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What the Tea Party Movement Means
Written by on April 19, 2010, 10:01 PM
The Democrats in Washington have made so many mistakes in the last year that 2010 looks to be the best year for the Republicans since 1994 and perhaps even better. As a Republican, I’m glad to see it because it will give me a chance to successfully push for many of the things I believe in. But recent polls that show people distrusting the government are not only an indictment of Democrats. To a large degree they are an indictment of Republicans as well.
In the last half of the 12-year stretch Republicans had in the Congressional majority, we lost faith with the American people--and that’s why the Democrats are in charge to begin with! Republicans spent too much, for starters. But there were also too many scandals, and too many inexcusable mistakes. I found myself voting against my own party more and more. I voted against No Child Left Behind. I voted against TARP (the Bush bank bailout). I voted against nearly two-thirds of the annual appropriations bills the GOP passed during the Bush Administration.
The Tea Party movement has not resulted just from anger at the Democrats. It resulted from anger at both parties. What does that mean for November? This election needs to be about what’s good for America, not just about what’s good for the Grand Old Party. It can be the start of something great for the GOP as well, but only if Republicans stick to their principles and actually deliver on the things we as a party are supposed to believe in: less government, less spending, family values, law and order, and wise national defense.
The Tea Party movement will probably be good for the GOP this year. But after the election, if Republicans win the majority in Congress, the movement will be there to hold the party accountable. If we don’t live up to our promises to be the party that can actually do budget math, we will have the Tea Party folks to reckon with. This is a very good thing for America. Accountability is always a good thing.
In the last half of the 12-year stretch Republicans had in the Congressional majority, we lost faith with the American people--and that’s why the Democrats are in charge to begin with! Republicans spent too much, for starters. But there were also too many scandals, and too many inexcusable mistakes. I found myself voting against my own party more and more. I voted against No Child Left Behind. I voted against TARP (the Bush bank bailout). I voted against nearly two-thirds of the annual appropriations bills the GOP passed during the Bush Administration.
The Tea Party movement has not resulted just from anger at the Democrats. It resulted from anger at both parties. What does that mean for November? This election needs to be about what’s good for America, not just about what’s good for the Grand Old Party. It can be the start of something great for the GOP as well, but only if Republicans stick to their principles and actually deliver on the things we as a party are supposed to believe in: less government, less spending, family values, law and order, and wise national defense.
The Tea Party movement will probably be good for the GOP this year. But after the election, if Republicans win the majority in Congress, the movement will be there to hold the party accountable. If we don’t live up to our promises to be the party that can actually do budget math, we will have the Tea Party folks to reckon with. This is a very good thing for America. Accountability is always a good thing.
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