they did split off it wouldn't be a 3rd party, it would be a 4th party because the Libertarian party is legitimate. It also seems that by doing so we are guaranteed to have a democrat controlled house, senate and POTUS because as we know, Libertarians and Tea Partiers aren't taking any votes away from Democrats, they are all taken away from Republicans.

While I desperately want new leadership and know that we are headed straight south with the political parties we have now, the thought of having a completely liberal government from the HoR up scares the living hell out of me.

Shdak
Most American people fall in the middle; anyone that is willing to compromise a little with both Rep's & Dem's I would consider being an Independent.

Compromise is fine. But when you have to sacrifice principles in order to enact compromise, then it isn't compromise anymore.

It's surrender.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I would like to see a new Republican party emerge w/ common folk from all walks of life.

The American people should split from the Republicans and Democrats.

They are who we have to thank for our current economic and political situation.

IAMTAT
reply to post by beezzer

 

I don't think they should split...The Republican party is in desperate need, not only of a backbone, but ideological leaders who can voice the desires and will of the majority of the American people.

I see the TP as the primordial soup of new Republican leadership in this country. They provide a new dynamic to the lackadaisical Republican party.

The republican party has been no better than the democrat party in reducing government, government spending.

I'd like to hope that you are right, but drastic times require drastic measures.

reply to post by Helious


I think the libertarian party would be the best way to go. And I agree, libertarians and Tea Party are pretty much the same.

How could we appeal to those in the democrat party that feel the same way as us, though?

Helious
While I desperately want new leadership and know that we are headed straight south with the political parties we have now, the thought of having a completely liberal government from the HoR up scares the living hell out of me.

The Tea Party is going to rake in tons of seats during the 2014 elections. Balance is coming. I don't even care if the RINOS remain for some modicum of rationality. I'd like to see the Dems In Disguise (i.e. McCain, Christy, etc) be forced out of the party, but I fear that's a pipe dream.

If, on the outside chance, the Dems take the cake it'll all be over before Obamarama's out of office (if they don't appoint him Emperor first).

(raises paw) If I may interject a thought?

It's my understanding that The Tea Party Movement is very similar to Occupy in ONE respect. They are decentralized for any national 'command' structure that everyone will adhere to and follow.

How does one form a party with this time left...and even hope to appear on Statewide ballots, let alone have any chance of even attempting national ballot access to the White House in 2016?

I'm serious and I don't know this area well enough to say, nor do I have the machine or time now to research it. Anyone else know off hand if they developed the structure over the last couple years to stand vs. crawling in many directions at once?

reply to post by beezzer

I think the libertarian party would be the best way to go. And I agree, libertarians and Tea Party are pretty much the same.

Libertarians are all over the board when it comes to taxation, TP is pretty dead set against it, IMO.

True Libertarians are for freedom, even when it means allowing a woman the right to choose to have an abortion.... even when it goes against their personal opinion on the matter.
The same for drug legalization. I won't recommend that people shoot heroin, but I don't think it is the government or my duty to prevent them from doing it...pursuit of happiness, you know.

reply to post by beezzer

How could we appeal to those in the democrat party that feel the same way as us, though?

Honestly, In my experience, it has always seemed easier to reason with a republican than a democrat regarding political ideology and basic logic when it comes to economics and social responsibility.

My opinion is that underneath the political label is a certain personality type that leads somebody into believing what they do politically and while certainly not true in every case, I tend to think more often than not that most liberal democrats are extremely hard liners, unwilling to accept change very easily because they staunchly believe their views and beliefs are essential for making the world a better place.

I also think they see Republicans as people who don't care about anyone else but themselves, unborn babies and Jesus and have vilified and twisted the base of their politics to a point that I don't think it will ever be possible to sway far left leaning democrats anywhere near what the Republicans consider middle ground.

With all of that said, I don't really know how much either side needs to compromise in order to get the job done. My feeling is that without lobbyism involved, common sense would be allowed to prevail much more often than it is currently and the framework for which our country is founded and ran is extremely solid.

My solution would be to amend the Constitution to prohibit lobbyism completely (legally of course) from politics. Congress should be subject to every law that they pass without exception and finally, we get back too and don't stray again from the Constitution being the supreme law and framework that we base our society and government on.

These are actually very simple things however, I don't think they are things we will see in our lifetime without some serious changes from the top down and that's going to require things get worse before they get better and............ I have no doubt they will.

beezzer

Shdak
Most American people fall in the middle; anyone that is willing to compromise a little with both Rep's & Dem's I would consider being an Independent.

Compromise is fine. But when you have to sacrifice principles in order to enact compromise, then it isn't compromise anymore.

It's surrender.

Compromise is not possible when the issue is about whether or not to allow our society to be subjected to authoritarianism.

You can't have a little bit of gangrene and expect everything to be fine, it must be eradicated.

This is not a weird perspective, remember back to when we grew up and had confidence in America. It was not confidence in our government and police squads that was the source of that wholeness. It was our familiarity with all that directly affected our lives that inspired that trust.

That is what we need to revive and it requires that we depend upon each other again, not be dependent upon the state.

Snarl

Helious
While I desperately want new leadership and know that we are headed straight south with the political parties we have now, the thought of having a completely liberal government from the HoR up scares the living hell out of me.

The Tea Party is going to rake in tons of seats during the 2014 elections. Balance is coming. I don't even care if the RINOS remain for some modicum of rationality. I'd like to see the Dems In Disguise (i.e. McCain, Christy, etc) be forced out of the party, but I fear that's a pipe dream.

If, on the outside chance, the Dems take the cake it'll all be over before Obamarama's out of office (if they don't appoint him Emperor first).

That is completely impossible thanks to the wonderful GERRYMANDERING!
Which, by the way, brought your system down.

reply to post by beezzer


I would love to see them split. Any sort of expansion on the failed two-party system is an improvement in my book. I love that we have Libertarians, the Green Party, all other parties, and I'd love to see the Tea Party do the same. But I despise the fact that none of them are viable. Maybe that will change. I would love to see a situation like Norway (and many many other nations where Democracy works) where they have nearly 10 different parties and most of them are viable with chances of success consistently.

We are stuck because we keep doing the same thing over and over, banging our collective heads against those same two walls decade after decade. It's all because of the two-party monopoly.

I would LOVE to someday see my favorite Green Party or Libertarian candidate contend with a member of the Tea Party just because it would mean we finally did it. I would love for about six more parties to spring up, as well.

So, for the first and probably only time in my life, I'm going to say "GO TEA PARTY"!