It does seem a little ethically shady, to answer your real question.
Joel Send a noteboard - 26/05/2010 08:18:20 AM
But as others have noted, the Tea Party isn't really an organized party, it's more of a movement. There aren't even many clearly defined platform planks apart from lowering taxes and getting rid of Obama (the only thing other than just electing a candidate that makes a party nonviable long term is DE-electing a candidate. ) Even when such a structure exists it's very hard to establish a party with any hope of actually achieving anything nationally (just ask moondog) and entering other party primaries isn't exactly a convincing first step. On the other hand, they can't really enter Tea Party primaries, because there's no national or even state level party structure to hold them. It's not like Paul was chosen by KY Tea Party members from a vast field of Tea Party candidates: He was the ONLY Tea Party Senate candidate, and his supporters duly turned out to nominate him in the Republican primary. In fact, much of the Tea Party already has an ACTUAL party that I believe represents them fairly well: The Libertarian Party, whose best known Presidential nominee is (surprise, surprise) Ron Paul (R-TX. )
From a strategic perspective, I think rt is right: All the Tea Party national candidates who are doing well are doing so in Republican primaries, so with a few exceptions (and KY may well be one) it's not like the Republican rank and file is going to be so alarmed that they vote Democratic just because a Tea Party member won their partys primary; in most cases the Tea Party is still a lot closer to what the Republican rank and file want than the Democrats are. If it were me, and it's not, I'd probably donate any excess cash to some local political cause about which I felt strongly rather than to a national party who not only doesn't need it but, at the national level, operates on a level of cynicism you and I can only imagine.
From a strategic perspective, I think rt is right: All the Tea Party national candidates who are doing well are doing so in Republican primaries, so with a few exceptions (and KY may well be one) it's not like the Republican rank and file is going to be so alarmed that they vote Democratic just because a Tea Party member won their partys primary; in most cases the Tea Party is still a lot closer to what the Republican rank and file want than the Democrats are. If it were me, and it's not, I'd probably donate any excess cash to some local political cause about which I felt strongly rather than to a national party who not only doesn't need it but, at the national level, operates on a level of cynicism you and I can only imagine.
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Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
This message last edited by Joel on 26/05/2010 at 08:19:31 AM
So here is my question RE: The Party System
25/05/2010 08:29:52 PM
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Question that might possibly reveal my ignorance in following the Tea Party hoopla...
25/05/2010 11:17:48 PM
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Kind of off topic, but still related.
26/05/2010 06:34:28 AM
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It's a method of showing dissatisfaction.
26/05/2010 06:44:39 AM
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Re: It's a method of showing dissatisfaction.
26/05/2010 07:01:03 AM
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Re: It's a method of showing dissatisfaction.
27/05/2010 05:39:53 PM
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the tea party is not going to be a lasting national movement, but if you want to donate, go ahead
26/05/2010 07:48:41 AM
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Yes, that is what happens. I gave to Ron Paul & I've received dozens of e-mails from the GOP
26/05/2010 08:31:17 AM
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It does seem a little ethically shady, to answer your real question.
26/05/2010 08:18:20 AM
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According to the left, the Tea Party movement is funded by corporations & the wealthy.
26/05/2010 08:21:46 AM
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the word party has caused a lot of confusion
26/05/2010 02:29:07 PM
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They have raised House candidates in at least one region, independent of the GOP.
26/05/2010 09:08:37 PM
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That sounds like a terrible waste of money to me. Buy yourself something nice. *NM*
26/05/2010 08:24:09 AM
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