Tea Party Influence Growing

The Impact Of The Tea Party Movement On Future Candidates

A new Rasmussen poll clearly substantiates the power behind the “Tea Party Movement”, and the effects it will have in future elections as well as opposition to bogus legislation. A quick search of Rasmussen polls on tea party popularity shows a movement garnering momentum and a voice that can sway almost any outcome desired. This is evidenced by the support of tea party candidates, which breaks down the support for Democratic 36%, Tea Party 23% and Republican 18%, assuming an election were held today.

The message is clear, but I believe is being missed by both Democratic and Republican parties. The tea party patriots are not only angry at the current administration, and tired of government intervention in their lives, but also sick of politicians in general. The continuing rhetoric is stale and ineffective, and politicians fall far short in ability to address the new breed of well informed Americans found at the impetus of this movement. The new breed of American Patriot is often better informed than many of the politicians who lay idle claim to representing us. Very few politicians have any business acumen and have never made a payroll, paid business taxes, met a premium on Workers Comp, liability, or malpractice insurance. How could it even be remotely possible that these same politicians could actually represent our best interests?

It is no longer acceptable that we put in office a representative that possesses a silver tongue, a $400 haircut, or is the first to break the glass ceiling. We have learned the hard way that the cookie cutter image is the very thing we should be vehemently rejecting. The new breed of representative to Congress needs to pass a litmus test far more defining than popularity and the ability to say the right thing. Before all the blame appears to be heaped on the hundreds of dirt bags that currently represent us, we need to accept full responsibility for putting them there, and vow to be more vigilant to ourselves and future generations.

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For conservatives, a political surge

The energized “tea party” movement, which upended this year’s political debate with noisy anti-government protests, is preparing to shake up the 2010 elections by channeling money and supporters to conservative candidates set to challenge both Democrats and Republicans.

Buoyed by their success in capsizing a moderate Republican candidate this fall in Upstate New York, tea party activists and affiliated groups are unveiling new political action committees and tactics aimed at capitalizing on conservative opposition to health-care reform, financial bailouts and other Obama administration policies. The goal is to harness the anger that led to hundreds of protests around the country from spring to fall, including a gathering of tens of thousands of protesters on the Mall in September.

The strategy poses both an opportunity and a risk for the beleaguered Republican Party, which is seeking to take advantage of conservative discontent while still fielding candidates who appeal to independent voters. Fundraising efforts are just beginning, but tea party activists have already inspired serious challenges to establishment GOP Senate candidates Carly Fiorina in California and Charlie Crist in Florida; a similar insurgency in last month’s House race in New York splintered local Republicans, leading to a Democratic victory.

“It’s time to take control,” conservative activist Eric Odom declares on the Web site of his new political action committee, Liberty First PAC, which will “support fellow patriots looking [to] defend our liberty.” Odom, who played a central role in organizing the first tea party protests this spring, says the PAC will not support incumbents of either party.

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Tagged as: Tea Party