The
modern-day
TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party movement
followed from the original
1773 “Tea Party
”, which shocked colonists and royalists with
full-on resistance to the tyranny of taxation, spending, and regulation. A band
of Boston Rebels, they dressed up as Indians, breached a ship owned by a
British-subsidized tea company, and dumped the tea into Boston Harbor. The
reaction, the retaliation, from the Crown was immense. The piratical plans,
organized and radical, turned a small crowd of rebels, who defied the King and
his pet company, into an expanded revolution. It’s Pirate Time, GOP! Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan has exhorted her conservative
colleagues in print:
”It’s
pirate time!”
The TEA Party, and the rest of
the GOP, lost this edge in 2012, spending more time seeking love and
acceptance,
instead
of commanding respect
by standing for their values.
Romney played defense, hoping to run out the clock, then
”French-kissed”
Obama
during the third debate. Rhode
Island
Republican
Minority Leader Brian Newberry
(himself no RINO)
exposed Romney’s biggest flaw: no one believed that he believed what he was
saying (confirmed by Romney’s “47% remark”). In contrast, blue-state New Jerseyans respect red Governor Chris
Christie because he believes what he believes, even if every policy does not
line up with the research or the rhetoric of the Republican Party. Like
Christie, brash and bold with piratical planning and purpose, US Senator Rand
Paul took the floor of the US Senate last week, and
filibustered
the confirmation of CIA Director nominee John Brennan
for almost thirteen hours. By the way,
“Filibuster” originalyl refers to pirates taking over a ship. These bold ideas and bold maneuvers are in order.
The GOP grassroots has pushed the an outrageous reaction to government
overreach. Now, the planning and the purpose must be positive as well as over
the top. The California Republican Party must push for the biggest ideas, must demand
the real reforms, even move to the left of the Democratic Party on key issues,
which would be more consistent with the principles of conservative classical
liberalism. Take foreign policy. Sober conservative columnist
George Will never shied away from a fight with the Republican administration.
He
demanded
the draw-down of American forces in Afghanistan
,
inviting the sympathy and support of “The Nation’s” Katrina VandenHeuvel.
He moved “to the left” on an issue which a growing number of
conservatives agreed with, but were unwilling to share.
Congressman
Dana Rohrabacher
(R-CA) shared that most Republicans in private
support decriminalizing marijuana. Retired Congressman David Dreier (R-CA) shared that very sentiment,
the very year that he was leaving Congress because of redistricting. TEA Party candidates radical ideas, but lacked
radical, organized implementation to press their ideas. To reactionary methods,
people react with disdain or scorn. US Senate candidate Todd Akin had the ideas. But his “Yes, ma’am!”
calm, cool, and collected approach
fell
down against
the McCaskill juggernaut of “legitimate
rape”. He should have come out swinging against 100% NARALMcCaskill,
just as GOP Presidential candidate
Newt Gingrich decimated
moderator John King during the 2012 South Carolina
President Primary debate. Massachusetts’ US Senator Scott Brown
ingratiated
himself to Mass liberal elites
, instead of hammering the
wholeness of limited government. Same with Massachusetts GOP Congressional
candidate
Richard Tisei
,
who coasted on “I’m gay, I’m not John Tierney, and I might raise your
taxes.” Not bold enough.
Resistance to federal encroachment alone is
unimaginative and ineffective, like a priest trying to run a brothel (per
Jonah Goldberg): the prelate compromises himself and will get caught up.
Conservatism alone cannot convey the true nature of liberty. Conserve and
natural rights and individual liberty, but use “liberal” means of doing so,
like
Michigan Governor Rick
Snyder s
label “workplace fairness and
equity” for “right to work” legislation, or “amnesty, but no more welfare
state”. “School Choice” must be at the top of the list, the
Achilles heel for the Democratic Party leaders, who are owned by the unions,
who oppose school choice and “right to work”. The GOP can lead on substantive, populist issues,
like defederalization of controlled substances, or breaking up
”Too Big
to Fail Banks”,
or bringing down “Big Oil,
Big Pharma, Big Farm, Big Labor”
and other “Big Special Interests”. “Radical implementation”
means that just like the Tea Party of 1773, today’s TEA Party must coordinate.
It’s not enough to stage a rally studded with yellow “Do not tread on
me!” flags. The impression indicates a marginal hysteria, at best. The GOP
needs to break out Saul Alinsky’sRules
for Radicals, including his Thirteen Rules for bringing down the
opposition. Too many Republicans fear that such tactics are “beneath
them”, but when you have the law and the facts, there is nothing wrong
with pounding the table, too!
Blogger John Hawkins’ brilliant piece
touching up his Rules of Radicals makes for
good reading. Blogger John HawkinsIf Republicans believe what they believe, then bold plans and purposes are
needed along with GOP principles. Bring the “Party” back to Tea
Party, and resurrect its piratical essence — radical and organized. Get
Established, Establishment, and let the grassroots grow! It’s pirate time, GOP! Yo Ho Ho!