boonecountygirl
Wiley Coyote
hal
Herman Cain
Mark Pellin
High Tea Or High Noon?
Much ado has been made over the NC 8th Congressional District race, which grows stranger by the day. With more plot twists than an indie film, this primary runoff election has it all: from The Big Guy to The Machine Gun, from threatened lawsuits to heroin, from the military-industrial complex to the sports segment on the nightly news, no race in recent memory has been so intriguing—and has stirred such raw emotion within the Republican Party. This race has divided the Republican base much more so than most primaries, pitting the “tea party” against the “establishment.”
Or has it?
There is no doubt that there has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding the NC-8 tilt, with both Harold Johnson’s camp and Tim D’Annunzio’s supporters passionately advocating for their chosen candidate. Neither side seems able to understand why the other side supports their chosen candidate.
“He doesn’t know the issues!”
“Yeah, well he thought he found the Ark of the Covenant!”
But when you cut through the noise surrounding this election, there is one group that has been fought over and claimed—by both campaigns: the tea party movement.
Two tea party groups – We the People-Cabarrus, and We the People-Sandhills – have publicly endorsed D’Annunzio’s candidacy. D’Annunzio’s campaign has been pushing the tea party vs. establishment storyline for some time now, running as the outsider to Washington politics.
D’Annunzio certainly does believe in the tea party principles of limited government, fiscal conservatism, and personal responsibility. His beliefs, as well as the endorsement of certain tea party groups, have painted him as “the tea party candidate.”
Harold Johnson, for many years known affectionately around here as “The Big Guy”, has been running a much quieter campaign. It’s true that he’s racked up a nice stack of endorsements, including a nuanced one by former Gov. Jim Martin and a not-so-subtle one by N.C. GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer. Some say those endorsements prove that Johnson is a party stooge. But Johnson has also racked up a few endorsements from tea party activists: Craig Nannini, Tariq Bokhari, Kristie Chapman, and Corey Thompson all endorsed Harold Johnson last week, making Johnson “the tea party candidate.”
Wait, that can’t be right. Can more than one candidate be “the tea party candidate” du jour? As Sarah Palin would say, “you betcha!”
You see, the tea party is a movement, not unlike other movements before it. It’s a zeitgeist—a spirit of the times. It’s not organized by rules and boundaries, but rather by the people. One tea party offshoot group, CAUTION, says that their mission is to “unite, inspire, and educate.” That sums it up perfectly. The tea party isn’t about creating another voter bloc or special interest group. It’s about creating informed voters that support the principles of limited government, fiscal conservatism, and personal responsibility. One tea partier may feel that a certain candidate best represents those principles, while another tea partier may feel that a different candidate does the same. Or maybe they identify with another candidate’s background, or prefer someone’s demeanor.
Is one tea partier a “sell out” because of their personal opinions? Of course not. If the tea party is to create informed, free, and independent thinkers, then there cannot be any slap on the wrist for not toeing the line and supporting the “correct” candidate. Remember, the tea party movement is open to Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters. No single candidate, nor political party, has a “lock” on the term “tea party candidate.”
Some tea partiers may not support Johnson because they don’t think he has a grasp of the issues, and they are afraid that he will simply become a “party man”—the Grand Ole Party. If that is their opinion, then on June 22, they should pull the lever for D’Annunzio. On the other hand, some tea partiers may think that D’Annunzio’s past is simply too much for them to swallow. Does that mean they don’t believe in second chances or redemption? Of course not. It simply means that they also believe in accountability, and that one is still accountable in adulthood for sins committed in the youth.
Just today I received an email from the leader of a group that has endorsed D’Annunzio and speculated that tea partiers who support Johnson had perhaps “been compromised by operatives of the Republican Party.” Time and again I have read tweets, blogs, and comments on the Web from one tea partier criticizing another tea partier’s support of a particular candidate. You think the Republican base is fracturing? Take a look at some of the tea parties and individuals in those groups. NC-8 is the San Andreas fault line, and this primary is an 8.0 on the political Richter scale. Right now these groups and individuals are doing nothing more than ensuring the defeat of our movement, by pitting tea party vs. tea party. For them it’s high noon, a show down.
For the movement to continue to flourish across North Carolina, the tea parties must stop the in-fighting and the bickering. The “us vs. them” mentality will leave all of us out on the curb come November. Whether Johnson or D’Annunzio wins the primary, all Republicans need to unite around the winning candidate come the morning of June 23. Also, there is a very worthy Libertarian candidate, Thomas Hill, whom many tea partiers have supported from the beginning.
We have ignited an extraordinary fire within the hearts of people all across the state. If we unite around a single candidate, and devote the same energy into the general election as we have the primary, we will be unstoppable. We can share in the victory in November, and take satisfaction in knowing that together we got our tea party candidate into Congress.
High tea, or high noon?
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Recent Posts by Matthew Ridenhour |
great article, matthew. If the candidate’s are not careful, they will both come off looking foolish: and pay for it in November!
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Thank you Matthew for putting in writting so effectively the very thoughts that I have had on this subject.
Tea Party members ultimately have the same shared values in many respects, but that in no way means that we give up our individuality in favor of the group ID.
I’ve actually been opposed to the growing coalitions of tea party groups across the country for this very reason. We are a collection of individuals with shared general beliefs. If we want “leadership”, a “hierarchy”, and a standardized platform, then we might as well form a political party of our own.
I’m not opposed to various groups working together for a common goal, in fact I’ve been encouraging that we do just that. What I’m opposed to is any individual tea party group claiming that it speaks for the entire movement. It can’t.
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I’ve been saying for a while now that the Tea Party’s greatest strength, which is its decentralized nature (makes it harder to co-opt) can also be its greatest weakness. Any decentralized movement that cannot unite at the right moment won’t see much electoral success. That begs the question, though, of whether the Tea Party movement will evolve as one focused on electoral victories, or whether it will see its greatest impact through the re-education of voters and a shift back to a greater understanding of small-government, free-market principles. Withdrawing consent from a corrupt system would also be a big win for liberty.
Much has been said about the violation of the NCGOP Plan of Organization by Chairman Fetzer, and I tend to agree with Mark and Christian; if he feels it’s so important to the party that he take a side, he should do so, and then resign his chairmanship to prove his commitment to both the rules governing the party and his conviction that he needed to speak out about D’Annunzio.
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It is my sincere hope that no matter the outcome of the June 22 runoff, that we all can rally around our nominee in November – because as Matthew clearly intimated, this energy is unstoppable!!
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Hello Matthew, Well written article. I have decided on Johnson but I concur that June 23 we must all come together and beat Kissell in the fall.
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A lot can be said about a group by the caliber of its leadership. I am proud to be able to call a guy like Matthew a friend – and his article above sums up who he is as a person and leader – and why the grassroots efforts of the Charlotte Tea Party have been so effective: organizing the individual thoughts of the membership and allowing them to all drive the direction of the group rather than dictate it from the top down. Great stuff, and I am honored to have helped in the very small ways I did.
My only wish is that Charlotte would focus its energy on getting out the vote and getting people involved in their city – it doesn’t really matter who you vote for or endorse as long as you have a reason that matters to you.
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I agree with many points in the article. However, I think we all need to support Tim D’Annunzio on June 22nd and again in November. I want a man who cares about his cause, not someone who want to play the political game as usual.
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Great article Matt, The tea party movement has brought much needed light to excessive growth in our federal government. It is essential that this thoughtful process continues. The Founding Fathers spent long months away from home hammering out our Consitution. They brought greatly varying beliefs and arguements on how our nation should be governed and there is a tremendous amount of compromise in the final document. We couldn’t have begun this great nation without compromise. I’ll see you for high tea…or maybe a lager in the tavern.
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Well done Matthew, unfortunately I will not be rallying around either one of the GOP candidates. I have to say that the Republican primary in NC8 was and is quite pathetic. Now we have a really nice guy, who’s not so well defined in the particulars vs. a guy that understands the attacks on the constitution, but comes off as a douchebag.(Has nothing to do with the info Fetzer put out, that stuff was on blogs months ago, but rather his recent attitude)
Redemption should be something all Republicans are for, and that anyone can be redeemed for almost anything, especially hearsay. However you have to ask for redemption, you have to work hard for redemption, and you have to be able to explain how your life has changed and to show your commitment to stay on the right course. Tim would have been much better served to come out and talk about the positives in his life and how his change has helped him, and left the other issues with Mr. Fetzer for other people to comment on. I agree with Adam, if he’s thinks he has to jump in, resign, but it takes a leader to do something like that, which is something NC is seemingly devoid of.
Chris, I would attempt to be more thoughtful and eloquent, but the d-bag just needed to come out.
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I think the only way to call yourself a tea party candidate, is to be an active leader in the teaparty movement, that is lead to candidacy through their activism. Also that the longterm impact of the teaparty movement, is the CAUTION type groups, getting people comfortable going to taverns/meeting places and discussing the impact a govt action has on the Constitution, and their liberty.
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Very well written article. Sadly, the character of one man can’t really be established and the character of the other doesn’t look promising based on past history. The tea party has had a ton of success across the nation of rooting out incumbents rhinos who were backed by, or heavily a part of the establishment. Whichever of these candidates in 8 prevails, if they aren’t true conservatives, I’m sure they’ll be rooted out at the next election.
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Sir, it’s a wonderful posting but the teaparty nor Johnson supporters are my obstacles in “uniting” if my candidate of choice were not to be elected. It is the behavior of the Republican Party that greatly disgusts me. They are acting more like Democrats than the Democrats do. The internal fighting, the smearing of their own, but most especially the breaking of their values and principles. This tells me so much. Many of us will actually be leaving the Republican Party after the primary.
District 8 isn’t the only district the NC & National GOP has pulled these tactics. They are smearing good men, some who have lost their primaries due to this behavior, and some who have gone on to win their primaries but are seen as most likely too damaged to win in November. This is just in North Carolina but it’s going on all over the country. I am involved in races in two other states that I know this to be fact.
If the Republican party will sacrifice those principles and values we conservatives cherish, including morals and a respectful fight, then they are not for me. I’d even rather have a Democrat that acts like a Democrat than a Republican who acts the same. At least I know the Democrat will stab me while they’re looking me in the eye.
As for Mr. Johnson, he’s a integral part of what I just described is going on here, therefore he cannot ever be my candidate. This remark from an on air conservative personality says it all for me. ” A lot of people know and like Harold Johnson but he comes off in the campaign like a carpet bagging glad-hander. He has quickly become part of the same pork greased Republican establishment that Robin Hayes was a member of and which pork greased Republican establishment, agitated Republicans everywhere are turning against..”
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Well said my friend.
For my part I see this friction and mudslinging as business as usual. If they’re doing it here they’ll be doing it there and business as usual is something that I DO NOT want. I don’t want a politician… whatever that means now… I want a representative. I do not want a party candidate…look where that’s got us… I want a district candidate. Some say that’s naive… I say it’s the legacy our founding fathers left; and the future. I don’t vote in NC8 and I’m glad of it but the process still sickens me.
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Nicely done. The most important point for me is that the Tea Party is a movement. This is a point that could use more exposure. Most journalists, commentators and other influencers don’t explain it as such, so many people remain uninformed. I hope you will continue publishing your tea party philosophy.
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Thank you Matthew for a great article.
There are many great and worthy Tea groups with different flairs of passion and effective at different things but the bottom line is what we are facing in the next 2 – 4 years. It is highly possible we will no longer have a free republic, very soon.
Under socialism/Marxist philosophy they must control every major facet of society and that is happening at lightning speed. When it takes hold what freedoms will we have?
I have had the fortune of seeing the pain in the eyes of those who felt the heavy hand of socialism. They will tell you it won’t matter what you and I think about our groups because it will be illegal to gather in grooups. It won’t matter what you think about abortion or any othe social concern because they will tell you how it is going to be and if you disagree you will suffer at the hands of an unjust system. Your choice of candidates -if we are allowed to vote- will be between a socialist and a socialist; all who will promise to ease your trials by promising to provide all your needs. All those who believe in socialism will sundenly see things differently when they have no more choices. This demoralizes man to the point of hopelessness and despair and is EXACTLY what our founders spoke of in the Declaration.
(Russia could not become an instant capitolist state when the walls came down. Generations had been completely demoralized and dumbed down. They were left with no idea of what to do to provide for themselves. Today they cry out for the socialist government to come back)
Socialism depends on uninformed classes. As they destroy your first amendment and the free exchange over the Internet what will you do? When you can no longer teach about our Founders what will you do? I have enough fear of where this leads to say we must do far more now. Our only hope at this time is strong, very conservative leaders.
The idea of many small groups has a certain appeal that I like too but the reality is its appeal is the very thing that will easily be destroyed by the left. It will be like an army of many well trained soldiers in many little groups and no leader to call them together. It will be divided and conquered in short time. Imagine the Republican Party being splintered into groups like this. We wouldn’t accomplish much would we? Isn’t that what we are seeing?
Under the system that is coming upon us the middle class disapears into a sea of poverty, servitude and fear while the few who rule live in priveledge and opulence. We must elect strong conservatives now, both fiscal and social and that may not be enough.
Does either of these candidate fit this? I have my opinion and I vote in the eighth. It is clear that the old joke, “The Republicans are taking us over the same cliff, only slower” is not funny anymore. What’s worse, it is clear they haven’t changed. So what are we to expect? We don’t want to be at war with them but I don’t recall it was my fault that they participated in doubling the debt under Bush or any of the other abuses over many years. Again, have they changed?
Let us remember that the President hasn’t presented his plan to “reform” education yet. With the time we have we are left with two choices; first, hold back the onslaught of Marxist philosophy by changing congress quickly and then accelerate the process to change our education system to retrain the next generation with the values we hold.
It is my conclusion we have little time.
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