"Can't never could," my father always told me. If you tell
yourself you can't do something, that's a pretty good
guarantee you won't do something.
Because I've extensively covered the Tea Party movement -- and
actually spoken at three Tea Party events -- people
often ask me what it's all about. Perhaps the best
answer is that a lot of people who once thought they couldn't do
anything about politics have been persuaded that they can.
Richard Viguerie writes at American Thinker:
Rasmussen reports that the Tea Party Movement, which percolated
only months ago, is beating the Grand Old Party.
That's amazing -- a nascent grassroots movement is more popular
than a long-established political party -- and it's good
news.
Republican Party leaders should be embarrassed. Instead, the
Republican establishment disdains this populist uprising. . .
.
What's driving the Tea Party phenomenon? Robert
Stacy McCain writes at American Spectator about
one tea partier, Rhonda Lee Welsch, who says, "'It's a systemic
problem,' discussing the top-down approach of leaders in
both parties who seem indifferent to the concerns of ordinary
Americans." . . . (Emphasis added.)
Why does political leadership so easily succumb to this
indifference? In part because leaders become isolated in centers
of power, surrounded by sycophants who seek to advance their
personal ambitions through flattery ("You're doing a great
job, boss!") while constantly besieged by wealthy
interests seeking to influence policy.
During the Bush years, and especially in the
immediate aftermath of the 2004 election, when it
seemed that Karl Rove's "permanent Republican majority" had
become a reality, those much ballyhooed "values
volters" went home and told themselves they'd done their job.
The Republicans they'd elected told themselves that they could do
anything they wanted -- including amnesty
for illegal aliens -- and still win re-election.
The Republican leaders would lead, and the Republican followers
would follow -- or so the leaders imagined, until the
back-to-back electoral disasters of 2006 and 2008. Those
disasters caught the GOP elite by surprise and, as usual,
they tried to blame their blunders on scapegoats,
including Sarah Palin ("Stickin'
With the Hockey Mom,"American Spectator, Oct. 31,
2008) and the conservative grassroots who are the heart and
soul of the Republican Party ("You
Did Not Lose,"American Spectator, Nov. 5,
2008).
A few weeks ago, I had a long conversation with a liberal
journalist who asked me, "Who do you see as the leader of the
conservative movement?" I didn't have an answer, but Richard
Viguerie is onto something when he emphasizes the "leaderless"
quality of the Tea Party grassroots, quoting a historical study
of the Apaches: "You wanted to follow Geronimo? You followed
Geronimo. You didn't want to follow him? Then you didn't. The
power lay with each individual."
Viguerie comments:
From the tea parties, the grassroots, and the alternative
media, we are seeing new leaders emerge. Like our Founders,
they understand that their strength of leadership does not come
from a political party, but from consent of the governed. That
is why they don't hitch their wagons to one person or one
party.
Talk radio host Mark "The Great One"
Levin discussed recently how Reagan spoke not of "his"
administration, but of "this" administration. Levin noted how
Reagan understood his power came from the people, not from the
office he held.
You don't hear Craig Shirley dissing the Tea Party people, do
you? No, nor will you. Elitists who think that only pundits,
policy "experts" and think-tank wonks should
have a say in the political process are, in fact, the
antithesis of what the Reagan Revolution was about.
Liberty has no leader because we are all equal to do what we
want. And we have no leader because we are too busy doing it. And
we want no leader for we have no earthly clue about what to do
with someone else's problems, unless they ask if we might help.
We are the leader of ourselves, and each is his own leader. And
disjointedly together we lead ourselves onward to our destiny,
trying as best as we can to neither hinder anyone else's journey,
nor to require them to do something that they don't want to
do.
Government folks, on the other hand, have a plan, concocted after
a summit, and vetted loosely by the experts, and commented on by
the pundits, and debated in the legislature, and pushed by the
activists, and enshrined into law, and enforced with the police,
and complied with under threat of fine and jail. And a plan needs
a leader.
Thus, those who look for Leaders of Liberty are befuddled by the
lack of one.
james wilson| 12.12.09 @ 12:46PM
'If the people will lead, the leaders will eventually follow.'
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.12.09 @ 2:07PM
Well, Mr. McCain,
TEAM America is behind her efforts now. Our internet guru is
going to help her get the word out.
...heh...turns out he organizes rides...and rides himself.
Thanks again, Am Spec!
Baby, they ain't seen nuttin' yet until they see a gillion
Harley's and hear em' roar. Every year in Scottsdale, Az. they
have a rally with only thousand's roaring down the main drag and
it's an awesome sight to hear and see. D.C. get ready to hear
Americans roar.
Baby, they ain't seen nuttin' yet until they see a gillion
Harley's and hear em' roar. Every year in Scottsdale, Az. they
have a rally with only thousand's roaring down the main drag and
it's an awesome sight to hear and see. D.C. get ready to hear
Americans roar.
On a similar note, "it could never pass" is the most frequent
argument I've seen in Republican/conservative circles against the
FairTax. I think I'll borrow "can't never could" to throw back at
them the next time I see that objection raised.
Oldefarte| 12.13.09 @ 1:15PM
Robert, you hit the nail on the head! The establishment
politicians [either Democrat or Republican], after being elected
by their back home constituents/voters, go to Washington DC and
allow themselves to become isolated from same. These politicians
forget who elected them and who they SHOULD owe their allegiances
to. They THINK that their constituents are stupid and/or
ignorant; and that ehy can fool them with their BS just by saying
something. As a 33 year [now retired] employee of a
multi-national corporation, I shutter to think what would have
happened to me [and my job] if I had forgotten who MY BOSS[S]
were; and that is essentially what these DC politicians have
done. The Tea Party movement is [hopefully] a SHOT ACROSS THE BOW
[reminder] to these MORONS as to who they represent; and, if not,
they had better become aware of the the 2010 [and beyond]
elections that are fastly approaching!!!!
Stephen Zierak| 12.14.09 @ 10:09AM
Let's say the GOP actually does well in 2010. How meaningful will
that be if the new Senators are such as Fiorina, Kirk, Castle,
and Crist? If we give America more "pale pastels" in a time when
the people are begging for real conservatives, we will further
the road to Whigdom!
Jim Hlavac| 12.12.09 @ 12:45PM
Liberty has no leader because we are all equal to do what we want. And we have no leader because we are too busy doing it. And we want no leader for we have no earthly clue about what to do with someone else's problems, unless they ask if we might help. We are the leader of ourselves, and each is his own leader. And disjointedly together we lead ourselves onward to our destiny, trying as best as we can to neither hinder anyone else's journey, nor to require them to do something that they don't want to do.
Government folks, on the other hand, have a plan, concocted after a summit, and vetted loosely by the experts, and commented on by the pundits, and debated in the legislature, and pushed by the activists, and enshrined into law, and enforced with the police, and complied with under threat of fine and jail. And a plan needs a leader.
Thus, those who look for Leaders of Liberty are befuddled by the lack of one.
james wilson| 12.12.09 @ 12:46PM
'If the people will lead, the leaders will eventually follow.'
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.12.09 @ 2:07PM
Well, Mr. McCain,
TEAM America is behind her efforts now. Our internet guru is going to help her get the word out.
...heh...turns out he organizes rides...and rides himself.
Thanks again, Am Spec!
Barbara Espinosa| 12.12.09 @ 5:01PM
Baby, they ain't seen nuttin' yet until they see a gillion Harley's and hear em' roar. Every year in Scottsdale, Az. they have a rally with only thousand's roaring down the main drag and it's an awesome sight to hear and see. D.C. get ready to hear Americans roar.
Barbara Espinosa| 12.12.09 @ 5:01PM
Baby, they ain't seen nuttin' yet until they see a gillion Harley's and hear em' roar. Every year in Scottsdale, Az. they have a rally with only thousand's roaring down the main drag and it's an awesome sight to hear and see. D.C. get ready to hear Americans roar.
Finrod| 12.12.09 @ 5:50PM
On a similar note, "it could never pass" is the most frequent argument I've seen in Republican/conservative circles against the FairTax. I think I'll borrow "can't never could" to throw back at them the next time I see that objection raised.
Oldefarte| 12.13.09 @ 1:15PM
Robert, you hit the nail on the head! The establishment politicians [either Democrat or Republican], after being elected by their back home constituents/voters, go to Washington DC and allow themselves to become isolated from same. These politicians forget who elected them and who they SHOULD owe their allegiances to. They THINK that their constituents are stupid and/or ignorant; and that ehy can fool them with their BS just by saying something. As a 33 year [now retired] employee of a multi-national corporation, I shutter to think what would have happened to me [and my job] if I had forgotten who MY BOSS[S] were; and that is essentially what these DC politicians have done. The Tea Party movement is [hopefully] a SHOT ACROSS THE BOW [reminder] to these MORONS as to who they represent; and, if not, they had better become aware of the the 2010 [and beyond] elections that are fastly approaching!!!!
Stephen Zierak| 12.14.09 @ 10:09AM
Let's say the GOP actually does well in 2010. How meaningful will that be if the new Senators are such as Fiorina, Kirk, Castle, and Crist? If we give America more "pale pastels" in a time when the people are begging for real conservatives, we will further the road to Whigdom!
Bob Belvedere| 12.15.09 @ 10:17AM
Quoted from and Linked to at: QUO VADIS?
-----
It's Time To ROC 'N' ROLL:
Restore Our Constitution & Restore Our Lost Liberties
racking| 1.7.10 @ 12:22AM
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