Georgia Tea Parties' Police Targets GOP

12/13/2011

By Charles Jackson

A few years ago, I was an early, enthusiastic supporter of the Tea Party movement. Its essential belief in limited government and individual freedom form the core of conservative principles. The group's message of low taxes, deficit reduction and fidelity to the Constitution resonated with me.

However, my Tea Partying days are over.

The shot gun wedding between the Tea Party and the Republican Party after the 2010 midterm election has been consummated. It definitely wasn't a match made in heaven.

Unelected Tea Party police chieftains are calling the shots. They demand acquiescence to their agenda and intimidate Republican officeholders adhere to it or face a primary challenge.

The Tea Party purist police - with their rigid ideological orthodoxy - presume to know who's a "true" conservative. Now various Tea Party groups, most notably the State of Georgia Tea Party, wants to purge the GOP ranks of heretics.

Tea Party groups around Georgia are mobilizing to challenge Republican state elected officials they’ve deemed RINOs - Republicans In Name Only.

Among the lawmakers on their hit list, is House Speaker David Ralston ((R-Blue Ridge). His sin? Ralston supports a regional transportation sales tax referendum and that's "fiscally irresponsible."

"The Republican establishment needs to understand they are going extinct if they do not start adopting the ideology of the tea party in this state," so proclaims Bill Evelyn, a founder of the State of Georgia Tea Party.

Mr. Evelyn - a promoter of so called "Constitutional Conservatives."- fails to understand that the Constitution itself was authored by the establishment. Ideology? That's part of the purists' vocabulary: their ideology or else: the my way or the highway.

More broadly, the Tea Party's philosophy of legislating - the my way or the highway brand - goes against our democratic tradition of balancing interests and reconciling contrary views

This "my way" mentality is also why - since the doomed 2010 nuptials - support for the Tea Party and with it, the Republican Party, has fallen sharply even in places considered Tea Party strongholds, according to an analysis of new polls.

The Tea Party is now what labor unions are to the Democratic Party: a party within a party. The Tea Party within the Republican Party has become a strident, demanding, threatening voice intent on purging the GOP of those who - in their judgment - aren't pure enough.

The Tea Party's a malignant Achilles' heel on the body of the Republican Party, to wit:"Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall."

Related Articles

"Tea Partiers Past and Present," (Red County, October 13, 2010)

"Us vs Them," (Red County, September 16, 2010)

NOTE: Content may not be used without permission of the author. This commentary is also posted on Redcounty.com.

Comments

Bill Evelyn link

12/13/2011 08:31

Mr. Jackson fails to grasp the totality of the issue. T-SPLOST is not only re distribution of wealth, if is Socialism in its purest form, it is immoral as it turns over the decision to tax and spend to the mobocracy, and it is economic insanity as it transfers billions from the private into a government bureaucracy.

Mr. Jackson this is precisely what the Founding Fathers rejected and the Constitution is a form of government that is limited, not all empowering.

Ralston is simply one human among many that does not understand or embrace limited government. See link

http://youtu.be/SzEctxcJ208

Charles Jackson

12/13/2011 09:52

Mr. Evelyn-who anointed you to decide who doesn't understand "limited government?" Who anointed you to interpret the Constitution as a sledge hammer to beat others over the head with? By the way, I too, oppose T_SPLOST but I don't oppose letting the voters of GA vote in a referendum. Your Tea Party is a poison brew.

Harry the Horrible

12/13/2011 10:02

Gee, so once you're elected we're supposed to sit down, shut up and put up with whatever shenanigans you get up to?

Don't think so.

Charles Jackson

12/13/2011 10:24

Did I say that Harry the Horrible? I'm not a Stalinist-like purger of Republicans and I don't cotton to Tea Party groups who presume to know what's a "true," pure conservative.

Anonymous

12/13/2011 10:49

Apparently this writer has forgotten that the tea party was started in 2007 in response to a GOP administration and we are not an arm of the GOP. We are here to call them out when they are wrong just as any other party. This is what the tea party is for.

Charles Jackson

12/13/2011 11:50

Anonymous-not an arm of the GOP? You've got some 60 plus REPUBLICAN U.S. House members. Look at that poll which was cited in my article: if I were you, I'd be afraid, very afraid come November, 2012.

Kathryn L. Harper

12/13/2011 11:51

Mr. Jackson, Bill Evelyn has been "fighting the good fight" for many years before the tea party even came along.
While some of the tea party leaders are exactly as you described, Bill Evelyn is not one of them. You should have done more research and called out the leaders who do
fall under that category, as there are several, and right here in Georgia. Too bad you didn't do enough research for this piece as the truth would have been a refreshing change of pace.

Charles Jackson

12/13/2011 12:14

Ms. Harper-what planet do you live on? I have his quote from the AJC article which wss cited in my post. May I suggest, that YOU do some research starting by READING my post and then reading the AJC article: you look foolish right now. You folks can dish it out, but you sure can't take it, can you?

Kathryn L. Harper

12/03/2012 13:26

"The Republican establishment needs to understand they are going extinct if they do not start adopting the ideology of the tea party in this state," so proclaims Bill Evelyn, a founder of the State of Georgia Tea Party.
Looks like Bill Evelyn was right after all:)

Bill Evelyn link

12/14/2011 08:15

Charles,

The Republican Party rules call out procedures to primary Republicans. If the people in those Districts, citizens and tea party members, decide they no longer appreciate David Ralston's brand of liberalism, they have every right to primary him.

This is the problem with Republicans in this state. Once elected they think it is their birth right to maintain office.

David Ralson has the highest disapproval ratings of any District Rep in the State of Georgia. These polls have been conducted by many organizations including GRTL.

David Ralston has ethics issues, he refuses to advance pro-life legislation, and he promotes big government tax and spending.

btw ... I find it suspect that you are a Goldwater Conservative. Turning a tax and spend TSPLOST vote over to the mobocracy, whereby 6% of the Georgia population will damn 94% of Georgian's to debt and tax is not Republicanism or Conservative. It is Democracy and Liberalism. It is immoral.

Charles Jackson

12/14/2011 12:09

Mr. Evelyn-I've already made my case. Live with it. Now go your merry, misguided way targeting Ralston and other Republicans - that's your prerogative. I have a News Flash: you don't speak for all the voters in Ralston's district; not all conservatives or Republicans share your zeal to purge. I'm confident that will be demonstrated in next year's primary and then you'll be marginalized even more than you are now.

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