With all the post-election analysis on Election 2010, and giving credit to the Tea Party for swinging it, we would like to drop out two cents in, to temper everyone's backpatting...
While we will give the Tea Party props for organizing and being just slightly ahead of the curve of most voters (and about 4 years after yours truly), to say that they are the cause of the GOP turnaround in the House and Senate is overstating it, and probably incorrect. Need to find the right answer? Look to Bobby, and other moderates and independents...
While stating they were bi-partisan, the Tea Party is mostly a group of very conservative Republicans, for whom George Bush was too liberal. Mostly they were right.. they were the most vocal and organized. But to measure the actual shift, you need to see which voters did the real flip-flopping. My apologies to John Kerry there...
If we took a stab at how many of the Tea Party members voted for Barack Obama and the Democrats in 2008, then went back to the GOP in 2010, we'd estimate it would be about six. Four of them have likely been executed already. The other two emigrated to France and Canada... Nope, as usual it was those vacillating, blow with the wind moderates like Bobby. Those people who see both sides to everything, who think we can help everyone and still balance a budget. The ones that drive entrenched political operatives like us up a frigging wall...
Yes, we hate them. But, in the end, those on the fencers are the ones that hold the final power - that last 10% that separates winners from losers. The Nikki Haley's from the Vince Sheheen's. The Ed Clement's from the Rose Mary Parham's.. Argue all you want about firing up the good troops and GOTV... To win, you need to attract those that marginally give a crap enough to vote, but don't really know jack about what they want. Those are your winners...
.
No comments:
Post a Comment