Annie
Diamond Member
- Nov 22, 2003
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The point of the Tparty is the point of the election of 94 and 06. The electorate is not ideologically bound, but is mostly interested in eliminating back room deals and government by purchase. In 94 there was the house bank, and the bribery scandals that never seemed to end. The Democrats refused to get it, and the GOP promised more open government, and delivered for a short while. In 2006 the Republicans obviously forgot the message, and they were reminded by the voters about what is truly important. And the Democrats went back on their pledges as well.
Which is why so many lost this time.
This I think is Erickson's whole point and why I used the 'hostile takeover' analogy. As he said, Mitch McConnell hasn't learned a damn thing and intends to be business as usual in the senate. When he rejected a call for a moratorium on earmarks, that said volumes. He's still in it for the benefit of Mitch McConnell which seems to be a chronic syndrome with too many of our fearless leaders.
But we do have opportunity to make some important inroads in the House and that starts with putting people into key positions who are likely to walk the walk. And it will appear to be a 'hostile takeover' to replace some of the old guard with the new visionaries.
The scandals make people roll their eyes, because scandals are always with us. Truth is, if the politicians hadn't gone a bridge too far, people would probably not be willing to listen, much less agree with tea parties. However, Bush and Obama went way too far. Bush started it with ignoring the people on 'immigration reform.' It's hard to remember further back than the economic meltdown, but before that, people were upset at being ignored no matter how many letters, emails, and phone calls were made. The legislators had the gall to leave voice mail full and not empty.
Then came the spending, then more spending, then more spending. Then Obama did with health care what Bush had done with 'immigration reform' and worse yet, forced it through. Then came the tea parties...
Now people are not rolling their eyes, they are meeting these guys as their planes land, at public forums, anywhere they can pin them. It's not the Democrats alone and it's not 'every one of those incumbents.' The electorate is focusing and voting.