After Cruz Bows Out, Texas Tea Party Mulls What's Next. Mike Tolson, HoustonChronicle.com ($$$)
Early media reports that the tea party movement might support an independent bid for the White House was just talk, movement leaders say, but they agree there is no enthusiasm for Trump among those who paved the way for the raft of "outsiders" who have ousted longtime establishment Republicans around the country.
This is only partially true. Because large tranches of the Tea Party ARE supporting Mr. Ego while others are still trying to figure out exactly what they are going to do. In Texas, of course, it's different, because much of the Texas Tea Party was invested in Mr. Cruz and cannot under many circumstances support the Bronzed Ego, and there's no chance they're voting for the Anointed One.
So, what should they do? Glad you asked.
1. Go Local - This is something I felt the Tea Party should have done from the beginning. While they sat around misspelling signs and screaming about O'Bummer and what not municipal and state debt soared. For a party that supposedly cared about so-called "fiscal conservatism" they looked the other way while quite a bit of State spending was signed into law by Republicans.
2. Clean House - The surge of white supremacy that flocked to Trump? A lot of it found safe harbor in the Tea Party. And, as the above linked article showed, several politicians of an authoritarian stripe, especially in Texas, were able to ride the Tea Party label to great success. It's time to take a Brillo pad to the roster and clean out those who only pay lip-service to the Constitutional principals that TPers claim to be in love with.
3. Get Better Messaging - Astroturf stuck. Whether people like it or not the national progressive line that the Tea Party was a Nationally coordinated movement developed legs despite the fact that it just wasn't true. As a matter of fact, almost every negative stereotype that the left put forward about the Tea Party went almost unchallenged. Today, wrongly, the Tea Party is viewed as a de-facto hate group whose members have their strings pulled by National figures who are simply looking to cash in. In opposition, the Occupy movement (who is, in actuality all of those things) is viewed as a "grassroots" organization.
4. Get Organized - If anything, the Tea Party suffers from a complete lack of effective organization. Too many local groups have splintered, and formed offshoots because those in charge just can't get along. Removing the Tea Party leadership from a few individuals to a more corporate organizational structure would help.
5. Go back to calling out Republicans. - When the Tea Party first started, it was in reaction to the Bush financial bail outs. Except for a bunch of fluff about "RINO Hunting*" that was the last time they seriously came out against any Republican policy. This needs to change, especially at the State level.
I truly believe that, if they run things right and clean up shop a little bit, the Tea Party can play a role in returning America to Constitutional principles in a country honoring the rule of law with a small but reasonable regulatory structure. But to do this they're going to need to broaden their appeal. Not to Progressives obviously, they are all but lost, but to moderates and people with no political affiliation who just want to be left alone so they can go about their lives. The problem is that will take some work and change and, to date, the Tea Party has shown little proclivity for either.
*RINO Hunting being one of the stupider things that has ever been invented in political circles and is one of the reasons the Tea Party carries the bad reputation that it does. It also reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the Republican Party. Which should not surprise you from a group where someone could hold up a "Get your government hands off of my Medicare" sign and no one said a word.
