Harvard Professor V.O. Key, Jr stated in his seminal work, “The Responsible Electorate”: “The most effective weapon of popular control in a democratic system is the capacity to throw a party from power.” That weapon is aimed at San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts who hijacked the peoples’ House.
There has been much said about the Tea Party blaming its views on right wing talk show hosts and political pundits. Many believe the Tea Party was formed by a Democratic Party and Administrations false conclusion that their success in the 2008 election was a vindication of their beliefs, the swing of the electorate response to the campaign positions taken, an indication of the intuitive mood of the people and, finally, as the respect it represents by an intelligent electorate.
Key concluded: “This narcissistic approach assumes it’s most repulsive form among election winners who have championed intolerance, who have stirred the passions and hatreds of people, or who have advocated causes known by decent men to be outrageous or dangerous in their long run circumstances.” The great Presidential scholar Richard Neustadt called it the pivotal nature of character to Presidential performance and James Barber of Duke University enhanced it with his classic book “Presidential Character”. They both concluded that it was character more than policy that determines Presidential performance.
It was the Soros, Pelosi, Obama, Reid et al (“SPORE”) intolerance for any participation in government by anyone who did not agree with them, their intimidation and manipulation of their own party members and their support for solutions that spent money as if it was endless that created the Tea Party movement. Who can forget Pelosi’s response to what was in the Health Reform Legislation when she stated America could read it after they passed it! More recently, Congressman Issa responded to their refusal to deal with federal taxes saying: “If Congressional Democrats refuse to put the interests of the American people ahead of politics, they should just resign, because this whole thing is disgraceful.” SPORE just doesn’t get “America”!
SPORE continues to regard voters as erratic, irrational, and susceptible to manipulation. . . . nothing more than manageable fools. Their method has been to project images and cultivate styles to the neglect of substance. Once again, the electorate has shown it is no fool. The Tea Party demonstrates that it is an electorate moved by concern about central and relevant questions of public polity, government performance, executive personality and character. They approve or disapprove of the performance of government.
Democracy in many respects is based on the “wisdom of crowds”. James Surowiecki argued that the aggregation of information in groups results in decisions that are often better than could have been made by any single member of the group. Such crowds reach their highest function when they (1) keep their ties loose, (2) keep themselves exposed to as many diverse sources of information as possible, and (3) form groups that range across hierarchies. The Tea Party fits these parameters perfectly as recognized by Bill Clinton when he said he thought the dialogue was good for the Country. (Bill Clinton Compares OKC Bombing to Tea Party Movement April 17, 2010)
SPORE is afraid of the American people. Their fear of Democracy is demonstrated when they equate the crowd mentality with that of a mob and generate fear and distrust among the electorate as a primary and reflexive defense. However, it is the strength of the Tea Party organization to Surowiecki’s three fundamentals that has allowed it to survive and endure. In fact, it is a strange paradox that the more distrust and fear are expressed by SPORE and their minions; the more the Tea Party phenomenon is embraced – recently attracting life long Democrats to join.
In order to “get America” you have to understand America is about freedom, justice and equality and the opportunities the combination creates. It is the opportunity to pursue happiness that is the promise of our civilization. Moreover, it is the recognition that rich or poor, educated and unlearned, religious and non are all working toward happiness and a better place to live.
Like the 1960’s folk song movement, today’s country western “gets America”. Recently I heard a song called “God Bless Good Ole Boys” by a new Nashville talent, Glen Templeton. It is attached for your consideration and you can click on his name under the picture above to hear it. You can also visit his website at http://www.glentempleton.com/ The tea party should make it their theme.